Newbs, Colion included, tend to completely overlook the history aspect of the firearms themselves. The P239 is a product of the '94 ban and it was developed at a time when CCW was really beginning to grow here in the US. It's an ideal CCW gun when bracketed in that context. I've owned mine since '00 and now use it as a suppressor host or occasional carry gun.
During the ban, it was a much better choice for a carry gun than buying a mag-neutered G19. The 239 has a significantly smaller grip than the G19; saying it's the same size isn't quite accurate. If your hand size works with the P239, why try to conceal the larger grip of a G19 when you're gonna wind up stuffing a 10-round mag in it anyways? Lots of people bought 239s and then complained that the grip didn't feel good. They slapped on Hogue grips, which
then made it roughly the size of the G19. That's an end user issue, not the gun's fault.
For me, single stack 9mm guns feel great and conceal extremely well. There were a lot of great guns from that era where we didn't place capacity as priority #1; the S&W 3913/14, HK P7 & M8, SIG P239, SIG 225/P6, Walther P5 all come to mind. I have found that all of these guns shoot extrmeley well in my hands. At the end of the day, I'm perfectly content carrying 9 rounds of 9mm if the gun has proven to be accurate and reliable, even with a DA first shot. There is something to be said for a gun that gels with the owner, and that is something that a double stack mag cannot detract from. Not that it needs any additional commendation, but the fact that the 239-9 found its way into NSW inventory is telling of the usefulness of the gun, capacity be damned.