SCCY 9mm - anyone try one out?

[Pat Riot]

A store near me has SCCY 9mm pistols for $219. Anyone have experience with these? I am curious about them and so is a co-worker so I thought I would ask here.

 

PR

[Henry T Harrison]

American made guaranteed for life great little knock around or car gun

[Sparky Nelson]

I have an SCCY CPX-2. A bit snappy for a 9mm but never had a failure to feed or fire. For the price, a fine backup gun. (I need something slightly smaller for my EDC.)

[Pat Riot]

7 hours ago, Sparky Nelson said:

I have an SCCY CPX-2. A bit snappy for a 9mm but never had a failure to feed or fire. For the price, a fine backup gun. (I need something slightly smaller for my EDC.)

Thank you Sparky. Are you saying you got the SCCY for EDC or that you wanted something smaller than the SCCY? 

Have you compared the SCCY to a Glock 43 or S&W Shield?

 

I am curious because once my Remington R51 comes back from repair it’s going “bye-bye”. I want to replace it with another 9mm. I was all set to either buy a Glock 43 or a Shield, after one more comparison at the indoor range (I can rent and fire both there) when I thought about the 10 round capacity of the SCCY.

[Catlow4697]

Look at the Sig P 365 

I shot one and the only problem I have is finding one to buy

 

[Sparky Nelson]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Thank you Sparky. Are you saying you got the SCCY for EDC or that you wanted something smaller than the SCCY? 

Have you compared the SCCY to a Glock 43 or S&W Shield?

 

I am curious because once my Remington R51 comes back from repair it’s going “bye-bye”. I want to replace it with another 9mm. I was all set to either buy a Glock 43 or a Shield, after one more comparison at the indoor range (I can rent and fire both there) when I thought about the 10 round capacity of the SCCY.

 

I confess the SCCY was an impulse buy. I didn't need another carry gun. A student at a defensive pistol class I took had one, and she did really well with it for never having shot a pistol before. So I wanted to get one and try it out. Plus, like you say, the capacity is really good for such a small gun.

 

I already have a selection of carry pistols, including an M&P Shield for on the weekends. The dress code at work precludes a holster on the waist so I pocket carry a Bodyguard 380 then. I've considered carrying the SCCY in my briefcase as a backup to my pocket gun. But the odds that it'd be stolen are greater than that I'd need to shoot it so I haven't done that. I think it'd make a good "truck gun."

 

The SCCY isn't as well built as Glocks and Smiths generally are, so I wouldn't recommend it for a range or duty gun that's going to fire thousands of rounds a year. But it's made well enough to practice regularly and use for self defense. I'd have no problem suggesting it to someone if it's the best they can afford, but if they can afford better I'd recommend the Shield over it. (Glocks are probably fine too but I don't own one so I can't make a recommendation based on experience.)

 

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

+2 for the Sig 365.  I'm carrying a a Glock 26 now with a Glock 19 magazine, but it's too big for some occasions.  When I'm "going light", I carry a Ruger LCP, but I'd rather have a 9 mm.  I like the Glock 43, but the Sig 365 is the same size, has increased magazine capacity and comes with night sights.

 

I handled one, but I hesitated and when I went back later to buy it,  It was sold.  Now no one around me has one in stock now.  

[Pat Riot]

49 minutes ago, Sparky Nelson said:

 

I confess the SCCY was an impulse buy. I didn't need another carry gun. A student at a defensive pistol class I took had one, and she did really well with it for never having shot a pistol before. So I wanted to get one and try it out. Plus, like you say, the capacity is really good for such a small gun.

 

I already have a selection of carry pistols, including an M&P Shield for on the weekends. The dress code at work precludes a holster on the waist so I pocket carry a Bodyguard 380 then. I've considered carrying the SCCY in my briefcase as a backup to my pocket gun. But the odds that it'd be stolen are greater than that I'd need to shoot it so I haven't done that. I think it'd make a good "truck gun."

 

The SCCY isn't as well built as Glocks and Smiths generally are, so I wouldn't recommend it for a range or duty gun that's going to fire thousands of rounds a year. But it's made well enough to practice regularly and use for self defense. I'd have no problem suggesting it to someone if it's the best they can afford, but if they can afford better I'd recommend the Shield over it. (Glocks are probably fine too but I don't own one so I can't make a recommendation based on experience.)

 

Thank you for taking the time to explain. Your point regarding firing thousands of rounds a year is a very good one. I am not one that thinks a self defense gun shouldn't be fired. I practice regularly with my carry guns. I have a Remington RM380 and an S&W 442 that I carry or have handy all the time. The Remington R51 was also going to be put into the rotation..."was" being the key word there. The replacement for the R51 will probably be more of a truck / car gun and not so much carried. Unless, of course, it turns out to be a much better choice to carry.

 

I found these videos after seeing your "thousands of rounds" comment, Sparky.

 

SCCY Test by a gentleman from USCCA. Very interesting series.

https://youtu.be/Rkx8uPjV_70

 

Kill the SCCY - Dirt Test

https://youtu.be/n_dN6Kl_K20

 

Kill the SCCY - Mud Test (I wouldn't have dunked it in the mud with the slide open, but...glad he did)

https://youtu.be/2q90W_1o3G8

 

Kill the SCCY - Water Test - after the mud test

https://youtu.be/hzNMFXKbDaY

 

This is a good indicator the SCCY just might be a contender.

[Sparky Nelson]

25 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I found these videos after seeing your "thousands of rounds" comment, Sparky.

 

Thanks Pat! Those were very informative. He's right about the trigger - it takes some getting used to. (One reason why regular practice is important, so your muscles remember how your gun works.) But my first carry gun was a Ruger LC9 which also has a really long pull and reset, so it wasn't a big surprise.

 

(Side note: I bought third party replacement springs and a trigger bar to try to shorten the LC9's trigger pull and reset. I had to put the original bar back in because the pistol wouldn't fire when the temperature was near freezing. So testing a gun in cold weather might be in order before trusting it. With teh factory parts it works fine.)

 

I mentioned earlier that the build quality was less than that of other brands, but I think that might be part of the reason that gun in the videos kept working. Looser tolerances are more forgiving of dirt, contamination, and lack of lubrication. It may be less accurate, but like the man said, in a carry gun accuracy is negotiable but reliability is not.

 

One thing I really like about the SCCY is it has a nice fat grip to hold the double stack magazine. It fits my hand better than just about everything else in the safe, and certainly better than my other carry guns. It helps control the recoil, which is substantial because the gun is pretty light for a 9mm.

 

[Ramblin Gambler]

No experience with the SCCY, but I too was looking at an R51.  Unlike you, I read the reviews first.  I hope some day remington can make a good pistol again.  I wound up with a ruger security 9.  It was close enough to the same size for my tastes and it's a 9mm that holds 15 rounds (I think). 

[Pat Riot]

37 minutes ago, Sparky Nelson said:

He's right about the trigger - it takes some getting used to. (One reason why regular practice is important, so your muscles remember how your gun works.)

The kicker is my Remington RM380 has that same type of trigger pull. The big surprise for me with the Remingtons was I bought the RM380 first. The trigger pull is really long. I took both guns to the range the day I got the R51. I fired the RM380 first and then the R51. When I went to fire the R51 it surprised me. The trigger is a single action pull. Hardly any take up at all and the trigger has a nice crisp release. Complete opposite of the RM380.

 

12 minutes ago, Ramblin Gambler said:

I hope some day remington can make a good pistol again. 

RG, the RM380 I have runs like a champ. Never a failure.

[Charlie Harley, #14153]

I’d put the SCCY in the category of “quality knock about gun”.  They aren’t a Glock or other top end semi-auto, and don’t pretend to be.  But for the money they are solidly built in the USA.  They get good reviews, and the one one time I tried one it was a solid performer.  Fit, finish, and trigger leave something to be desired, but that’s not their target niche.

 

I thought about getting one to have on the boat.  If it falls overboard, it’s not like losing my J-frame, but it will serve its purpose when needed.

[Pat Riot]

Well, I will not be buying a SCCY...at least not now and not for carry.

 

Just for kicks I called my local range that rents guns to see if they happened to have a SCCY. The gentleman in charge of the range said "We don't rent them, they break." as soon as I mentioned it. He said they will not rent them, sell them and their Gunsmiths will not work on them. I mentioned the videos that I posted above and he said that their experience in the store, shop and range with the SCCYs has been terrible and they will not recommend them for any reason.

 

So, it looks like I am back to looking at testing a Glock vs Shield vs ??? ...For a single stack 9mm. He mentioned they have a Springfield XDE for rent but they look a bit clunky.

[Sparky Nelson]

14 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

The gentleman in charge of the range said "We don't rent them, they break." as soon as I mentioned it. He said they will not rent them, sell them and their Gunsmiths will not work on them. I mentioned the videos that I posted above and he said that their experience in the store, shop and range with the SCCYs has been terrible and they will not recommend them for any reason.

 

Well, range rentals do tend to take a beating and aren't always the best cared for, but there are plenty of other options for only a little more money.

 

I understand the striker fired Ruger LC9s has a MUCH better trigger than the original LC9. You might give it a look. It's slimmer than the Shield. Stock magazines hold 7 rounds or you can get one with a grip extension that holds 9. I carry the LC9 when I need something thinner than the Shield. You can carry it in a pocket holster if you have big enough pockets but I usually use an IWB holster.

 

Of course there's always your original idea, to go with a Glock 43 or a Shield. They both have very good reputations. If you want something with more capacity a Glock 26 or an M&P 9 Compact get you into double stack magazines.

 

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

Ruger.  *Grump!*  

 

In California you cannot buy a Ruger LC-9. 'Tain't on the "approved list." 

 

You can buy a Ruger LC-380 for about $420.  

 

And for another $300 you can buy a conversion kit to make it an LC-9...  so, for a mere $720 you can have a $420 pistol (LC-9 cost in other states). 

 

Golly Gee... 

 

 

 

[Pat Riot]

You can't get a Glock 42 or 43 in CA either.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

I had a SCCY CPX-2 for a couple of years. It was always reliable, and while the trigger pull was very long it was smooth and easy to master with practice. I hated the grip as it was like holding a 2x4, but for a cheap gun it was forgiven. However the plastic frame eventually cracked right at the rear through-pin hole. A quick Google search revealed that they had an issue with that happening for awhile, and mine was in the general SN range of the affected guns. I contacted SCCY who sent me a shipping label, and exactly 9 days after I sent it in it came back to me with a new frame and upgraded trigger. Eventually I sold it though and got a Taurus PT-111 instead. A few months later the Taurus developed problems as well and I sent it in to be repaired. It's still there as we speak waiting its turn in line, four months later.

[Sparky Nelson]

50 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said:

In California you cannot buy a Ruger LC-9. 'Tain't on the "approved list." 

 

You can buy a Ruger LC-380 for about $420.  

 

And for another $300 you can buy a conversion kit to make it an LC-9...  so, for a mere $720 you can have a $420 pistol (LC-9 cost in other states). 

 

Seriously? They're practically the same gun! I skipped over the original LCP because I wanted something with real sights, then when they came out with the LC-380 I thought, "Why get a 380 when you can have a 9mm for the same size?"

 

I ought not throw stones though. I'm fixing to move to Canada to be with my sweetheart eventually, and carry guns ain't allowed, no way, no how. Nothing with a barrel shorter than 4 inches. (At least I get to keep my cowboy guns and full sized pistols, like my Hi-Point. If I get a permit.)

 

 

[Zeb Gray, #36839]

Kel Tec P-11

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Pat-Go with the Shield in 9mm.

Trust me on this. 

OLG

[Pat Riot]

7 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Pat-Go with the Shield in 9mm.

Trust me on this. 

OLG

 

Wow...This is Deja Vu all over again.

 

I plan to go to the range and rent a Glock 43, a Shield 2.0 and a Ruger LC9 all at the same time and shoot them in a side by side comparison.

I must admit that I really do like the Glock 43. I shot it last week as well as a 42. I shot the Glock head to head with my R51 and I liked the way the Glock felt under recoil as compared to my R51. The R51, though, has more consistent grouping with all the rounds tested between them.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I like the Shield, over the Glock. The Shield is far slimmer, and much better suited for pocket carry. 

OLG

 

[Sixgun Sheridan]

I'm taking a wait n' see attitude towards the new SIG P365 right now. If it proves reliable and durable it'll make the G43, Shield and LC9 obsolete. But I'm leery of a gun that somehow managed to shoehorn 10 rounds into a grip that's actually smaller than a 6-shot G43. Either they pulled off an engineering marvel or it's going to be a problem child.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

27 minutes ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

I'm taking a wait n' see attitude towards the new SIG P365 right now. If it proves reliable and durable it'll make the G43, Shield and LC9 obsolete. But I'm leery of a gun that somehow managed to shoehorn 10 rounds into a grip that's actually smaller than a 6-shot G43. Either they pulled off an engineering marvel or it's going to be a problem child.

Do you receive the American Rifleman from the NRA?

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2018/2/20/tested-sig-sauer-p365-pistol/

 

OLG

 

[Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663]

Pat, you're smart to rent and try before you buy.

 

I'm happy with my Shield.  Over 1,000 rounds through it without a single malfunction of any kind.  Sure is ugly, but I seem to shoot it well.  For me; accurate and reliable.

 

S&W M&P 9 SHIELD in 9mm

 

 

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I added a CT, LASER and light to mine.

I also have 1K+ rounds through mine(my reloads)and no issues at all.

My 9mm loads are 124gn FMJ or JHP bullet, loaded to NATO spec.

OLG

[Sixgun Sheridan]

52 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Do you receive the American Rifleman from the NRA?

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2018/2/20/tested-sig-sauer-p365-pistol/

 

OLG

 

I know that they designed the magazine first and built the gun around it, but we still don't know yet how well these will hold up over time. If a year goes by and nobody is having any serious issues I'll become a believer. I just don't want to be burned twice, as I paid way too much for a new Kahr P380 soon after they came out only to be stuck with a lemon that never worked right.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

Sig-Sauer doesn't make junk. 

OLG

[Trooper Ozzy]

Have a SCCY.  My Rural King regularly has them on sale for $199. Any color under the rainbow.  Put a green Armalaser on it. My nephew's think it's great!  I had a Shield 9mm, carried daily.  Sold it and changed to 45 Shield. Better grip IMO, and shouldn't everything be a 45?  The little SCCY and it's partner a Highpoint 9mm carbine with a red dot are 2 well built plastic guns that a person (or my nephew's) could start out with for under $500 combined. Kind of a backwards way of justifying still reloading 9mm!  Have to use the Titegroup up.  They can burn through the rounds. The double action on the SCCY mimics a DA revolver and forces a good grip and technique. The laser makes it fun. 

[Pat Riot]

I have decided to send my R51 off for repair and hope Remington fixes the magazine release pin issue. I do like the gun very much. 

I am not ready to give up on it yet.

 

[DocWard]

For those able, I wouldn't pass on looking at the Walther PPS. They have far and away the best triggers of any of the single stack concealable handguns, and appear to be as accurate and reliable as the Shield or G43. Just a thought.

[Roger Ball]

I know you're not getting one, but since we're all still here...I've had a SCCY CPX-2 for about five years. I like the pistol, but it has had its problems. What I like is the magazine capacity and grip size. It fits my larger hands perfectly. It has had its share of malfunctions though...I think I've sent it back to the factory twice. At least once it was for a consistent failure of the trigger/sear to reset following a shot. As previously mentioned, the issue was corrected for free and expeditiously. Better yet, when it was returned to me, the pistol had been upgraded with the new magazine design, improved slide release, and a few internal changes.

 

I like it better than my wife's LC-9. It serves its purpose. For the price, manufacturing location, history, and customer support, I'd buy one again.

[Church Key, SASS # 33713]

Let me add my 2 cents worth about guns for pocket carry. I have small Glock's, S&W's and Ruger's. I will not pocket carry a striker fire gun; will only carry them in a holster. Much prefer a revolver or revolver-type (hammer-fired) trigger for pocket carry as they are safer to retrieve from a pocket. My usual carry is a S&W Bodyguard 380 which is hammer fired or a S&W 442 revolver. I have a Ruger LC9 Pro (striker) and wish I had gotten the original hammered LC9. The Glock's have the same striker issue. Granted, the striker guns have a much better and lighter trigger which helps accuracy; however I believe this makes them questionable when digging them out of a pocket in a self defense situation.  

 

I'm thinking about a SCCY 9mm to replace the Ruger LC9 Pro or hunting for an older Ruger. Just have not gotten around to doing it.

 

Church Key.

[Pat Riot]

Well I kind of thought I would buy a SCCY anyway today so I went to the store. The one I saw the other day was at the local Bimart and it is black and it was in the display case on its side. I went to the Bimart in the next town over to see if they had any other than black. They had a blue one with a stainless slide. Man, are those things wide! At least they look wide. This one was standing upright in a display. Right next to it was a Shield. What a difference a quarter of an inch makes. 

 

I decided to pass. I will ship my R51 off and after doing some more thinking about the pluses and minuses on it I may keep it or I may not but I am going to go ahead and rent the G43 and the Shield and purchase one of those anyway. I haven’t shot the Shield but so many of you like it I will have to compare it to the Glock.

 

Thank you all for your responses. I forgot to say that earlier.

 

PR