Best Micro Compacts 9mm

Concealed carry pistols often follow fads. It’s not necessarily about what’s cool but about what’s effective. The trend has moved from snub-nose revolvers to pocket .380s and subcompacts; then we settled on single-stack 9mms. These days, the current fad is microcompacts. Micro compact pistols are the current hotness, with everyone trying their darnedest to release the next feature-filled success. 

The first micro compact still rules the roost, and the SIG P365 has been a huge seller for SIG. Gunbroker released their year-end data on guns sold over their platform for 2023, and the P365 was the best-selling pistol of 2023. It’s kept that top spot for years, and the micro-compact genre has flourished in the shade of the P365. 

What’s a Micro Compact? 

There is never a firm definition of handgun sizes. A mix of consumers, the firearms media, and the industry sort of just make them up, and we all agree that a certain size means something. In the micro compact world, we’ve agreed that micro compacts are subcompact-sized handguns that are often only 1 inch thick. 

At an inch, they are roughly the same width as most single-stack 9mms, but another key part of the micro compacts definition is at least ten rounds in a flush-fitting magazine. 

The key to microcompacts’ success is their magazine. The magazines these guns utilize aren’t quite single stacks, and they aren’t double stacks either. Common parlance refers to them as 1.5-stack magazines. These make the micro compact tick and are the reason why they’ve been so successful. 

Why The Micro Compact?

That’s an easy answer. Imagine a gun the size of a single-stack 9 with the capacity of a subcompact pistol. In terms of ammo capacity to size ratio, it’s the most efficient option for self-defense. Concealed Carriers get a lightweight, easy-to-carry weapon that packs ten rounds of ammo. 

Beyond the efficient, easy-to-carry design, firearms companies have thrown their backs into the micro-compact genre. These guns often feature some of the most modern features you can throw on a gun. They are often optics-ready, and they can wear lights and lasers. Their popularity has created a nice aftermarket and plenty of holster support. 

Which Micro Compact

Isn’t that the question every company would love to answer? Which one is right for you? That’s certainly what we aim to answer today. Most micro compacts are pretty good guns. Most are reliable, have low recoil, and are easy to carry. With that in mind, picking the best can be tough, so I picked seven. Seven diverse micro-compact pistols will offer you numerous options on your road to carrying the most efficient weapon possible. 

Best Micro Compacts

1. SIG P365		Various Models Available Removable FCU  Up to 17 Round Factory Magazines	Check Price
2. LCP Max		Pocket Sized Micro Compact Excellent Sights Two Magazine Sizes	Check Price
3. S&W Shield Plus		Available in 9mm and .30 SC Optics Ready Option  Three Magazine Sizes	Check Price
4. Glock 43X		Long Frame – Short Slide Slim Grip Design  Glock Reliability	Check Price
5. Alpha Foxtrot 1911-S15		Optics Ready Takes Glock Mags (kind of) Threaded Barrel	Check Price
6. Springfield Hellcat OSP		Optics Ready U Notch Sights Adaptive Grip Texture	Check Price
7. IWI Masada Slim		Optics Ready  Cowitness Iron Sights Huge Trigger Guard	Check Price

Best Micro Compacts Reviews

SIG P365 

The top dog of the micro compact world is arguably the best: the SIG P365. Since 2018, SIG’s P365 has climbed great heights and become the choice of countless people. It’s my choice for a micro-compact. SIG has evolved the P365 into an entire family of handguns. There are XL options, the X option, the SAS, and more. I still think the optics-ready, standard P365 is one of the best guns for concealed carry. 

The P365 series mostly comes in 9mm, but a .380 ACP option is also available. The capacity starts at ten and steadily rises to 17 with the XMACRO magazines. The longer the mag, the less concealment is offered, and I tend to stick to 12 rounders. It’s my best balance of capacity, concealment, and control. 

SIG has a thing for a removable FCU design. They did it with the P320 and 250; they did the same thing with the P365. This design allows you to swap grip modules since the FCU is the serialized portion of the weapon. You can get longer grip modules, aftermarket metal options, or options like the Wilson Combat Grip Module. This kind of modularity is unheard of in the world of small guns. 

The gun’s small, sleek, and modern, but how does it perform? I think the millions of owners are a testament to its quality. The gun delivers reliable and accurate fire; the recoil is tame, and the gun nails ergonomics. SIG designed a fantastic firearm, and it’s likely to continue to lead the world of microcompacts and concealed carry firearms as a whole.

SIG P365 Pros and Cons

LCP Max 

Many might claim that micro compacts need to be 9mm handguns, but I firmly disagree with that notion. There are plenty of calibers out there that work for self-defense, and micro compacts can vary. The best .380 ACP micro compact is the LCP Max. It’s the only one that takes the features of the micro compact and shrinks them around the .380 ACP. Other competitors simply toss the .380 in a 9mm gun, making it larger than necessary. 

The LCP Max features a ten-round magazine with the option for a twelve-round magazine with a pinky extension. For shooting, I like the 12-rounder for the extra ammo and extra control a longer grip offers. For concealment, the flush-fitting ten-rounder makes a lot more sense. If I’m squeezing this into my pocket, the extra +2 rounds make a big difference. 

The LCP Max measures barely bigger than the LCP, which means you get all those advantages and disadvantages. For one, the small gun makes it easy to conceal and carry. You can drop the little guy in your pocket and pack ten rounds of .380 ACP like it’s pocket change. That’s great, but these guns take some training to use. They have some rather harsh recoil and a short sight radius.  

The LCP Max is the gunfighter’s pocket pistol. It’s a lot of ammo for a small pocket pistol, and it dominates the small gun market. The LCP Max delivers in the departments of reliability, and ease of use. It’s easily the smallest micro-compact and one of the easiest to carry, no matter your attire.

LCP Max Pros and Cons

S&W Shield Plus 

S&W is still counting the stacks they made off the original Shield. The Shield jumped off the 9mm single-stack market. They were everywhere and provided a great gun for a fair cost. Fast-forward to the era of the P365, and the Shield got a facelift and became the Shield Plus. The Shield Plus kept the same basic layout but adopted the 1.5-stack magazine. 

This pushed the capacity to 10 rounds with the flush-fitting option and up to 13 and 15 with slightly longer guns. That’s the 9mm variant anyway. If you’re a fan of the new .30 Super Carry, the Shield Plus delivers the most modern .30 Super Carry firearm. With the .30 Super Carry, you’re getting an additional two rounds in each magazine without any trade-off in recoil, expansion, or penetration. 

The Shield Plus comes in an optics-ready, standard configuration, and even a California-compliant model, but you’re stuck with ten rounds. The Shield Plus offers nearly identical ergonomics to the original Shield, but man, they cleaned that trigger. We get that same awesome reliability that the original Shield became known for. S&W turned out a wonderful self-defense package with the Shield Plus. 

The downsides come down to the gun’s thickness. It’s 1.1 inches wide. Arguably, .1 inches isn’t much, but it’s also a 10 percent increase over the competition. Micro and compact both mean small, and the Shield Plus is a plus-size micro-compact. It’s up to the end user if whether that’s a big deal.

S&W Shield Plus Pros and Cons

Glock 43X 

There is a part of the concealed carry community that will argue to the moon and back that the Glock 43X isn’t a micro-compact. The Glock 43X uses a single-stack magazine, but it meets the 10-round mark and, to me, falls into that small, thin, and efficient firearm category. I’d agree that the Glock 48 isn’t a micro-compact, but the 43X seems to fit the bill. I like to call this the Central A/C of handguns because it’s so comfortable. 

The gun’s grip is long enough to fill the hand and to provide a good full grip on the gun. This makes the weapon easy to control and comfortable to shoot. It’s quite thin and does what many Glock can’t, which is to excel ergonomically. The barrel and slide shrink to Glock 43 sizes, making the gun super comfy for daily carry. Nothing pokes or prods, and it’s a gun you can carry during any season. 

The 9mm Glock 43X is limited to ten rounds with factory mags, but both PSA and Shield Arms make 15-round magazines. Each has its quirks, but they both seem to be well-received by G43X fans. Like all Glocks, the G43X excels in reliability. It’s a gun you can ignore and beat to hell, and it will just keep working. It’s not picky about ammo or environmental conditions. 

Of course, since the gun uses a single stack magazines it’s a little longer than most. It’s bigger than the P365 but still holds only ten rounds. Bigger guns are tougher to conceal, but it’s more comfortable to shoot. 

Glock 43X Pros and Cons

Alpha Foxtrot 1911-S15

Let’s mix old with new. The Micro Compact is the latest in concealed carry coolness, and the M1911 is one of the older options. If we mix the two we get the Alpha Foxtrot 1911-S15. This micro-sized M1911 uses Glock 43X pattern magazines. Specifically, it’s designed to use the S15 magazines from Shield Arms that are designed to offer the Glock 43X 15 rounds of ammo. Mix that with the M1911 layout and we get one of the most interesting micro compacts on the market. 

The Alpha Foxtrot 1911-S15 combines a ton of modern features with the classic M1911 design. From the M1911 we get the unbeatable ergonomics that are tuned for modern users. This includes an ambidextrous safety, the best grip design known to man, and the classic easy-to-reach controls. The 1911-S15 comes with a huge beavertail that allows for a nice high grip that maximizes control over the weapon. It’s got all those awesome M1911 features that fans of the platform adore. 

The 1911-S15 also gives us the best features of modern micro compacts. This includes an optic-ready design, a threaded barrel, and a rail for accessories. Plus, the 15-round magazine sets it apart from most other 1911s. The 1911-S15 pulls out all the stops. 

On top of that, we get an awesome single-action trigger that’s crisp and short. It’s as sweet as an M1911 can get. The 1911-15 has two things going against it. First, it’s expensive at over 1,500 dollars. Second, it weighs almost 30 ounces. The good news about the weight is the lack of recoil.

Alpha Foxtrot 1911-S15 Pros and Cons

Springfield Hellcat OSP 

Right after the SIG P365 hit the market, Springfield Armory and KS Produkt followed up with the Hellcat. The Hellcat didn’t just introduce the second micro compact to the market; it completely changed the Springfield Armory and HS Produkt lineup. This was an evolution of the XD lineup and presented the first real competition to the SIG P365. While SIG has plenty of optics-ready options, the Hellcat did it just with the OSP model. 

The Hellcat OSP is the optic-ready model and is ready for the Shield RMSc footprint. It easily equips a red dot, which takes care of any problems with sight radius and small guns. The Hellcat came in with not a ten-round mag but an 11-round option. Springfield pulled a spinal tap and turned it up to eleven. The gun also comes with a slightly extended 13-round magazine that gives you a little more grip. 

The Hellcat comes with a nice flat-faced trigger that provides a short reach and excellent trigger reach. The pull is short and fairly light, and the reset is quite nice. Springfield went with this adaptive grip texture, which is one of the best. I love that it clings to my hand but also doesn’t rub me raw when I carry IWB and the gun sits against my skin. 

Overall, this gun is the complete package. It comes with great sights, it’s optics ready, and it packs a great trigger, a good texture, and a whole host of modern features. The Hellcat delivers a nicely refined micro-compact pistol at a fair price. My big complaint is that the slide lock might as well not exist. My thumb sits on it and renders it useless.

Springfield Hellcat OSP  Pros and Cons

IWI Masada Slim 

The IWI Masada Slim is the dark horse of micro-compact pistols. It is often forgotten about when we discuss the genre. Yet, it’s also a very capable firearm with an excellent overall design. It’s also a very affordable option that comes complete with several high-tech features. The Masada Slim also borrows the ergonomics and design of the Masada pistol. The Masada Slim lives up to its name and is truly a slim style of firearm. 

At 1 inch wide, the gun disappears under your clothes and provides a great deep carry option. It fits perfectly between your belt and waistband and disappears in an IWB holster. The Masada Slim packs ten rounds in its flush-fitting magazine and comes with an optional 13-round magazine. That’s lots of lead in a teeny tiny gun. 

The IWI Masada Slim has an optics-ready slide allowing you to mount RMSc footprint optics. The sights sit high enough that you can cowitness with the optic and provide a secondary sighting system in case the optic just happens to go down. 

The Masada Slim provides a solid and reliable little gun. It’s quite pleasant to shoot, and the trigger was a nice surprise. It also stands out in terms of control. The design of the grip and slide makes it easy for me to get my hand high up on the gun and increase the controls. It’s very CZ-like, which I instantly appreciate. 

The downside is a lack of aftermarket support. There aren’t many holsters, upgrades, or similar products.

IWI Masada Slim Pros and Cons

The Little Guys

The micro compact genre seems to be firmly rooted in the world of micro compacts. These little guns are everywhere, and a healthy obsession with small guns and good capacity isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. There are quite a few options out there, and most are well-made guns. If you score one of the seven above, you’ll be well-heeled and ready to defend your home, your family, and beyond.