Best small 9mm pistol

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?

Sig P365.

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.

Been carrying a glock 43x everyday.

Lightweight, thin, feels good in the hand

+1…P365

I absolutely love my Sigp365x macro - holds a bunch and will fit in my pocket if I need it to

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.

Shield and 43x are my two favorites

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.

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.

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.

This is an interesting offering. Internal hammer-fired, so SAO instead of DAO.

https://fnamerica.com/products/fn-reflex-series/fn-reflex/

PEE

TREE

SITTY

FIVE

P938. SA and hammer block safety. Makes it OK for pocket carry.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For me FN 509 in truck and concealed public carry, in house P365xl both with Red dots.

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.

Neither of your two choices.

Glock 43. 43x if it's small enough for you, as it shoots better

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.

Without having touched either pistol, it looks like it’ll be between the P365MS and the S&W M&P Shield 2.0. That said, if the FN Reflex can be had with a
manual safety, it looks very interesting.

I just don’t want a Glock.

I hope you figure it out but I am curious about not liking the grip safety? It’s never even crossed my mind that it’s on there or any of my others with it. Shooting the pistol requires you to release it so it’s not a conscious thought. The equalizer comes with or without the thumb safety. I still enjoy shooting the 365 more, but ease of operation goes to the smith. Guess I’ve already said that though.

How’s the trigger on the 365? I’ll re-add the Equalizer to the list of possibles.

Trigger isn’t horrible but a flat trigger is a definite needed upgrade in my opinion. I’ve shot the regular 365, 365xl and the macro. Couldn’t shoot any of them well enough to trust my life with one. But the flat trigger on the xl and macro was a plus.

I like it fine. If you're back up in dfw or Corsicana you're welcome to shoot mine.I have a p365 and a p365xl.

I have a Shield because it was the first I found second had locally out of all the ones mentioned above.

Striker fired. Never shot a striker fired pistol that had what I would consider a good trigger. The caveat is I shoot it what I consider good for me with a small pistol. To my way of thinking, those little pocket pistols are up close point and shoot anyway.

About striker-fired triggers, they will break in some over time. The Shield PRO from their custom shop has an upgraded trigger but I really couldn't tell enough difference between it and mine to spend an extra $150-200. The first thing I did with my Shield was dry-fire it about 300-400 times which made it feel pretty good. If you have to, APEX makes upgrades for a lot of these guns. I put a full APEX sear/trigger kit in my fullsize M&P and it did make a lot of difference.

Glock 43X with the aftermarket 15 round double stack.

P365. It is about as close to perfect for concealed carry as you can get. Small, light, reliable, adequate capacity. My wife, my son, and I all have one.

When I don't have to be so discrete I normally carry something larger like my EDCX9 but I feel completely comfortable with the 365.

I'm a G43 guy for daily carry, easy to conceal. BUT there are times I can throw a LCP 380 in a pocket and be even more discrete and it's a throw-away pistol to me. Also, if I didn't have a Glock...the 365 would be next on my list.

My wife wanted a new pistol last fall...she ended up getting a Glock 48 with MOS...I'm impressed enough with the red dot that I think I'll get a setup like that for myself...except I'll go with a 43 or 43x. I was amazed how much more accurate faster I was with the dot...I didn't believe the hype, until I actually shot one...I get it now.

Biggest thing is comfort...go to BPS/Cabelas or any other bigger gun shot and put them in your hand, get the one you like...doesn't matter what we recommend or shoot.

Also, Glock has the best safety...keep your booger picker off the bang switch until you're ready for it to go off.

Mine lives in my pocket, unless I'm at work.

Now that I’m not chasing bank robbers around anymore I’m content with carrying a LCP22. I have several of them.

At the risk of sounding like Judd (gay), I have to say I’m fond of my G43x with light and RDO. Conceals easily, holds 15+1, and actually shoots really well for its size. I still rock the G42 when I want pocket carry.

A 365 X Macro in your pocket? Other than baggy shorts I don't know that I could do that and have it be inconspicuous and comfortable if it would even fit. How about a picture? Maybe I'll learn something and have another option.

Thanks.

Those are great little pistols.

Don’t be asking for pictures of another man’s pants.

This.

Kel-tec P3At in my pocket most of the time. Hellcat w/15rd mag on my belt or a XDM w/19rd mag when i can wear a shirt untucked.
The Duluth firehose cargo pants i wear the majority of the time has pockets that will easily conceal the Hellcat.

Happy with my LC9s. In pocket or holster.

I didn’t say it was inconspicuous or comfortable, just that it would fit in my pocket if I need it to.

lol facepalm.jpg

Gotcha, thanks.

Been happy with the older ruger lc9. Think it’s the ec9s now. Worth comparing anyways.

Update: I think I will go with the FN Reflex 9mm, if and when I can get one with the manual safety. I don’t know if that is available right now, and have not been able to find out.

Post up a pic when you score one sir

Ruger EC9s. I have two of them. The trigger is much improved over the LC9s.

Both are s...striker fired
LC9s has drift adjustable rear sight, EC9s fixed rear.
LC9s blued, EC9s black oxide.

The FN Reflex, that I probably will buy, is hammer fired. Supposedly has a better trigger than the 365, which is sort of the bad news. The trigger is light enough that I want the version with the manual safety. That version isn’t available yet.

Looking forward to your report-I don't need one, but I want one!

Truthfully, I really don’t need one either. I have the small 380 and a full sized 9 mm, but I want something sort of in the middle that’s a 9mm. I had a 380 EZ, but sold it. I felt like the grip safety was detrimental to use in a fast and bad situation. Too many women shooters learning here at the ranch had user problems with that grip safety, saying “I can’t make it shoot”. So, out with that one. And, I hate to reload 380. So, 9mm is where I’m going. The Reflex supposedly has a better trigger than the 365, making it easier to shoot accurately. But with that light trigger, I want the thumb safety.

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Love the Sig P365. Had several people buy one after shooting it

I had the pleasure ( not) of shooting the 365 with the built in the slide sights. I would never recommend those bs sights to anyone. Trash

I've been looking around for a while. Finally went back to a pistol I first shot 15 years ago - the Sig P239. Put a Hogue grip on it and shot a tiny little group today. Just picked it up over the weekend. I think this is going to be mine and my wife's carry gun for a long time. Been looking around for a good while - Equalizer, Glock 43, Shield, bunch of others.

Yep. I've bought 2 of them. I personally love a thumb safety.

I dont care for stryker fired pistols....I have several small carry 9mms. My favorite to carry is my Smith and Wesson CSX. Kinda like a mini 1911.

glock 19

P365 for the win

Shoot what you are comfortable with.

Glock 19 is a great gun but I would not put it in the Small" category. Midsize at best.

Just to be clear, I have no intention to buy a Glock. And no S&W with a grip safety. I like the size, weight, and ammo capacity of the 365 and the FN Reflex. When somebody has a Reflex with the manual safety, I plan to compare the two and buy the one I like best. Based on what Imhave read and videos of comparisons of the two pistols, they are very similar in most every way, with the trigger pull being better on the Reflex. And the Reflex trigger is light and maybe too light for a pistol with no manual safety, which is why I want that manual safety.

No way am I sticking a light trigger pistol down in a front pocket anywhere near ‘Big Ed’.

Big Ed

Glock 19 is a small gun when your 6'9'' 370 lbs .

Desert Eagle is a small gun for Sasquatch.

And I thought I was a big dude.

Love my Shield and Shield Plus.

I've had the Sig 365, a Hellcat, and a 43X but nothing shoots better than my Glock 26.

Still waiting for an FN Reflex with a manual safety, which isn’t yet available.

Ruger Max9 12+1 pocket carry. Very accurate and reliable. Also a LCP 380 Max carrier.

Just picked up a second Shield. Yes, they only hold 8.

I have been carrying an XDS9 for a few years. Figured out that while I shoot the pistol decent it always feels like I am having to work to get a good grip. Shot my brothers 365xl last weekend and points better naturally for me and I shot it a lot better right off the bat than the XDS I have been shooting for years.

So now thanks to Grabagun I have a 365XL for EDC. Just need to find a couple good holsters.

The only thing that would make my Kimber Micro 9 ESV better for me is for them to make it a double stack. I have tried several other carry pistols, but this one fits me the best.

I went into Academy last week to buy a Ruger EC9S. I ended up with a Taurus G3C though because of how it felt in my hands and I didn`t care for the safety on the Ruger or the mag release. I had seen several videos on the Taurus and all good reviews. Hopefully I won`t be disappointed and I saved a few hundred bucks. I also had to wait behind 2 other guys' that were also buying Taurus pistols. The Academy salesperson said they sold lots of Taurus pistols. Surprising. I`m curious how it will compare to my Springfield XDM 3.8.

I’m really liking my PSA Dagger Micro. Can get the C1 slide for integrated slide comp (g48 footprint) or the regular for the g43x footprint. Factory mags are 15 rounds of goodness. They all come factory milled for optic if you choose to run one too.

I really like the CZ P10 guns.