A Look At The World of Micro Compact 9mm Pistols

Semi-automatic pistols have been getting smaller and better ever since they were first introduced in the 1890s. It just seemed natural to give the people what they wanted and inventors like John Browning, Carl Walther, and Gaston Glock burned the midnight oil to make it happen.

In 1995, Glock introduced the G26, a palm-sized subcompact 9mm that brought with it a 10+1 round capacity in a gun that was almost small enough to slip into a pocket.

This, the first “Baby Glock,” proved immensely popular and set a bar that was hard to beat for almost a quarter century. Cops bought it for use as a backup gun, and citizens for a concealed carry gun, and it proved a benchmark to the market for a generation.

That was until SIG Sauer introduced the P365 (so named because you could carry it “every day of the year”) in 2018. Whereas the G26 weighed 21.5 ounces (unloaded) and ran 6.5 inches long and a chunky 1.26 inches wide, the P365 delivered the same magazine capacity in a more svelte package that was a skinny 1-inch wide, went just 5.8 inches long and had a trim 17-ounce weight.

While that sounds like only a minimal improvement, all it took was to pick up a very brick-like G26, then pick up a P365 and the cumulative difference was truly transformative.

Since then, a series of pistols, all with an emphasis on slim, more “melted” ergonomics, while still bringing at least a 10-round magazine to the party have come along that built on the trend started by the P365.

Let’s walk through today’s top micro 9s.

1. Canik Mete MC9

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.18 inches
• Overall Length: 6.1 inches
• Height: 4.52 inches
• Width: 1.12 inches
• Weight: 21.27 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 12/15 Round Magazines
• Optics Capability: modified RMSc footprint
• Accessory Rail? Yes
• MSRP: $439

A lot of folks turn their noses up on Turkish-made pistols but those who have shot a Canik know better. These affordable high-feature guns deliver.

Plus, the MC9 is available in several colorways including black, flat dark earth (FDE), and two-tone black/FDE for starters.

We loved the Canik METE MC9 when we took it up to the Rocky Mountains for our review.

2. CZ P-10S

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.5 inches
• Overall Length: 6.6 inches
• Height: 4.39 inches
• Width: 1.17 inches
• Weight: 24.4 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 12+1
• Optics Capability: Universal Toni system
• Accessory Rail? Yes
• MSRP: $449 (plus $90 for universal plate)

The most compact double stack CZ P-10 model, and one of our favorite handguns for women, the 10S runs big for a micro 9 (and is closer in size to a subcompact like the Glock 26) but CZ fans still love them and insist they are the company’s answer to the P365.

Plus, a big standout on these is that they can use the Italian Toni Universal adapter plate which will allow for just about any optic.

3. FN Reflex

Specs:

•  Barrel Length: 3.3 inches
• Overall Length: 6.2 inches
• Height: 4.27 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 18.4 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 11+1 and 15+1 (10 rounders available in restricted states)
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc/Holosun 507k/407k
• Accessory Rail? Yes
• MSRP: $599 ($649 for optics-ready models)

Just recently debuted in early 2023, the Reflex series is FN’s take on the micro 9.

It has particularly good ergonomics, like that seen on the FN 509 series, and is the only micro 9 on the market that has an internal hammer (rather than most which are striker-fired, and the S&W CSX which has an external hammer).

This gives it a better trigger in the class as well as the ability to have a lower slide-racking impulse. Plus, it comes standard with steel tritium night sights with a fiber optic front insert.

4. Glock G43X MOS

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.4 inches
• Overall Length: 6.5 inches
• Height: 5 inches
• Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 18.7 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1 (Shield Arms S15 15+1 round mags widely used)
• Optics Capability: RMSc footprint
• Accessory Rail? Yes
• MSRP: $582

Taking the slim and well-liked (over a million sold) Glock 43 and giving it Gen 5 features such as a very accurate GMB barrel, Glock in 2019 also stretched the design’s magwell to accept a stubby 10+1 round magazine and gave it a diminutive accessory slot.

The result was an answer to the P365 that was slimmer and a little lighter than the G26 and, especially when coupled with the aftermarket 15+1 round flush-fit Shield S15 magazine, has become Glock’s default micro 9, even though it is still a bit bigger than the P365, especially in terms of height.

On the downside, it has a pretty bad trigger and almost universally hated plastic sights.

5. Kimber Mako R7

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.37 inches
• Overall Length: 6.2 inches
• Height: 4.3 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 19.5 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 11+1 Round Standard, 13+1 Round Extended
• Optics Capability: RMSc cut slide
• Accessory Rail? No
• MSRP: $599

Much better known for its 1911s and alloy-framed pistols, the Mako is Kimber’s first polymer-framed, striker-fired, double-stack, subcompact handgun and it falls firmly in the realm of a micro 9.

Often overlooked in the marketplace, it is a solid performer and stays close to the P365 in size, albeit coming in at a bit heavier.

6. Mossberg MC2sc

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.4 inches
• Overall Length: 6.25 inches
• Height: 4.3 inches
• Overall Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 19.5 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1
• Optics Capability: J-Point/Shield RMSc footprint
• Accessory Rail? Yes
• MSRP: $556 with basic sights ($662 with tritium sights)

Yes, Mossberg makes pistols and the MC2sc is a good one, especially when it comes to micro 9s.

While you often don’t hear about this little sub compact, it is almost impossible to find a bad review on one. They deliver.

7. Ruger MAX-9

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.2 inches
• Overall Length: 6 inches
• Height: 4.52 inches
• Width: 0.95 inches
• Weight: 18.4 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1 flush, 12+1 round extended
• Optics Capability: JPoint and Shield-Pattern
• Accessory Rail? No
• MSRP: $439

Kind of an also-ran in terms of micro 9s, Ruger’s MAX-9 feels very much like a smaller version of the company’s Security 9 subcompact although in a striker-fired action.

A close match to the original P365 in terms of dimensions, it ships with two different length mags and is one of the more budget-minded micro 9s, as they typically can be found for well under the MSRP, because Ruger.

8. SIG P365

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
• Overall Length: 5.8 inches
• Height: 4.3 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 17.8 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc footprint (SIG calls it the “Romeo Zero” footprint)
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: (SIG doesn’t list MSRPs)

The pistol that started this whole micro 9 thing just a half-decade ago and set the bar for everyone else to reach for, the standard P365 is hard to beat, and the company says that well over a million units were sold just in the first two years it was on the market.

Plus, as the P365 series uses a serialized fire control unit–the technical “firearm” portion of the gun– that can be swapped across multiple grip modules (which aren’t serialized), slides, and frames, it has a unique modularity that nobody else can touch.

9. SIG P365X

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
• Overall Length:6 inches
• Height: 4.8 inches
• Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 21 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 12+1 round
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc footprint (SIG calls it the Romeo Zero footprint)
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: (SIG doesn’t list MSRPs)

What can be seen as essentially a taller P365 that allows for 12+1 round flush fit magazines in exchange for picking up an extra half-inch in height, many feel the P365X allows for a better, fuller, grip as well as better controllability as the original P365 can be a little snappy.

Plus, it has a flat-face trigger rather than the standard P365’s curved trigger.

10. SIG P365XL

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
• Overall Length: 6.6 inches
• Height: 4.8 inches
• Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 20.7 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 12+1 round
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc footprint (SIG calls it the Romeo Zero footprint)
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: (SIG doesn’t list MSRPs)

Curiously, although the P365’s hallmark was its small size at almost any cost to features, customer feedback found that the public was eager for stretched versions.

Besides the taller P365X, the P365XL likewise grew to accommodate a 12+1 round flush fit magazine and added a half inch to the slide and barrel, giving the pistol a longer sight radius and thus lending to better accuracy and less muzzle flip during the firing cycle.

However, this upsize started to push the P365 to roughly the same dimensions as the Glock G43X.

11. SIG P365 XMacro Comp

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
• Overall Length: 6.6 inches
• Height: 5.2 inches
• Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 22 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 17+1 round
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc footprint (SIG calls it the Romeo Zero footprint)
• Accessory Rail? Picatinny M1913
• MSRP: (SIG doesn’t list MSRPs)

In many ways throwing the original P365 concept out of the window, the P365XMacro grew the grip module even further than the P365X and XL although in different ways. Now at 5.2 inches high, it accommodated a 17+1 round flush fit magazine– the same capacity as a full-sized Glock 17– and added a full Picatinny rail, the only micro 9 to have such a luxury.

Although as long as the stretched P365XL, it only has a 3.1-inch barrel due to the fact the XMacro uses an ingenious compensator that is integral to the slide.

Those who don’t need (or want) the comp can opt for the similar P365 TACOPS, which still has the same 17+1 capacity, Pic accessory rail, and a more traditional P365XL slide and barrel.

We covered the XMac in detail in our hands-on review.

12. Springfield Armory Hellcat

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3 inches
• Overall Length: 6 inches
• Height: 4 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 17.9 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 11+1 round flush, 13+1 round extended
  Optics Capability:
• Shield RMSc footprint in OSP models
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: $599 with optics-ready OSP models about $50 more

Within a year of the P365’s debut, Springfield Armory, through Croatian-based manufacturer HS Produckt– makers of the XD and now Echelon series pistols and Hellion bullpup rifle– replied with the Hellcat pistol. Roughly the same size as the standard 10+1 shot P365, as the Hellcat offered an 11+1 round capacity, Springfield proudly called it the “world’s highest capacity micro compact 9mm.”

The thing is, even as the micro 9 field continues to grow, the Hellcat has remained popular and is a best seller in shops around the country. Further, they are tough guns and have passed 20,000-round torture tests to back it up.

And, for those with a hankering for something other than black and FDE, Springfield has introduced the Hellcat in a ton of different colorways including Robin’s Egg, Stainless, Burnt Bronze, and Platinum Grey.

13. Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.7 inches
• Overall Length: 6.6 inches
• Height: 4.8 inches
• Width: 1 inch
• Weight: 21 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 15+1 round
• Optics Capability: Shield RMSc footprint on all models
• Accessory Rail? Yes, short Picatinny
• MSRP: $649

In what could be looked at as a competitor to the “stretched” P365XL, the Hellcat Pro builds on the standard Hellcat platform to yield a taller and longer pistol that still has an emphasis on staying as slim and carry-oriented as possible.

You get a 15+1 flush fit capacity, and a decent accessory rail, and all Hellcat Pros are optics ready.

14. S&W M&P 9 Shield Plus

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
• Overall Length: 6.1 inches
• Height: 4.6 inches
• Width: 1.1 inches
• Weight: 17.9 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1 round flush, 13+1 round extended
• Optics Capability: Shield RMS optic footprint on all models
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: $499

The single-stack M&P 9 Shield was a big hit for Smith & Wesson for years when it first debuted– making it akin to the single-stack Glock 43.

Therefore, once the move towards double-stack micro 9s hit, it made good sense for Smith to redesign the Shield to make it a bit slimmer and thinner while upping the capacity. While the Shield Plus gets lost in the crowded field, it’s a good gun and those who pick it will not be disappointed.

Plus, for the cost, it’s typically priced well under MSRP, which is attractive. We loved the M&P 2.0 in our review, if you want more on the Shield.

15. S&W CSX

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.1 inches
• Overall Length: 6.1 inches
• Height: 4.6 inches
• Width: 1.12 inches
• Weight: 19.5 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1 round flus, 12+1 round extended
• Optics Capability: None
• Accessory Rail? No
• MSRP: $609

A sort of throwback to the old Detonics Pocket 9 of the 1980s, the Smith & Wesson CSX is the only micro 9 on the market today with an exposed hammer-fired SAO action and an alloy (rather than polymer) frame. While it has a vintage feel to it, it still hangs in there in terms of dimensions and capacity.

Plus, it is also one of the few with ambidextrous slide releases and manual thumb safety.

The problem is that most CSXs seen in the wild have been reported to have reliability issues and to be very “bitey” in terms of slide/hammer bite on the web of the user’s hand. That’s a shame because the 18-degree grip angle feels great, and the overall concept is interesting. Hopefully, Smith will get the bugs worked out of this one.

Plus, there is no rail or optics-ready capability.

16. Stoeger STR-9MC

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.27 inches
• Overall Length: 6.1 inches
• Height: 4.25 inches
• Width: 0.94 inches
• Weight: 18.5 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 10+1 flush fit, 13+1 round extended mag
• Optics Capability: None
• Accessory Rail? Yes, limited proprietary rail
• MSRP: $399 with basic sights, $479 with tritiums

Stoeger, a Benelli/Beretta subsidiary based in Turkey, has been making decent pistols and shotguns for over 25 years and all it takes is a close look at their designs to see the hand of its parent company quietly at work.

The new Stoeger STR-9 series of 9mm pistols were introduced a couple of years ago and favors Beretta’s new APX line in styling albeit with a fixed traditional frame arrangement rather than the APX’s removable chassis system.

The smallest STR-9, the new MC, or micro-compact was introduced in 2023 and could prove a contender for those looking for a micro 9 as it’s a good emulator in dimensions to the original Hellcat and P365 while the price (can typically be found for around $350) is attractive.

17. Taurus GX4

Specs:

• Barrel Length: 3.06 inches
• Overall Length: 6.05 inches
• Height: 4.4 inches
• Width: 1.08 inches
• Weight: 18.5 ounces unloaded
• Capacity: 11+1 round flush, 13+1 round extended
• Optics Capability: Shield RMS optic footprint on TORO models
• Accessory Rail? No
• MSRP: $399 standard, $449 optics ready TORO models

You may be shocked to find out, but the Taurus GX4 is the smallest micro 9 pistol on the market in terms of length and height. Plus, it has a higher magazine capacity than the original standard P365.

This comes with a few sacrifices, for instance, you need a tool (spent case, screwdriver, etc.) to turn the disassembly lever, and it has no accessory rail, but still, the GX4 is a ridiculously small little bull.

It has proved dependable in tests but be wary of recent safety recalls on some guns that are floating around out there.

17. Taurus GX4XL

In much the same way that the P365XL is a stretched version of the standard P365, the Taurus GX4XL is simply a longer variant of the GX4, adding 1 inch of length and thus increasing muzzle velocity and sight radius, making it easier to maintain accuracy as it cuts down on muzzle flip as well.

Pros

Very compact design that gives the user the smallest and most concealable option to carry a pistol with at least a 10+1 shot 9mm capacity.

This allows the user to carry confidently in more places and have good peace of mind, replacing much more limited guns such as a 5-shot snub-nosed revolver traditionally used for deep concealment with something more capable and more modern.

Cons

With the diminutive size of a micro compact carry gun, you leave a lot on the table. For instance, if you want to carry a weapon-mounted light, many micro 9s either don’t have rails or only sport one sufficient to use with microlights such as the SureFire SXC or Streamlight TLR-6.

Further, as the amount of real estate on the slide is at a premium, many micro red dot optics won’t work, with these guns typically only using the Shield RMS optic footprint, which covers something like half the dots out there, so you can use whatever red dot sight you prefer, as long as it uses an RMS footprint.

These short guns also need to be trained with to be effective. They generally suffer from muzzle flip, especially when firing rapidly, and are not as accurate or controllable as compact pistols such as the Glock 19 and S&W M&P9 Compact.

At the end of the day, these are small guns and have a hard time delivering on the range at extended distances. They are also not enjoyable to shoot, as they have a decent bark and flash due to the short length of the barrel.

No one is going to say a P365 makes a good plinker or range toy.

Size

The basic cookie cutter size of a micro 9 these days is that of the standard SIG P365, roughly matched by the Taurus GX4, Springfield Armory Hellcat, Stoeger STR-9MC, S&W M&P 9 Shield Plus, S&W CSX, Ruger MAX-9, and FN Reflex.

This 6-inch long, 1-inch wide, and about 4.5-inch tall box still allows for 10-11-round flush fit mags and 12-13-round extended mags.

This is going to be the best size when it comes to concealment and ease of carry, however, these guns also tend to be the rowdiest on the range when it comes to controllability and you’ll often have to deal with small grips that limit the number of fingers you can use (and your little finger dangling off the bottom.)

Growing just slightly larger, typically just a half inch and length and height and a couple of ounces in weight (guns like the G43X, P365XMacro, and Hellcat Pro) really changes the game when it comes to performance and accuracy while only being marginally harder to conceal– plus they often have a larger 15-17 round capacity and are much more friendly to shooters with large hands.

Weight

The lightest of the pack (P365, Hellcat, GX4, Shield Plus, Reflex) typically hit the scales at 17-18 ounces unloaded, a weight that grows about 5 ounces on average with a loaded 10-round magazine, approaching a pound and a half all-up and ready to go.

That is about as light as it gets for a micro 9 and beats the unloaded weight of classic diminutive carry guns like the G26 Baby Glock series. Should the user want something even slightly larger, the ounces start to add up.

By the time you add 17+1 rounds of ammo and an optic to a P365XMacro, you are looking at a 29-ounce gun! Of course, the P365XMacro is still skinnier than, say your average Glock double stack, but when loaded it weighs almost as much as a loaded G17.

Capacity

The whole micro 9 concept comes down to capacity. Guns roughly this small have been around for a long time. The Browning FN 1905, which came out when Teddy Roosevelt was in office, weighed only 13 ounces and ran just 4.5 inches long.

It was popular, with something like 500,000 sold, remaining in production into the 1950s. However, these small semi-autos, while dependable, were in similarly small calibers (.25, .32, .380) and only used single stack mags, giving them a 6-7 round capacity.

That is what was so revolutionary about the SIG P365 when it debuted, as it was just slightly larger than these little mouse guns and brought 10+1 rounds of 9mm to the party.

If you need a smaller gun, there are several out there, such as the single stack FN 503 and Glock G43, but you must be OK with pistols designed for a 6-7 round magazine capacity.

If you are looking for at least 10 rounds rapid, then your basic standard micro 9 is your deal, stepping up to something like the Hellcat Pro (15+1 rounds) and P365XMacro (17+1 rounds).

Features

Micro 9s are a bit all over the place when it comes to feature sets, which is fine because that allows for different strokes for different folks, so to speak. Most come with standard features like slide serrations and a capacity of 10 or more.

Those looking for the ability to add a full-sized weapon-mounted light to their Micro 9 are stuck with a P365XMacro, the only one in the class with a full Picatinny accessory rail.

Just about everyone else must get a smaller light or has to be fine with no light at all.

Most have Shield RMS optic footprints, which is good for people who are fans of small MRDs like the JPoint, SIG Sauer Romeo Zero, Holosun 407, and Swampfox Sentinel. Others, like the S&W CSX and Stoeger STR-9MC, don’t have an optics-ready variant.

Those looking for a hammer-fired action are siloed off into the FN Reflex which has an internal hammer, or the CSX, which has an external hammer.

One thing you won’t find on micro 9s? A grip safety.

Carry Styles

Micro 9s are meant for ease of concealment, especially with inside the waistband (IWB) carry in the 1′ o’clock (appendix) or 3 o’clock (strong side) positions.

A little big for carry in the ankle or small of the back rigs, they are likewise a little small to carry in OWB holsters. Off-body carry, while not recommended, is also on the table.

Holster fits are the easiest for the P365 and Hellcat models, as they are the most common, but this can go out the window if optics and lights are carried.

Price

The most affordable micro 9s are, no surprise, imports from Brazil (Taurus GX4) and Turkey (Stoeger STR-9MC), with the possibility of shopping around and finding new examples of these for as low as the $299 price point.

Following this is the bulk-production U.S. examples from Ruger (MAX-9) and S&W (Shield Plus) which can usually be found in the $350 range. Then comes everyone else with SIG occupying the top shelf with specialty variants such as the P365 Custom Works Spectre Comp which run $1,200 and up.

We’ve evaluated dozens of these compact guns over the past several years and a couple stand out as far as balancing quality and value.

The budget buster should be considered the no-frills Taurus GX4 which is also the smallest micro 9 on the market. It has great (steel Glock pattern) sights that can easily be upgraded, a good trigger and spacious trigger guard, and the capability to run both 11+1 round flush fitting and 13+1 round extended magazines.

A little secret: you’d be surprised how many gun writers carry the GX4. It is just hard to beat, especially for the money.

A great mid-tier option is the Hellcat Pro, which can be had for around $500 if you shop around. It has one of the most comfortable grips of all the micro-9s, and even though it runs 15+1 round flush fit magazines, still carries very well due to the ergonomics and overall svelte design characteristics.

In addition, the sights are superb and probably the best available on any Micro 9 right out of the box.

Stepping up to the championship is the SIG P365XMacro, which is really in a class by itself due to its 17+1 round flush fit magazine while remaining just 5.2 inches high. Plus, it has a full Pic rail for WMLs, which is nice if you want to double-use the gun as a home defense pistol.

Which ever micro compact calls your name, be sure to try a few before making your final decision. There’s a ton of variety in this segment, with each brand bringing something special to the party.