Sub-compact or micro-compact guns, which often delete features such as double-stack magazines (in place of a smaller, single-stack mag carrying fewer cartridges) and accessory rails for the sake of making a more “melted” design that can make them more concealable. More compact guns, with barrels under 4-inches long but still with an accessory rail and a double-stack magazine, are ideal for carrying outside the home but can still be used for home defense. Such full-sized guns made in the past 20 years will typically have an accessory rail on the frame to accommodate lights and lasers while guns made in the last few years in this size envelope will often have the provision to mount optics such as micro red dot sights. Inside the caliber, there are duty/home defense guns, which are generally full-sized with a 4-inch barrel or longer and a double-stack magazine with a capacity of 13 rounds or more. Purposeįoremost in the mind of handgun shoppers looking into 9mm pistols is to evaluate the intended use for the firearm. If possible, do a quick search for replacement magazines, triggers, and holster options to get an idea of life cycle costs before committing to a pistol.

To skirt problems such as these, either go with an established design– one that has been in production for several years– or double-check to make sure the new model under consideration is supportable. One of the worst thorns an owner of a new (or at least new to them) handgun can run into is to find out that their new 9mm has very few holsters available to fit them, extra magazines cost $75, and there are no options to replace the kind of creepy trigger or sometimes hard-to-see sights. When evaluating choices for a 9mm handgun, or any firearms for that matter, it may be a wise idea to select something that has already gone through its teething problems. For instance, take the primer/striker drag issues with the early Sig P365 or the more recent recall on S&W Shield EZ, a gun that reportedly tended to go full-auto. However, there has been a nasty trend among new handgun models to come out with issues that are only discovered after they have been in circulation for a few months.Įven top-notch companies are not immune to such problems in beta models. When a customer is offered a choice between a solid design with a good reputation that has been on the market for years, or the just-released gee-whiz carry gun that is an ounce lighter, has a cooler finish, and carries two extra rounds for the same price, it isn’t hard to forecast what will likely sell. Mature designĮveryone loves the newest thing. Sure, the price difference between, say a Glock and a “Fly by Night 9” may be just $150 or $200, and they may look and feel mostly the same, but when it counts, is your life worth that extra cash? 2.

With so many horses in the race, it is always a better idea to bet on an experienced thoroughbred who knows the course instead of an untried newcomer or unsteady nag.ĭropping the horse metaphor for plain talk, the odds you will get a good pistol from a company like Glock, Ruger, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, or FN– who have made thousands of them over the course of decades to near-universal acclaim– are much better than grabbing some oddball from who knows where. In 2018 alone, some 2 million 9mm pistols were made in the U.S., more than any other caliber– a figure that doesn’t include pallets of guns coming from overseas. While the caliber started slow, typically just seen in German-made Lugers and Mauser C96 pistols across the first 30 years of the cartridge’s career, the 9mm today is the most popular chambering for modern semi-automatic handguns. Focus on the following factors and you’ll be able to narrow down your search to a great 9mm handgun that works for you.

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