Opinions on pocket carry 9mm, favorites?

[biggie24420]

I'd pass on the PF9. I just got a Kahr CW9 and that pistol is well within your budget. Buy a couple of mags and call it good.

 

[aznbala]

I have a Kahr CM9. $420 I think it was. Very small, light and thin. Only FTF was using Tula steel ammo as the first rounds I put through it. I agree a single stack Glock 26 would be perfect. The XDS in 9mm might be a good option when it comes out.

 

[Quackerbacker]

it would be nice if Glock came out with a single stack 26

this

 

[bolus]

I have a Kahr CM9. $420 I think it was. Very small, light and thin. Only FTF was using Tula steel ammo as the first rounds I put through it. I agree a single stack Glock 26 would be perfect. The XDS in 9mm might be a good option when it comes out.

I have the CM9 as well. Fits nicely in a dress pants pocket with a desantis pocket holster. Sportsman's warehouse has them for $380.

 

[Medic!]

I have a problem with going too small. And I have followed and bought every progresivly smaller gun since the early 90's. Back then we dreamed of tiny guns! The tiny guns work well. My rohrbaugh is tiny for a 9mm. It's been 100%. I just cant carry it as a primary. As a result of my tiny gun chase. I have developed a mental size limit around 26 glock-XDs size or so. Kahr pm40 is too small. I just feel the size of many guns is so small that it is on the edge of it's ability to function with any degrea of forgiveness. Guns that are soo small the springs need to be changed every 300 rounds or so. Or that are so small that they need 200 rounds to break them in. Not because their tight acuracy based guns. Because they are small for caliber. And the parts like the slide are small and light and tolerances are tight. Highly stressed guns are not for me. I'm not gona put up with any small gun that gets so many pages of atention on the internet. I want enough size for caliber to allow size ,weight and tolerance forgivenes. They just don't carry much better than say a g-26? So why push it? But I'm not a little man. If I was smaller I may look harder for a tiny primary gun. Any one else that the tiny guns just don't mentaly fit?

 

[FZRider]

I have a Kahr PM9 and have been very happy with it. The recoil isn't bad for such a small gun. You'll have to find a used one to stay in your price range though. I got lucky and found a good deal on one. It's the all black model (which is what I wanted), came with 4 mags and 3 holsters for $440. I picked up a set of Mepro night sights for it that I need to get installed and it'll be the perfect carry gun in my opinion.

 

[hariph creek]

I have a Sig P290RS. Almost the same dimensions as the Kahr CM9/PM9.
It is a sturdy little gun. Shoots great, carries great. I paid just under $500. Two tone, night sights, and laser included.

I like the Shield but, I think it's barely to big for pocket carry.

I'd also look at the Nano or CM9.

 

[Hawaiian]

I am very happy with my Kahr PM9. Added an Agrip and it make a huge difference in reducing bite. I also added an extension to the mag as I like to have a place for my pinky finger to go. I don't shoot well when it wraps under the base of the mag.
That said, no matter what you get, check out the FIST 'thin' kydex pocket holster. It reduces the bulk you get from a leather pocket holster.

 

[JVK]

My LC9 went back to Ruger so many times they gave me a new one (which i sold unfired) - It was a real PoS. When it wasn't having failure to fire or failure to extract problems, the amount of travel to reset (trigger) made me want to huck it down the range. Awful trigger all around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3NQ8An-9lY

I'd thought about the Taurus 709 but when doing research i kept running into reported problems. - I recall a known scenario where the trigger can strangely become functionally disconnected (not resetting?) (i forget the specifics)

I'm in the market for a single stack too. Thinking of a S&W 9mm Shield.

The Kahr CM9 or CW9 seem okay, never shot either but i do own a CW45. I hate to admit it but i'd probly put my trust somewhere else first. I don't think anyone fully trusts Kahr's poly "break in" - where chunks of gouged plastic is considered normal.

The PPS has very well known feed/ramp problems with (most often SD) HP ammo. - This also applies to the 709

I recall the Nano not coming out of the gate with flying colors, but may actually be ok now

Oddly enough, i think the DB9 maybe deserves a 2nd chance? I'd sure like to give it a whirl

 

[tanzuki]

I had a pf9 for a while. I think it's a decent gun on a budget. The thing I didn't like about it was it being DA only. A pf9 is great for someone with a $300 budget. Since you have a much higher budget I'd prolly look more toward the lc9 or the compact walther ppq. Make sure you find one of the new Walthers though with a standard mag release instead of the funky trigger guard release unless you like the sort of thing.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Hope you have big pockets. While they may feel small in hand, they tend to feel more like a brick in your pocket.

I can and have carried a M43 Firestar in my pocket for decades

EDIT: We recently bought a Nano and I will do a range review

 

[Solomon]

Walther PPS if you can find one. as good if not better than a Shield.

Another vote for the PPS.

 

[hondakilla98]

I'm a happy pm9 owner. And one of my friends Carries the cm9. His was $410 new. Previously I've owned a p3at (mine was unreliable), a db9 which was a good gun, but the sights are small, the slide would bite me every once in a while and it was just a little too small for my hand (which are xxxl glove size). So I bought the kahr. Which the perfect small carry gun. Good trigger, full size sights, and small enough to pocket carry. The previous poster talking about reliability has the cw45 which is prone to problems. Their 9mm guns are much more reliable.

 

[drand]

Another vote for the PPS.

And another one. Own one in .40 and have never had any issues with about 7-800 round through it.

 

[johnnydwoods]

I really like my Kahr CM9. It has been perfectly reliable with 200 rounds. Like others have said, they can be purchased for about $400, and I find it to be quite accurate with a very smooth trigger.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Just bought a PM45 and without shooting it yet I can say it feels perfect in my big paws. It will be a BUG if it pans out

 

[phatdoughnut]

I carry my wife's g26 in my pocket

 

[JAFO]

With a budget like that you could probably pick up a used Kel-Tec P11, holster, extra mags, and ammo and still be able to buy lunch.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Would never own a Kel Tec with what I've read

 

[JAFO]

What have you read about Kel-Tec P-11?

I had read a lot with folks bashing the P-32 and P-3AT but bought at least one of each (used) based primarily on cost. Most of the bashing usually seemed to be people who knew people that had one or they didn't even say what it was based on. I figured even if they sucked they would be fun to plink with once in a while. So far I have been pleasantly surprised and have had no issues. Admittedly I don't use them except for the occasional mag or two but the ones I have shot so far I trust enough to carry for defense. I recently bought a P-11 but haven't been to the range to let it audition. I have sold the P-32s I've owned mostly because .22 LR is a much better plinking round (and probably as adequate for personal defense).

I will likely own more based on my own experience.