Caliber changes or gun changes? .380 vs sub-compact 9mm
I’ve never been a big fan of small guns because from my experience the smaller the gun the snappy or nastier the recoil. I’m not sure of the model but one of the first guns I shot that I really did not like was a 32ACP handgun. The gun hurt the palm of my hand and after about 50rds I knew that I never wanted a gun like that. I believe it was a kel-tec pistol but I’m not sure of the model. I’ve shot 44magnums and plenty of .357 in the past but those were guns that If they fit your hand, the blast and concussion was more of an issue than my hands stinging. There are plenty of options to adjust grips, but if the gun is already so small, why would you want to make it bigger?
Several years ago I settled for the Sig 239 because it was the only small 9mm that I could trust that was rugged, and would not be uncomfortable to shoot. I’ve been messing around a friends Kahr PM9 and several Kahr Magazines that he let me borrow and I put in some range time. This gun is borderline as far my personal tolerance because if I don’t find a gun fun to shoot I don’t want to own it. For someone over 6ft tall I don’t need to carry the smallest caliber or the smaller firearm to CCW. If size is an issue but you don’t want a 32acp or a .380, I would say that the Kahr PM9 is a really 9mm for it’s size.