Ultra Reliable Sub-Compact 9mm

[chief38]

In a pistol I'd not personally carry less than a 9mm for EDC, SD. Some of the .380 acp's are very compact however I just do not have much confidence in that caliber. My choice for the last 6 years has been a Sig P365 (original Micro size). So far I have well over 8,000 rounds through it and I have had zero malfunctions. I did change out the springs and striker as Sig suggests a few thousand rounds ago. I had no issues but figured I'd err on the side of caution as this is what they recommend. I did also add a manual safety - basically just drop-in parts.

Not only is the P365 been 100% reliable, it has also been super accurate and a pleasure to EDC. At less than 18 ounces (+ ammo of course) it is light, small, thin, compact and has worn exceptionally well.

Target below was shot at 7 yards with 50 rounds of 124 gr. as fast as I thought I could hit the black.

 

[bobsguns]

I was wondering - I have never had even one failure to function with any 115 gr ammo, yet I haven't been able to get it to reliably feed 124 gr. The 124gr HP or ball, makes it a jammomatic, and I've given up on that. Any thoughts or comments?

Describe your problem(s).

Is the rd nosing up? Nose diving? What?

The 124gr is a slightly longer OAL than a 115gr rd. It might have a machining issue from the factory. Could be a recoil spring issue. Could be several things.

 

[bobsguns]

Buy a Glock! (S & W sucks!) MHO

Perhaps he has taste & refinement & doesn't want a Glock?

 

[bobsguns]

In a pistol I'd not personally carry less than a 9mm for EDC, SD.

Some folks have medical issues that prevent shooting much above a .22LR gun. While I agree with your logic, sometimes reality slaps us in the face & laughs at us.

Personally, I would feel terribly under armed with a J-frame in .22WMR. For an obese perp, I would opt for a knee or head shot.

As we age, we find ourselves adjusting more & more for daily duties, IMO.

 

[chief38]

Some folks have medical issues that prevent shooting much above a .22LR gun. While I agree with your logic, sometimes reality slaps us in the face & laughs at us.

Personally, I would feel terribly under armed with a J-frame in .22WMR. For an obese perp, I would opt for a knee or head shot.

As we age, we find ourselves adjusting more & more for daily duties, IMO.

I do understand. If one can not handle a 9mm then they must do what they must do and anything (even a 22RF) is better than nothing. The only reality about a 22RF for self defense is that rimfire ammunition, (no mater what brand) can and does fail to fire from time to time. If resorting to carrying a rimfire one would be better off with a revolver IMO. This way if a round fails to fire one just simply has to pull the trigger again and not deal with a jam. As anemic as a .25acp is, they are much more reliable than rimfire ammo. While I would not want to make a 25acp my EDC, I must say that I own a Colt 25acp Vest Pocket model made approximately in the teens or 1920's and has never once jammed or misfired. At least 25 acp is a centerfire round that is quite reliable.

BTW, and IMO, something like a P365, SA Hellcat, FN Reflex or similar does not really have objectionable recoil for most people, including most women I have let shoot mine. One of the ladies we shoot with every Friday is 5'0", petite and has no problems at all shooting my Sig P365. She has also shot my 357 magnums (including snubby's) quite competently. Her EDC is a Ruger LCP Max and even though 380acp has less recoil than a 9mm, in her 10.5 ounce Ruger the recoil is less but not by a whole lot.

 

[3rosaries]

I guess it depends how you're going to carry it. Pocket Carry? Appendix? Body type?

 

[preventec47]

I’m looking for my next EDC concealed carry pistol. I have a Glock 42 for pocket carry. I’m no “fan boy” of any particular brand. I’ve owned Glocks, Rugers, Sigs and S&Ws; with a preference for the latter.

I’m looking for a sub-compact 9mm that will be ultra reliable. I am considering the S&W Shield Plus (top choice right now) and the Glock 48. Are these two pistols pretty reliable out of the box? Anything else I should consider?

Trying to stay away from single action pistols.

I love all my older S&W pistols but for todays subcompact carry I love my Ruger EC9s though I never hear anyone talk about them. They have the higher capacity MAX-9 but I prefer the slimmer grip for concealability. I have carried my pistol to gun stores and compared competing 9mm sub compacts and I still like the Ruger the best. It doesnt have adjustable sights but it is not a target pistol. I have even smaller 380s but I dont think 380 gets the job done.

 

[fatcat3]

Opps, I missed the 9mm part.

940

 

[1953HenryJ]

Beretta APX carry has a DA revolver trigger, it's small and most of it is the Beretta Nano architecture just repackaged.
My other carry pistol is a Walther PPS m2. It's a stunning little gun. I wish it got more publicity

 

[nll401]

Buy a Glock! (S & W sucks!) MHO

Funny. Years ago I was looking at the used handguns at a local police supply outfit. An officer with one department or another looked at me and said "Just buy a Glock". But I bought a used 6906 anyway.

 

[ameridaddy]

Describe your problem(s).

Is the rd nosing up? Nose diving? What?

The 124gr is a slightly longer OAL than a 115gr rd. It might have a machining issue from the factory. Could be a recoil spring issue. Could be several things.

It's been years; I vaguely recall the ogive hung on the ramp, but whether nose up or down, I don't remember. I doubt it's the spring, as it was nearly new at the time. The ramp is smooth, much smoother than my earlier P238 was from the factory. I'll have to try it again and take pictures. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Should have mentioned- my Kahr standard flush Mag is 6 rounds.
I also have 7 and 8 round Mags.

 

[javbike]

Sig P-938 is about as sub-compact as guns get. Mine is accurate way beyond its size. I use the pinky rest mags so I can get all my fingers on the frame grip.

The P-938 is such a perfect sub gun, I've never bought anything for it to compete with. I would quickly buy it again, which is the highest compliment I can bestow upon a gun.

My .o2

I second the p938 and I have the 238 in 380 love them both

 

[walkin' trails]

I’ve got a Shield 1.0, a G43 and 43x, a 26, an M&P 9c 1.0, and several Js in the safe that really don’t ever do out anymore. I EDC a P365 and recently added a 365XL. I just like the trigger on the P365 series so much better than Glocks I’ve carried for years. Go find a range that might let you rent some of the micros and see what you can stand to shoot. I’m dealing with arthritis and some trigger finger damage over the years and the micros beat me harder than I enjoy. The P365 triggers and either standard pressure 115 Gold Dots make them more pleasant to shoot. Surprisingly the Critical Duty 135 +Ps aren’t all that bad in terms of recoil impulse. I occasionally carry Js, but have a 43x back in warranty right now that, it it works like it’s supposed to after it comes back, will get carried a lot more. But go try and rest some specimens and local ranges and how they work before you take one home.

 

[Mongo1958]

I’m looking for my next EDC concealed carry pistol. I have a Glock 42 for pocket carry. I’m no “fan boy” of any particular brand. I’ve owned Glocks, Rugers, Sigs and S&Ws; with a preference for the latter.

I’m looking for a sub-compact 9mm that will be ultra reliable. I am considering the S&W Shield Plus (top choice right now) and the Glock 48. Are these two pistols pretty reliable out of the box? Anything else I should consider?

Trying to stay away from single action pistols.

Check out the CSX

 

[Mongo1958]

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I have carried a SIG P-365 for years. I decided that I wanted a small pistol with a small red dot so I bought a Canik METE MC9. It is a very accurate little gun. I shot a group that was a little over an inch at 15 yds with it. The range officer had similar results. The trigger is great like other Caniks that I have shot. It comes with 12 and 15 shot mags.

 

[Onomea]

I am not familiar with many of the guns mentioned in this thread. I switched from snubby revolver EDC to a P365X about a year ago, and could not be more pleased.

I was curious about the size of the P938 compared to the P365, so looked it up:


Above is a standard, or original P365 with a 10-round flush mag. I have large hands and prefer the X/XL grip module which takes 12-round mags, convertible to 14 rounds with Magguts springs. (You can also get a gip module that acceots 17-round mags.) I like a manual safety so have added that as well.

 

[Guevera]

Another vote for the SIG P938 here, especially in the context of what I’ll call Boomer Carry.
This is where time and tide have worked their magic and you can’t stand to carry a 1911 anymore. You can, however, carry that 938 very easily, in my case IWB in a Vedder holster, on my belt in a nice pancake from Ryan Grissle, or best of all, in my pocket with a leather holster from Pocket Concealment Systems.
I got so carried away I bought another 938, this time the Legion model, for increased capacity and some really nice night sights.
I know, I know, the 938 is no 1911, try though it may, but for my age and stage, the little SIG ticks every box and I feel perfectly confident about its dependability and accuracy. Highly recommended.

The below is a version of the 938 called the “Campaign” model - a curious “distressed” finish I kind of like that I think was particular to Bass Pro and Cabellas. They made a whole range of finishes for this and the .380 acp version.

 

[Dave Lively]

Kahr PM9 is my smallest 9mm. Small and Reliable. Trigger is like Revolver Double Action for us Old Revolver Guys.

I bought a PM9 shortly after they came out. It was very reliable for about 250 rounds then it started dropping magazines due to the polymer mag catch on the early models. Kahr sent me the metal part they replaced it with and the gun was reliable for about 500 rounds at which point it started getting stovepipes and other types of malfunctions. Replaced the recoil spring which helped but did not completely solve the problem.

The PM9 was designed to be carried a lot and shot a little. If the OP wants a reliable gun and actually plans to shoot it he should look elsewhere. There are better choices like the Glock 43, Shield Plus or Sig P365.