XS front sight. I love the Shield. The new striker fired LC9 is good too. I have gained a new respect for the 9 and 380 with the testing on Barnes new projectiles shot through and old ford truck...Double Tap Ammo great ammo.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

maybe one day S&W or Ruger will make a small 45ACP. I like the little XDs. Now with the new bullets ammo available, I am beginning to come around to; it may not matter so much.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops

I like right hand front pocket carry - especially in the summer. And it gets just as hot in Idabell as it does in Fort Worth. I generally carry either a 70's vintage airweight bodyguard or a KelTec PF-9 (had it since before Ruger started making KelTec PF-9's) and I do have to admit the PF-9 prints less. It shoots every time so far and hits a 12 inch gong with boring regularity at any kind of reasonable range out to about 25 yards. I haven't shot it futher than that. It's proven more reliable than my P3AT. For a always there, it's hard to beat a J frame or one of the mini 9's. They both print and weigh far less than even my skinny gripped Defender, and shoot much easier than my Colt Pocket 9's.

What works great for me is a Kahr PM-9 with the Crimson Trace laser in a Desantis nemesis holster. Works great in Orvis khakis or 5.11 shorts. I toss and extra mag in my back pocket.

They make it in 9. Son #1 swears by his LC9. I have the Smith M&P Compact which is the fatter version of the Shield. I would go to someplace that has the Shield, LC9 and XDS and play touchy feely. Go with the one that fits your hand the best. I was wanting a full size 9 and went to the NRA convention. Handled several but the Ruger SR9 felt the best by far.

LC9. Decent sights, fairly accurate and have never had a misfeed/jam. The main thing about it compared to some of the other compacts is that it is super slim and doesn't print as bad as something like my Glock. I'm referring to front pocket carry at least, in a belt holster I might go with something that can hold a few more rounds.

I have a Kahr CM9 and like it a LOT. Very compact and very light, yet still very shootable. I think it weighs in at 14 oz. empty. 6 or 7 round mags. A very very smooth double action only trigger pull which some people don't like, but to me it feels like a smooth, light double action revolver trigger. Easy to conceal in a pocket holster wearing jeans and easy to carry when nothing else works.....

My 2 cents.....

Another vote for the Shield. Worked a swap for one this year. Haven't shot it a lot, but it's worked with every type of ammo I've put through it. It wasn't great on the 90 meter rams, but then that's not what it's designed for. My wife shoots it fairly well, so it's not a hard kicker. It's bulkier than I like for pocket carry, am waiting for a Simply Rugged carry solution to be delivered. Just wish it could travel south when we head that way again.

I've been very happy with my Shield. It's only slightly bigger length/height than a J frame and considerable thinner. I have tried quite a few pocket nines and this one feels the best so far. It's nearly as shootable as my full size M&P. The worst part on any auto loader vs a J frame is the edge at the back of the slide and rear sight. That corner is t there on a J frame and makes the revolver blend in and look like pocket junk vs a gun. I've made a few different styles of holsters for my Shield and those of others. I get a pic of mine up later, it's very minimalist and easy to pocket carry. I made this one for a buddy and he can pocket or iwb carry with this

It so nearly disappears in a IWB holster like this

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https://facebook.com/M2bKydex/

My son carries a Glock 43 (sorry to offend with use of the word) as an issue back up in a fairly large city here. He loves it.

Not as small as some but same dependability as other Glocks.

I recently was privileged to attend a local gunslinger course designed to increase the efficacy of CCW holder in hitting a close range targets at speed. No shooting was done over 7 yards and most within 10'.

This class was based on the new FBI sidearm trained which addressed the fact that most shooting take place within conversational distances and where speed is of the essence.

http://www.handgunsmag.com/reviews/new-fbi-handgun-training/

18 shooters of all levels of proficiency and a wide range of pistols ranging from a Walther .22 to full size service weapons. About half were subcompact .380s and 9mms. I shot a P35 carried in a Sparks Summer special under a untucked polo shirt.

The fact that half the class had no business carrying a gun in public and were a danger to themselves and others is a topic for another conversation.

However, regarding the subject at hand. It was immediately apparent that the little guns were much much harder to hit with than a more conventional sized pistol even at these ranges. With the really little guns the difference was in my opinion unacceptable given the difficultly in hitting targets fast at close range even with a full size pistol. An example of this difficulty in hitting close and fast is quoted in the referenced article.

"In New York City, police who used their firearms in “Gunfights, Other Shootings vs Perpetrator, and Against Dogs,” hit their intended targets only 38 percent of the time at distances between zero and two yards—and just 17 percent of the time at three to seven yards. This data was gathered from 1994 to 2000."

Personally, it makes more sense to upgrade your holster and technique to allow better concealment of a more effective sidearm that going tiny because its easier to carry.

Byron