If you’re in the market for a subcompact pistol, these are my four favorite, and it turns out the public agrees. The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus, the Glock 43X, the Sig P365, and the Springfield Hellcat are four of the best-selling pistols in this category for good reason. If you're looking for something concealable but big enough to actually fight with, one of these will serve you very well.
I went through each one across seven categories: price, size, capacity, sights, trigger, accessories, and ergonomics. I'l be honest, I surprised myself on a couple of these.
Here's what I found.
What We're Looking For
The standard for a subcompact carry gun is simple. It needs to be concealable, and it needs to be something you can actually fight with. That means getting a full hand around the grip.
The tiny pocket guns have their place, but if the recoil is flipping the gun out of your hand or your pinky has nowhere to land, that's not a fighting gun. All four of these clear that bar, though some with exceptions.
Price: Shield Plus Wins
Ranked from lowest to highest, the Shield Plus comes in first, followed by the 43X, then the P365, then the Hellcat. If budget is the primary driver, the Shield Plus is the answer.
Also, Sig has some higher tier versions of the 365 that aren’t included in my evaluation that may be worth looking into if you appreciate the added features.
Size: Sig P365 Wins
All four are close enough in size that you'd need to hold them side by side to notice the difference. The slides are nearly identical across the board. Where they differ is grip length. The P365 is the slimmest of the group. The 43X has the longest handle. If smallest possible footprint is the priority, the P365 takes it.
Capacity: Glock 43X Wins, and It's Not Close
Out of the box with a flush fit magazine, three of these carry 10 rounds and the Hellcat carries 11. The Hellcat wins that head to head. But Glock recently released a new 15-round flush fit magazine for the 43X, and that changes the whole game.
Fifteen rounds in a subcompact with a flush fit is a significant advantage. Capacity goes to the 43X by a wide margin.
Sights: Sig P365 and Hellcat Win Out of the Box
Both the P365 and the Hellcat ship with tritium night sights standard. If you want them out of the box without paying extra, either of those two covers it. Personally I think tritium night sights on pistols are a little overrated. A flashlight solves most of that problem. But if they matter to you, the P365 and Hellcat have you covered.
Trigger: Shield Plus and Hellcat Win
This one genuinely surprised me. I ran through all four repeatedly, closed my eyes, focused on the break and the reset. My two favorites were the Shield Plus and the Hellcat. The Shield Plus especially, crisp break, no muzzle flutter, quick reset.
I did not expect the most affordable gun in the group to have my favorite trigger. Triggers are subjective, but I'd encourage you to shoot before you decide on this one.
Accessories and Holster Support: Glock 43X and Sig P365 Win
This category matters more than people give it credit for. The 43X and P365 are two of the best-selling subcompacts on the market, which means every accessory manufacturer has built products around them. Holsters, lights, optics mounts, the ecosystem around both guns is enormous. Worth noting: the Shield Plus does not come with a rail standard, which limits light mounting options. And never buy a gun without being able to pair it with a quality holster. That's a married pair that doesn't separate.
One additional note on the P365: it's a modular platform. You can swap barrels and grips around the fire control unit. If that kind of customization interests you, the P365 stands alone in this group.
Ergonomics: Hellcat Feels Best, 43X Wins on Function
The Hellcat has the best texture and the most thoughtful grip design of the four. I like the way it sits in the hand. But the grip is short enough that without a magazine extension I can't get a full hand around it, and when you're doing weapon manipulations under stress with a pinky that has nowhere to go, it can be a liability.
The 43X gives me a full grip out of the box. Full grip wins every time. So while I like the Hellcat for the total design, the 43X wins.
My Pick: Glock 43X
When I looked at this honestly across every category, I kept coming back to the 43X. It has the highest round capacity with the 15-round flush fit magazine, the strongest accessory ecosystem, full grip ergonomics, and at a solid price. It isn't the cheapest, the smallest, or the gun with the best trigger out of the box, but across everything that matters in a carry gun, it's the most complete package in this group.
When someone asks me what to get for their wife, or tells me they want a reliable carry option and they're not a high-volume shooter, I will point them to the 43X every time.
Honorable Mention: CR920P War Poet
Full disclosure: this is the gun I actually carry daily. The Shadow Systems CR920P has a muzzle brake that keeps the muzzle remarkably flat on firing. It shoots closer to a full-size gun than anything else in the subcompact category. It has better ergonomics, better trigger, better sights, and a better optic mounting solution than all four guns above.
So why is it an honorable mention? Price. It costs significantly more than any of the four guns in this comparison, and if you're not a serious shooter putting serious rounds downrange, you're paying for performance you won't fully appreciate yet.
If you're a serious shooter and the price works for you, the CR920P is the best subcompact I'e handled. For everyone else, the 43X is the answer.
Remember, Train Hard. Train Smart. And make sure you train regularly with the firearm you’ve decided to carry.
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