What exactly defines "compact"

H

Herluf

New member
I've been curious about this term recently. It seems to be used alot, but is there an actual definition of "compact"?

I was at the range yesterday with my buddy. He was using his P239 which is his choice for carry and according to sig it is considered "Compact". I was shooting my Beretta 84 which -other than being thicker due to it's doublestack and Pachmayr grips- seemed about the same size.

To be honest, neither gun seemed small to me, but I'm not that experienced. So what does "Compact" mean?
 
IDPA has come up with a new competitive division, called, I think, Compact Carry Pistol (CCP). The gun used as the model for dimensions was the Glock 19.
So many duty-type pistols today have 4" barrels, that I would have gone sub-4", maybe the 3.8" that IDPA has used in prior equipment rules, as the line between compact and not compact.
I've carried a 5" 1911, a Commander, and an "Officers size", and don't see much compactness in the Commander, but a 3.5" barrel, combined with a butt-length that doesn't allow a lot of people to get three fingers on the frame, is definitely compact.
 
Compact seems to be defined by and unique to each individual manufacturer. I think it's based on whatever pistol is in their line that they call full-sized. The next one down in size then is called their compact model. For example, if the G17 is full sized, then the G19 is compact and the G26 is subcompact. Absolute dimensions have nothing to do with it. It has only to do with the dimensions relative to the full sized pistol in their lineup.
 
Compact seems to be defined by and unique to each individual manufacturers. I think it's based on whatever pistol is in their line that they call full-sized. The next one down in size then is called their compact model. For example, if the G17 is full sized, then the G19 is compact and the G26 is subcompact. Absolute dimensions have nothing to do with it. It has only to do with the dimensions relative to the full sized pistol in their lineup.
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This +1
 
So, there's no line to be drawn, between full-sized and compact, beyond what each maker decides for their own product line?
One company's "compact" is a compact, even if it's bigger than another's "full size"?
 
So, there's no line to be drawn, between full-sized and compact, beyond what each maker decides for their own product line?
One company's "compact" is a compact, even if it's bigger than another's "full size"?
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Pretty much....

The Sig P228 is a compact has a 3.9" barrel.

The Sig p239 is compact has a 3.6" barrel.

Glock 19 is a compact and has a 4" barrel.

Compact 1911s are 4" IIRC.

Bersa Thunder is a compact has a 3.5" barrel.

Beretta 80 series gun are compact and has a 3.8" barrel.

For the most part them all seems to be under 4" but the variance is pretty great in the actual size of guns which are called "compacts".
 
To complicate things, in the 1911 world "Compact" often refers to an Officers-size frame with a nominal (4 or 4.25 inch) Commander-size upper.
 
Compact 1911s are 4" IIRC.
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in the 1911 world "Compact" often refers to an Officers-size frame with a nominal (4 or 4.25 inch) Commander-size upper.
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I don't consider the 4" - 4.25" 1911s to be compacts unless they do have the shortened butt, and there's not many guns in the category.
I think the only pistol Colt ever stamped a "compact" (and the naming of 1911 variants generally follows Colt's lead) was the M1991A1 version of the Officers ACP, with a 3.5" barrel.
Almost nobody makes a 3.5" anymore, so today, I'd say 3" is compact.
When a "full-sized" gun has a ~4" barrel, it's apparently not a compact?
 
to further muddy the waters, based on the info from IDPA, my VP9 would be a compact with a 4.09" barrel, and it's almost the same overall size as my PX4 full size, while my compact PX4 has a 3.27" barrel.

it's mostly a marketing term, there is no consensus.

if i was drawing the lines, i'd go with anything with a barrel of 3.5" or less. but no one asked me.
 
And nobody in Canada can shoot the new division, as their minimum barrel length up north is 4.15"! OK, enough about IDPA (in this thread . . . from me).
 
I find grip length to be more important to determining the differences to me.

But I agree it is all dependent on the "full size" pistol in the manufacturers lineup... They Just call the next size down "compact".

It also seems that the term compact came about first... And then when they decided to make even smaller, they had to go with sub compact. It also seems that it was one or two companies that started the trend and others followed with similar naming schemes.
 
1-DAB said:
to further muddy the waters... my VP9 would be a compact with a 4.09" barrel, and it's almost the same overall size as my PX4 full size, while my compact PX4 has a 3.27" barrel.
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Just to muddy the waters even more, the Beretta 92FS Compact L is longer, wider, and heavier than the full size PX4!

IOW the definition doesn't just change from company to company; it can vary by product line from the same company! :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the sort-of clarification folks. I guess compact means whatever the company wants it to mean.

I guess my 84 could be a "compact" compared to the 92. However, since the 84 came first maybe it's the standard and the 92 is the XL fatty.
 
Then there are regular models like the HK P-30 (3.85") and Steyr M-A1 (4") that call their longer barrel versions L as in Long when other manufacturers that call their longer length barreled guns regular models. The whole "Compact" terminology can drive you nuts if you let it. I just ignore the size designations and use their barrel lengths for making comparisons.
 
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