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 it’s probably most popular in the compact size, or in pistols that are best suited to everyday carry (EDC). Though there’s no formal declaration of what “compact” means in terms of pistol size, we define it as a handgun with a 4.5-inch-or shorter barrel.
Gun Tests shooters have tested dozens of these 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.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled our Top Ten Compact 9mm Pistols for 2026 list. We haven’t tested every pistol on the market, of course, so we’ll be interested to see which one is your favorite 9mm in the comments below.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The compensated barrel on the Hellcat Pro Comp offered better muzzle control. The Shield red dot offers a fast and easy way to acquire sight picture. Overall Length, 6.6 in. Overall Height, 4.9 in. Weight Loaded, 27.4 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 17.5 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.7 in. Magazines, (1) 15- and (1) 17-round. UPC: 706397976484.
GUN TESTS GRADE: B
This is a sterling performer, with a sterling price tag, which caused the downgrade. There was nothing wrong with the pistol whatsoever. Reliability is the foremost attribute of the Glock pistol. The trigger action and sights are the primary Wilson improvements. This is a pricey Glock, but it is nonetheless a Glock improved to the greatest degree possible. Overall Length, 7.4 in. Overall Height, 5.04 in. Weight Loaded, 30.75 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 16.7 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.1 in. Magazines, (3) 15 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The Glock 49 is a good shooter and is reliable. In combat fire and recoil comfort, the Glock more than held its own. It will be a good addition to the Glock line and will be the best choice for many shooters. Overall Length, 7.32 in. Overall Height, 5.04 in. Weight Loaded, 27.75 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 16.0 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.5 in. Magazines, (3) 15 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
This is a good pistol with interesting upgrades. Light, reliable, and good shooting in rapid fire despite its light weight, the M&P pistol provided excellent performance. Only a heavier and more expensive handgun is likely to outshoot this piece. The compensator does what it is designed to do. Overall Length, 7.25 in. Overall Height, 5.0 in. Weight Loaded, 1.98 lbs. Slide Retraction Effort, 14.5 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.22 in. Magazines, (2) 15 round.
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. It is the lowest-cost option on this list. 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 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
While not earth shattering, the incremental improvements designed into the Glock 47 make an already very good platform even better. If you like your Glock 17 (or your 19 or 45 for that matter), do yourself a favor and take a good look at the new Model 47. Overall Length, 7.9 in. Overall Height w/o optic, 5.25 in. Overall Height w/optic, 6.0 in. Weight Loaded, 33.6 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 16.2 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.5 in. Magazines, (3) 17-round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
A nicely made pistol with good features and our choice of the two pistols tested for competition. Reliability was not a concern, and the pistol is more accurate than most 9mm pistols we have tested. Overall Length, 8.2 in. Overall Height, 5.5 in. Weight Loaded, 42.4 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 17.9 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.9 in. Magazines, (3) 21 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A [OUR PICK]
We shot the Ronin more accurately and more quickly than either the Glock or Canik. It was also the heaviest pistol here, weighing almost 2 ounces more than the Canik and 8 ounces more than the Glock. The weight made a difference in the shooting. The shooter will have to decide whether to carry that extra weight. Overall Length, 7.8 in. Overall Height, 5.5 in. Weight Loaded, 32.0 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 14.1 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.25 in. Magazines, (2) 9 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
The price is steep. If price doesn’t affect you, then consider this for your top of the heap. Superbly accurate, the Staccato was very tight in the beginning — on purpose, we’re sure. Be prepared with some extra ball ammo for break-in purposes. We loved the pistol. Overall Length, 7.1 in. Overall Height, 5.5 in. Weight Loaded, 33.92 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 17.2 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.5 in. Magazines, (2) 15 round.
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The MR920 Elite and its less-expensive sibling, the MR920 tested in the past, are good handguns we have looked at extensively. The new-out-of-the-box Elite features a threaded barrel, lightened slide, and an excellent trigger action. This is a formidable defensive handgun. Overall Length, 7.4 in. Overall Height, 5.04 in. Weight Loaded, 27.5 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 15.8 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.1 in. Magazines, (3) 15 round.
OTHER PISTOLS REVIEWED BY ISSUE DATE
SPRINGFIELD ECHELON 4.0C PC 706397982522 9MM LUGER, $630 (February-March 2026)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A [OUR PICK]
The Springfield Echelon compact checks all of the boxes. The pistol isn’t simply a standard Echelon with a shorter slide and grip; some effort went into restyling the grip frame for a better hand hold.
GLOCK MODEL 19 GENERATION 5 MOS 9MM LUGER, $620 (February-March 2026)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B
In this test, the Glock proved reliable, but so did the other pistols. Accuracy was at the bottom, but not by a large measure. Folks will choose the Glock based on its reputation for reliability, and in some cases, aftermarket parts availability.
RUGER RXM MODEL 19400 9MM LUGER, $399 (February-March 2026)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B
The Ruger/Magpul collaboration is Glock Gen 3-compatible in many ways, including barrels, magazines, and sights. The pistol is a good shooter, outpacing the Glock in
important categories. But it isn’t left-hand friendly and doesn’t have grip inserts.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY HELLCAT PRO OSP 9MM LUGER, $636 (December 2024)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
There was more snappy recoil with the non-compensated pistol. If you can live with that, then save yourself the extra $70. Overall Length , 6.6 in. Overall Height w/o optic, 4.9 in. Weight Loaded, 27.4 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 17.5 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.7 in. Magazines Steel body; (1) 15- and (1) 17-round. UPC: 706397962746
ROCK ISLAND ARMORY TAC ULTRA MS HC COMBO 56632 9MM LUGER, $700 (October-November 2025)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B
Comfortable grip. Steel parts lead to a fairly heavy lower receiver that reduces muzzle flip. Integral plunger tube won’t come off.
Chamber is fully supported by an integral ramp. Nice Series 70 trigger design. Adjustable sights are nice and easy to see. No malfs, good accuracy.
TISAS 1911 DUTY B9R DOUBLE STACK 12500017 9MM LUGER, $670 (October-November 2025)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B (OUR PICK)
The Tisas brings frame technology a generation or more newer than the Rock Island. We liked the lighter-weight frame along with a slide that was already milled for a red-dot sight. We preferred it over the RIA pistol, albeit narrowly.
Springfield Armory Compact Prodigy 3.5″ PH9115AOS 9mm Luger, $1400 (August-September 2025)
Gun Tests grade: A- (Our Pick)
The Prodigy pistol won the accuracy tests — barely. It came in second place on the speed drills — barely. The majority of our testers felt the Prodigy essentially equaled the performance of the Staccato CS at a lower price. Overall Length, 7.0 in. Overall Height, 5.1 in. Weight Loaded, 34.88 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 12.7 lbs. Barrel Length, 3.5 in. Magazines, (2) 15-round.
GLOCK MODEL 48 MOS PA4850201FRMOS 9MM LUGER, $520 (May 2025)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A- [BEST BUY]
The Glock 48 is a medium-sized pistol that shoots well and is very easy to conceal. If those are your primary concerns, take a long look at the G48.
CANIK METE SF HG5367 9MM LUGER, $455 (May 2025)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B+
Slightly larger than a Glock 19, this pistol shot well and had one of the best triggers we’ve found on a polymer pistol. There were some issues, however.
LIVE FREE ARMORY AMP COMPACT LFA-LFAMP19C084002 9MM LUGER, $639 (January 2025)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B-
The LFA AMP 9mm is a good shooter and offers light recoil. While it is a little heavier to carry concealed, some shooters will find the aluminum frame comforting. We would have preferred the grip frame had more adhesion and abrasion. It was dogged by failures to extract.
SARSILMAZ SAR9 METE SAFARI SAR9METESABL 9MM LUGER, $395 (October 2024)
GUN TESTS GRADE: B [OUR PICK]
The SAR9 is a handgun brand we have tested several times in different variations. Reliability cannot be faulted. Accuracy is reasonable, if not the best we have tested in the class. Handfit options are excellent.
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.
SIG SAUER P320F-9-B-RXP 9MM LUGER, $880 (June 2024)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A (OUR PICK)
This isn’t listed higher because the barrel is 4.7 inches long, outside the definition for the “compact” category. The SIG P320 RXP won both our accuracy tests and the speed drills — barely. We liked the Romeo 1 Pro that comes mounted on the pistol and the way the OEM dot-sight interface allows both Leupold Delta Point Pro and Trijicon RMR units.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY ECHELON EC9459B-U 9MM LUGER, $650 (June 2024)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
Rob Leatham, longtime pro shooter for Springfield Armory, said that he would take the blame for the Echelon if things were wrong. We think we need to give him and their engineers credit instead. We found their new pistol to be loaded with good features and a couple of great surprises. Overall Length, 7.9 in. Overall Height w/o optic, 5.4 in. Overall Height w/optic, 6.0 in. Weight Loaded, 2.2 lbs. Slide Retraction Effort, 15.0 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.5 in.
SMITH & WESSON 2023 SPEC M&P9 METAL M2.0 13974 9MM LUGER, $949 (May 2024)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The Smith & Wesson offers a lot of value with grip inserts, a knife, and four magazines in a large lockable case. You may even remove the compensator if you desire. This is a great-shooting pistol, simply an ace overall for personal and home defense.
KELTEC P15 METAL P15MBLK 9MM LUGER, $634 (December 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
We like the metal-frame KelTec. Some raters felt it was a waste of money because the polymer-frame pistol is a good shooter. Others felt that the metal frame makes a significant difference in handling and comfort. You are not likely to mount a combat light in concealed carry, but just the same, there is no option to do that with this handgun.
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.
COSAINT ARMS COS21 COMMANDER 9MM LUGER, $2600 (October 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The lightest of the three tested this month, we thought it would make a great carry or house gun. We didn’t adjust the scoring because of the price, but many shooters won’t pick this one because of the money.
SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 1911 DS PRODIGY 4.25 IN. PH9117AOSD 9MM LUGER, $1650 (October 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
We felt the Prodigy was heavy enough to shoot quickly and light enough to carry comfortably. The Hex red dot is included in the price.
WALTHER PDP F-SERIES 4-INCH 2842734 9MM LUGER, $599 (June 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The Walther PDP F may be designed for the female hand shape, but our male raters liked the gun as well. Our female raters do not like larger grips and found the PDP F to be an excellent fit. It is also a great shooter, well worth the tariff. While it is less expensive than the Shadow Systems MR920, it is a better shooter. Overall Length, 7.25 in. Overall Height, 5.4 in. Weight Loaded, 31.0 oz. Slide Retraction Effort, 14.0 lbs. Barrel Length, 4.0 in.
SHADOW SYSTEMS MR920 COMBAT 9MM LUGER, $830 (June 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A
The Shadow Systems 9mm is based on a Glock, one of the most reliable firearms ever designed. However, the pistol goes above and beyond a Glock, sporting improvements that make the MR920 a very ergonomic and fast-handling pistol. We liked the sights and the trigger action as well as its practical accuracy.
SIG SAUER P365XL SPECTRE P365V001 9MM LUGER, $1100 (March 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: A-
We really liked the Spectre. There is a lot of bling in this pistol, and the piece handles nicely. The fit and finish are good, the flat trigger is excellent, and the pistol is reliable and accurate. The screw that holds the sight fell out, but that seems to be an anomaly. We would buy this pistol if we were flush with funds.
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.
TAURUS G3X 1-G3XSR9031 9MM LUGER, $310 (Feb. 2023)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
It isn’t expensive, but it does a good job as a reliable personal-defense pistol.
SAR USA SAR9 COMPACT X 9MM LUGER, $632 (September 2022)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
Larger and more expensive. The SAR9cx was the most accurate and fastest pistol in this group.
SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD EZ M2.0 12436 9MM LUGER, $499 (July 2022)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
We liked the way this pistol handles and operates. Racking the slide is easy enough.
KAHR K9 K9093A 9MM LUGER, $750 (March 2022)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
An excellent option for EDC. Metal frame mitigates recoil for faster follow-ups. Grip angle is comfortable.
SIG SAUER P365 365-9-BXR3 9MM LUGER, $599 (Dec. 2021)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
Small enough to fit in a pocket. Carries 10+1 rounds of 9mm. Felt recoil is less than a 38.
RUGER MAX-9 NO. 3500 9MM LUGER, $544 (Sep. 2021)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
This is a sophisticated pistol. No fault with the magazines, capacity, or general accuracy.
SMITH & WESSON M&P9 SHIELD PLUS 13246 9MM LUGER, $553 (Sep. 2021)
GUN TESTS GRADE: GRADE A
A step up from the previously tested 9mm Shield. The new pistol has an improved trigger and more capacity.
Note: Older firearms in this listicle may still be available as NIB products or as used guns.
Mentioning magazine capacity would have been nice. In my state ( Connecticut ) there’s a 10 round (+1) maximum. You put a great mini review otherwise. Keep up the good work.
I AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS COMMENT. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF STATES, INCLUDING NY, CA, MD, NJ, ETC., HAVE 10-ROUND LIMITS ON MAGAZINE CAPACITIES. UNTIL THE SUPREME COURT ACCEPTS A CASE CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF THE MAGAZINE CAPACITY LIMITS, THE INFORMATION WILL BE NECESSARY FOR THOSE LIVING IN RESTRICTIVE STATES.
I understand why the glock 48 didn’t make the list. But 10 rounds is the only option for some states and the shield arms mag makes it a 15 rounder. Slim, compact and still a glock works for me. Just thought it should have been included at least in honorable mention.
Might want to define what the team regards as “compact”. Most of the “top ten” seem pretty large to me. All have 3″ barrel or less to be “compact”?
I found the metal-framed KT P-15 accurate, but a pain (literally) to shoot. The screws kept backing out no matter how much thread lock I used, so I got rid of it rather than send it in. I picked up a Sig P-365 XL for $550, and with a Hogue grip, it fits my hand well. It’s been 100% reliable through over a thousand round.