In the past few months we have individually reviewed the Beretta Nano, Kahr CM9 and Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, all three of which we recommend for concealed carry. All three are single stack “micro compact” pistols chambered in 9mm, but which is best?

In this post, we compare the three head to head to find out. There won’t be a lot of feature detail, for that, check out each individual review.

Scoring System

I decided to come up with a system to score the pistols, so I could more easily choose a final winner. To that end, I used the categories that matter to me the most when choosing a concealed carry pistol, and weighted them as such.

Category Possible Points Reliability 25 Concealability 15 Shootability 15 Firepower 10 Trigger 10 Ergonomics 10 Sights 5 Available Accessories 5 Bonus 5 Total 100

One thing to note on the scoring system is that pistols will be awarded points compared to each other as well as other pistols of this type that I have experience with, like the Ruger LC9. I will not be scoring/comparing to, for example, full-sized pistols.

Also, it should go without saying, but of course this is subjective and only my opinion. Your mileage will likely vary.

Reliability

Reliability needs no introduction. It’s weighted the highest (25 points possible) because if the gun doesn’t go bang, it’s nothing more than an expensive club.

Beretta Nano

Score: 25

The Nano has seen the least action between the three pistols, but nonetheless has been completely flawless.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 25

I’ve had the CM9 the longest, and have perhaps shot it the most. Zero failures from day 1.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 25

Another perfect score. Iâ€™ve only had the Shield a few short weeks, but in that time it has seen right at 800 rounds with zero malfunctions.

Concealability

Concealability (15 points possible) is pretty self-explanatory – it’s how easy it is to conceal the pistol. Since these pistols are all roughly the same size, I was tempted to skip this category altogether, but there are some subtle differences that do actually make a difference in how the guns carry.

Beretta Nano Kahr CM9 S&W Shield Height 4.17″ 4.0″ 4.6″ Weight 17.67 oz. 15.9 oz. 19.0 oz. Width .90″ .90″ .95″ Length Â 5.63″ 5.42″ 6.1″

Beretta Nano

Score: 14

The Nano, on paper, is larger than the CM9 and smaller than the Shield. In my hand though, I can’t tell a difference in size between the Nano and CM9. The extra few ounces in weight is noticeable if you hold them both that the same time, but I didn’t notice a difference carrying the Nano.

Even though it’s slightly bigger than the CM9, it scores the same because of it’s sleek snag free design. No external levers and no rough edges – this gun conceals extremely well.Â The Nano is small enough for me to pocket carry in cargo shorts.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 14

The CM9 is the smallest and lightest of the three pistols, and carries as such. The CM9 is small enough for me to pocket carry in cargo shorts.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 13

The Shield is the biggest, heaviest and thickest of the three pistols, hence the lowest score, but it is still quite compact and thin. With the Shield I give up the ability to pocket carry in cargo shorts. On one hand, this is a bummer as it’s a very convenient carry method in the summer. On the other hand, since I started carrying in the appendix position, I haven’t been pocket carrying very much at all, so it hasn’t been a big deal.

Shootability

Shootability (15 points possible) is how easy it is to hit your target with the pistol. Since we’re discussing small concealed carry pistols, I’m not talking 25 yard, bench rested accuracy, but rather combat accuracy in the application of self-defense.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 10

The Nano has a long (but smooth)Â trigger pull that, for me, took some getting used to. It’s an accurate pistol, but I found that in order to achieve accuracy, I had to slow way down and stage the trigger.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 10

The CM9 is in roughly the same boat as the Nano. Again, it has a long, smooth trigger pull, but staging is required for precision. Both the Nano and CM9 are more than accurate in self-defense situations where shooting will be more “point and click” than precision.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 14

The Shield is easily the most shootable pistol of the three. This is due to its superior trigger pull and ergonomics, as well as its slightly larger size and weight. I was seriously tempted to give the Shield full marks.

Firepower

Firepower (10 points possible) is the standard load out capabilityÂ for each pistol – the number of rounds that can be carried using the magazines that come with the pistol.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 8

The Nano comes with 2 – 6 round magazines, which is pretty standard for the type, giving you a total of 13 rounds (6+1, 6 on the reload).

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 6

The CM9 comes with only 1 – 6 round magazine, giving you 7 rounds (6+1 with no reload).

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 10

The Shield comes with 1 – 7 round magazine and 1 – 8 round magazine, giving you a total of 16 rounds (7+1, 8 on the reload).

Trigger

Trigger pull (10 points possible) is pretty important to me when choosing a pistol of any kind. If I don’t like the trigger, there’s pretty much no chance I will buy the gun. In fact, this is the reason I didn’t buy the Ruger LC9 -Â the trigger pull is too long, too heavy, or breaks too far back against the frame for me.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 7

As mentioned, the Nano trigger is long, but smooth and has a fairly clean break. On my gun, it’s slightly heavier than the CM9, so I slightly prefer the CM9’s trigger.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 8

Much the same story with the CM9 – a long trigger pull that is smooth with a clean break. As far as double action triggers go, this is a very good one.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 9

The Shield has an excellent striker action trigger rated at 6.5 lbs.Â Thereâ€™s just a little take-up, a very clean break, and a short, audible reset.

Ergonomics

One of the most subjective categories, but an important one nonetheless, ergonomics (10 point possible) is how the gun feels in your hand.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 7

The Nano sneaks up on you. When I first held it, my impression of the ergonomics was that it was too blocky, but the Nano grew on me.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 8

The CM9 ergonomics are pretty good. It fits my hand just a little better than the Nano. My only gripe is the checkering on the front of the grip, which I fixed with some excellent Talon Grips.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 9

The Shield ergonomics are excellent. I was tempted to give another perfect score to the Shield, but I suppose ergonomics could be better. Somehow. Worth noting is that I do have Talon Grips installed on my Shield as well, but I don’t think they are 100%Â necessary.

Sights

Everyone has a different idea of what sighting system you should have on a defensive pistol. My idea is somewhat simple and uninteresting: usable sights that work. 5 points possible.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 5

The Nano sights are excellent, which is a pleasant surprise on a pistol this size.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 4

I don’t like the bar-dot sights as much as the 3-dot sights, but the CM9 sights are still very good.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 5

The Shield 3-dotÂ sights are also excellent.

Accessories

Accessories aren’t the most important thing, but they should be considered because at minimum, you will need a holster in order to carry your gun. 5 points possible.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 3

The Nano is pretty new, so there aren’t a ton of accessories available, but there are enough to make the Nano a valid choice.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 4

The CM9 has been out a little longer, but also has a lot of accessoryÂ compatibilityÂ with of the more expensive PM9.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 4

The Shield is VERY new, but hit the market running. Smith & Wesson did a very smart thing in getting the Shield out to the accessory market prior the release, and virtually every major holster maker now has holsters available for the Shield.

Bonus

I wanted a category that I could use to hand out points for whatever I wanted, so I came up with the bonus category. Maybe this is just the cool factor, but sometimes you like a gun and you can’t really explain why. 5 points possible.

Beretta Nano

Score:Â 5

The Nano scores big in the bonus category for me because of the awesome removable stainless steel sub-chassis, and the snag free design.

Kahr CM9

Score:Â 2

I gave the CM9 2 bonus points because Kahr listened to the market and made a less expensive version of the PM9 that is still an excellent gun.

Smith & Wesson Shield

Score:Â 3

I gave the Shield 3 bonus points because Smith & Wesson also listened to the market and built the pistol that people wanted, unlike some other unnamed manufacturers. In addition, they listened and redesigned the trigger, which is excellent.

Final Score

Beretta Nano Kahr CM9 S&W Shield Reliability 25/25 25/25 25/25 Concealability 14/15 14/15 13/15 Shootability 10/15 10/15 14/15 Firepower 8/10 6/10 10/10 Trigger 7/10 8/10 9/10 Ergonomics 7/10 8/10 9/10 Sights 5/5 4/5 5/5 Accessories 3/5 4/5 4/5 Bonus 5/5 2/5 3/5 Total 84 81 92

Wrapping Up

So there you go, the clear winner according the numbers is the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield. It’s definitely worth reiterating that all three are excellent pistols, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. But for me, the Shield is the best gun in terms of shootability, accuracy and ergonomics. I give up a few ounces in weight and the ability to pocket carry, but what I get in return more than makes up for it.

If you made it this far, you probably disagree with a lot of the scores you just read (it’s inevitable), so let me know in the comments where you think I went wrong. Thanks for reading!

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