Top 10 Budget 9mm Pistols for 2025

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The 9mm Luger cartridge, also known as the 9×19 NATO or 9mm Parabellum, has become the favorite chambering for self-defense pistols in all handgun sizes. But many of the best everyday carry (EDC) pistols are expensive and out of the reach of many shooters’ budgets.

Gun Tests shooters have tested dozens of 9mm pistols over the last few years, and we’ve often NOT liked some market favorites because we’re able to shoot several pistols side by side, which really shows the deficiencies and strengths of each firearm. Also, because part of our grading scheme considers which handguns are the best values, we also try to match up handguns of similar prices. The best guns that don’t cost a ton are called Best Buys by our shooters.

With that in mind, we’ve compiled our Top 10 Budget 9mm Carry Pistols in the listicle below, looking at handguns that were less than $500 at the time of our test. We haven’t tested every pistol on the market, of course, so we’ll be interested to see which one is your favorite 9mm that doesn’t break the bank in the comments below. — Todd Woodard

10 SARSILMAZ SAR9 METE SAFARI SAR9METESABL 9MM LUGER, $395 (October 2024)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B [OUR PICK]

The striker-fired double-action-only SAR9 is similar in size and operation to the elephant in the room, the Glock 17 9mm. The SAR9 has design features similar to the Glock, HK, and Walther handguns. The SAR9 is a striker-fired polymer-frame pistol with a layout and manual of arms so similar to a Glock that it requires no acclimation. The manual of arms is simple. Lock the slide to the rear, insert a loaded magazine, drop the slide, and either fire or holster. The Smith & Wesson SD9’s manual of arms is the same. In the end, we rated the Turkish pistol down a half grade for its trigger-pull weight and another half grade for its proletarian accuracy. Overall Length, 7.6 in. Overall Height, 5.5 in. Weight Loaded, 34.4 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 15.5 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.4 in. Magazines, (2) 17 round.

 

9 MOSSBERG MC2C 89031 9MM LUGER, $380 (September 2022)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B+

The Mossberg provides great ammunition capacity within a very thin package. It was a close third in the speed drills. The Mossberg MC2c was second in our accuracy tests with a 2.69-inch group average across all ammo types. It seemed to take us just a hair longer to get that first shot off. Some dry firing and getting used to the grip angle should fix that no problem. Function was perfect. Overall Length, 7.0 in. Overall Height, 4.9 in. Weight Loaded, 29.6 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 18.4 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.0 in. Magazines, (1) 14; (1) 16+1.

 

8 KELTEC P15 POLYMER P15BLK 9MM LUGER, $445 (December 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

The P15 is slim, trim, and compact. We are unaware of a similar pistol that is any smaller or thinner. The KelTec is reliable. The front strap doesn’t feel rough until you fire the pistol extensively, but then some raters did not agree at all, and felt that the pistol offered good purchase. Overall Length, 6.6 in. Overall Height, 4.8 in. Weight Loaded, 19.0 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 9.6 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.0 in. Magazines, (1) 12, (1) 15.

7 TAURUS GX4 1-GX4M931 9MM LUGER, $398 (September 2021)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

The Taurus is the most compact. Other features are appealing, and the Taurus has a changeable backstrap. The sights are basic, the grip treatment is good, and the trigger is manageable.Overall Length, 5.6 in. Overall Height, 4.2 in. Maximum Width, 0.9 in. Barrel, 2.75 in. Magazine, (2) 11.

 

6 WALTHER PPS M2 2805961 9MM LUGER, $451 (September 2017)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Walther PPS M2 is a class double-action-only act. All controls and the sights and grip frame seem well thought out. Some did not like the bumps on the grip frame at the first examination, but they came to like the grip’s abrasion and adhesion during firing. Overall Length, 6.375 in. Overall Height, 4.75 in. Weight Loaded, 24.5 oz. Barrel Length, 3.4 in. Magazine, (1) 7 round.

 

5 TAURUS G3X 1-G3XSR9031 9MM LUGER, $310 (February 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Taurus G3X 1-G3XSR9031 is a recent introduction based on a proven template. The G3X is accurate — surprisingly so — and reliable. There is a wide range of support in magazines and holsters, and the lifetime warranty is attractive. We liked the Taurus G3X 9mm. It isn’t expensive, but it does a good job at what it is designed to do, serve as a reliable personal-defense pistol. The Taurus G3X compares favorably against similar Glock models. Overall Length, 6.3 in. Overall Height., 5.2 in. Maximum Width, 1.2 in. Barrel Length, 3.2 in. Magazines, (2) 15.

Taurus G3X 1-G3XSR9031 9mm Luger

 

4 SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD 180021 9MM LUGER, $394 (September 2017)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Smith & Wesson Shield 9mm featured a happy combination of desirable design elements, including well designed and executed grip checkering, good sights, a decent trigger action, and good reliability. The double action only Shield wasn’t the most accurate handgun tested, but it was more accurate, overall, than the Glock 43, which was our baseline for performance. The manual safety is a plus in the minds of several raters. Overall Length, 6.1 in. Overall Height, 4.6 to 5.0 in. Weight Loaded, 25.5 oz. Barrel Length, 3.1 in. Magazine, (1) 7 or 6 round.

 

3 ISRAELI WEAPON INDUSTRIES MASADA SLIM M9SLIM13 9MM LUGER, $415 (December 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

This is a simple, but rugged and reliable, handgun. We did not like the disassembly, but there are worse designs. This is a lot of gun for the price. Overall Length, 5.9 in. Overall Height, 4.8 in. Weight Loaded, 25.3 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 10.0 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.4 in. Magazines, (2) 13.

 

2 SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD EZ M2.0 12436 9MM LUGER, $499 (July 2022)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

We liked the way this pistol handles and operates. Racking the slide is easy enough. The trigger is good and accuracy more than adequate for a pistol of its size. This is a crackerjack all-round defensive handgun. Overall Length, 6.8 in. Overall Height, 4.9 in. Maximum Width, 1.46 in. Barrel, 3.675 in. Magazines, (2) 8.

Smith & Wesson M&P9 Shield EZ M2.0 12436 9mm Luger

 

1 FN REFLEX 66-101408 9MM LUGER, $499 (February 2024)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

Ranked our best-in-class pistol for 2024. After the smoke had cleared, the Reflex 9mm had exhibited no misfires, failures to feed, or failures to fire. Recoil is modest for the pistol’s size. Cocking serrations and grip treatment are well done. This is a well-designed pistol. Overall Length, 6.0 in. Overall Height w/flush-fit magazine, 4.5 in. Overall Height w/extended magazine, 5.0 in. Maximum Width, 1.0 in. Barrel, 3.3 in. Magazines, (1) 11, (1) 15.

FN’s Reflex fits most hands well. A combination of a good sights and a good trigger produced excellent combat accuracy.

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Here are a few more pistols we liked and offered a lot of bang for the buck, but which may have been above $500. Or they may have been less than $500, were lower ranked, but were still suitable for the job.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY HELLCAT PRO HCP9379BOSP 9MM LUGER, $575 (March 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

We liked the Hellcat Pro 9mm a lot. It is reliable and useful, and there isn’t a pistol this size with quite this performance. The SIG P365 XL Spectre is a good pistol, but we simply did not see a difference worth the surcharge for the SIG. Overall Length, 6.6 in. Overall Height, 4.9 in. Maximum Width, 1.06 in. Barrel Length, 3.7 in. Magazines, (2) 15.

RUGER MAX-9 NO. 3500 9MM LUGER, $544 (September 2021)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Ruger MAX-9 was the largest pistol but only slightly larger than the Shield, not enough to matter in an inside the waistband holster. The Ruger and the Shield have similar performance. The Ruger was the most accurate pistol tested but barely shaded the Shield and not with every load. The Ruger features a tritium/fiber optic front sight and is optics ready while the Shield is not, making the Ruger the better buy by a considerable margin considering Ruger’s standard features. Various Shield Plus Performance Center pistols with fiber-optic sights and an optics ready slide, which we have not tested, will cost about $300 more than the version tested. The Ruger is the price beater and the overall best performer. This is a more sophisticated pistol than we expected. The sights were the best of the test. There was no fault with the magazines, capacity, or general accuracy. The pistol features a manual safety, which you may use or ignore. Overall Length, 5.95 in. Overall Height, 4.6 to 5.0 in. Maximum Width, 1.04 in. Barrel, 3.2 in. Magazines, (1) 10, (1) 12.

SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD PLUS 13246 9MM LUGER, $553 (September 2021)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

A step up from the previously tested 9mm Shield. The new pistol has an improved trigger and more capacity. Overall Length, 6.1 in. Overall Height, 4.6 to 5.0 in. Maximum Width, 0.85 in. Barrel, 3.1 in. Magazines, (1) 10,  (1) 13.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY HELLCAT HC9319BOSP 9MM LUGER, $550 (March 2020)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

An 11+1 pistol, this small Springfield might be the most versatile pistol in the group.

SMITH & WESSON CSX 12615 9MM LUGER, $549 (May 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: A-

We liked several of the features offered in the CSX, with magazine capacity being a big one. But it was less accurate than the SIG tested in the same month. Depending on whether the shooter wants accuracy and speed, or a pistol that more easily accommodates different hand sizes and shapes, a good choice could be the CSX. Overall Length, 6.1 in. Overall Height, 4.25 in. Maximum Width, 1.13 in. Barrel, 3.1 in. Magazines, (1) 10, (1) 12.

SMITH & WESSON SD9 2.0 13931 9MM LUGER, $300 (October 2024)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

The S&W SD9 update is a nice addition to this affordable family of striker handguns. There are things the pistol lacks, including grip inserts and slide panel inserts. However, the SD9 is reliable, useful, and accurate enough for personal defense. The SD9 2.0 is a new development of an older handgun. The slide is redesigned with a different angle in the cocking serrations. The pistol features three-dot sights, with the front sight nicely dovetailed in place, in contrast to the usual screwed-on sight so common today. The pistol features a groove down most of the length of the slide, a touch reminiscent of the Smith & Wesson 5906. The cocking serrations are well designed and offered plenty of leverage. The grip is nicely pebbled and offers a good balance of abrasion and adhesion. Overall Length, 7.2 in. Overall Height, 5.5 in. Weight Loaded, 29.6 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 16.4 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.0 in. Magazines, (1) 16 round

SMITH & WESSON EQUALIZER TS 13591 9MM LUGER, $476 (December 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

The Equalizer is a good-shooting pistol. We were able to connect at longer range than we would have thought with this lightweight pistol. The good shooting characteristics of this handgun, the ability to mount a red-dot sight, a light rail, and reliability make it a good handgun for personal defense. Overall Length, 6.8 in. Overall Height, 4.9 in. Maximum Width, 1.4 in. Barrel, 3.675 in. Magazines, (1) 10, (1) 13, (1) 15.

CANIK TP9 ELITE SC HG5610T 9MM LUGER, $419 (June 2023)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

The Canik TP9 Elite Sub Compact is a reliable handgun, and it is accurate enough. We did not like the too-blocky grip design. The extended magazine was not a favorite of ours. Overall Length, 6.7 in. Overall Height, 4.6 in. to 5.0 in. Maximum Width, 1.45 in. Barrel, 3.6 in. Magazines, (1) 12, (1) 15.

SAVAGE ARMS STANCE 67001 9MM LUGER, $408 (September 2022)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

We realize that this is a concealment pistol and, as such, its groups are acceptable. We would still like to see them tighter. The B grade reflects average accuracy. Overall Length, 6.2 in. Overall Height, 4.4 in. Maximum Width, 1.01 in. Barrel, 3.2 in. Magazines, (1) 7, (1) 8.

HONOR DEFENSE HONOR GUARD SUB-COMPACT HG9SC 9MM LUGER, $449 (September 2017)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

The Honor Guard 9mm is a good-shooting pistol. It was the most accurate in the test and the handgun that was deemed most comfortable to fire. The sights are good, and the other features are well thought out. The trigger is the heaviest of the handguns in the test, which leaves us wondering what type of shooting we may have done with a lighter trigger compression. The only defect was the problematic slide lock, which we found far too heavy.

GLOCK 43 SUBCOMPACT SLIMLINE G43 PI4350201 9MM LUGER, $445 (September 2017)

GUN TESTS GRADE: B

Accurate enough for personal defense, reliable, and fast handling, the Glock performed well. It isn’t as accurate or as light kicking as the larger pistols, but neither is it inaccurate or a hard kicker.

As always, Gun Tests Magazine is supported by reader subscriptions only, so you can depend on these recommendations being free of monetization considerations on our posts or videos or social media traffic, and we don’t accept display advertising in the magazine. The sole basis for these recommendations is how the pistols worked during our testing with various shooters and various ammunition. If you’re in the market for a smaller 9mm handgun, here’s how we’d spend our money:

Note: All prices reflect actual retail purchase prices at the time of testing. Prices in this listicle will likely have changed from the original test. Older pistols may still be available as NIB products or as used handguns.

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