I've owned a MK9 Elite for some time and decided to change it up.

Currently on the list are the following:

Kahr PM9
Sig P290RS
Sig P938 (leaning against this one because of SAO)
Kimber Solo

What do you guys think about the ones I've listed? Anyone who has looked at all of these and would be willing to provide a recommendation, and why one stands above the rest?

I have a Sig P90 and it is a great little 9mm hideaway handgun.  I use it as a BUG in a ankle holster much of the time. Long trigger pull that you get very used to.

cm9/pm9 and beretta nano.

Care to share why you feel these are better options?

Kahr PM9/CM9. The P290 is too heavy, the P938 is SA and the Kimber Solo, well, reports say they suck.

Kahr PM 9.
I just replaced the striker spring with a 5# and polished the trigger bar.
Nicest LDA trigger I've pulled.

Dave N

Pretty well sold on the CM9. I like the engineering in it, it has been 100% for a little over 2500 rounds and I can make it disappear for CCW, The only thing I've done to it is replace the recoil spring at 2000 rounds as recommended. Used a Wolff spring.

Cheap, reliable and small. what's not to like?
I carried pm9 for about 2 years. after shooting glock26, i just didn't care for kahr's long trigger pull.
I don't own a nano but i've shot buddy's nano a few times. Trigger is just so so on nano but kahr and glocks are nothing to brag about either.

Glock 26.









 

Out of the ones listed get the PM9. Have had 2 both worked great. Got out of 9mm for awhile and that is the only reason I got rid of the PM9. Now have the Sig 290rs but had to spend an extra hundred to get the trigger close to the Kahr. Looked at the Kimber Solo dc but the trigger was short and soft for a pocket type weapon in my opinion. And most who have handled small auto's as you get close to getting grip on the short handle and your trigger finger moves towards trigger you want that added safety with a long trigger pull like most small auto;s. The Kimber does not have that. Also at close to $800.00 and bad reputation didn't go with it.

I carried an MK9 for about 5 yrs in a pocket holster.  It just got to feel too heavy for having that few of rounds on tap.  I switched to a G27 for pocket carry in an Alabama kydex pocket holster and really like this set up.

2 cents..

I don't have experience with the Sig P290 re-strike's
I've handled and test fired a P938.
I've fondled several Solo's.
I own a Kahr PM9.

Solo's look nice, but sadly the Kimber still needs refinement for mass market acceptance. Most of the complaints about reliability revolve around the fact that the gun wasn't engineered for low grain weight/lower charge 115gr ammunition. The provided documentation specifically calls out for 124gr (or greater) ammunition only. This tends to befuddle most folks, as at the Solo's price point one would not expect the manufacturer to recommend limiting certain ammunition usage to assure reliability.  And also, the reported poor quality of the "Kimpro/Kimpro II" finish at the price point sways most potential buyers away from a Solo.

We own a P238, and looked into a P938 for a 9mm option since they share major similarities. I test fired one of the early release versions that suffered reliability issues from using the same recoil spring that the P238 uses. This has been supposedly rectified by Sig with a replacement/upgrade of a stronger recoil spring. (I haven't shot one since this announcement, so I cannot confirm.) If you do go this direction make sure to purchase one that uses the newer recoil spring. Also, to accommodate the the difference in cartridge size, the P938 has a wider grip front to back (not in girth). It's still thin width wise, and for my large hands this made it awkward to shoot comfortably. The heel of the grip dug into my palm. I know there are aftermarket grip options that can help with this fact, but for me it just wasn't one of those that "fit" in my hands.

Actually, I have briefly handled a non-RS P290. It felt good, but the longer DA pull swayed me away. I lean towards SAO, and short striker fired/DA configurations. At the time I looked at the P290 its particular platform adoption rate was low, so I continued searching for another solution. (mostly because upgrade options/accessories were very limited at that time)

We owned a CM9. It "fit" in my hands very well once a Hogue Handall Jr. was added (upside down), and it shot very well considering the compact size. But again, for me, the long DA trigger was a turnoff. After much research I discovered that Kahr makes a PM9 variant that has a tweaked trigger that while it is still DA, it is shorter in over travel by about 1/8". It's Kahr's Massachusetts compliant model PM9193. The tweaked trigger is installed on all PM9193 frames manufactured after 2/2013. The only downside that most folks don't like about this setup is that it's the PM9 with the external safety. (Mass compliant) Not a big deal really, as you don't have to engage the external safety if it's not your style of carry. I've run standard pressure 115gr target, 124, 124+p , and 147gr without a single hiccup. Mags drop free every time, and no cracked followers. The only thing I don't like are the stock "white dot" sights. Kahr uses the dot-on-a post style sights as standard (not 3-dot), so there's some difference. Aftermarket NS options are available.

Pm9

I've tried almost all of them, and despite the different trigger pull I still find the PM9 the easier to shoot accurately.

Neither are micro 9s

OP check out Diamondback DB9. Smallest 9mm there is. Smaller than the Kahr CM9, which would be my second choice.

Cross the Solo off your list. Shitty record for reliability.

I have a PM9 and love it. 500 rounds of 124g +P Gold Dots through it.....strong hand, weak hand, limp grip, etc.  Zero malfunctions.

Stay as far away from the Diamondback DB9 as you possibly can. I loved mine, until last Tuesday.

I bought it used, with 4 mags, about a year ago. It had had maybe 50 rounds through it, in my opinion. I figure the previous owner bought it, had a bunch of malfunctions, and got rid of it. I took it out the following week and put 100 rounds of FMJ and 24 rounds of JHP through it, with a number of problems. A couple weeks later, I put another 100 or so FMJ through it, with a few problems in the beginning, but none towards the end of the range trip. In the time I've owned it, I put about 500 rounds through it, with no issues since the first 200. Until last Tuesday.

I went to the range before work and brought my DB9, along with a few others. As I was firing, this happened:



That's right, the trigger snapped off of the gun. No, it's not plastic. It's MIM-shitty pot metal. I was in the midst of firing the third mag of the evening when it happened. I was shooting Federal 115 gr FMJ, which, other than the 30 or so rounds of Speer 115 gr GDHP's it's been fed over the last year, is all it's seen through the barrel.

I called Diamondback the following morning and they e-mailed me a shipping label so that I could send it to them for repair. When I get it back, though, I might sell it, as I'll never trust it enough to carry it again.

My buddy swears by his PM9. Kahrs do have a smooth trigger pull, but I wish the reset was shorter.

Solid gun for a reasonable price: S&W Shield

Yikes

Kahr cm9.  Small.  Light.  Shoots well for size.  Reliable.  Carries very small.  Rarely carry anything else any more.

Another vote for the PM9(/CM9)

Like everyone else I feel as though the trigger could be shorter, but its pretty damn smooth, and I shoot the gun very well, for a baby SC at least. Conceals very easily also. Wearing a smartcarry I have ran, biked, and hiked hundreds of miles, and even took the sucker to just shy of 15,000ft mountain climbing.

Get aftermarket sights, and don't install them yourself

EDIT: If you don't care about a polygonal barrel get the CM9 and save some cash. I had to purchase the PM9 as I was living in CA at the time and go figure, only the more expensive of the two made the list

The only other guns in this size that interest me are the boberg pocket bullpup, which is unproven, fancy, and really expensive. And the Kel-tec PF-9, which I will probably buy

Get a S&W Shield instead. Almost the same size and has a decent trigger. The trigger on the PF-9 is like a staple gun and it is brutal to shoot.

I find the Shield the "same size" vs. the cm9 akin to the g26 and g19 or g19 and g17 being the "same size".  The differences are noticeable on all accounts. That said the larger gun tends to be shot better.

Exactly. The trigger is great, but the reset is just about all the way back to neutral. Takes some muscle memory to not "short stroke" it. One of my only complaints about the gun.

The Kimber Solo is the best "micro 9" I've ever handled.  Contrary to what folks regurgitating the same old crap say, it's a very reliable gun.  Much like other guns they had growing pains when they were first released but that's long since been remedied.  When I was looking for a Solo for my sister I had at least a dozen people on Arfcom alone PM me to warn me about how unreliable the Solo was.  I asked them what issues they had with their Solo and all of them said the same thing..."I've never owned one but it's what I've heard"....

Well yeah, with everyone repeating negative comments that they heard but have no personal experience with, of course it's going to sound bad.  The truth of the matter is that the Solo is a very, very good gun.  They have awesome ergonomics, excellent reliability, very good accuracy, extremely easy to conceal and have a fantastic "carry" meld design.  They do require a break in period but Kimber provides the instructions for that.  If you don't follow the break in period then you will have problems with the gun until it's broke in.  They are made to extremely tight tolerances and will not usually run 100% out of the box.  Follow the instructions and you'll have what I consider the best micro 9 in the world.  My sister got the Solo CDP, which is the version with the night sights and Crimson Trace laser grips and is, in my opinion, the best of the best.  It was a little finicky during the break in but now runs perfectly even with ammo not recommended.  I LOVE the gun...I am so mad at myself for not getting one myself.  

If you listen to the uneducated regurgitated garbage you read on these forums you'll miss out on the best micro 9 made.  Just remember to avoid the earliest made guns, they are the ones with potential issues.  I'd recommend just buying new so you don't get one that someone borked because they couldn't follow directions.  Consider the CDP version, with small guns the sights are often hard to see, so the Crimson Trace laser grips can be a life saver.

938 or xds

I agree with all of this

Have you considered the Springfield XDs? I'm not really a fan of the XD series, but this one has certainly caught my attention, it feels better in my hand than the Shield, is nice and small with good sights. Reports are that the trigger isn't the greatest but I've never noticed when dry-firing one (haven't found one to rent yet).

CM9 is my choice. I use it for pocket carry, it's just small enough to do that with. Not many other 9mm are small enough to truly pocket carry. If I'm not pocket carrying, I go straight to a Glock so I wanted the smallest most reliable 9mm I could fine. I had an LC9s but its bigger than the CM9. The LC9s has a fantastic trigger though.

Thank you.  I was considering one for pocket carry, I will avoid like the plague now...

Honestly, OP, I would take a look at the Kahr. I bought a CW380 yesterday. It's super small and the CM9 isn't much bigger. Less than an inch thick, 4" long and barely 5.5" long - it will conceal really well.

Although it was an impulse buy, and I have a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 coming next week, I think I am going to keep the Kahr. The trigger pull is just too good.

Both of these.  The PM9 is phenomenal IMO.  Nothing that small should be that accurate.  It's really impressive.  Mine has been flawless as well through ~500 rounds.

Pro-tip.  Buy the PM9 with factory night sights already installed.

Here is what happened to my sight pusher tool when I tried to change out the sights on my PM9.  Had to send BOTH the slide AND the sight pusher back to their respective manufacturers for fixin'.  

The Kahr triggers remind me of a DA revolver trigger.  Love my little PM9.  I started to get a Kimber Solo but hear they are finicky with ammo.  Tend to only like 147s.

I really wanted to like my Solo, as it felt great in hand.  On my first outing with it, (after cleaning and lubing), I was off to a good start.  I have the standard capacity 6 round mag, and two 8 rounders.  All three fed flawlessly to empty, (Winchester white-box, 124 grain), locking the slide back on the last round.  I was pleasantly surprised, after the negative things I've heard...  Then, the trouble started...  Numerous failures to feed, light primer strikes...  Then, the right side ambi safety fell off!!!  

I'm aware that Kimber recommends JHP ammo in 124 or heavier, so I guess maybe I can blame myself to some extent.  The round nose target ammo seems like it might have too long overall length, and hangs up in the mags(?). Anyway, I suffered through 250 rounds, just for the sake of break-in, and to see if things might get better, (they didn't).  I've got a bad taste in my mouth at the moment, but, intend to try carry ammo just to see what happens, but still, i'm obviously concerned about the light strikes and the SAFETY FALLING OFF!  

The Ruger LC9 is reliable, and so small as to make the .380 caliber obsolete.

Another vote for the PM9.  I started carrying mine again and wondered why I had even stopped (full disclosure: because of my DB380)

I took my PM9 down, polished the trigger bar, and put a 5# striker spring in.
What a great trigger it has now!

Dave N

Ive had a CM9 for maybe a year, so far so good.   Another one I want to check out is the boberg 9mm.  A reverse feed system gets you a longer barrel performance in an overall shorter package.   They are new, limited production and pricey, but glad people are trying new stuff.

http://community.bobergarms.com/forum/topics/other-comparisons

L.L.Bean:  Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.  And strangely enough, the two most dependable well made most likely to function out of the box the more I study the issue are not expensive.

1)  At any price, S&W Shield.  7 round mags flush with bottom make it rather small.  8 rounds fit a man's hands.

2)  In Ruger's line, go with the LC9s, the striker fired version.  Vastly better trigger than the LC9.  And you are sure of all the Ruger upgrades with the striker version.

The Ruger is slightly thinner in the grip but with a slightly longer feeling reach to the trigger.  The Ruger grip is shorter and the finger grip front is a waste of space since the backstrap is short.  Use the flat floor plate.  The Ruger has a lighter by a pound feeling trigger than the Shield.  But the Shield is way better than the M&P line of full size autos and is mostly Glocklike, but one pound heavier than the normal 5.5# Glock.  The Shield is very controllable and easy to master.  The Ruger is so light it pulls through sometimes having gotten to shoot them recently.

In the off chance this might be for occasional use by a lady, then there are other considerations:

Easy happiness with an instant learing curve, consider a Ruger LCR .38Special, Producrt #5401, with Hornady Critical Defense or Critical Defense Lite ammo.  110 or 90 grain bullets.  The LCR with the CD Lite is a pussycat.  Make sure you find one of the new versions of the #5401 .38 that has the white line insert in the front sight.  Way easier to see the sight set.

If you want a 9mm auto, Hornady has a 100 grain Critical Defense 9mm for use in these micro 9mms.  100 grains at 1125, if I recall correctly.

With anything the wife or girlfriend might shoot or need to:

Take them to the store and make sure:
-the grip fits their hand size without wiggling and squirming around
-they can reach the trigger with the proper grip
-they can pull the trigger itself due to weight or stroke
-they can pull the slide if a semi auto
-then rent one first or borrow one first and let they try it  (Hint:  If you put a +P into a J frame airweight, you will not have a shooting buddy)

1) and 2) are the solid choices for a shooter guy these days.  The other info is extra at no charge.  Valentine's day is coming up.  

for the cm9/pm9, what pocket holster do you use?

milk jug

I use the Crossbred pocket holster, the leather square on it makes it look like a wallet in your pocket.

Ankle carry in a DeSantis Rig.   I found the PM9 to be a bit too heavy for front pocket carry.

I tried out a LOT of tiny 9mms because my local range has a huge rental selection. I settled on the Kahr PM9 and I absolutely love it. Fits great in a SuperFly holster, easy to conceal in the front pocket of your jeans (WITH holster). The gun is shockingly accurate for something so small. I balked at the price originally, but I blank check my carry guns and it was worth the money all day long.

I had a fellow show up with a Rohrbough last week at a Practical Handgun course I was teaching.  It would not fire over 4 rounds without a malfunction.  After he missed two stages I loaned him a Glock 26 to complete the course.  My DB9 with the new springs did better.  Frankly three  pocket pistols performed flawlessly, a G 42, the G 26, and a PM9.  One in .380, two in 9mm.  I'm about to begin carrying one of these as a BUG.

We have a Sig 938 and a Beretta Nano. Both have been reliable.

Why are you changing out the MK9? Weight?