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I'm looking to purchase my first semi auto pistol, I was originally looking at a .40s&w caliber but because of cost of ammo changed to a 9mm. I was wondering what compact or sub compact is good for example you have champion shoes then Nike, Adidas and so on. What are the level to guns, is a glock the same as a Springfield or a sig? I know you have die hards for each brand. So go, thanks.

If you want ultra compact where you can pocket carry, you can't go wrong with a Kahr CM9, S&W Shield (good luck finding one), or the Beretta Nano. I just got a CM9 and love it. I carry it daily in my front pocket (DeSantis pocket holster) with shorts and whatever shirt I want to wear (tucked or not). Never been questioned or even had anyone look at it funny. The Shield has an external safety if you like that sort of thing. Personally, the holster and my own ability is safety enough for me. I really don't want one.

Prepare for 5K different responses.

I can recommend the following:

-Glock 19-- I have a Glock 17, and a buddy has a Glock 19. They shoot the same. The 19 is a tad smaller, and a very nice shooter. Utterly reliable, comfortable, and accurate. Eats whatever goes into it. Plenty of holster options, and plenty of aftermarket parts to trick it out if you choose to go that route. If you are mil/ex mil/LEO, they can be had at GTDist for $399. If you are not able to purchase at the discount, you are looking at the $525 neighborhood.

-Smith & Wesson M&P9c-- I owned this gun for a while, but ended up trading it. It was a really nice shooter, comfortable and accurate. It just didn't fit my hands right, and the angle was wierd for me. The dislike for the angle can be directly contributed to the fact that I like Glocks. I had a few FTE's with this gun on reloads, but anything factory ran just fine.

The market for compact & subcompact 9mm handguns is enormous. I would bet tha every single major brand has one out there. Off the top of my head:

-Ruger
-Glock
-S&W
-Kahr
-Keltec
-Taurus


My advice would be to go to a gunshop and start checking out what they carry. Try and hold/compare as many as you can. Narrow your choices down to 3 or 4 guns, then start researching the heck out of them on forums. I would shy away from reviews made by AmericanRifleman and the like, because they are rarely reliable. Once you have that narrowed down to 2 or 3, find a range or a buddy who owns what you want to look at and go shoot it.

The cool thing about compact 9mm's--Because the market for them is ENORMOUS, they are very rarely a bad investment. You will be able to trade it easily if you end up picking up something you don't care for after a few range sessions.

My personal favorites are the Glock 19, 26 and Ruger SR9c. If you want a smaller one, check out the LC9.

I carry an IWB Ruger LC9 at 4:30 and love it. It is the most comfortable carry I have worn. When running out for just a second & not feeling like messing with the holster, I can put it in any pocket. In the back pocket of Levis the mag just barely shows. The gun has rounded and tapered edges and doesnt hang up going in or out of a holster or a pocket. Ive got about a 1000 rounds through it.

viewtopic.php?f=23&t=57049&p=699841#p699841

walther pps 9mm if you dont mind a plastic gun

Springfield XD9SC
S&W M&P 9c
Glock 26

and many others.

There's only one 9mm compact for me........
Springfield EMP.

Take a look at the CZ P-01 for an alloy-frame, hammer fired gun, if that's something that interests you in the compact realm (approx Glock 19-sized,) or CZ 2075 RAMI, if you want subcompact.

Here's one vote for the Beretta PX4 Storm SC. The grip is a little thick for CC, but it fits my hand perfectly and holds 13+1.

Glock 19 is my primary carry. 15+1, carries well iwb, very comfortable to shoot, over 700 rounds through not one misfire. Point and shoot and extremely safe, if you don't pull trigger it doesn't go bang!

it depends on how you plan to carry.
you want pocket carry? i'd look at the kahr cm9/pm9

if you're looking to go iwb cant really go wrong with glock 26/19, s&w m&pc or xdc/sc Just need to feel them and preferably fire them.

Personally im starting to consider shifting away from my glock 26 because i just dont fire it well, and something bigger like the 19 might be better.

Walther PPS. Super thin, easy to conceal IWB, and great to shoot.

I second AEA.

AEA wrote:There's only one 9mm compact for me........
Springfield EMP.

Bill

SQLGeek wrote:My personal favorites are the Glock 19, 26 and Ruger SR9c. If you want a smaller one, check out the LC9.

I have an LC9, and I'm about to trade it for either an SR9c or a Smith & Wesson M&P9. I love the weight of the LC9 for carrying, but these other two don't weigh that much more, have a higher round capacity, and handle a little bit better.
Also consider the long trigger pull on the LC9 (another reason I'm getting rid of mine).