For a long time my small concealed carry go to gun has been a Smith J-frame, be it my 642 in .38 or my 640 in .357. Starting to think that maybe I should join the current century and go with one of the smaller 9's. Sig P365, Walther PPS and Beretta Nano have all sparked my interest.

So what says the all knowing oracle of knowledge that it SigForum?

Smith & Wesson Shield is a really terrific little gun. Wonderful trigger and very reliable.

The 365 is a good little gun. Mine was reliable and supurbly accurate. The problem I had was the grip was too small for my hands, and this caused it to pinch my trigger finger something fierce. I ended up replacing it with a P320 subcompact (which while much larger, has the added benefit of sharing mags with my duty gun), but if the 365 fits your hand I'm confident you'd be very happy with it.

i have to say my Kahr CM9 has been 100%, VERY thin, small but just the right size to fit in blue jeans back pocket, i just out a used CTC laser on it(bought used here on SF) and it is my goto, over my G19. The 19 gets the nod if the threat level is higher, but it is hard to beat that CM9 for price reliability and accuracy

I got rid of both my J-frames after I bought my S&W Chiefs Special 9mm - CS9.

Light weight, small, thin, GREAT trigger, accurate and bet your life reliable. Buy one. You will be glad you did.

Should new production be your preference, it is VERY hard to beat the 365. Good luck with your search! Regards 18DAI

Do they have rental ranges up there? I think, especially for this class of gun, you need to put some rounds down range with each contender before making a decision. With small guns firing full power cartridges, ergonomics/shootability become a major issue.

Really just pick one. Glock, Shield, XDS, 365. All about the same.

quote:

Originally posted by adobesig:
Smith & Wesson Shield is a really terrific little gun. Wonderful trigger and very reliable.

That was going to be my suggestion. I know there are several nice small 9's but for my money you can't beat the Shield.

Your in luck. It’s the golden age of reliable small 9’s. Lots of good choices. Just pick a good load to carry in it.

If you don't have any type of brand preference then the P365 along with the ~$10 Pachmayr grip, no question.

I've had good fortune with the Ruger. Lots of choices from many fine manufacturers.

No room for the pinky sucks whether you're shooting a revolver or a semiauto.

quote:

Originally posted by golddot:

i have to say my Kahr CM9 has been 100%, VERY thin, small but just the right size to fit in blue jeans back pocket ...

+1 for the PM9 or its cheaper brother the CM9. Fits in my front jeans pocket.

If pocket carry is not important, it's still a good 6+1 CCW gun.

Since you have been using DA revolvers I would suggest a Kahr CM9. It trigger will be familiar, yet also a revelation.

The good - capacity, faster reloads

The bad - typically heavier, slightly more difficult to conceal, especially in a pocket.

The ugly - kahr mags will dump rounds in your pocket, lc9 is quite snappy, some weigh as much as a glock 26

Overall, get both. A lightweight hammerless revolver has its place, and a good small 9mm pistol does, as well.

Hard to beat a Glock 43.

I too had a 642 (wife now has) and a 640 (too heavy for what it offers). I've also had a Shield (too long a grip for good concealment IMO), Kahr CM9 (started shaving it's own polymer rails), and a couple micro 380s (OK as suit guns).

All along, I've always had (and keep coming back to) my G26. She's a little chunky, but ohhh-so-comforting reliable. 10+1 flush mag, plus a G19 15rd backup is way more firepower than I'll ever need. Well, hopefully 1 round is more than I'll ever need!

That said, she IS really chunky, so I'm keeping a close eye on the recent P365s, hoping for continued reports of all the bugs being worked out. I LOVE my G26, but day after day after week after year, I yearn for something just as comforting, but more comfortable.

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Hard to beat a Glock 43.

Yep, after going round and a round with small concealed carry guns, I've settled on the G43. Small and Glock reliable. Not saying other semi autos in this class are crap... there are plenty of good ones out there so pick one you like if you're not a Glock guy. BTW, the G43 slide fits and works perfectly on a G48 frame making it a G43X with a black slide. I really like this set up as it works perfectly in the holsters I have for the G43 and it's not much more difficult to conceal (except pocket carry)

I carried a Kahr CW9 for many years as a back up.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by NavyGuy:

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Hard to beat a Glock 43.

Yep, after going round and a round with small concealed carry guns, I've settled on the G43. Small and Glock reliable. Not saying other semi autos in this class are crap... there are plenty of good ones out there so pick one you like if you're not a Glock guy. BTW, the G43 slide fits and works perfectly on a G48 frame making it a G43X with a black slide. I really like this set up as it works perfectly in the holsters I have for the G43 and it's not much more difficult to conceal (except pocket carry)