Please help me choose my first 9mm CCW.

I shot a glock 43 today, and man oh man was it a sweetie. Highly recommended. Accurate, low recoil, well made, probably reliable.

Dont forget that you can conceal comfortably a full size pistol, with the right holster belt and pants, you can hide a fairly large pistol in your waistband. I conceal carry my full size 1911 and it is extremely comfortable, just a tad heavy.
 
When I asked myself the same question, I ended up with the G43. I had narrowed it down between the 43, Shield, XDS9 and PPS M2. I finally found a place to shoot them all side by side, and I found I didn't like the trigger much on the xds or Shield. They were a little heavier than I like. I loved the way the PPS felt and shot, but was concerned about holster and accessory availability.

So my choice was the Glock 43. It was the smallest of the bunch, and even with a Taran Tactical +1 baseplate to make capacity comparable, it was still the smallest. I shot it just as well or better than the others too. And Glock's warranty and customer service is excellent.
 
”Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.” ~Unknown
Click to expand...

Back in the 60s, my Dad owned a Pub in a small town (Prescot, 8 miles from Liverpool UK) the cool factor had the car keys placed on the table, showing the emblem! IE BMW etc.

With me standing behind him (My Dad was 5'7" tall) me bigger!

He scooped up the car keys, owner drank to much! A Saturday night.

"We open at 12 tomorrow!" Taxi driver called out his name, no problem.

Back to topic, Glock 43, Cargo shorts? Back pocket, or side pocket, vanishes!
 
Out of the ones listed, I'd choose the Kahr CM9 because:

1. I don't like trigger-dingus guns for cc
2. I believe its the smallest and lightest of the ones you listed
3. Easy to use, easy to deploy, not as easy to make a mistake as with with the others
4. Reliable but inexpensive - so I wouldn't care about getting it dinged up.
 
I'll go along and say if you can keep your LCP custom, despite it's lack of target shooting appeal, it is far easier to carry and conceal than the others. Pocket carry being the LCP's forte. Having said that, I also have the PM9, PPS M1 in 40, and an XDS 3.3 9mm from your list.

Of these pistols, I IWB them only, typical strong side.

The PM9 is smallest and lightest when I need something really small but in a service caliber. It is just stupid accurate - as in I was dumbfounded when I first took it to the range in 2009. It is still great, and the CM9 should be about the same. 6+1.

The PPS M1 (40SW) is heavier, but is really thin and also hides well. It has a great trigger in my opinion, glock like but crisp and without the sponginess some note. It carries well and shoots very accurately as well, and is only 5+1 in 40 (6+1 9mm) flush mags. I do not like the "quicksafe" backstrap feature in this model but I do like the lever mag release. I think I would opt for the M2 if I was buying today.

The XDS 3.3 9mm is what is on my hip right now. Flush mag 7+1. I like the trigger, grip safety, it shoots well, and makes me feel good capacity/power and grip size for handling.

So, if in addition to IWB you also want pocket carry, the CM9 is very good. If IWB only, any will work and all have extended mags available.

Reference table:
Carry gun (without holster) Weight in ounces Rounds
Kahr PM9 gold dot 124 gr +P 19.6 7
Walther PPS Rem UD compact 180 gr 25.5 7
Springfield XDS 124 gr gold dots 26.2 8
Glock 26 gold dot 124 gr +P 26.8 11
 
lawndoctor1 said:
I didn't like the long trigger,and the small size of the Ruger LCP Custom because it's uncomfortable to target shoot. I will be selling my 380 to get a 9mm that's small enough to conceal with an IWB holster. The pistols I have been looking at that are the following. Please help me with this decision!



Kahr CM9



Glock 43



Springfield XDS 9mm



Walther PPS 9mm



I would be grateful to get as much feedback as possible.
Click to expand...



Personally? I hate Glocks. Uncomfortable shooting to me. My XD feels better. But is personal preference. I'd leave the walther off the table unless they have increase reliability and I hadn't heard.

Put them in your hand though. Research them. Find out about any major flaws that are known about the gun (like recalls and so on).
 
lawndoctor1 said:
The PPS would prob be easier to shoot because it's a little larger than the other pistols already mentioned,but my concern is buying one and it be a little bigger than I actually am comfortable carrying in this Florida heat.
Click to expand...



I'm a Florida carrier. I carry the XD subcompact 9mm. That is a double stack (13+1). Shorts and T shirt. Just get a good holster and belt. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Be careful not to make the common mistake of thinking that the largest pistol you can comfortably carry is a sub-compact single-stack.

I wear shorts and a t-shirt most of the year around and can easily carry and conceal a mid-size, even a full-size pistol.

I'd say you should carefully consider an M&P9C, M&P40C, or M&P45C.

M&P45C carries and conceals like it isn't even there.


All fingers on deck even with the flush mag.


And the 10+1+11 option is readily available
 
That gun rubbing up against my skin all day would irritate the heck out of me! Maybe some folks don't mind, but I would.
 
I carry an Springfield XDM 3.8 Compact. I shot some Glocks, I shot some M&Ps, and I shot a few other options, and I liked the Springfields the most. It was the most comfortable for my hands, I shot it best, and it conceals well.

I have looked at and shot the XDS. To be honest, I have never had an issue with the grip safety and I like the extra level of safety it provides. All of the guns you are looking at are reliable and you could find a million people carrying each of them... Find the one that is most comfortable for you and you shoot the best!
 
lawndoctor1: said:
Please help me choose my first 9mm CCW.
I didn't like the long trigger,and the small size of the Ruger LCP Custom because it's uncomfortable to target shoot. I will be selling my 380 to get a 9mm that's small enough to conceal with an IWB holster. The pistols I have been looking at that are the following. Please help me with this decision!

Kahr CM9

Glock 43

Springfield XDS 9mm

Walther PPS 9mm

I would be grateful to get as much feedback as possible.
Click to expand...

Anybody who tells you that there is a "bad" choice to be made between these 4 are giving you very "bad" information. I've had a chance to try out all of these at the range and I can tell you the one I didn't like was the Glock 43, because I didn't shoot it very well at all and I have 3 Glocks that I can do quite well with. The two that I was able to shoot halfway decent were the Kahr CM9 and that Springfield XD9, of these two I'd go with the XD. But the hands down best for my purposes is the Walther PPS M2. I've liked it from the first time I handled it, I got a great deal on mine, and it shoots and carries beautifully. But it's fine if you decide you like one of the others better!
 
Skans.

That gun rubbing up against my skin all day would irritate the heck out of me! Maybe some folks don't mind, but I would.
Click to expand...

Absolutely! But my solution, long, snug fitting tee shirt. Under the concealment shirt. And outside the belt holster for my Glock 19.

My old fashioned thought pattern brain thinks "More is Better, always." So until there is a crystal ball implant that says I will only need a few round's capacity, in my not experienced gun fight yet. Sixteen rounds up, is just so comforting!

Oh, I forgot, and the spare mag with 17 NATO hard ball.
 
That gun rubbing up against my skin all day would irritate the heck out of me! Maybe some folks don't mind, but I would.
Click to expand...
That's what "beaters" are made for. Other than as standard wardrobe for the bad guys on Cops.:D
 
My leather IWB holsters all have a shield to keep pistol off my skin.

MY CW9 kahr carries in pocket or IWB I don't carry much Now days I carry my PF-9 more, smaller ,lighter. Over a 1000 trouble free ball and hp rounds. :D,
 
of the handguns you've listed I would pick the XD-S. I own the XD-s 9 in the 4 inch model and it does very well as IWB, even with the grip extension. however I will muddy the waters a little more to say that my most accurate CCW piece with the nicest trigger is a springfield XDM compact, not the XD-s. it is quite a bit larger but you also end up with a lot more ammo capacity in return.
 
Be careful not to make the common mistake of thinking that the largest pistol you can comfortably carry is a sub-compact single-stack.
Click to expand...

I'm still very new to CCW, but as I've compared specs between various guns, and looked at them at ranges or over counters, I've noticed that the single stacks of "normal" size (like G43, Shield, XDs, CW9 aren't that much slimmer than the single stacks.

My XD Mod.2 subcompact is the same length and height as the XDs or Shield, and the difference in width is just a hair under 0.3". That may make some difference in concealment when looking in a mirror from 2' away, but I can't imagine it makes a lot of difference from a distance when you're just out and about. I think the flush magazines definitely help conceal better--grip length seems to matter more than either muzzle length or grip width.

I've thought about getting something smaller, and probably will. I shot a lot of the small single stacks just the other day and found the G43 and G42 (.380) to be impressively accurate pistols. Shield was real nice too, though I don't really like the curvature of the trigger. But in all cases it comes back to "Man I already laid out $500 for this subcompact double-stack, so am I really going to lay out another $300-$500 for a gun with less capacity just so I can shave 1/4 inch off the grip width???" Weight matters, sure--single stacks weigh less, and dropping 5+ rounds saves weight too, but with a good stiff belt (Bigfoot Gunbelts!!!!!! :D) it doesn't make a lot of difference either.

For those reasons, I think I've decided that whatever I get next will have to be appreciably smaller than what I already have, and that means a G42/43 at the biggest--and probably smaller than that, which would be in LCP/CM9/Pico "pocket rocket" territory.

*** One thing to note, and this is just my very limited experience....

When trying out a "tuckable" holster, I have noticed that the single stacks do seem to be less visible overall. The double-stack grip can still be hidden under a tucked-in (not tight) button-down shirt, but on the whole, the rig leaves a noticeable lump under the belt. Single stacks in thin holsters definitely have less of that. I don't know if it's "printing" because it looks like a bulge and not a gun. But a pocket carry would solve that too.

So lastly, based on your list, my totally worthless opinion is that -- should you decide you prefer single stack guns -- I'd probably go with the Shield. I liked it the best of any that I've tried, just combining all factors (ergonomics, grip. weight, accuracy, etc.) The trigger could use some help but I'm sure I'd get used to it, like any. And I've often seen these guns on sale as low as $300 for the 9mm, which is lower than almost any other. I can't see how you can beat that. The G43 is a damn nice pistol, but is it $100-$150 nicer than the Shield? Not for me I guess.
 
lawndoctor1 said:
I didn't like the long trigger,and the small size of the Ruger LCP Custom because it's uncomfortable to target shoot. I will be selling my 380 to get a 9mm that's small enough to conceal with an IWB holster. The pistols I have been looking at that are the following. Please help me with this decision!



Kahr CM9



Glock 43



Springfield XDS 9mm



Walther PPS 9mm



I would be grateful to get as much feedback as possible.
Click to expand...



There is always a beat down when you sell a gun. If you don't have to do it, keep it as a backup.

The Walther is biggest of the bunch. It has a different method of magazine releases from the others. I like consistency from one gun to another. I'd take that off of the list.

You should consider the M&P Shield in that mix of guns, too. It's a compact carry gun. It has a higher capacity without sacrificing size.

With that said, I love the 43. It's easy to handle. It's not bulky. It's reliable. I've shot it to 25 yards without issues.

The XDS is great if you want an added feature of the grip safety. It has a good trigger. It is accurate and reliable, too.

These above guns make great pocket carry guns, though. In an uncle Mike's holster it's hard to beat. You have a faster sparse if the hand is on the gun inside your pocket, which I do, personally.

BUT!!!

IWB opens up a huge world for you, depending upon your body type. You can carry firearms with double stacked magazines, compact guns, revolvers and 1911s. Obviously, if you're more muscular or thicker bodied, you can conceal any gun. If you're very thin, your options will really depend upon the clothing you wear. Crossbreed supertuck is a great holster (leather, Kydex combination) that is comfortable. I find the all leather IWB holsters like the Galco to be less comfortable because of the stiffness.

Holsters can make the biggest difference in the world. I've concealed 1911s, Double stacked Semiautos, large framed revolvers for concealed carry IWB. You also need an appropriate stiff belt for it.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
IWB opens up a huge world for you, depending upon your body type. You can carry firearms with double stacked magazines, compact guns, revolvers and 1911s. Obviously, if you're more muscular or thicker bodied, you can conceal any gun. If you're very thin, your options will really depend upon the clothing you wear. Crossbreed supertuck is a great holster (leather, Kydex combination) that is comfortable. I find the all leather IWB holsters like the Galco to be less comfortable because of the stiffness.
Click to expand...

I recently picked up a $20 holster from Cabela's made by Blackhawk, called the "Tec Grip." It's a cheap knockoff of the Sticky or Remora holsters, where the outside of the material is a non-slip surface held in place by friction against your skin or clothes. Doesn't require a clip, or even a gun belt so long as you tighten your normal belt down fairly hard. I've been playing with it and so far have not been able to get the thing to either fall down when jumping around, or come loose when drawing.

The beauty of it is the thickness of the material...it's extremely thin and when using it, is barely any thicker than just tucking the gun straight into the waistband (Sons of Anarchy style :D).

A lot of kydex holsters really aren't any thicker, although I've found in a few instances that the bulky belt clips really add to the thickness, and actually print more than the gun does. On many, you can replace the clip with one made by Ulticlip that clamps down to your waistband, under your belt. It's extremely thin and adds no bulk, whereas the stock clips often make for a very large protrusion from the holster.

This goes back to the point I made just above. Most of the guns on your list are around 1" thick. Most compact double stacks are about 1.3" thick. You aren't talking about very much here. You really may want to look again at the double-stack options of each gun you've listed here (XD Mod.2, M&P9 compact, G26 I believe, etc.)

As to "you can conceal anything," not long ago I had this chat with someone at a gun counter. I was looking at little pocket guns, and he told me to get a bigger gun instead. He said he carried a full-size 1911 and it was completely concealable. And he said this after I'd easily spotted the enormous gun-shaped lump under his shirt. Sometimes I think people may *think* they conceal better than they do :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top