Best Micro-Compact 9mm Handguns

Ultra-thin micro-compact pistols have become the new standard for those looking who are looking for an everyday carry firearm.

Manufacturers are constantly stretching squeezing more capacity and performance out of their micro-compact pistols and adding new models, so you’ve got quite a lot of options. How are you supposed to pick just one?

Enter our contenders. We prioritized easy concealment for this list, meaning we primarily looked at the smallest version of each micro-compact.

If you are interested in picking up a 9mm micro-compact, keep reading to see our thoughts!

Micro-Compact 9mm Handgun Comparison Chart

How We Tested the Best Micro Compact Pistols

For us, creating these lists starts with testing each gun ourselves. Our combined team at Pew Pew Tactical has gotten hands-on time with every micro-compact handgun on this list.

We've sent thousands of rounds downrange over the course of months and even years to evaluate the pistols we recommend in this article.

We tested each micro-compact pistol at various distances on both steel and paper targets. We ran various types of FMJ and JHP ammo to determine accuracy and reliability.

While testing, we looked for things like reliability, accuracy, ergonomics, aftermarket support, and value.

Best Micro-Compact 9mm Handguns

1. Sig Sauer P365 - Editor's Pick

Editor's Pick

Sig Sauer P365 Optics-Ready

$449

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$449 at Palmetto State Armory

GrabAGun (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.1"
• Overall Length: 5.8"
• Weight: 18 oz
• Capacity: 10+1

Sig turned the gun world on its head when they released the P365 back in 2018.

Companies like Kel-Tec might have paved the way with guns like the P11, but the P365 changed the game for good by offering a size-to-performance ratio that was previously thought impossible.

At the core of this micro-compact pistol is a modular fire control unit, or FCU. This is the serialized part of the gun, meaning you can change slides and grip modules without going to your FFL for another transfer or purchase.

Excellent ergonomics, a reasonably good trigger, a slim profile, and deceptively tiny 10-round magazines offer an excellent foundation. Top that off with three-dot tritium night sights that come standard and an optic-ready slide, and you have a winner.

Sig offers the P365 with or without a manual safety, and extended-capacity magazines are available. They even have a newer .380 ACP option for those who are recoil-sensitive.

Great performance and a massive aftermarket helped propel the P365 to the title of the top-selling handgun in the United States.

Almost every member of the Pew Pew Tactical team owns or carries a variant of this gun for the reasons above.

Check out our full Sig P365 review!

2. Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus - Best Value

Best Value

Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus

$369

at Palmetto State Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$369 at Palmetto State Armory

GrabAGun (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.1"
• Overall Length: 6.1"
• Weight: 18 oz
• Capacity: 10+1, 13+1

Smith and Wesson helped bring about the popularity of polymer, single-stack CCW pistols with the original Shield.

Naturally, they found a way to increase the capacity of the Shield to compete with the newer "stack-and-a-half" micro compacts like the P365 and the Hellcat. The result was the Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus.

Boasting a 10+1 capacity with flush fit magazines and a hefty 13+1 capacity with the included extended mag, the Shield Plus offers quite a bit of firepower in a small package.

The flat-faced trigger with a crisp break makes for easy, repeatable shots. An enhanced grip texture helps with gun retention and recoil control when it matters most.

If you grab one of these, you'll find that the Shield Plus has an oval grip shape. Some of our team loves the way it feels, while others are a bit lukewarm. Obviously, this is subjective, but it's always wise to handle one before purchasing if you can.

Smith & Wesson offers the Shield Plus with or without a thumb safety. Optic-ready models are also available.

In addition to the standard 9mm chambering, you can also get the Shield Plus in .30 Super Carry, which offers a whopping 13+1 (flush) and 16+1 (extended) capacity.

The Shield Plus fits in most regular Shield holsters, which means holster availability is excellent. Aftermarket support is also great for these guns.

Another bonus is that these guns are priced well under their big-name competitors. You can often buy one for around $300, and it's not uncommon to see manufacturer rebates stacked on top of the aggressive pricing.

For more info, check out our in-depth Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield Plus review.

3. Springfield Armory Hellcat - Best Features

Best Features

Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP

$544

at Classic Firearms

Prices accurate at time of writing

$544 at Classic Firearms

Primary Arms (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

Brownells (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3"
• Overall Length: 6"
• Weight: 18 oz
• Capacity: 11+1, 13+1

We turn now to the Springfield Armory Hellcat, which the manufacturer describes as the highest-capacity micro-compact handgun in the world.

It uses a standard flush-fit magazine that holds 11 rounds, while the extended magazine holds 13 rounds.

The Hellcat also brings a variety of other solid features to the table.

First off is adaptive grip texture that gives the gun an aggressive grip bite under recoil while remaining soft against your skin for when the gun is holstered.

You also get a true Picatinny rail slot, which makes attaching accessories much easier. The tritium front sight lines up nicely with the U-dot rear sight.

The recoil guide rod is also slightly oversized and doubles as a muzzle standoff device. Textured finger rests on the frame encourage a consistent grip, and well-placed front serrations make press checks easy in spite of the stiff recoil spring. This gun nails the little details.

Springfield does offer optic-ready OSP models in addition to pure iron-sight models.

We did notice a snappy recoil impulse, but it feels marginal over its competitors.

When you get down to guns this small, that little bit might make or break the deal for you. While the recoil impulse leaves something to be desired, the features and capacity keep the Hellcat near the top of the heap.

Check out our full Springfield Armory Hellcat review to catch all our shooting impressions.

4. Taurus GX4 - Best Budget

Best Budget

Taurus GX4

$240

at BattleHawk Armory

Prices accurate at time of writing

$240 at BattleHawk Armory

Classic Firearms (see price)

GrabAGun (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.1"
• Overall Length: 6.1"
• Weight: 19 oz
• Capacity: 11+1, 13+1

Want an affordable pistol that also happens to be pretty darn concealable? Then the Taurus GX4 is your ticket.

Taurus lowered the bar of entry for those who wanted to get into micro-compact handguns by offering the GX4 at an enticing MSRP of $393. Street prices are commonly between $250-300, and we've seen them even lower than that!

The GX4 is very similar to the Hellcat dimensionally and offers the same 11+1 flush and 13+1 extended capacity.

We recently tested the T.O.R.O. version, which stands for Taurus Optics Ready Option.

The magazine release is a little shallow, but it’s billed as a carry gun, and carry guns typically include smaller controls. With practice, I got used to it and the mags cleared freely when dropped.

As far as shooting, it feels way less snappy than I anticipated. The extended mag helps greatly when it comes to recoil control or managing the gun with larger hands.

The trigger offered a shallow reset, and it felt okay. It has a more defined and crisp pull than the P365 but it's a bit heavier. It's not spectacular, but it's not bad, either.

Accuracy-wise, the GX4 does well for a small gun. I averaged groups of 1.5 inches on a target set up at seven yards right out of the box.

The overall experience was pleasant, and I found myself beginning to admire this budget-friendly gun. During a test of around 200 rounds, it didn't have any malfunctions.

We've run a few other GX4s in other videos and on the range with 100% reliability across the board. For a gun specifically meant for concealed carry, that is about as important as it gets.

In some ways, the GX4 hits that Goldilocks spot of not too big and not too small. It also offers an affordable option for budget-minded consumers.

Check out our hands-on Taurus GX4 review and watch the video below to see for yourself!

5. Mossberg MC2c - Best For Large Hands

Best For Large Hands

Mossberg MC2c

$440

at Classic Firearms

Prices accurate at time of writing

$440 at Classic Firearms

GrabAGun (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.9"
• Overall Length: 7.1"
• Weight: 21 oz
• Capacity: 14+1, 16+1

Yeah, we're bending the rules on this one and throwing in a dark horse pick at the same time.

The Mossberg MC2c is larger than our other picks. It's more akin to something like the P365XL or Hellcat Pro. We are sneaking in one bigger gun because we know that some people, like our resident content man Sean Curtis, have bigger hands.

He often complains about getting a good handle on really small guns, but stepping up to something with a bit longer grip (while maintaining a thin profile) really helps.

Mossberg may not be the first company that comes to mind when you think of handguns, but the MC2c has proven to be a rock-solid pistol for us.

Starting things off is a nice flat-faced trigger that weighs around 5.5 pounds. It has a fairly clean break and a good reset.

The grip shape and slight palm swell are very comfortable, although I feel the grip is a little too smooth in some areas and could use some more aggressive texturing.

Snag-free three-dot sights adorn the top of the slide, and tritium night sight models are also available. Mossberg offers the MC2c in both standard and optic-ready configurations.

Front serrations, a Picatinny accessory rail, and a standard capacity of 14+1 with optional 16-round extended magazines round out the feature set.

Still not convinced? Sean did a 1000-round burn-down all in one sitting with the MC2c and suffered zero stoppages. Oh, and we've seen street prices as low as $250. 'Nuff said.

Check out our full Mossberg MC2c review for all the action!

Honorable Mentions

We reserve this section for firearms we feel are worth mentioning but didn't quite make the cut based on features, price, or lack of hands-on testing. Don't overlook these picks!

6. Glock G43X MOS

Glock G43X

$485

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$485 at GrabAGun

Guns.com (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.4"
• Overall Length: 6.5"
• Weight: 19 oz
• Capacity: 10+1

Some of ya’ll yelled at us in the comments for originally excluding the Glock 43X from our list. We listened, so here you go.

The G43X sports that familiar Glock aesthetic, though in a much smaller package than your standard G17 or G19.

The single-stack magazines keep this pistol skinny but they aren't without their drawbacks. Even though the grip is longer, you're limited to 10 rounds. This is why we didn't include it on the main list.

But thanks to a rich aftermarket, you can skirt around this problem with a 15-round flush-fit magazine from Shield Arms.

Shield Arms S15 Gen 3 Glock 43X/48 Magazine

$29

at Mag Shack

Prices accurate at time of writing

$29 at Mag Shack

GrabAGun (see price)

Kygunco (see price)

Firearms Depot (see price)

Like pretty much every other tiny gun on our list, there’s some recoil snap to this gun. Again, that's to be expected.

That said, it feels more controllable than the Sig P365 because the slightly longer grip allows for more control.

Shooting-wise, it feels like a Glock. It has a nice, low bore axis and a mediocre trigger -- much like its bigger brethren. Despite the limited capacity, the 43X is still one of the most popular carry guns on the market today.

Be sure to peek our full Glock G43X review.

7. Canik Mete MC9

Canik Mete MC9

$399

at GrabAGun

Prices accurate at time of writing

$399 at GrabAGun

Kygunco (see price)

Palmetto State Armory (see price)

MidwayUSA (see price)

Specs

• Caliber: 9mm
• Barrel Length: 3.2"
• Overall Length: 6.1"
• Weight: 21 oz
• Capacity: 12+1, 15+1

Another small boi worth considering is the Mete MC9 by Canik. This micro-compact is a 9mm that ships with 12- and 15-round magazines.

Optic-ready is the name of the game, and all MC9s come ready to rock a red dot with 100% co-witness capability. A full Picatinny rail is also a welcome addition for those looking to add accessories.

It ships in a hard case with the aforementioned magazines, a mag loader, an IWB holster, three backstraps, a tool kit and punch, a pinky rest, and a cleaning kit -- all for under $400.

As with every Canik we've reviewed, it has a best-in-class trigger. It breaks cleanly right around 4 pounds and has a short, crisp reset.

We think the Mete MC9 offers a lot of features at a very fair price. For more deets, check out our Canik Mete MC9 review or watch the video review below.

Why Trust Pew Pew Tactical

This massive roundup comes to you from Pew Pew Tactical Content Producer Sean Curtis and Editor Wyatt Sloan.

Sean has been shooting since childhood but began to delve into guns more during his law enforcement career. He spent over two decades in law enforcement, where he became a POST-certified handgun instructor and NLEFIA Red Dot Instructor and received CLEFIA Advanced Firearms Instructor Training and AR-15 armorer training. He has since attended a variety of training, including Tactical Performance Center Handgun Mastery & Carbine Mastery, and earned USCCA rifle instructor certification. Aside from training and prior to joining the Pew Pew Tactical team full-time, Sean wrote for several gun publications evaluating and testing guns and gear and has written hundreds of articles.

Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor with previous experience as a USPSA competitor. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales. He has used his extensive experience with firearms at large to test guns for Pew Pew Tactical — evaluating them based on our standards and metrics.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Thoughts

In our experience, it makes sense to pick the 9mm micro-compact handgun that fits your specific needs the best. Everyone on the team has an opinion on these guns, and you will, too.

As always, we recommend handling these guns in a local store or even renting them at a shooting range if you can. Having a gun that inspires confidence and is comfortable to carry is always the ultimate goal. The more you like it, the more you'll train. The more you train, the better off you'll be.

At the end of the day, no one can tell you what those needs are except you. Hopefully, our list has you pointed in the right direction.

What’s your preferred micro-compact pistol? Let us know in the comments. Want to explore more CCW options? Check out our guide to the 12 Best Concealed Carry Guns!

Latest Updates

• February 2025: Added comparison chart
• June 2024: Removed Beretta APX A1 Carry, Ruger LCP Max, Sig Sauer P365XL. Added Sig Sauer P365, Mossberg MC2c. Moved Glock 43X to honorable mentions.
• May 2024: Removed the Sig Sauer P365X, added more data to the Canik Mete MC9, added supplemental information to each product, and added data on how we tested each gun.
• October 2023: Added Canik Mete MC9 and Beretta APX A1 Carry to Honorable Mentions.