Slim Pistol Preferences

[jwperry]

I'm looking to invest in a slim pistol or 3. I have experience with the Shield (loved it, regret selling my 2), P290 (was OK, but felt like I was crushing my palm to get the trigger to break) and the G43 (didn't care for it).

I've been looking at the P365, but want to see how some of the newer samples wear before investing. But there are more options on the market than I realized and reports of reliability, longevity and durability are all over the place. I have a couple friends who swear by their Beretta Nanos, but reading online those folks are 2 steps away from gettin' kilt in da streeetz. I've never seen a Kahr function reliably for more than 2 magazines, but I see a few folks on here toting them around.


What's your slim pistol of choice and why? What hasn't worked for you? If you were buying a 9x19 or 380 Auto semi-auto (not revolver) tomorrow, what NOT Glock / NOT P238 slim pistol would you buy?

[cornstalker]

P365 here. I was blown away by how shootable it is. The mechanical accuracy is outstanding. Mine is of very recent production, and where I am kind of stuck is that I am never going to shoot several thousand rounds through this gun. I prefer to vet it a little and keep it fresh. To be honest, that leaves me feeling like I am playing the odds a little bit.

If not the P365, my second non-Glock choice would hands down be a Shield 2.0. The trigger seems vastly improved over previous models to me. The texturing is good. Great little gun. Dirt cheap, too.

I also like the PPS, but shooting experience with them is pretty limited.

[jwperry]

P365 here. I was blown away by how shootable it is. The mechanical accuracy is outstanding. Mine is of very recent production, and where I am kind of stuck is that I am never going to shoot several thousand rounds through this gun. I prefer to vet it a little and keep it fresh. To be honest, that leaves me feeling like I am playing the odds a little bit.

If not the P365, my second non-Glock choice would hands down be a Shield 2.0. The trigger seems vastly improved over previous models to me. The texturing is good. Great little gun. Dirt cheap, too.

I also like the PPS, but shooting experience with them is pretty limited.

The P365 is the one that intrigues me the most, as it looks and feels about the same as a Shield and has 30% more ammo on board

Since S&W launched their optic included Shield(looks like an RMSc) I've been tempted on that since I know I like the Shield.

The PPS used around me is pretty cheap, but I've never had a Walther anything and don't know anyone who has either.

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[Galbraith]

My P365 was born in June, and I've been carrying it regularly since. I've got around 3k rounds through it with no problem. I've tried the G43, but didn't care for the recoil characteristics or the capacity. For me the P365 is the sweet spot between a micro pistol and a subcompact. I know that I shoot it well(almost as well as a compact pistol), combine that with a 10+1 or 12+1 capacity and the 9mm cartridge and it has been hard not to continue using it.

[Mike C]

PPS Gen 1 that's been fixed if it had the slide stop spring issue or Gen 2. The PPS' I've had were all excellent accuracy and reliability wise. CS sucked and parts availability sucked but they were great. Lots of mag options sights were fine and with the gen 1 gun, (note sure about Gen 2) you could use the striker indicator as a semi-gadget. I like the idea of a P365 manual safe with RMSc but jury is still out on the RMSc and the P365. If ever I feel like Sig unf*#%$! themselves and this gun I will snag up several. It's size, capacity, accuracy is really hard to ignore. I also actually really like their factory Xray sights also.

[FrankB]

My “slim” pistols are a Ruger LCP 2 and LCP Custom, and a Sig P938. The P938 is essentially the same size and weight as the P365, but I’ve been looking HARD at a P365. I also carry a P238 (seldom), and one of my Walther PPK’s (more often).

[psalms144.1]

I had and sold a G43 - accurate and reliable but hard to shoot well due to a very narrow, very poorly textured grip. I've got a P365 that feels great in my hand and is VERY accurate (more accurate, in fact, than the P320 Pro Carry I had), and it's the most size efficient pistol I've ever seen. However, for my hands, it's hard to "run" at speed - again, feels better and "grippier" than the G43, but just too darn small for my NOT huge hands to shoot at the speed/accuracy levels I can do with a slightly larger pistol. Moreover, I don't trust it. My example has been completely reliable through a couple hundred rounds (less the fact that it arrived with a dead front NS that I should have caught at the store), but I've seen and heard SO MANY problem P365s that I feel like I'm literally waiting for the other shoe to drop, and have my striker break, or some other of the many fatal flaws the pistol has shown so far.

The 2.0 Shields are great single stack pistols, but very size INefficient for their capacity.

Frankly, I've reached this point: I have a G26 that's my primary "off duty" pistol (with a +2 mag on board and a G17 mag in my pocket or reload pouch). If I need something smaller/lighter than that, I'm going to go with my LCR, or an LCP in the pocket. I think the G26 is concealable enough for any but pocket carry that I'd just rather have the MUCH better "shootability" of the baby Glock over the size savings of the P365. If the G26 is too big to conceal (haven't found that situation yet), then I'm really in the "gun you carry when you can't carry a gun" stage, and the P365's size and weight rule it out.

If you told me I HAD TO pick a "single stack" pistol to carry as my primary, I'd take a 1911 :-; Seriously, of the current contenders, I'd probably opt for the Shield 2.0, even though it's the biggest of the lot with no ammo gain over smaller G43. Maybe in 2-3 years, if nothing catastrophic has happened to my P365, I'll change my mind on that

[LSP552]

Frankly, I've reached this point: I have a G26 that's my primary "off duty" pistol (with a +2 mag on board and a G17 mag in my pocket or reload pouch). If I need something smaller/lighter than that, I'm going to go with my LCR, or an LCP in the pocket. I think the G26 is concealable enough for any but pocket carry that I'd just rather have the MUCH better "shootability" of the baby Glock over the size savings of the P365. If the G26 is too big to conceal (haven't found that situation yet), then I'm really in the "gun you carry when you can't carry a gun" stage, and the P365's size and weight rule it out.

If you told me I HAD TO pick a "single stack" pistol to carry as my primary, I'd take a 1911 :-; Seriously, of the current contenders, I'd probably opt for the Shield 2.0, even though it's the biggest of the lot with no ammo gain over smaller G43. Maybe in 2-3 years, if nothing catastrophic has happened to my P365, I'll change my mind on that

We are in exactly the same place. I was carrying my Gen 4 26 and a G17 mag today while out and about. I really like the 365, but it’s a bit small for my XL hands and I don’t trust SIG enough now to buy one. My buddy’s is running fine with well over 1,000 rds without any issues.

My next gun will likely be a Gen 5 26.

[Oukaapie]

LCP2 is tiny and a good shooter. Really impressed me. Fantastic pocket gun

The PPS, Shield, P365, Glock 48 are all fine if you take your time but at AIWB I can CCW a PX4CC or Glock 17 as easily and the longer holster actually makes it conceal better.

I think the P365 is probably the best if you buy two and are not a heavy shooter. Great trigger OTB, great sights, really small. If you hate Sig and shoot lots of Glock then the 48 makes sense....if skinny is your thing.

Or say screw it and get a HK45C!!! It’s single..ish.

[jwperry]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm a Sig shooter, DA/SA P226/9, so I'm not a hater but definitely skeptical of the product they're currently putting to market. I know a lot of happy P320 shooters who think my skepticism is me being paranoid.

The G43 I had I felt I didn't shoot well because I couldn't grip it well. It always felt like it was squirting out of my hand. I felt the same way with the LCP. I also have little hands; if I were to buy Mechanix gloves, I'd buy a small.

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