Three compact 9mms.

[jar_]

As many of you know I was a fairly early adopter of the compact 9mm platform, initially with the Sig P225, Star UltraStar and S&W 469. The former were single stack while the latter was the first factory compact Wonder Nine. The P225 went off to a Forever Home but the UltraStar and 469 are still with me and still get carried.

Today though both of those are more midsize and I have even smaller 9mm Luger pistols to carry. The most recent is a S&W Shield 2.0.

I thought it might be interesting to consider three very similar but decreasing sized models, the S&W 469 and Shield as well as my Sig P290RS in 9mm Luger (I also have the P290RS in .380).

The 469 is the largest of the three but not by a whole lot however it is also the only double stack and I normally carry it with 15 + 1 rounds.

The Shield and P290RS are both single stack with 6 round flush magazines and 8 round extended magazines.

Here you can see the size differences, first the Shield on top of the 469 with the slide top parallel.

The slide on the 469 is longer than the Shield but the grips and reach for the trigger are nearly identical. The overall grip lengths are so close that when I use flush fit magazines they are identical.

And now the Sig P290RS on the Shield, again with the top of the slides parallel.

These are even closer in size with the slide on the Shield (and sight line) just a little longer and the slide width on the Sig P290RS just a hair wider. In fact the Shield 45 slide and the P290RS slide are so close that they fit in the same Kydex holster.

That's where the similarities end though.

The 469 is a classic DA/SA hammer fired pistol with a long, smooth S&W DA trigger but then a light crisp shorter SA trigger on follow-up shots.

The Shield is striker fired with a consistent under 4# trigger for every shot.

The P290RS is DAO with a long just over 5# trigger for every shot.

The two S&Ws have a manual safety while the P290RS has none and is far more revolver in nature that the others.

The Shield is the easiest to field strip and clean while the P290RS is the hardest to take down and the 469 the hardest to reassemble.

But I like them all.

 

[jar_]

Had to change the grip panels though. Those just didn't work. Fortunately it's easy; drive out one pin and slide the new panels in.

 

[ChiefHA]

My 3- "small" 9mms increasing in size...

Kimber Micro 9

Small easy to conceal (Veddar Lightuck IWB) fairly accurate but not my favorite to shoot, grip is a bit small for my hands it has the Crimson trace laser built in but with a proper grip my mits cover it up. got a smoking deal on it from an acquaintance needing cash so its in the safe for now.

Glock 43

Easy to conceal (CYA IWB) accurate easy to shoot and with the mag shown fits my hand ok. Been a Glock guy since I was issued one a couple of decades ago and the Blue Label Program doesn't hurt either. A regular carry.

Sig P365XL

Easy to conceal (Vedder Lighttuck IWB) 12 rounds, fits my hand well and is very accurate. My main carry now days....

 

[Acmemfg]

Little guns…always a welcome commodity
but not usually the “best choice”.

When wandering the mean streets of Atlanta, I will opt for something with more “Author-it-tie” when practicable.
Say, like….

 

[timetofly]

Little guns…always a welcome commodity
but not usually the “best choice”.View attachment 1505738View attachment 1505739View attachment 1505740View attachment 1505741
When wandering the mean streets of Atlanta, I will opt for something with more “Author-it-tie” when practicable.
Say, like….
View attachment 1505742View attachment 1505743View attachment 1505744View attachment 1505745View attachment 1505746

Love those Sigs!! Especially the P220 and THAT grip!!

 

[jar_]

When I was walking the Mean Streets of Atlanta I made sure I was wearing my "If found Don't take me to Grady (AkA The Gradys)" t-shirt. But I was living in Stone Mountain at the time and just working in DeKalb.

AbE: the thing that prompted this thread was realizing the the original factory compact Wonder-Nine was really not all that much larger that today's small compacts and just how similar in dimensions the S&W S&W Compacts have remained over the decades. My 469 was made almost 40 years ago yet look how closely the ergonomics are to the S&W Shield 2.0. Amazingly my 469 fits perfectly in my kydex Shield 2.0 45 holster.

 

[MarkM10431]

I know what you mean about authority. my 938 has it's niche uses, but when i go out the door, the 1911 goes with me. once the XDM and the M11-A1 pass reliability testing, they will go into rotation

 

[jkingrph]

My first truly compact size gun was a little J frame S&W 38 special. 5 shot, double action only, titanium cylinder and barrel shroud and a scandium frame. So light it hurts with normal 38 special ammo.
It was just large enough though that my wife kept telling me it was showing so I looked at the little micro 1911 types, The Sig P238(380 ACP) looked better fitted than the Colt Mustang or little Kimbers, so got it, and shortly after picked up a P938(9mm) which I pocket carried, and still do some until I got a Sig P365, converted to an XL grip and magazines for mag capacity and use a Kusak old timer IWB tuckable holster. Strange thing is that the 365 striker fired has a better trigger pull than the P238 and P938 which are all 1911 single action hammer fired.

 

[MarkM10431]

my 9mms