What Is A Subcompact Pistol? A Detailed Explanation

Handguns come in all shapes and sizes. Finding the right one for the right job is essential. Subcompact pistols can be used in most scenarios, but they are designed with a specific job in mind. But even before understanding that, knowing what the general categories of pistols are makes everything else easier.

What is a subcompact pistol? A subcompact pistol is a handheld, semi-automatic gun designed primarily for concealed carry and defensive purposes. It has a barrel length of around 3-4 inches and round capacity of 7-10 rounds. They are usually slim guns and can be either single or double stack.

Though this definition does a great job explaining concisely what a subcompact gun is, it is so much easier to picture what it is by looking at real examples of some of the most popular subcompact pistols on the planet. For our recommendations of the best compact pistols to buy check out our resources page or click here. They are definitely worth taking a look at.

Detailed Explanation

Subcompact guns serve one major purpose and several ancillary purposes. The number one purpose of a subcompact pistol is for concealed carrying—in other words self defense. Like all other handguns, they can be used in a myriad of situations, like home defense and range shooting; but they are designed to be small, compact guns that can easily be concealed, undetected by others.

Barrel Length

The barrel length of subcompact pistols really isn’t much shorter than their bigger brothers, compact pistols. Most of them have barrels from 3 to 3.5 inches—and sometimes up to 4 inches. This provides plenty of accuracy for the intended self-defense distances. Quite honestly, it provides plenty of accuracy out to very long distances. Most modern pistols are more accurate than the shooter is able to be.

Round Count

Round count is where subcompact pistols give up a bit of ground. Because they are designed to be small enough for concealability, they give up several rounds of capacity. It isn’t that cut and dry though. Subcompact handguns (as well as other types) can be further split into guns that take double-stack or single-stack magazines. Double stack magazines are fatter, with two vertically-stacked rows of rounds in the magazine. Single-stack guns only have one row of rounds stacked vertically in a magazine.

Because double-stack subcompact guns are fatter, they can usually hold more rounds; using the Glock 26 as an example, it can hold 10 rounds. Most other subcompact double stack guns are similar—with the ability to hold from 8-10 rounds. That’s great, but is also means they tend to be slightly fatter guns in general. Other single stack guns (or somewhere in between) hold fewer rounds but are very slim and small. They usually hold around 6 or 7 round magazines, plus one in the chamber.

Weight

As if we haven’t said it enough, subcompact pistols are meant to be concealed. So weight is a major factor in design. Since they are small, they don’t weigh much when compared to most other guns. Typically, they weigh anywhere between 16-23oz— which translates into just over a pound. Which makes carrying them around not too burdensome.

Smith and Wesson Shield in the Middle (subcompact). Canik TP9 SF on top (full-size) and Taurus Millenium G2 (compact)

Purpose of a Subcompact Pistol

We’ve beaten to death that the purpose of a subcompact pistol is to be a small and compact option that is easily concealable; so we won’t belabor that any longer. What we will still discuss, though, is what that means.

Concealing a gun means to either wear it underneath clothing or in some sort of bag or container—unknown to other people. Usually it is underneath clothing; for most of us, that would be difficult to do with a full-size or compact handgun, which makes subcompact guns the perfect fit. A gun that is designed to be small and concealed accomplishes the following:

Holds fewer rounds which makes for a shorter pistol from top to bottom. A shorter pistol doesn’t print (poke the shirt and reveal the gun) as much
Makes for an overall thinner gun, creating less of a bulge (uh…) in the general location of the gun, which can be used with tighter shirts
Smaller guns are lighter and more comfortable to wear

Strengths of a Subcompact Pistol

Concealability- The ultimate strength of a subcompact gun is that it is easily concealable. Larger handguns can be very difficult to conceal while wearing normal clothing. The physical dimensions of the larger guns just isn’t conducive to concealment and therefore creates problems for those attempting to do so. If there is any type of gun that is great for concealing easily, it is a subcompact gun

Light Weight- Light-weight guns are just easier to carry. They are more comfortable because there is less mass pulling down on you; less metal, less polymer and fewer rounds. And subcompact guns, by definition, are smaller guns and less weight. No other handguns, besides pocket guns, can accomplish this task the same way. For an awesome article on what pocket guns are, check out our article here.

Weaknesses of a Subcompact Pistol

Capacity- As you probably have already guessed, subcompact pistols don’t have as much capacity as other handguns. This can be a problem for some people where the number one priority for a weapon they carry around everyday is that it has lots of rounds. Many people remedy this problem by carrying around additional magazines and practice quick reloads. That way, they can still conceal the tiny gun and have sufficient capacity. For everyone else, they must choose to just have fewer rounds or deal with concealing a larger gun.

More recoil- Having a lighter gun is a double-edged sword. It makes it much easier to carry around all the time, but it also means there is less physical mass to weigh the gun down while shooting—which means there will be more recoil. And more recoil makes it harder to get the gun back on target for the next shot. This too can be fixed by just getting used to the gun through lots of training.

Harder to shoot- Closely related to the other two is that the small nature of subcompact guns causes them to just be harder to shoot. More recoil plays a hand in that. But what makes even more of an impact is that the gun is smaller in hand. I don’t know about you, but gripping a gun (an explosion in your hand) is hard enough. Making that gun’s grip tiny makes the job a lot trickier. Any micro flinches or bad trigger pulls are exacerbated by the small gun and short barrel. Obviously, you can get used to the smaller guns through training, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are naturally harder to shoot.

Popular Subcompact Pistols

Smith and Wesson M&P Shield

Length: 6.1”
Barrel: 3.1”
Height: 4.6”
Width: .95”
Rounds: 7-8 rounds
Weight: 19oz

The Smith and Wesson M&P Shield is probably the most popular subcompact gun on the market. If not the most popular, it’s definitely a contender. After its release in 2012, it has earned an extremely loyal following due to its proven track record for reliability and durability. There are quite a few other options these days, with some pretty compelling features, but the M&P still earns its sales. In 2017, Smith and Wesson upgraded the shield to the 2.0.

I absolutely love my M&P Shield. Even though it’s a small gun, it still feels relatively good in the hand and the recoil doesn’t feel too snappy. It’s big enough that it still feels like a fighting gun to feel comfortable carrying it, but small enough that it conceals well like the micro carry gun that it is. You would not go wrong picking up a Shield!

Glock 26

Length: 6.41”
Barrel: 3.42”
Height: 4.17”
Width: 1.18”
Rounds: 10+1
Weight: 19.4oz

The Glock 26 is the oldest model gun on the list and is probably used more than any other gun on the list. Since the mid 90’s, this has been a carry option for those all over the US. Which is well before polymer handguns were anywhere near the popularity they’re at today. Like all the other Glocks in existence, its stubborn reliability and proven durability set Glock 26 owners at ease—knowing the gun will go bang when they need it to.

The Glock 26 is one of the few guns on this list that I’ve never owned. Though I have fired many rounds through them over the years, I’ve never been drawn to the siren songs of the Glock 26. There is no real reason either. I really enjoy shooting these guns, I just have never come around to buying one. Don’t let that dissuade you from buying one though. For how small it is, packing 10 rounds is 40-50 percent more rounds than most of the other options on the market.

Glock 43

Length: 6.26”
Barrel: 3.39”
Height: 4.25”
Width: 1”
Rounds: 6+1
Weight: 16.23oz

The glock 43 is a relatively new option for Glock. Most of us were surprised it took Glock so long to enter the micro-carry, single-stack market. They let the Shield both earn a well-deserved excellent reputation as well as build a loyal following. Nevertheless, Glock released it back in 2015 and has built up a nice little reputation of its own. It is constantly listed as one of the top concealed carry options on the market now.

I have a love-hate relationship with the Glock 43. I want to hate it because of all the Glock fanboys that jumped on the bandwagon as soon as it was released. Suddenly to them the Glock 43 was the best option bar none—simply and only because it was a Glock. Nothing annoys me more than that kind of following. But then I shot it. It really is a great gun! Unlike most other Glocks for me, I shot it naturally well and it wasn’t too uncomfortable in hand. Other than the slide bite it gives occasionally when I grip too high, I don’t have too many bad things to say about it. Well, the capacity leaves something to be desired, and the very stock look and feel. But that’s pretty much it.

Sig Sauer P365

Length: 5.8”
Barrel: 3.1”
Height: 4.3 “
Width: 1”
Rounds: 10+1
Weight: 17.8oz

As perhaps the most anticipated carry gun ever, the P365 was finally released in the middle of 2019. Everyone was going bonkers over it because it is the same size as other subcompact guns, like the Glock 43, but holds 10 rounds. I’m still not sure how they get so many rounds into such a small gun. After its release, it was plagued for the next few months with a few pretty scary problems and defects. They all seem to be worked out now, and it looks like it is a great carry option.

After shooting the Sig P365, I really grew to love it. It has less recoil than other pistols of its size and feels really good in the hand. It solves the capacity problem that so many people worry about. The only problem I have with the gun is that the magazines are really expensive, which is on par for Sig. Most people like to stock up on magazines and paying 50% more for magazines is annoying. Other than that I really enjoy the P365—as long as all the bugs are worked out.

Springfield XDS

Length: 6.3oz
Barrel: 3.3oz
Height: 4.4”
Width: .9”
Rounds: 7+1
Weight: 23oz

The Springfield XDS has been around for years and has earned its own reputation as a great concealed carry option. The new mod 2 was released in 2018, with a few much needed modifications. There is not too much that is specifically compelling about the XDS, but it overall is a great gun.

Admittedly, most of my experience with shooting the XDS was with the original model. When buying one of my first concealed carry guns, it was in the running as one of the finalists. What I ultimately ended up not liking about it was that the grip felt like a square piece of hard plastic. That was fixed, though, when the mod 2 was released in 2018. Now it’s an awesome gun that should be looked at seriously when on the hunt for a good subcompact gun.

Walther PPS

Length: 6.32”
Barrel: 3.2”
Height: 4.4”
Width: 1”
Rounds: 7+1
Weight: 19.4oz

The newest version of the Walther PPS (the M2) was released in 2017 (the first model in 2007) and like pretty much all other Walther pistols, it has earned a great reputation. It isn’t the first gun most people think about when listing subcompact pistols, but it usually makes the list. The M2 made a few adjustments that improved the feel of the pistol, as well as the aesthetics.

The Walther PPS is another gun on this list that I have never owned. My experience with it is less than most of the others on the list; however, I have shot quite a few rounds through this pistol. It isn’t my first choice—which should be obvious seeing as how I’ve never owned one—but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good choice. I just gravitated toward other guns that suited my preferences. So, don’t overlook this pistol just because others do. It might be just the right one for you.