#Best compact 9mm pistol 2016 manual#
#Best compact 9mm pistol 2016 professional#

The striker-fired G3c has an internal striker-block safety, manual thumb safety on the left side, a trigger block safety in the center of the trigger, and a loaded chamber indicator. One of the most affordable of today’s top-tier compact 9s is the Taurus G3c, a 10+1 or 12+1 polymer-framed pistol with a 3.2-inch stainless steel barrel, overall length of 6.3 inches, a height of 5.1 inches, width of 1.2 inches and weight of 22 ounces. The Taurus G3c is one of the most affordable compact 9mms out there, with a payload of up to 12+1 9mm rounds. Base models start at $569 and go to $599. All Hellcat frames are slotted for accessories such as small lights or lasers, with a single locking point at the front of the rail. Both have a matte-black Melonite finish, which is corrosion- and wear-resistant.Ī variety of sighting options are available, and the OSP model is machined to take a small red dot sight, such as the Shield RMSc. The three-inch barrel is hammer forged, and the slide billet is machined. Striker fired, the pistol has no manual safety beyond the safety lever in the center of the trigger. The polymer frame has Springfield’s Adaptive Grip Texture for a sure grip without abrading skin, a generous beavertail under the slide helps index the pistol on the draw and control recoil. The 13-round mag sticks out the bottom, but with an extension matching the grip shape and texture. Eleven-round magazines are flush-fitting and most concealable, and they come with an optional extender floorplate to give your pinky extra purchase if you don’t mind the mag making the gun a little taller. Weight is only 17.9 oz unloaded with flush magazine, making the Hellcat one of the smallest offerings out there. Springfield Armory HellcatĪ very small 9mm at only four inches tall, six inches long and one inch wide, Springfield Armory’s Hellcat offers 11+1 capacity and an optional 13+1 magazine. Springfield Armory’s Hellcat is one of the smallest high-cap 9mms on the market today, offering 11+1 capacity at only four inches high. The P365XL is only 6.6 inches long and 4.8 inches high, with a width of 1.1 inches. While the slide and grip are longer than the standard P365, the changes add only about a half-inch to height and overall length. The barrel is carbon steel, and the slide is stainless steel with a black Nitron finish. The polymer-framed pistol weighs just 20.7 oz. The gun and two 15-round mags is almost a box of ammo on your belt! The XL is available with or without a manual thumb safety. The P365 XL comes with two 10- or 12-round mags, and extended 15-round magazines are available. The P365 XL’s 3.7-inch barrel is long enough to deliver plenty of 9mm power downrange. The recent P365 XL version has a slightly longer slide and a longer grip as well, so it shoots more like a full-size pistol while still being extremely concealable. One of Sig’s many home runs in recent years, the compact, high-capacity 10+1 9mm P365. It accepts Sig’s Romeo Zero red dot designed just for this pistol. Sig Sauer’s P365 XL is a slightly larger version of the P365.

#Best compact 9mm pistol 2016 professional#

You want to get off on a good foot with your new gun, and professional instruction will put you on the right path and give you confidence. Last, and most importantly, start looking for training classes in your area. Once you’ve made your purchase, you’ll want to shoot a number of different types of defensive ammunition through the gun to see what is most reliable and most accurate. If you’re thinking about adding a light, laser or combo unit to a pistol’s rail-or purchase a gun with an integral system-experiment with them to see which might be most suitable for you. In addition to being able to shoot the gun accurately, you want to find out if you can operate the slide and the controls easily. Ranges and gunshops with ranges will often have firearms you can rent, and this is the best way to find out what’s going to work for you. Some will feel great in your hand, some may not, but if at all possible, try to shoot as many different models as you can. While these are all “compact” guns, their grips and grip angles will all be different. If you have any vision problems, take this into account. Today’s pistols are available with a wide variety of sights and sighting systems-night sights, red dot sights and lasers-that can improve and enhance your ability to deliver shots on target in all conditions. The ability to deliver a number of accurate shots against an attacker can be critical, whether your interest for such a gun is concealed carry or home defense.Ī few things to keep in mind when making your decision. Never before have we had such a wide field of affordable, durable, accurate and dependable choices in defensive handguns, and that’s especially true of the new wave of small 9mms with a good amount of capacity.