Optics ready from the start with perfectly formed controls and a larger rear tab on the slide to make racking easier, the VP9 is H&K through and through. Maybe the BMW of the compact 9mm pistol world, a VP9 isn’t something you see every day but when you get to shoot one you’ll fall in love. XCompact models come with an optic plate for red dots, I highly recommend taking a look at that! The grip is a little more 1911-ish in shape and design over the Glock giving it a different if not better feel, especially for shooters who are not already conditioned to love the Glock shape. From the first shot to the last this gun will not quit on you. Military testing proves the P320 can handle hard use and rough conditions. The M17 is full-sized, and the M18 is carry-sized. The winning gun(s) of the Modular Handgun Solicitation. If you want the latest and greatest in military adoption, this is a strong contender to consider. The slightly smaller version of the P320 and recently adopted by the military as the M18, the P320 Compact is exactly like its larger brother in every way - except slightly smaller.

It’s the gold standard for a good reason and will never let you down. You can bend the rules of physics a little but you can’t break them - smaller guns shooting the same caliber are going to kick harder and prove much more “snappy” on your wrists.Īll in all, this is a gun that sells itself. Small guns are fundamentally harder to control and harder to shoot. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will at least help everything else make a little more sense. “Microcompact” basically was coined as a way of giving these pistols a name to set themselves apart from the rest.ĭon’t worry, none of this will be on the test (there is no test). The name is a little deceptive though because truthfully while “micro” sounds smaller than “sub”, microcompact pistols are basically the same size as subcompact pistols.īut where subcompacts might only carry 6 or 7 shots in a magazine, microcompacts stuff in 10 to 12 rounds of 9mm per magazine. Guns like the SIG P365, Springfield Hellcat, and Glock 43x. Recently something new has hit the market - the microcompact. Those last-gen subcompacts carried 6 to 8ish rounds in a magazine and were better than nothing.

Best compact 9mm pistol carry