◀Previous Post
Next Post▶

Low capacity is a common gripe with small carry guns. With the flush mag, the much-carried SIG P938 allows 6 +1. Same goes for the uber-popular GLOCK 43. Even though 9mm is a relatively compact cartridge, guns that barely edge out six-shot revolvers in terms of capacity still seem to make all the top ten lists.

But especially in the cooler months, a lot of people tend to pack something larger that carries a bit (or a lot) more than that. Plus all of these make very serviceable home defense or truck guns, too. So, in no particular order, here are the best higher-capacity 9mm semis, with links to our full reviews.

Ruger Security-9

 

Capacity: 15 +1

Price: $250-$300 via Cabela’s or Brownells

TTAG Verdict: A solid, dependable pistol that’s an ultra-affordable choice for carry, home defense or as a truck gun. Here’s our full review.

SIG SAUER P365 Micro-Compact

Capacity: 10 +1

Price: $499 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: This one just sneaks in under the wire in both cost and capacity. But SIG’s new super-popular, extremely packable concealed carry gun packs an exceptional number of rounds in an eminently concealable package. Here’s our full review.

Taurus PT111 Millennium G2

Capacity: 12 +1

Price: $250-$300 via Cabela’s 

TTAG Verdict: Yep, a Taurus. As a standalone product, this is an awesome gun. Our reviewer was thoroughly impressed and would’ve expected something like this at a price point closer to $500-$600. Here’s our full review.

Smith & Wesson SD9VE

Capacity: 16 +1

Price: $330, sometimes on sale for $250 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: A dead nuts reliable inexpensive gun that’s a pleasure to shoot for a touch over three bones. It has one glaring flaw in the trigger, but that’s easily remedied for $20. At that price, you really can’t afford not to buy one…or four. Here’s our full review.

Walther Creed

Capacity: 15 +1

Price: $343 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: Good ergonomics, an OK trigger, OK sights, OK reliability and OK accuracy. It’s a good gun at a great price. Perfect for the budget-conscious new shooter looking for a more-than-merely-adequate home defense pistol. Here’s our full review.

CZ P-10 Compact

Capacity: 15 +1

Price: Around $500, maybe $520 via Brownells or Cabela’s

TTAG Verdict: OK, so it’s slightly over the price line, but it’s a better gun than the G19. A five-star gun in every way. Here’s our full review.

Springfield XD Mod.2 Service Model

Capacity: 16 +1

Price: $399-$499 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: Five-star gun. If you’re a trigger snob, deduct one star and head over to FN and Walther. If not, the XD Mod.2 Service Model’s a total no-gripe zone, and a no-BS duty weapon for concealed carry. Here’s our full review.

Smith & Wesson M&P9 M2.0 Compact

Capacity: 1t +1

Price: $399-$470 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: A great value on a quality S&W pistol. The M2.0 is a significant upgrade to the earlier M&P, particularly in the trigger. It’s hard to do much better in this category. Here’s our full review.

Remington RP9

Capacity: 18 +1

Price: $280-$330 via Brownells, $399 via Cabela’s

TTAG Verdict: It’s not perfect, but it’s reliable and, considering the price, it’s a surprisingly solid, sensible choice. Here’s our full review.

SIG SAUER SP2022

Sig sauer p2022

Capacity: 15 +1

Price: $500 via Cabela’s

TTAG Verdict: Full stop, one of the best affordable handguns on the market for the money. SIG SAUER quality with a sticker price below GLOCK’s “perfection.” And it’s hammer-fired unlike the rest of this bunch. The only sticking point is the DA/SA trigger, which could stand some improvement, and the double action might be a little hard for newbies. Here’s our full review.

SCCY CPX-2

Capacity: 10 +1

Price: $250 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: Great reliability for the price, and there’s something to be said for a good looking, cheap compact gun. This is a good choice for new shooters, too. Here’s our full review.

Ruger American Pistol 

Capacity: 17 +1

Price: $400 via Brownells

TTAG Verdict: This pistol gives the GLOCKs, Springfields, and M&Ps of the world a run for their money. It may not be better in every way, but it’s better in some and at least as good in others. Which was good enough for me to buy one. Here’s our full review.

◀Previous Post
Next Post▶

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

81 COMMENTS

  1. Used H&K VP9. I picked one up that had been shot 30 times (two mags) and traded back in. I paid $499. The original purchaser hated the paddle mag release.

    • Yup. VP9’s can even be had new for under $500 if you watch GunBroker for a while. The little time it takes to learn the paddle release is well worth it for this excellent platform.

    • My TP9 V2* has become my EDC. Feels good in the hand, great trigger, hi cap, and has the smoothest feed ramp of anything I own. And it was dirt cheap.

      * a copy of the Walther P99

      • Switched from TP9V2 to SF Elite. I own 6 Caniks. With the one exception of the TP40 they are all great! They have, IMHO the best out of box striker fired triggers on the market. Added Talon grips to the SF and wow what a fun gun to shoot.

      • Mega dittos on the TP9 V2. $270 ‘used’. Unbelievable gun.

        I’ve been stalking gunbroker for another one for a long time. None for sale.

      • Agree on that, specifically on a TP9SF Elite-s.
        I’ve tried to get it to fail, and yet in the end, I’ve failed at that.
        Great little pistol, that works with the 18 rounders of it’s bigger sisters, and acceptably well with PPQ magazines, of all things.
        Fantastic trigger, by the way.

      • Ditto that. My TP9v2 is also my EDC and I love it. Best of both worlds, striker fired and the safety of a DA/SA. Great trigger, 17+1 and damn accurate too. I think I got mine for $300.

      • Buying a gun is the same as supporting the regime where the manufacturer is located? Does that mean I support Obama? I bought guns while he was in office. Did you? Obama killed US citizens with drones and no conviction and the government under him collected taxes. Does that mean you support killing US citizens without due process?!? If not, then why did you give him your money?!?!?

        What an incredibly shortsighted argument

        • I have to agree with Timothy. All my firearms are U.S. made except my CZ, but that was because they were what I happened to want at the time, not because of nationality.

          I go through a LOT of Academy’s Monarch 20 ga. buckshot (hard to find from other makers). Does that make me a Russian bot or something? 😁

  3. As a proponent of the Free Market I’d like to thank the above manufacturers for competing against Glock, thereby lowering Glock’s retail prices.
    Oh, wait…
    Follow up: how many of the above ‘choices’ offer PCC mag interoperability?
    I’ll take my answer of ‘effectively zero’ off the air.

  4. I forgot the SP2022 existed. I’ve come full circle on semis and want to go back to DA/SA for the peace of mind that DA first pull gives me. If it’s $500 at Cabellas, I’m guessing it can be had for less at my LGS. I may check it out.

    Unless somebody can tell me why I shouldn’t buy one with respect to quality/reliability. Anecdotal commentary welcome.

    • I love mine. First handgun purchase, probably 10k down the pipe. I’m not sure what they mean about the DA/SA trigger, I really did it. DA is buttery smooth on mine. Hammer is slightly canted, but that has had no effect on the gun that I can tell.

    • Both I and my ex-wife own one. Mine 40, her’s 9mm.

      GREAT gun. NEVER a problem. Highly recommended. The DA is a bit hefty, but the SA is very nice.

      Oh, and I had EXCELLENT factory support from sig. Bought the gun many years ago on closeout (cheap). Bought a threaded barrel on closeout a few years ago (cheap). The gun wouldn’t go into battery with the new barrel. Called Sig TS. They said, “our gun, our barrel, here’s a shipping label.” Paid to ship it back and forth, fitted the barrel, and even threw in a thread protector as well. All in 2.5 weeks. Top marks. Buy one.

    • If had not minded spending for a SIG P226 (the MK25) and a SIG M11A1 (a military P229 with P228 markings), the P2022 would have been a good economical choice. It is made to the same standards as its siblings and the price difference is due to a few minor simplifications in design with no compromise in quality. I do not mind the DA/SA, with practice one can shoot them equally well and I feel the DA adds the equivalent of a safer safety, less likely for an ND yet more likely to go Bang if one forgot to deactivate a traditional safety.

    • None. Have one that runs neck and neck with my P226R in round count and reliability.

      Just wish that it took P226 mags for commonality. Think Sig dropped the ball on that one aspect.

    • Or upgrade to a CW9 for 7+1 and a longer three finger grip without any loss of concealability. I’ve seen them on sale for under $350, including shipping.

      • Wife and I have carried CW9’s with laser for many years. Just the right size for a pocket or a purse. Only problem is if the mag is loaded to capacity there will be a very well documented Fail To Feed in many cases. We carry ours with one in the pipe and 6 in the mag to insure reliability (one less). Kahr service sucks by the way!

    • I have both the SAR K2P and the CM9 G2, great guns. I really like the K2P, but the CM9 G2, it’s fantastic, and not just because it’s cheap (I paid $250 shipped), it’s dead on reliable, accurate and has a great trigger. It’s only real flaw is that most of them, mine included, have a very tight safety lever out of the box. Mine is now pretty smooth after a ton of flipping the safety on and off a thousand times. I have a center mass laser on mine and it’s my house gun.

    • The SAR CM9 G2 is just flat out a great gun period, and for the price, under $300, it’s an insane bargain. I got mine for $250 shipped. I have a bunch of CZ clones and they all use CZ-75 mags and so does the CM9, so I have a lot of mags to use. The CZ clones made by Canik are great too.

  6. Other than SCCY and Cabelas having a Security 9 for 300(it’s more) not a bad list. My 111g2 has run well and it was less than 250. YMMV

  7. Remember these are all list prices.
    My PPQ SC blows me away every time I fire it. Real price was under the $500 limit.
    Best piece of plastic Ive owned yet. Im learning to like plastic and that aint easy.
    My Canik a close second. If and when Canik makes a true subcompact. 12 rounds or so.
    I will be one of the 1st on the block to get one.
    My 1911s all 6 of them and 2 Sigs. A P238 and for the most part, my P938 are retired from CCW.
    When I dont want to carry a gun, its still the P938 for me. Even if its 8+1 only. Or is it 8 rounds?? Does it really matter??

    • These aren’t list prices, I believe they are street prices from the retailers mentioned. For example, the msrp (list) price of the XD Mod 2 9mm service model is $565. Buds usually sells them for around $425-450. Sometimes websites run specials and you can find them for around $400 give or take.

  8. Taurus and Remington are on the list but not the Smith and Wesson M&P 2.0? The compact was going for $329 after $50 rebate a couple months ago and sill under $500.

  9. A little disappointed that the Canik SF9 Elite is not on your list. I have owned one for over two years…absolutely dependable, very decent trigger, good sights, accurate and reliably feeds every 9mm I’ve loaded into it…FMJ’s and JHP’s are equally digested and shat forth from the muzzle…AND well under the $500 benchmark.

    The lack of “Perfection” on your list will have the fanbois out howling at the injustice of it all.

      • Have not tried the Talon grips…probably should try them considering that they are under $20 a set and no great loss if I don’t like them. Purchased the Elite + two additional mags (for a total of four) + two bricks of the Winchester NATO 124 gr FMJ’s (300 rounds total) for a couple of bucks over $500. Paired up with a Safariland 578 GLS Pro-Fit I already owned (fit is perfect BTW) and winter carry is taken care of.

  10. The best 9mm handguns are the ones you trade for a 1911A1 in .45 acp

  12. I haven’t seen one positive review for the RP9. Why is it in this list.

    You can get APX for under five bills. It is better than everything on this list.

  14. I cannot believe the author omitted the Ruger 9E handgun. They are crazy reliable, eat everything, are reasonably accurate, have as good a trigger as any striker-fired polymer semi-auto pistol, and you can buy them on sale brand new for around $350. Oh, and they come with stock 17-round magazines.

    For further reference, the Ruger 9E series is somehow a less expensive version of their SR9 semi-auto handgun series. The only down side: Ruger does not appear to make them anymore.

    Perhaps the author omitted them because he never reviewed one or because Ruger does not manufacture them anymore?

    • My father has one of those, and when it’s not slide biting him, it’s stove-piping. That’s why he doesn’t like it; I don’t like it because the grip is uncomfortable and cheap feeling, and the trigger is mushy and has a long (compared to Glock, Walther and S&W) reset.
      Once past those deficiencies, you CAN get a good high purchase on it, and muzzle flip is minimal. Not enough, though, to get it on a top 10 list, IMO. I think it would have been a lot better with more attention to ergo and grip texture.

    • The 9E is no longer in production, but you can find them online for about $300 (plus FFL transfer fee). 17+1 capacity, and +P rated. I love mine. Accurate, smooth shooting, eats any ammo, fits my hand well.

      I think Ruger discontinued the 9E in favor of the Security 9. The SR9 is still made though. Only downside to the 9E that I know of is that it only comes with one magazine. But you can buy a twin pack of Ruger factory mags online for about 40 or 50 bucks.

  15. I picked up a new PPQ M1 for $380 during the rebate ($100) on GunBuyer, so even without rebate it was $480.
    Some guys don’t like paddles, but Walther paddles are long. PPQ is full ambi with the most useful slide lock levers ever made. Last but not least, the unmatched king of triggers and a truly great grip.

    • The PT111 G2 and G2C are great guns. I have 3 of them (PT111’s), and all 3 have been nearly totally reliable. The first one jammed hard on the 3rd shot, and after that, no issues, the other 2 just shoot and shoot.

  17. I had a Taurus G2C(if there is any difference with the PT111 Millenium, it must be internal because I can’t see it) that I donated to my brother. I just couldn’t get past the interminably long trigger pull before getting any pressure feedback. It just felt sloppy to me. Because I have large hands, I felt like I had to think about how to hold it to control recoil every time I picked it up. It was accurate enough and quite concealable but I didn’t care for it myself. I picked up a Security 9, and although it is much less concealable than the Taurus, I am very pleased with it. Comfortable to hold and fire more instinctively for me, the longer grip and heavier frame made it much more pleasurable for me to shoot. Holster options are somewhat limited (it’s still a relatively new model), but they are out there, you’ll have to look to find them.

    • I love them, and own a bunch of them. 3 Tanfoglio Israeli shooting club guns, a Jericho 941, and a plain old EAA Witness that is identical to the Israeli ones without the fun roll marks. The most expensive of them was the Jericho that was $350 shipped, unfired as far as I could tell. Two of the Israeli guns were less than $300. I love all steel CZ type pistols.

      • I am with you on tangfo’s they are great, accurate and light for steel, I have 2 in wonder finish….and I also have a cohai, Had a Camp Perry hardball shooter test it because it had a drifted sight…he said leave it alone as he put all shots in the black with the iron, and he shoots with a red dot on all his guns because of age/eyesight….

        • My “Mossad” wonder finished full sized 9mm always gets comments and laughs at the range when I take it. It has the best slide to frame fit of any gun I own, and I own Berettas and Sigs, and S&W 3rd gen pistols. I don’t know if it has had trigger work done, or it’s just because it had a fair number of rounds through it before I got it, but it’s really nice and smooth in D/A and like a glass rod on S/A. Much better than the Jericho or my “Combat Cohai” gun, which is just an earlier version of the same pistol. But as good as the “Mossad” shoots, the smoothest triggers of any guns I have are a couple of shockers, The best is a Sig P220 DAK (so smooth it feels like ball bearings), and the runner up is an Astra A75! Kind of like a little Sig, the D/A is super smooth and it’s just a great little gun.

  20. I absolutely LOVE my Bersa TPR9C. It’s a really good quality firearm, and the lifetime service contract rocks. (It doesn’t hurt that one of the people who does the warranty maintenance is on the Bersa fan forums, either.) The BP9CC has its fans too (I’m not a striker fan myself, or I would have considered it).

    Milady has a PT-111, and I agree that it needs to be on the list, but only because it’s at a REALLY good price. Given Taurus’ quality issues, there’s no way I’d include the G2C, with its one-year warranty.

    • I also L O V E my TPR9c, and I used to hate all compact 9mm. Perfect firearm – 28oz is a little heavy, but not crazy.

      0 FAILURES. Makes my SR9c looks like a pile of ****

  21. Everyone forgets the OTHER Austrian tupperware, Steyr. All 4 models easily obtained for under 5 bills, 3 of which can hold 17 +1.

    • Absolutely. Steyr M9’s are great sleeper pistols.

      I just tell people that it helps if they speak some German; if anything ever needs servicing or replacing.

  22. You can easily find the Glock 17, 19, 22, 23, 26 and 27 models for under $500.

    If you join GSSF on a 2 year membership you immediately get a coupon to buy a Glock at Blue Label prices and can save even more.

  23. CZ-09 with 19 rounds? BTW, if you go looking for deals at cabelas something is wrong with you. I don’t want to pay full price. At least $50 or less off on a $500 dollar gun plus free shipping and no tax from Budsgunshop. Suckers.

  26. If you’re paying over $500 for a Steyr M9 you didn’t shop around. It deserves to be on this list at least as much as the CZ if you ask me.

  27. I second that the Springfield XD mod 2 9mm service is a great pistol. Well made, and the mod 2 grip is comparable in ergos and comfort to the PPQ, and the mod 2 is a much better looking gun overall IMO. Granted, the trigger is not as good, but it’s not heavy or gritty. Just a fairly long reset. I liked the service model so much that I bought the XD mod 2 tactical 9mm (5″ barrel) with a stainless steel slide. What a gun!! Great looking but more importantly perfect for home defense-with the longer sight radius and 5% more velocity (equates to about 10% more energy) compared to a 4″ barrel. The service is my occasional carry gun, and the tactical is my primary home defense gun. Although I have carried the tactical while camping using the same holsters, which is a plus.

    • I’m pretty sure my XD-M 3.8 compact was less than $500, and I just love the choice of a shorty grip and 13+1 or a standard grip with 19+1. Action is nice and grip safety is nonnegotiable to me.

  31. I have 3 on the list but didn’t pay nearly as much as they list. My Taurus PT111 G2 was $199.99, my S&W SD9VE was $289.99 and my SCCY CPX-2 was on sale for $135. I like them all.

  33. Why is it the nobody talks about bersa. Bersa TRP9 and the Trp9c. These carry 13-17 rounds hammer fire decocker safty. Controls on both sides of fire arms. All metal with no miss fire. One over best trigger and it has the shortest reset on the market. For around 440 bucks.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here