The Drawbacks of a Subcompact Single-Stack 9mm

[NH Shooter]

Must be my hands, but trying that technique with my Blackhawk G17 demonstrator is somewhere between really awkward and impossible.

Feels awkward with a G17, but workable with a PPS. I'll need to give it a live-fire try....

[M2CattleCo]

I count myself as odd but lucky as the 43 felt right at home for me as soon as I actually decided to work with it. I have over 6K rounds through a few 43s since late 2015 and the more I shoot and carry 'em, the more I like 'em.

Splits and reloads are not as quick as with a 19 for sure, but my accuracy with a 43 is as good at speed and better slow.

I do well with a 26 too and am anxiously awaiting a Gen5 26.

[NH Shooter]

Splits and reloads are not as quick as with a 19 for sure, but my accuracy with a 43 is as good at speed and better slow.

Likewise for me with a PPS vs. G17. Doing the 3x5 card accuracy drill out to 60 feet, I shoot the PPS better. I believe the reason is simple: all other factors equal, the pistol that fits your hands the best is the one you will most likely shoot the best. At 5'7" and due to my small girly hands, double-stacks have always been a bit large for me whereas the grip of the PPS with 8-round magazine is damned near perfect. The fact that it is easier to carry and conceal is just the icing on the cake.

IMO, the better advice is to find the (quality) pistol that best fits your hands and learn to carry/shoot it to the best of your abilities. And of course, always keep a rifle handy. ;-)

[GJM]

Likewise for me with a PPS vs. G17. Doing the 3x5 card accuracy drill out to 60 feet, I shoot the PPS better. I believe the reason is simple: all other factors equal, the pistol that fits your hands the best is the one you will most likely shoot the best. At 5'7" and due to my small girly hands, double-stacks have always been a bit large for me whereas the grip of the PPS with 8-round magazine is damned near perfect. The fact that it is easier to carry and conceal is just the icing on the cake.

IMO, the better advice is to find the (quality) pistol that best fits your hands and learn to carry/shoot it to the best of your abilities. And of course, always keep a rifle handy. ;-)

“Fits your hand” sounds logical, but I am not sure bears out in actual shooting.

[NH Shooter]

“Fits your hand” sounds logical, but I am not sure bears out in actual shooting.

It does for me.

[JodyH]

I have significant scar tissue at the first joint of my trigger finger that limits me to .21-.25 splits on wide open USPSA targets at 2Y no matter what gun I'm shooting (VP9, LEM, VP9SK, PPSx7).
Due to my unique physical limitations I'm equally slow on everything until I get into the micro-9mm's (single stack, no pinkie) like the PM9, G43 or the PPSx6, then I'm really slow (.27-.30).
I make up for it with really good accuracy (it's the rare USPSA match that I don't have the most A's of anyone).

All that to say the same thing everyone else has.
Shooting everything equally doesn't mean you're just as good with everything, it just means you're equally slow with everything.

[NH Shooter]

I can read gun rag articles on the "drawbacks of single-stack pistols" 'til I'm blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that I have small hands with stubby fingers. Which one do you think I can shoot better (especially single-handed)? Hell, I've even grown to like that funky trigger guard mag release...

[ST911]

If I don't shoot my G43 reasonably often proficiency falls off fast. Decline with the G26 is less extreme. Fortunately, I've found that practice with the micros benefits larger guns where the opposite isn't true. Therefore, more G43 practice = more gooder for everything. (And practice with a J frame is even better still.) I use only a slightly modified grip with the little Glocks. Inspired by this thread, I grabbed my G43 off my ankle and shot a Test (10-10-10) cold today, which obviously included a reload. Reload was from the table top. From a starting high-ready position:

Installing Hackathorns for sites and the then-new connector has been really helpful.

I'll shoot Gabe's standards from a holster and see. Prediction: just a little outside Dark Pin territory.

Okay, got this done today. I was right, Dark Pin territory. 3:00 OWB, no concealment.

Bill Drill- 3.39
Failure to Stop- 2.91
Immediate Incapacitation- 2.82
Split Bill- 4.07, +.25 for B zone miss, 4.32

Ran the standards several more times. Weakest link in the chain was grip acquisition at the holster.

[Casual Friday]

Shooting everything equally doesn't mean you're just as good with everything, it just means you're equally slow with everything.

Once I figured this out, the world of shooting handguns made much more sense to me.

[Duelist]

I can read gun rag articles on the "drawbacks of single-stack pistols" 'til I'm blue in the face, but it doesn't change the fact that I have small hands with stubby fingers. Which one do you think I can shoot better (especially single-handed)? Hell, I've even grown to like that funky trigger guard mag release...

Longer hands and fingers:

G42


G26


Beretta 92A1