Many die-hard .45 ACP shooters have been picking up the 9mm these days. Skyrocketing ammunition costs are a big reason, but the fact is improved bullet designs have made the 9mm far more effective than most ACP adherents would ever admit. Today’s shooters no longer have to give up fight-stopping lethality when they opt for a 9mm. Combine that punch with a higher magazine capacity, lighter recoil, and less expensive ammunition, and it’s easy to see why so many shooters are taking another look at the 9mm.

When I decided to purchase a pocket nine of my own, I looked at a bunch and then ordered four likely contenders for a good old-fashion shootout.

The Criteria
Deciding which pistols to include was difficult simply because there are so many quality offerings. To whittle down the pool of contenders, I first removed all single-action autos from the list. Though mini nines like Springfield’s little EMP are small enough and very interesting to this 1911-lover, I am not comfortable carrying cocked-and-locked autos in my pocket.

Next, I struck those pistols with conventional DA/SA triggers from the list. While there are many good ones, my hands are small enough that reaching the trigger is sometimes difficult. I also do not hit as well under stress with the first shot as I do with a single-action or striker-fired auto.

Finally, after a trip to my local Houston gunshop, Fountain Firearms, I settled on four pistols that felt good in my hand and that were made by manufacturers known for turning out quality firearms. My short list consisted of the Glock 26, Kahr PM9, Para Carry 9, and Walther PPS. As you’ll see here, all performed admirably, although each had its good and bad points.

Glock 26
The Glock 26 has pretty much defined the pocket-nine class for a long time. In case you spent the ’90s living under a rock, all Glocks have polymer frames and steel slides with the rugged Tenifer finish. The frame has molded-in checkering on the backstrap and the frontstrap. The frontstrap also has a pair of finger grooves. The frame is wide enough to accommodate the G26’s 10-round magazine.

The G26’s slide houses its robust external ejector, which also serves as a loaded-chamber indicator. The top of the slide is square, but the front is beveled for easier holstering. The Baby Glock’s hammer-forged, hexagon-rifled barrel is 3.46 inches long, which is long enough to push its projectiles along at a respectable velocity but short enough that the entire package is quite compact.

Glocks are famous for their reliability, but their “Safe Action” is loved and hated in equal measures. Though all Glocks have a drop safety and a firing-pin safety, the trigger-mounted safety device and light trigger pull of this striker-fired pistol give fits to Glock-haters. There have been negligent discharges to be sure, but shooter error caused every one I know of. On the plus side, the standard 5.5-pound trigger pull is easy to shoot but isn’t so light that it’s a liability in high-stress situations.