Decisions, decisions...9MM?

Love my Ruger SR40… more stopping power than a 9mm but not as much muzzle rise as the 45cal. Don’t mind the POS eBay light, just in case something happens in middle of the night.



If it’s something small your looking for, for easy concealment, I love my Ruger LCP-380. Smaller than my wallet and even fits comfortably in a boot!

 

Anything made by CZ. You will not be disappointed.

I recommend the PO7 or CZ 75 compact if you're after a hammer. Just check out the MAC videos on the P07. They're tanks.

 

I've owned just about everything and have leaned toward Glocks for a long time. But Sig has won me over. My wife and I both use Sig 365's as our carry pistols. With the included 10 round mags they carry IWB for me just as easy as my 6 round G43 and easily fit my wife's purse. For carry inside a purse having the option of a 1911 style safety is a huge plus not available on other guns.

I have a few of the 12 round mags for them which makes them a lot easier to shoot well. With those it has replaced my G19 and G17 for open carry or concealed carry OWB. They make 15 round mags that will fit the standard gun too, so I don't see the point of the 365 XL. Even though it is a smaller gun I shoot it just as well as my full size guns.

I have also picked up both a M17 and M18, the military variants of the 320.

 

One other good thing about the S&W SD9VE is that Glock 19 parts / components interchange with ea other

 

9mm S&W Shield works for me and many others. However, some folks find it difficult to shoot accurately, even if they are decent shots. So, even though I am happy with the Shield, I recommend it with some reservations.

Very dependable, robust, pistol that is relatively easy to carry. However, it has proven to be not the best gun for some folks.
This is the original version (not M 2.0), with Talon rubber grips.

 

https://palmettostatearmory.com/canik-tp9sf-elite-9mm-pistol-4-19-black-hg4869-n.html
canik tp9sf is not a bad choice. pistol is a Turkish knockoff off the Walther P99/PPQ. PSA has some killer new years deals going on.
$400 plus tax and ffl... should leave you $200-$250 for ammo.

 

It pretty much comes down to what you shoot best and what is most comfortable to carry if you'll be carrying it. Calibers, capacity, etc. are all great but if you're not delivering hits when needed all that pretty much goes out the window. Everyone will be different, as far as what their looking for. I personally look for something that fits comfortably in my hand, points well and is easy and comfortable to conceal and has minimum to no malfunctions. That probably didn't help much but just my $0.02. My normal carry gun is a Smith & Wesson M&P shield. Sometimes I will carry a Colt lightweight commander 1911 but I generally stick to the Shield.

 

I have an LCP because it fits in my pocket and I'm a small guy at 120 lbs. It isn't fun to shoot or accurate but it does shoot bullets consistently. Ha!

So far this thread has mentioned just about every common gun but I don't recall anyone saying they carry a Kimber. They are pretty but I am not sure about practical.

 

Bridge that gap between too small and double stack. P365XL or a Glock whatever version they call it that's the same size as the P365XL... 48? I think. MOS version. You have basically a compact listed and a secondary choice of a double stack. What are your intentions? Plans for this gun? IWB, OWB, in a pack etc etc... What exactly are you looking to do with this and what do you feel the most comfortable with?

 

The most helpful advice so far.

 

https://youtu.be/-yJ66Visb8Y

 

This. Got my Father in law one a few years ago. I recommended it, but told him if he didn’t like it I’d buy it from him. It’s fantastic. He loves it.

That said, I have had 3 SA XD’s and love them.

I even shot my XD Mod2 3” in a two gun competition and was competitive enough to place mid pack. They’re dead nuts accurate.

Some guys about half way noticed I was shooting a sub compact and seemed somewhat impressed. They all were running 4”-5” glocks and a few with some bad ass competition 1911’s.
And most had optics. Honestly they had more money than skill, but they were all nice.

 

You need to shoot them if possible. For me the shield points well and I'm accurate out of the box. I have started looking at the Sig, mainly for capacity.

 

Smith and Wesson CSX.

Introducing, the new CSX™ | Smith & Wesson

Hammer fired, 3.1", 12 rd, aluminum alloy frame/stainless slide, true ambidextrous control, cary pistol that's made in America.

 

A lot of great information here. Like others have said, it comes down to primary usage and what fits and feels the best for you. Not sure if you’re a Springfield fan or not, but their hellcat micro-compact is something to take a look at. I’ve put thousands of rounds through the standard hellcat and it has never let me down. S&W mp 2.0 looks to be a nice piece as well, and possibly my next purchase. Need to shoot one first!
https://www.springfield-armory.com/hellcat-series-handguns/hellcat-3-micro-compact-handguns/

 

Sig 226. Full size. You can also use it as a club.

 

I went with Sig because of the grip. I held a few others, but the Sig just fits my hands. And, whatever texture they use makes it feel secure. As others have mentioned, hold a few and see what feels good in your hands

I went with the P365XL due to the size and capacity. And, I just like it. I've run about 1500 rounds through it, and it has been fantastic!

 

Ive got 1911's in both 9mm and .45 like them both and carried both,

 

I am late coming to the party, however, if you are still looking to choose here is my $.02.

As for caliber debate goes.... the largest caliber you are comfortable carrying and using is the right one. For me, due to weight, recoil, and personal accuracy, a 9mm is ideal.

I have a S&W Shield 9, mine is the old "OG". As other have mentioned it was accurate out of the box for me, felt natural as far as the grip angle goes, trigger feels smoother than a stock Glock, and has a good reset. If I were to replace it today I would get a shield plus without hesitation. So the plus would be my recommendation due to increased capacity, with the caveat that you have fired and are comfortable with S&W.

If you want to stay on a bit lower budget Taurus makes a good a reliable concealment gun the G2C or G3C. These have "double strike" capability (aka double action), meaning you do not need to rack the slide to reset the trigger (though the actual reset from cycling is lighter and farther back) , so it a decent "starter" gun to use with a laser cartridge for dry fire training at home. I enjoy my G2C and have had 0 reliability issues with 2K+ rounds through it. Not real sure the exact round count as I stopped keeping track back in pre-COVID 2020. I have used a laser dry fire training training round for likely another 3K or more "rounds" during the pandemic mess. I rotate the G2C and the Shield in and out as my EDC. Neither has given me any problems to date.

By all means go to one or more local ranges and test every gun you think you may like see how they feel in your hand, recoil management, accuracy, and capacity. Shop around don't just fall in love and pay $700 for a $500 gun. Money spent renting a handgun will be money saved in the long run if you purchase one you truly dislike and won't carry.

What ever you do LEARN and TRAIN as much as possible. Training prevents Negligent Discharges. Accidental Discharges are ND's in my POV, if you know and practice safety then there are no accidents. Know the carry laws of wherever you carry.

Best of luck!!

 

My two cents... If you want to stay small, you can't go wrong with the S&W Shield. I have one of the original versions and it's a great shooter. I'm pretty accurate with it. If I do my part, I can hit my 12 1/2" X 20" steel target, off-hand, at 50 yards, pretty consistently.
I'm a big CZ fan and have a few, but in the last couple of years, picked up a Shadow Systems MR920 Combat a Smith 2.0 Compact, 4" and most recently a Glock 19, Gen 5. I shoot the Shadow Systems and the Glock the best of all of them. For me, the length of pull is better on the SS and Glock. It's a little longer. I also like the 'rolling break' of the Glock style trigger. Who knew?
I shoot my Shield really well but for the life of me, can't get to really liking the 2.0 Compact. The length of pull is just too short. It feels great when you pick it up but I don't shoot it well. And yes, I've given it a LOT of time. I have steel targets in my back yard and a covered deck. I shoot a few rounds at least three times a week since I don't have to go to a range.
There are a LOT of good choices out there right now but I really think it boils down to, "shoot a few before you make your decision". You might be surprised what you shoot well and what you don't.
Someone else made the comment that Glock 19 is always the right answer. I'd say, It's never the wrong answer. Right now, out of the 9 pistols I have, the Glock is my favorite.