I had a PF-9 on order (for 3 months!), but really liked the 709 when I saw it at my LGS. Posts on the various sites seem to suggest that a good number of PF-9s require some 'intervention' to make them reliable, while most of the 709s seem to be pretty good right out of the box. Admittedly, there are a lot more PF-9s out there, so this isn't really a valid comparison of how well the two compare. For me, another plus is that the 709 is SA/DA and has a manual safety. So I canceled the PF-9 order and bought the 709. More money, but the fit and finish seems better than the PF-9s I've handled.
This gun is a skosh bigger than a PF-9 or a PM-9, but I'm still able to pocket carry it in loose jeans. Got it to the range yesterday, and put 100 rounds of various (UMC, PMC, American Eagle, and Golden Bear) ammo through it with only a single misfeed (PMC) about 80 rounds in. Sighting was just a tad high. I shot the very first shot off a rest, and the rascal bit me! It's just a little too small for me to use on my cheap rest AND keep my weak hand out of the way. Fortunately, it was just a grazing strike on the thumb, but it bled like a stuck pig!
Other than that, I'm very impressed with this little gun. The felt recoil isn't nearly as bad as I had expected, and the gun is easy to shoot accurately. At the end of the run I was shooting 3 inch groups without the rest at 7 yds - not bad for me. I think about another 100 rounds of FMJ and then some HP to check function and I'll be ready to call this a carry gun.