Which CC auto 9MM and why?

[jar]

On top of the waist band as opposed to inside or outside..........

I figured that would be the words but still no idea what that means. Is that something like a belly band? Are there pictures or drawings to show something like that? How do you carry "On Top Of The Waistband"?

 

[Buzznrose]

I carry Glocks most of the time but would have zero hesitation carrying a Hellcat or a Shield+. Lots of folks like the Sig 365 and new Taurus but I didn’t like the 365 personally and have no experience with the Taurus.

Others I’d consider include any FN or Walther.

 

[nettlle]

The top photo is an inside the waist band holster (IWB). You unbuckle your belt, slide the holster and gun between your underwear and the inside of your pants. There are two belt loops that are the only thing visible once you tuck your shirt in around the gun and holster.

The bottom photo is an outside the waist band holster (OWB). It hangs outside your pants and the only way to cover it is with an over shirt or jacket.

 

[Spats McGee]

This is the Golden Age. G43x, Shield + are my go to, but there are so many others to choose from, you can't go wrong.

^^^This, except that mine is a Shield +. What’s not to like? 13 rounds in a lightweight, comfortable, reliable package.

 

[kje54]

I figured that would be the words but still no idea what that means. Is that something like a belly band? Are there pictures or drawings to show something like that? How do you carry "On Top Of The Waistband"?

It's a careful balancing act..........

 

[Madcap_Magician]

If you are shooting the p365 thumbs forward, the slide is locking back, but you're hitting the release inadvertently. I didn't believe it, until I curled my thumbs down while shooting.

Same issue for me, solved the same way.

 

[JDGray]

The best carry 9 I ever owned was a Kahr CW9. The P365 I had was flawless in operation, but it had the god awful bullseye sight on it.

 

[Big_Al]

Can't go wrong with a 365. Available with or w/o safety. Decent trigger. Nice sights. With 10 round mag it's easily concealed but if you want more capacity, use the 15 or 18 round mags.

 

[chaim]

I have (2) CZ PCR's that are reliable with everything I have shot through them including SWC. They are a quality gun and their weight is on par with other guns in this size range. They can be bought with either a de-cocker or manual safety. I did switch out the sights for Dawson Fiber Optics.

Nice choices. One of my occasional carry guns is a CZ PCR, and I used to have a P01 that sometimes came with me. It was one of my most common carry guns when I carried PT when out of state on my non-resident UT permit. Shortly after getting my MD permit post-Bruen, I replaced it with a lighter Glock 19, but went back to the PCR within a few months since I shoot it so much better.

 

[Tallball]

The Kahr PM9/CM9 are the smallest ones that I know of that are easily available. They're single-stack. That's my preferred choice for a CC 9mm.

I have a Taurus GX4. It's a nice small double-stack with a good trigger and I shoot it well. I prefer to carry something smaller/lighter, though.

Kahr PM9

• Tallball
• Jun 20, 2023

Taurus GX4 9mm

• Tallball
• Apr 6, 2023

 

[Buckeye63]

As you see OP .. so many great choices.. and all opinions ..and suggestions are right
Its a balancing act .. easily concealed vs easier to shoot … and at times I pick easier to coneal .. thats a small frame snub nose or one of my GX4’s , or a LCP Max 380
But I really feel more comfortable carrying a compact , 9mm , 40 S&W or 10mm .. I shoot them better and with the 40 S&W or 10mm I know that the goal maybe easier reached …
Alot of options…

If u want one pistol… pick a 9mm
If you want a balanced carry-shooting
Pick a Shield Plus
Non-Optic can be found at around $350
I don’t own one .. but they are solid
Shoot it often … train .. use standard pressure ammo .. get 3 or four extra mags …a couple of holsters .. IWB and a OWB & you are good to go

 

[InTheSwamp]

^^^This, except that mine is a Shield +. What’s not to like? 13 rounds in a lightweight, comfortable, reliable package.

And now we have 15 rounds SW mags. It got better.

 

[Spats McGee]

As @InTheSwamp noted earlier, and as I have also said, this is a Golden Age of carry guns. It seems like there are dozens of very good, reliable, reasonably accurate pistols to choose from for CC. And literally any of them could be a good choice; you just need to find one to suit your wants and needs.

 

[Spats McGee]

And now we have 15 rounds SW mags. It got better.

We do, But I have never gotten around to ordering any. Was thinking about it a couple of days ago. I have about 6 13-rounders, so I don’t “need” 15-rounders. I have also not seen any problems reported with them, FWIW.

 

[trackskippy]

The best recommendation is to go to a rental range and try them out and buy the type you're most accurate in a rush with at 12ft. Use the same ammo across all of them. Once you find what you're fast on target with that you get a consistent fist sized group on target then decide which of those it is based on reliability and price. Note the order is fit to make hits, go bang every time you need it, and then price.

My wife is quick from the holster and accurately on target with a CZ compact.
For me it is a BHP, but a Colt New Agent is a close second.

This is about as close as youre going to get to your answer if youre serious about figuring it out. Once you settle on a couple that seem to fit the bill, then the real work starts.

What you choose really doesnt matter a whole lot (within reason), pick what floats your boat, as long as youre realistic about its use and your actual" across the board" skills with it. Just because you can shoot tight little groups with it in slow fire focusing on the basics at your leisure really tells you nothing.

And if you dont shoot the gun enough to actually know how its going to work, what problems might pop up, and when it may fail, what do you really know?

You dont have to spend a lot to get a good/decent gun, but you do have to spend "some" money to get there. Most things in the mid range will likely do you fine. Keep in mind too, the gun is the cheapest part of the equation here. A few cases of practice ammo will quickly surpass what you paid for the gun.


These days, I carry Glocks. Simple, work, and are useable right out of the box, guns and accessories are reasonably priced, tons of holster choices and aftermarket available, and they hold up well to abuse.

The SIG's and HK's I carried were right there with the Glocks, but at a generally higher price point. I just get a lot more for the same money with the Glocks.

 

[hso]

This is about as close as youre going to get to your answer if youre serious about figuring it out. Once you settle on a couple that seem to fit the bill, then the real work starts.

The other thing you can do after you find what you can make hits with consistently in defensive (not slow fire) shooting...come back here with that list and ask which handguns on that list have been reliable (or unreliable) for members.

There's a great resource base here and there have been many reliably great, good, and not so reliable guns owned and shot by the members and they can help you become informed about those that don't always fire when you need them most.

 

[C0untZer0]

The Kahr MK9 is actually slightly smaller than the PM9/CM9, but it is 6 ounces heavier at 22.1 ounces. When 9mm pistols get under 5.75" OAL they can get finicky with ammo, but the MK9 shoots everything from 115gr practice ammo to 147gr premium self-defense loads.

 

[gifbohane]

Thanks for all the input. I have been testing different ones at the range for a few weeks now. It is expensive but I will get what I want.

Leaning towards Shield + but just not crazy about it. To tell the truth if I fell in love with one at $ 1,500, I would buy it.

What about trying for used? and private sale? What say you?

 

[Average Joe]

I carry the Sig P365, I thought about the Springfield Hellcat, but I just didn't like the rear U shaped sight..

 

[trackskippy]

Thanks for all the input. I have been testing different ones at the range for a few weeks now. It is expensive but I will get what I want.

Leaning towards Shield + but just not crazy about it. To tell the truth if I fell in love with one at $ 1,500, I would buy it.

What about trying for used? and private sale? What say you?

I buy used guns all the time, and have had more positive results than negative. Also got to play with a lot of different guns at reasonable prices too.

As long as youre aware that you very well could be getting into a mess, and have at least a basic idea of what to look for, red flag sort of stuff, etc, and are somewhat handy, and willing to fiddle, its usually a good way to try things out for less.

You just never really know what youre getting into though. Not to long ago I bought a real nice older Browning High Power. It looked like it was well cared for and everything seemed good, until I got it to the range. The first time I dropped the slide on a full mag, the hammer followed the slide down and fired the round. Luckily, I was standing on grass and had the gun pointed down range, and the round went into the ground out in front of me. Dumb **** that I am, I tried it again , and the next pull of the trigger gave me a 4 or 5 round burst.

Whoever had it before me did a trigger job on it. It was an easy enough fix, and I just replaced the sear and spring.

The Glock Ive been carrying for a couple of years now was about a month old from being new when I got it. The previous owner bought it, and then brought it back a week later, saying it was constant brass to the face. It went back to Glock and they rebuilt the slide and sent it back. He took it out and said it was still brass to the face and brought it back and traded it off on something else.

The boy who owns the shop I buy most of my guns from these days told me the story and I bought it. Found the repair order and list of what was replaced in the box. Ive shot it a bunch since, and never had a piece of brass anywhere near my face and its been 100%. I dont think the problem was the gun. And Im not bitching about getting a "used", new gun, for about a $100 off the new price either.

 

[Ethan Verity]

I'm a big fan of the S&W M&P series. I carry a Shield Plus 9mm in the summer, and an M&P M2.0 Compact 9mm in the colder months. Both are 100% reliable, well made, ergonomic, accurate... there is nothing to dislike on them.

Glock seems equal in quality, but I personally don't like the grip angle/ergonomics of the gun. Also, their factory sights are plastic, vs steel on an M&P (small detail, but who doesn't prefer actual iron, iron sights?)

I don't like the solid trigger on the Sig models; the hinged trigger design found on most striker pistols is a drop safety feature. It doesn't surprise me that Sig is supposedly having some troubles in that department, which has left a bad taste in my mouth regarding the company.

 

[Gordon]

Walther PPS "Classic" Very small and light without being a .380 Mini. With 8 shot mags +1 it is mag restriction State legal- no questions. Paddle mag release and chamber tactical and visual loaded indicator. Good Glock type trigger pull that feels safe to me but offers excellent accuracy with crispness and quick reset, better than pre Gen 5 Glocks for sure. Good sights, mine are Tritium and just tall enough to see very low thru the Holosun407K I had melted into the slide thru a Factory authorized program. Has a light rail and I have a O light Valkeri Mini on it. A very accurate gun for it's size , I can get 8" off hand groups at 25 yards unrested and 3" at 15 yards ! Shoots all 9mm amm Ive tried and never had a failure. Note I did do a Talon grip applique wrap that increases hand traction and eliminates the one flaw of the Classic PPS that if the grip adapter comes off somehow the gun is inoperative .

 

[SDGlock23]

To be honest, I find the G26/27 sized Glocks to be great choices for carry. In so far as the G26 is concerned, I carry it with the +2 OEM magazine for 13rds total. It's a very short gun top to bottom so it conceals very well and sure, it's not as thin than the micro 9's but to me it not only shoots better, it also takes the larger 9mm Glock mags if you carry a spare.

Glock 26 vs. SIG P365: Which is Better?

I've been carrying a Glock 26 a LOT lately because it seems to just vanish in clothes, not to mention that it's been a proven subcompact handgun for almost 3...

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I've had the Shield+ 9mm (currently have the 30 Super Carry verision) and for me, for whatever reason, I didn't shoot it well for whatever reason. I dry fired it just fine but when put on paper it seemed like that particular gun didn't group well at all. I don't personally like Sig Sauer anything, so those aren't a consideration personally (same with Springfield).

 

[tarosean]

My preferences are Reliability, Ease of use, Weight, and personal feel.

Is there no ranges near you that has rentals?

You need to put them all in your grubby mitts.. our anecdotes mean nothing.

 

[Deus Machina]

Once you find reliability and descent accuracy, personal fit is all the rest.
For quite a while, for me, that was a Ruger SR9c. Still an excellent choice, but I believe they discontinued them. Not that they're likely to need much you can't find.
But with that in mind, and some extra money, and sales coming around, and being a fanboy, I picked up a CZ to supplement it.
Two, in fact. Originally a P10C, on the premise that it's only a little bigger. And for many people it's great. But my SR9c was the perfect size for me, so I tried the P10S and couldn't be happier.
Identical size. With a NDZ baseplate on the mag, it fits my hand perfectly (I wear medium gloves), the texture is excellent; I like an aggressive texture for shooting, but it could be abrasive without an undershirt or a holster that prevents it from rubbing your side.
For me, it's perfection. It's everything the Ruger was, but glues itself into my hand.

I might only like it more if it had no, or less of, a rail. It's not something I use on a CCW.