I was at a gun show Saturday, and happened to pick up (from the table) an SD40.

I've owned a Sigma, M&P9c, Ruger SR9 (full size and compact), and a Taurus PT145, all of them double-stack, and all of them not fitting my hand (grips are too large).

I'm looking for a pistol that has a grip that's long enough to get all my fingers on, and that's slim enough for me to reach the trigger.

I'd like to use the same pistol for home protection and for carry (would like a loaded weight less than 30 oz.). A magazine round capacity of less than 10 rounds in 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45ACP would be fine.

Don't seem to be many "medium-sized" single-stack pistols on the market. I've looked at Kahr, but I can't get comfortable with a pistol that has a manufacturer-recommended 200 round "break-in" to function reliably.

The SD40 seemed to fit my hand better than the Sigma I had. The gun-show set-up didn't give me a chance to really put the pistol in my hand completely because of all of the security cables tethering the guns to the table, and because of my own time constraints at the show.

I don't know of a LGS that has an SD in stock, and I hesitate to order one without getting your opinion of the size of the SD's grip size.

Thanks.

In my hands the SD9 feels smaller than the M&P but I am pretty sure the grip is a little thicker than the Ruger SR9 (with the the flat side of the grip adapter out). The SD9 also feels smaller than the SW9VE to me, but mostly because it has a slight different shape.

To be honest the gun I think you need to put your hands on is the S&W 908/3913/3914/3953/3954. Thin and short but with the pinky extension fits most hands.

mlk18, thanks for the reply. Went to local Bass Pro just to look, and tried a couple Kahr CW's, and a Remington 1911. All of them fit my hand perfectly.

At the time that the last of the metal S&W single-stack semi-autos were currently produced, I was mainly into revolvers and so didn't give them much thought. I regret that now.

As I look at the pistols I now have, all of them are either too short, too narrow, or too thick in the grip. What I'm looking for is a pistol that I can spend time shooting a couple hundred rounds a month, carry daily, and keep in the nightstand at night (with a 12 gauge propped up in the corner of the bedroom).

Thanks again for the reply.

There are a lot of "slim" guns out nowadays and most of them are poly frames. Most of them are also small, lightweight and snappy. Single stack compact 3rd Gens are still around and prices are reasonable. Plus a used 3rd Gen will still last longer than some of these poly guns. I carried a 3914NL for years and have always regretted selling it. It carried beautifully, was accurate and reliable and was very slim in the grip. I got caught up in the "manual of arms" theory that says your off duty guns needs to be the same as your on duty gun and sold it. I should have changed my duty gun to match that 3914!

This probably isn't your exact choice, but the Model 39 has about the best grip I have ever . . . .

Flash

I really never looked for used guns to buy, and so wouldn't even know how to go about finding a good one.

I've seen some 3913 and 3914 pistols on Guns America, and the pictures look like they would be a perfect fit for my needs. I don't know anything about 1990's and early 2000's S&W pistols. If I might need service on one, would S&W be able to help with parts/service?

Is there a place that I can find the specs on any of this generation of S&W pistols, so that I might know the sizes and weights...or is that just not available anymore?

Thanks again for your information and help.

They don't have everything but Genitron has a nice little compare feature. Many of the the 3rd gens are still in their list.

Genitron.com: 1 - 20 of 25 Select Results for Make-Smith & Wesson Mod-Any Cal-9 mm Type-Pistol

Pick three and then click the 'Compare Selections' button on the right hand side.

When it comes to used guns the classifieds right here on the forum are a good place to start. Look for sellers with a solid number of posts and chances are you will find an honest seller with an accurately described gun. Otherwise places like gunbroker and gunsamerica are good too.

You can do lots of research right here on the S&W forum. The search feature here has never thrilled me, so I generally just go to Google and type this in:

site:smith-wessonforum.com

At the end just type in a space and the gun you want to search for. So if you want to search for 3913's, type in:

site:smith-wessonforum.com 3913

I think you will find more info than you can imagine. Here are some model numbers for you to start with.

908 - compact single stack 9mm TDA/SA Blue (Value)
3913 - compact single stack 9mm TDA/SA Stainless
3914 - compact single stack 9mm TDA/SA Blue
3953 - compact single stack 9mm DAO Stainless
3954 - compact single stack 9mm DAO Blue

Thanks Tarheel97 and mlk18. I'll start doing my homework today, and then see if I can find a pistol.

I love the grip on my SD9, but tha's with MY hand. Even though I love it I bought a Pchmayr grip-glove and a Pachmayr slip-on rubber grip. $10 each, and one gives more bulk to the grip, while the other is just a sleeve that makes the grip- well- stick to my hand better. Point is even if a gun isn't quite perfect, there are easy adjustments you can make.