Top 5 Sub-Compact Pistols for Church Safety
If you serve on a church safety team, you understand the responsibility of being prepared. But when it comes to pistols for church safety, there are a lot of choices. Not all of those choices are good ones. A well-chosen pistol should be easy to carry, reliable, and quick to draw if needed while staying concealed. Sub-compact handguns balance concealability and firepower, making them a top choice for personal defense.
Here are five sub-compact pistols for church safety team members to consider when looking for a dependable carry gun.
Sub-compact Limitations
Some of you may already be heading to the comment section to tell me that sub-compact pistols are too small for use. Some may say that using anything smaller than a compact is practically tempting death. So, let’s address this upfront. Yes, you will typically get better performance with a full-size or compact pistol. But many church safety team members can’t easily conceal a gun that size. Whether it is due to wardrobe, climate or comfort, many people will choose a sub-compact for this role, so let’s talk about making good choices. We can debate the size issue another time.
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Smith & Wesson Shield Plus
First, let’s talk about the Smith & Wesson Shield Plus. This 9mm sub-compact was an improvement on the lower capacity Shield 2.0. During my initial testing, I really liked the Shield Plus, but wasn’t ready to make it my EDC. About 9 months ago, I did switch to it as my EDC and it is the gun I primarily choose while performing church safety duties.
The Shield Plus has a great capacity for its size. If you live in a free state, it ships with a 10-round and a 13-round magazine. I typically carry it with the 10-round mag in it and a 15-round magazine as my reload.
Key Features:
- 10 or 13-round capacity (15-round magazines available)
- Flat-face trigger with a clean break
- Good grip texture for better control
Pros:
- Great capacity for its size.
- Comfortable grip for most hand sizes
- Reliable and accurate
- Plenty of holsters and accessories
Cons:
- Nothing notable
Overall, this is a great choice in the sub-compact market. I currently carry it with a Riton X3 Tactix red dot, but will soon be changing that one out to test something else.
Get a Smith & Wesson Shield Plus here
Buy the Riton X3 Tactix red dot here
Sig Sauer P365
Another sub-compact pistol for church safety is the Sig P365. It changed the game by fitting a double-stack capacity into a micro-compact frame. This was my EDC for a long time and may be again soon. The line has morphed into a full line of size and capacity options. For our purposes, I’m going to address the base model.
Key Features:
- 10, 12, or 15 capacity (more on some models)
- X-Ray3 night sights
- Slim grip and short barrel for easy concealment
- Many holsters and accessories are available
Pros:
- High capacity for its size
- Excellent factory sights
- Smooth trigger and good accuracy
Cons:
- Nothing notable
Overall, this is a terrific choice. I find the P365 to be a very accurate and shootable gun. Mine has been utterly reliable through thousands of rounds and shows no sign of stopping. I’ve trusted my life to this gun on a regular basis and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.
Glock 43X
The Glock 43 was a big seller for Glock, but many buyers found the tiny gun to be snappy and didn’t love the 6-round capacity. Glock responded with the 43X, the same slim profile with a longer grip and a 10-round capacity.
Key Features:
- 10+1 capacity
- Slim profile for easy concealment
- Marksman barrel for improved accuracy
Pros:
- Simple, easy-to-use controls
- Comfortable grip
- Reliable and durable
- Many holsters and accessories
Cons:
- Standard magazine capacity is lower than some competitors for the size
- The Glock trigger
I have carried Glocks at different periods in my life. They’ve always been dependable and durable. The 43X is a solid choice, but I found the Shield Plus to be a bit of an upgrade. When I do choose to carry it, I am using a Holosun 407K red dot on it. I also use the Palmetto State Armory Micro Dagger magazine which ups the capacity to 15 rounds and doesn’t require you to switch mag releases like the Shield Arms magazines do.
Springfield Armory Hellcat
The Hellcat was designed to compete directly with the Sig P365. It offers high capacity in a tiny frame while adding aggressive grip texture and U-dot sights. My daughter carried a Hellcat until recently and loves the gun. Personally, I don’t like the ergonomics as much as some of the other ones on this list, but the gun is accurate and reliable. Ergonomics is more of a personal preference.
Key Features:
- 11 or 13 capacity
- Adaptive grip texture for better handling
- Tritium/luminescent front sight
Pros:
- Good capacity for a sub-compact
- Good factory sights
- Well-balanced grip and control
Cons:
- Rough grip texture can be uncomfortable for some shooters
As I mentioned, the gun is accurate and reliable. The handling characteristics are more of a personal preference. I would not hesitate to recommend these pistols for church safety if they shoot well for you.
Buy a Springfield Armory Hellcat here
Canik Mete MC9
The Canik Mete MC9 offers a budget-friendly option with premium features. It has a great trigger, and optics-ready design, and comes with multiple backstraps for a custom fit. We did a first-shot article on it and the little Turkish sub-compact did very well.
Key Features:
- 12 or 15 capacity
- Factory optics-ready slide
- Crisp, short-reset trigger
- Ergonomic grip design
Pros:
- Excellent trigger
- Great value for the price
- Comes with useful extras like a holster and extra magazines
- Compatible with other Canik mags
Cons:
- Less aftermarket support compared to other brands (holsters etc)
The gun shoots excellently. Early models did seem to have complaints about feed reliability, but that seems to have been fixed. During our initial tests, we had no malfunctions. Admittedly, I’m a bit of a fan when it comes to Canik triggers. They’re some of the best out there.
The Specs
| Metric | S&W Shield Plus | Sig Sauer P365 | Glock 43X MOS | Springfield Hellcat | Canik MC9 |
| Overall Length-in | 6.1 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 6 | 6.1 |
| Barrel length- in | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.41 | 3 | 3.18 |
| Width- in | 1.1 | 1 | 1.1 | 1 | 1.12 |
| Height- in | 4.6 | 4.3 | 5.04 | 4.25 | 4.52 |
| Weight- ounces | 20.2 | 17.8 | 18.55 | 17.9 | 21.27 |
| Capacity | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right sub-compact pistols for church safety comes down to personal preference and comfort. Each of these five options offers excellent concealability, reliability, and performance. Ultimately, the best choice depends on what feels right in your hand and what fits your needs. These are just my own opinions, based on a sample size of one.
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Before making a decision, try to handle and shoot a few models at the range. Training and regular practice matter just as much as the firearm itself. A well-prepared, well-trained church safety team member is a valuable asset in keeping a congregation safe.
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