Defensive Carry banner

Best 9MM for concealment

14K views 81 replies 66 participants last post by  dripster 
#1 ·
I have a 380 and want to step up to a 9mm, Does anyone know what is the slimmest, and or easiest to conceal? Thanks
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the site or your first post, whichever came first.
Replying honestly to your question, I would say the Kel-tec P11. Just my opinion. I'll reserve any other opinions of this choice at this time, but it's what you asked for.
Does anyone know what is the slimmest, and or easiest to conceal?
That description may not go along with the definition (your terms) of "best 9mm for concealment" just so you know.
 
#4 ·
LOL! At least now I won't need to solicit my other opinions.
 
#9 ·
Also in the Kel-Tec lineup is the PF-11, a single stack version that is very thin and concealable.

I personally have a Glock 26 9mm that I like for carry in the warmer months with shorts, etc.

I also often find myself with my J-Frame S&W 642 in a front pocket. I know you asked about semi's but the 642 is about as concealable as it gets for guns above a 380 in power.
 
#10 ·
Sorry for the double info, I must have been typing while the same info was being posted.
BTW, the main reason I like the 26 is that it shoots very accurately for a small pistol. I think that is worth the slightly larger size than some others.
 
#16 ·
Smallest 9mm

I own a Kahr CWP and a KelTec PF-9. The KelTec is the samllest and lightest 9mm that I know of. It carries 7 rounds in the magizine and one in the pipe. I carry mine in the front pocket of dress slacks with an Uncle Mikes No. 4 pocket holster.

Just a warning, it does have some fairly tough recoil. The Kahr is similar in dimensions but has a square slide (similar to a Glock) and therefore it prints more than the KelTec and weighs more. If you get the KelTec you will probably want to do some minor modifications like polishing the feed ramp. I would recommend that you look at the KelTec Owners Group forum at KTOG Forum - PF-9. KelTecs are made to be carried a lot and only shot a little. They have a great warranty. If it breaks they will fix or replace it at no charge.

I hope that helps.:smile:
 
#17 ·
it also depends on your body type. the bigger your body the bigger the gun you can carry ( in therory). i just got a glock 19 (15 round mag) and my friend has a glock 26 (10 round mag) and the sizes aren't that much different for the increase in ammo. i'm very new to guns and these 2 are really the only 2 i have any expense in but i really like the glock hand guns for what i'm looking for. one of the good things about the glocks is the magazines are interchangeable. so if you get the g26 for the smaller size you can use the g19 or g17 mags of your backup mags and have the extra ammo holding power. i was going to get the g26 and use the larger mags as backup mags but i found a really good deal on a used g19 so i went ahead and bought it. but everyone has their favorites for different reasons so you'll have to just go try some guns out and see which one fits your needs best.
 
#19 ·
KelTecs are made to be carried a lot and only shot a little. They have a great warranty. If it breaks they will fix or replace it at no charge.


With this I agree, Kel-Tec is a good company, and has excellent cust. svc.

However, I think the Glock will still be going strong generations from now. The Tenifer coating, simple design and ease of repair make it hard to beat.

Some may remember (Yes, I'm dating myself) the Timex watch commercials where John Cameron Swazye the newsman was strapping a Timex watch to a Jackhammer, the bow of a boat, dropping, beating and otherwise torturing these watches; which somehow kept on working. Thus the phrase, "They will take a licking, and keep on ticking".

The Glock is the modern-day Timex.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The Rohrbaugh was the smallest 9mm when I was researching them a year or so ago. The cost was too high for me, and I've since heard rumors of quality problems when fed range ammo. Kinda like a Rolls Royce doesn't work with parts from Auto Zone.

The Kahr PM9 is almost as small as the Rohrbaugh, at about half the price. Very nice gun, but you need to be careful after cleaning. The recoil spring is not stainless and will only fit in one direction. Turn it around and the gun will only fire once before jamming in such a way that it has to be field-stripped to turn the spring around. Tough little rascal, ate some real junk ammo and never hiccupped. Fits well in a Galco SkyOps, so light and comfortable you may forget it's there.

The Kel-Tec 9s are half the price of a Kahr, don't have a picky reassembly, but are slightly larger (width and length) than the others. Haven't fired one, though.
 
#23 ·
I was going to get the Kel-Tec PF9 or Kahr PM9 to replace the P3-AT (my wife stole it) for backup, but decided on the PM40 at about the same size. It's an ambidexterous front or back pocket rocket in Unkle Mikes #4 pocket holster. The Kahr MK and PM triggers are some of the best of the striker fired, and IMHO a tad safer than the trigger shoe designs. I feel more comfortable with the 40 than the others, but there's no free lunch at the recoil counter.
 
#24 ·
while I love my PM9 for both shooting and carrying, it just doesn't carry like the P3AT. I am working on finding a solution that is an acceptable compromise, but I often find myself just dropping the P3AT into a Nemesis pocket holster, and off I go. I find it's not the size, but the weight.
I don't know about the kel-tec 9's. I lived in Worcester, MA for a long time and when I was making the same choice as the OP, I just had to get a pistol that was made there.
 
#27 ·
The Rahrbaugh is the smallest 9mm available, but the ultra short barrel does not allow it to produce all that much more energy than a hot .380, and they cost around $1000. The lightest 9mm, and second smallest, is the KelTec PF-9. It conceals and carries beautifully, and it shoots just as well. The PF-9 is also one of the most reasonably priced.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top