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Best small 9mm pistol
#9005527
02/14/24 05:52 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 16,601
603Country
OP
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OP
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I know this has been cussed and discussed over time, but I need some info from ya’ll. I’m down to 2 pistols, a Bodyguard 380 and a Beretta PX4. The Bodyguard is perfect for the pocket. The Beretta is a great shooter, but not small. I want a 9mm that is not as big as the PX4 and is thinner. Needs to be absolutely reliable and not punishing to the hand when I shoot it. I might or might not put a red dot sight on it. Probably will just want tritium sights on it. Would consider a Glock, but not a real big fan of them.
What say you?
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005536
02/14/24 06:08 PM
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 28,211
skinnerback
THF Celebrity Chef
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005538
02/14/24 06:14 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 10,629
unclebubba
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I love, and carry a sig p938. It is very 1911ish, so if you like 1911's, you will probably like the p938. The P365 that skinnerback recommends is what my wife carries. It is a very good shooting pistol as well, but the p938 is ever so slightly thinner as it is a single stack. Both came with Tritium night sights.
edit: if you do look at the p938, get the mags with the pinky extension. They are 7+1. The 6 round mags are worthless as you can not get a full grip on the gun.
Last edited by unclebubba; 02/14/24 06:17 PM.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005539
02/14/24 06:16 PM
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Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 1,057
DustyArmadillo
Pro Tracker
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Been carrying a glock 43x everyday.
Lightweight, thin, feels good in the hand
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005543
02/14/24 06:27 PM
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Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 10,400
The Dude Abides
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I am still looking for the perfect apron, one with reinforced knee areas would be perfect.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005547
02/14/24 06:33 PM
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Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 20,367
Biscuit
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I absolutely love my Sigp365x macro - holds a bunch and will fit in my pocket if I need it to
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005548
02/14/24 06:35 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 16,297
QuitShootinYoungBucks
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You're going to get a ton of answers on this. Sig 365, S&W Shield, Glock 43/X, Springfield Hellcat, FNS, etc. and there are quite a few variations of each one (ported, extended, safety/no safety, single/double stacked, plus-sized, optics-ready). You really can't go wrong with any of the guns in this segment. Go to Cabelas/LGS and look at them all. I don't think any of them will pop your hand in 9mm.
I carry an original Shield, it's very thin, 8+1, and I added night sights to it. All in I'm under $350.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005562
02/14/24 06:55 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 4,822
patriot07
Extreme Tracker
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Extreme Tracker
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Shield and 43x are my two favorites
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005571
02/14/24 07:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3,472
ZK-315
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I've enjoyed both my shield and p365. I did buy extended mags for both since I have pretty large hands. I tend to carry the p365 much more often after getting it.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005572
02/14/24 07:20 PM
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 1,909
Nolanco
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If you can abide the Glocks, the 43X is excellent. I am currently running a Smith CSX, but it is a bit on the chubby side compared to the other offerings. I like an all-metal hammer-fired pistol that feels a lot like a 1911.
Last edited by Nolanco; 02/14/24 07:21 PM.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005581
02/14/24 07:36 PM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12,602
wp75169
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S&W equalizer. It replaced the EZ 2.0. I also very highly recommend the 365 but it’s not as user friendly. Crippled broke hands can rack the slide on the S&W. I guess it’s a dexterity question.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005593
02/14/24 08:03 PM
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Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 4,656
Gumbeaux
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005599
02/14/24 08:15 PM
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Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 810
duffas
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Tracker
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P938. SA and hammer block safety. Makes it OK for pocket carry.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005602
02/14/24 08:20 PM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 16,601
603Country
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Ok, I guess Cabelas needs to be visited. I wasn’t gonna buy another gun, but there is a gap to be filled - between small and large. And, I hated to spend the money and get grief from the wife, but she just spent $300 on a visit to the beauty shop. That’s every 6 weeks. Sooooo, a new pistol it is. That FN Quitshootin showed us looks mighty good and ticks most of the boxes. But I need to see that P365. As for the 938, I was tempted, but didn’t like the cocked and locked. The Grandson has one though, and that thing will really shoot accurately. I have not seen or handled the Equalizer. Need to do that.
I had that EZ380 for a year or two, but the grip safety was a problem (not for me, but for just about everybody that shot it). And I hate reloading 380. I have enough ammo for the Bodyguard 380, so can focus more on 9mm reloading in the future.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005606
02/14/24 08:32 PM
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 326
Longhorn74
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 326 |
I’ve got the sig 938, sig 238 and the kimber micro 9mm. If your a fan of 1911s any one of these is a good carry pistol.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005632
02/14/24 09:31 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,873
Hunter-Steve
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I had two SIG 938's and sold them once I got a SIG P365 Custom Works model. It's significantly more accurate than the 938's and fits nicely in my hand and pocket with higher capacity mags.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005634
02/14/24 09:47 PM
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Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 7,290
jhenderson
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
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Best is hard to say. I want to love the 365 but I shoot it horribly. Best feeling trigger to me is the fn reflex but it’s still so new I’m not sold on it yet. Hellcat has a pretty good trigger but I don’t shoot it the best either. I shoot the glocks well but I’m looking for a replacement. The shields I shoot really well but don’t like them overall. It’s all about what you like at the end of the day.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005645
02/14/24 10:14 PM
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 32,995
txtrophy85
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I love the Glock 43 but I'm a Glock fan. I do not own a 43 but handled one, I have a G19 and a 23.
I carry a S&W shield 9mm. Slim, trim and I shoot it pretty well.
For it is not the quarry that we truly seek, but the adventure.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005649
02/14/24 10:21 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,251
MortgageMan
Veteran Tracker
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I have a P365 in 9MM and 380. Added a flat trigger to each. Like them both a lot for pocket carry. They are both accurate and don' punish my hand. No failures with either.
It's not what you say, or think, that counts. It is what you DO!
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005653
02/14/24 10:32 PM
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Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 1,909
Nolanco
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Lots of love for the P365, but like Mr. Henderson I shot it very poorly while I shoot the CSX surprisingly well. Be sure when you handle these pistols to do the closed-eyes test: grasp the empty pistol in your usual grip and with eyes closed raise to where you think you should be pointing and open your eyes. If you are consistently way out of alignment with the sights, it might not be the best model for you. I'd like to handle that FN.
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005657
02/14/24 10:38 PM
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,112
Superduty
"The Regulator"
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"The Regulator"
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,112 |
For me FN 509 in truck and concealed public carry, in house P365xl both with Red dots.
Last edited by Superduty; 02/14/24 10:39 PM.
'It's Only Treason if You Lose."
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005739
02/15/24 01:28 AM
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 16,601
603Country
OP
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The FN Reflex has no thumb safety, which I want. The S&W Equalizer has that grip safety that I dislike. The Glock has no thumb safety. More research to go.
The Sig P365MS has a manual safety. I need to go grip one.
Last edited by 603Country; 02/15/24 01:37 AM.
Not my monkeys, not my circus...
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005759
02/15/24 01:55 AM
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 35,407
Brother in-law
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Neither of your two choices.
Glock 43. 43x if it's small enough for you, as it shoots better
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Re: Best small 9mm pistol
[Re: 603Country]
#9005762
02/15/24 01:59 AM
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,521
Smokey Bear
THF Trophy Hunter
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THF Trophy Hunter
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 5,521 |
SIG 365X with ambidextrous manual safety for us lefty’s. Has the longer grip and 12 round magazine of the 365 XL. I have big hands and despise the little two finger grips. Shorter slide of the 365. Came with good 3 dot tritium sights. I shoot it good and it doesn’t have much buck to it. I like it. About as small as I can shoot well. Didn’t feel like I needed to change or add anything to it. Nice little pistol.
Smokey Bear---Lone Star State.
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