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Best mini 9mm?

SDF-1

SDF-1

Operator
Founding Member
Hey guys, I'm in the market for a micro 9mm for possibly pocket carry and am trying to decide what to get. I've heard a LOT about the Sig P365, but I'm just not that impressed. In all fairness, I haven't shot one, but the gun just feels topheavy to me. I know on paper it's tiny, and its impressive it holds 10 rounds, but its like a small brick sitting on a slab of plastic to me. Obviously, the Hellcat has caught my eye. Its between that, or a Kahr PM9 or a 911 9mm. Now, the 911 as a single-action throws me a bit for pocket carry as I wouldn't want it cocked and locked in that carry mode.

Any thoughts? Anyone here shot the Hellcat, or even better, carried it in a pocket? Is it small enough?
 
While I don’t pocket carry, I have several sub-compact pistols carry pistols and my P365 is not my favorite. I find the P365 to be “jumpy” and I really have to concentrate to shoot accurately. My personal choice for concealed carry at the moment is the CZ 2075 RAMI and I’m saving $$$ for a Springfield EMP. For pocket carry, my choice would be a Springfield 911 9mm or Sig P938. Possibly a Hellcat to achieve higher capacity, but I have yet to see one.
At the risk of sounding non-committal, I would recommend to visit a range and rent several pistols if you have the opportunity. Good luck and keep us informed of your decision.
 
I carry the Ruger LC9s daily when walking the dog, or off to town. I tried the Shield, but it was less comfortable. I have over 300 rds through the Ruger, and it has never failed. I carry with Hornady 115 Critical Defense.
 
I have been pocket carrying a Hellcat for a couple of weeks now without any issues. I had been carrying a Smith and Wesson 640 pro, Bodyguard 380, and Diamondback Db9 gen4 before that. The Diamondback was a bit much in the recoil department, the 640 limited the round count to five, and the 380 is a 380.
My brother has the Sig p365 and I have shot it. The 365 has run well for him with the exception of two failure to feeds, one from each magazine, naturally while he was trying to qualify with it for his BUG.
So far the Hellcat has proven to be as reliable as the XD firearms that I own and from my experience is comparable to the Sig as far as recoil.
I hope this helps and wish you good luck with whatever you decide on.
 
LC9's is a slim lightweight reliable gun with the right holster. Not truly a pocket gun it fits inside pretty good. A good rule of thumb for a pocket gun is to have a heavy trigger or manual safety as to not blow off your wedding tackle.
 
I've run a few mags through a rental hellcat it shot better then I expected, not a lot of snap.
 
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I find myself carrying the P365 the most. I am most accurate with it and it has been reliable. Capacity certainly is a plus. My XDS Mod 2 seems to be the most comfortable for me to carry. The Shield M2.0 I can feel the grip grinding away through an undershirt. XDE is a little bit heavier and bulkier becasue of the hammer configuration but tolerable. Haven't had the opportunity to check out a Hellcat.
 
I have a slight preference for the Sig 365 over the Hellcat, but I run Sigs in competition and have been carrying a 365 since just after Shot 2018. If I were just picking both up now, it would be hard to pick. One thing to consider is that the 365 can be had for smidge under $400 dollars these days, so oddly the Sig is currently the value leader between the two. I expect that will change once the new wears off.

I like the sights on the Hellcat, the extra round is nice and the standoff device on the muzzle is something that all bug guns should have. I like the feel, Trigger, bore height and recoil of the 365 better, and it "feels" like a smaller gun to me, despite them being basically the same size.

That said I would not want either one for pocket carry. I am not a fan of the practice in general, but if I were going to do so, I think the Kahr, a safety equipped pistol or at least DA/SA gun would be better. Striker guns in the pocket, even in a soft holster, just seem like they have more drawbacks than benefits. Mainly being that drawing them is always going to be slower than even an IWB gun, you can't get to them easily in certain situations, and I like my pockets for other things. Like blades, spare mag, lights, keys and cell phones...
 
Epeeist said:
I have a slight preference for the Sig 365 over the Hellcat, but I run Sigs in competition and have been carrying a 365 since just after Shot 2018. If I were just picking both up now, it would be hard to pick. One thing to consider is that the 365 can be had for smidge under $400 dollars these days, so oddly the Sig is currently the value leader between the two. I expect that will change once the new wears off.

I like the sights on the Hellcat, the extra round is nice and the standoff device on the muzzle is something that all bug guns should have. I like the feel, Trigger, bore height and recoil of the 365 better, and it "feels" like a smaller gun to me, despite them being basically the same size.

That said I would not want either one for pocket carry. I am not a fan of the practice in general, but if I were going to do so, I think the Kahr, a safety equipped pistol or at least DA/SA gun would be better. Striker guns in the pocket, even in a soft holster, just seem like they have more drawbacks than benefits. Mainly being that drawing them is always going to be slower than even an IWB gun, you can't get to them easily in certain situations, and I like my pockets for other things. Like blades, spare mag, lights, keys and cell phones...
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Agreed on the spare mags point. I'm currently carrying my spare mags in AmmoArmor carriers that protect them and let me just drop them into my pocket. They're really handy.

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Anybody ever use any 9mm wheelguns for CCW? It would be bulkier than a Hellcat, but revolvers do have a lot of charms.
 
jg7789 said:
Anybody ever use any 9mm wheelguns for CCW? It would be bulkier than a Hellcat, but revolvers do have a lot of charms.
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My thought is that if you want to use a revolver, and nothing wrong with that, then it is probably best to use a cartridge designed for a revolver. The 9mm is sorta hokey in that being a rimless cartridge, you need aids like moon clips to assist in loading and unloading the revolver, at least in a double action like the Ruger LCR series.
 
jg7789 said:
Anybody ever use any 9mm wheelguns for CCW? It would be bulkier than a Hellcat, but revolvers do have a lot of charms.
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One thing a lot of folks fail to keep in mind is that .38 and .357 are almost always loaded with slow burn powders. That is why the 38 is so extra anemic from a snubby. Even the mighty .357 is generating less lb/ft from a 2" barrel than a 9mm HST from a 3" barrel. And not by a little, but by over 200fps in some cases.

For example, a 115gr Cor-Bon HP from a 3" 9mm is around 1247 fps. The 120gr Cor-Bon from a 2" .357 is 904fps. You are getting into 380 territory there. Traditional wheel gun cartridges need long barrels for their larger volume, slower burning powder charge to completely develop velocity.

There are even plenty of premium defense loads for the .380 from a 3" barrel that get more fps than the .357 from a snubby with very modest differences in expanded bullet diameter. And the guy with the 380 probably has more rounds in his gun. ;)
 
David N. said:
I'm researching mag carriers right now and am undecided on whether to go IWB or pocket carry. How are these for emergency reloads?
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Belt carry will always be faster. That said, its not very practical for a lot of dress/professional attire. I usually pocket carry my spare, or have it in my "tatcoolerized" attache/laptop bag. For those of use that carry around a bag of some sort back and forth to the office or from meeting to meeting, don't overlook the change to make that thing into a utility belt. Mine has holster, spare mag, spare folding knife, flashlight and a ballistic panel so I can use it as an improvised vest, worst come to worst.
 
jg7789 said:
Anybody ever use any 9mm wheelguns for CCW? It would be bulkier than a Hellcat, but revolvers do have a lot of charms.
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I don't use a 9mm, but for forty years I have trusted my Smith&Wesson model 36 .38 cal. with two speed strips, hard to break old habits.
 
For something to slip in my pocket I have a SCCY CPX-1 and CPX-2.....
They shoot fine in close, haven't had any FF, FE so no complaints there.
Most don't like the 30 mile trigger pull, but as 10mmLife says it protects the family jewels.
My EDC Glock 32 with 2 mags in a pouch. But really, if I'm in a situation where I need to
drop and slam a mag, I should have arrived with an AK/AR and body armor.
 
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