We all know that AR pistols, long pistols, AR-15 pistols, whatever you want to call them, are awesome tools for home defense. Yet still the military, law enforcement agencies and more retained the humble 9mm.
That’s because it’s the best tactical tool for sweeping buildings, which means it’s arguably the best weapon for home defense in other words. 9mm isn’t wild. It’s precise, super precise. You can suppress it well, it fits in a compact package and 9mm is available just about anywhere.
300 Blackout has certainly made a play for the 9mm market in recent times and that caliber is starting to take over for the military units and SWAT teams out there thanks to its flexibility. But it’s expensive, it’s new tech and 9mm is pretty much as good in the right circumstances.
So the trusty 9mm AR pistol is still revered, loved and bought in massive numbers around the world. Which one of the 9mm AR pistols for sale is the best though?
1. Sig Sauer MPX Copperhead
- Price: $1,579
- Barrel Length: 3.5 inch
- Total Length: 14.5 inch
- Weight: 4.5lb
- Capacity: 20+1
The Sig Sauer MPX Copperhead is the best 9mm AR pistol for self-defense. There, we said it.
That 3.5 inch barrel with the integrated muzzle brake is borderline ridiculous and yet Sig has managed to create an accurate weapon that consistently pounds the bullseye out of targets at 50 yards in mere competent hands. In skilled hands, this is an absolute titan of a close quarters firefight specialist in a convenient pistol caliber.
The PDW brace isn’t exactly a PDW brace at all. It’s the new Sig Sauer Pivoting Contour Brace (PCB). Essentially it pivots with a patented swivel operation
The short barrel MPX Copperhead is basically a conceal carry 9mm pistol that could once again give 9mm ammunition the advantage in the sub-machine gun world. Back in a civilian setting, this is a mighty compelling gun for home defense, plinking at the range and just about everything else.
You get a Monolithic Elite Series upper receiver and an integrated stock knuckle lower receiver. A short stroke gas-piston system means the Sig Sauer MPX Copperhead can cycle through pretty much all grades of 9mm ammo, from crappy steel right through to high end rippers that could turn this into a truly evil AR pistol.
2. B&T TP9
- Price: $1,836.99
- Barrel Length: 5 inch
- Total Length: 11.9 inch
- Weight: 5lb
- Capacity: 30+1
I admit it, we have a Brugger & Thomet fetish on this site. But then just look at the B&T TP9 civilian SMG and tell me you don’t want one.
This short barrel semi-automatic pistol with a blow back action is effectively the modern day Tec-9. It’s also a Swiss Uzi that is just better, everywhere. We will get to the Uzi 9mm for sale, because you can still get that pistol caliber classic and they are much cheaper.
But this feels like proper military hardware, because that’s more or less what it is.
In semi-automatic pistol form, this little weapon doesn’t quite inspire the fear of the fully automatic SMGs of days gone by. But then it’s now a different kind of weapon and it’s basically the ultimate tactical pistol.
You can get a retention holster and walk round like Robocop, open carrying what looks like a weapon of war on your leg. That is only going to work in certain circumstances, but at the outdoor range then it’s basically impossible to look more operator than this. Well you can, but you really shouldn’t…
With a pistol stabilizing brace and a red dot, you can bounce bullets off targets at 100 yards all day long. That is impressive and you can feel the Swiss engineering when you’re pushing the outer limits of the range.
This was designed first and foremost as a home defense and personal defence 9mm pistol though. It’s compact enough to basically conceal carry without the 30-round mag in place. Or you can hang it on a sling and go for the full tactical gear on the Picatinny rail.
The B&T TP9 is surprisingly modular, too, and you can build it out to a pistol caliber SBR if that’s what you really want to do. It does everything the MPX does, but you might have to pay a little more.
Is it worth it? Yes we think so. We love the chunky polymer feel of the gun and the engineering is just second to none. B&T sought the input of elite fighting teams all round the world to hone the basic Uzi-inspire layout and create the best assault weapon in the world.
We get the semi-automatic version of this pistol caliber sub-machine gun and that might just be the best home defense 9mm pistol for sale in 2019.
3. HK SP5K
- Price: $2,699
- Barrel Length: 4.5 inch
- Total Length:
Is this the ultimate pistol caliber SMG? If not, the HK SP5K is certainly close. It’s the civilian version of the legendary HK MP5 that has gone into battle with Special forces teams all round the world.
Price and availability are the only things keeping the HK off the top spot. Because even if you have decided to spend the $2,699 full retail price for the Heckler & Koch 9mm, finding one for sale in 2019 can be a separate issue. Everyone lists them, very few actually have them in stock and you may have to back order with Rainier Arms.
It might be the HK’s military history that has made it such an icon, but it is also blessed with technology. This sub-machine gun for the average man in the street features the return of the delayed roller blowback system.
This large frame handgun is 14 inches long, slightly longer than the military version thanks to that handguard that has become the semi automatic pistol’s calling card and gives it that truly distinctive and instantly recognizable profile.
Is the HK worth this kind of money when you can buy alternative 9mm AR pistols for less? Well the people that own them say it is. The user reviews online and the gun review websites all drool over the HK SP5K and if you can find one, then get one.
Where to buy a Heckler & Koch HK SP5K
Our most consistent supplier in recent times has been Rainier Arms, although the firearms in stock status can be a little up in the air. Rainier Arms at least seem to have a steady supply and could take a back order with confidence. Euro Optic also has the firearm listed constantly, which is a fairly good sign.
4. CZ Scorpion Evo 3
- Price: $839.94
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Barrel Length: 5 inch
- Total Length: 16 inch
- Weight: 5.7lb
The CZ Scorpion Evo 3 is a legend, and rightly so. It’s our budget pick by a mile, the gun reviews online go crazy for it and honestly if you just want a general purpose 9mm long pistol, then you’ll struggle to beat the trusty CZ for anything like the same money.
They do seem to have crept up in price a little, we remember them at $750 quite regularly and can’t seem to find one now. But then we remember when cities were fields and life was fun, so there’s that…
5. Sig Sauer MPX
- Price: $1,699
- Caliber: 9mm
- Barrel: 4.5 inch
- Total Length: 13.5 inch
- Weight: 4.6lb
The Sig Sauer MPX has become the face of the 9mm AR pistol movement and it’s a gun so deeply ingrained in the American psyche that it will keep its place amongst the best 9mm civilian SMG on the planet for a while.
It has lost out to its own successor, the Sig Sauer Copperhead, in the end. But right now we can give it one last moment in the sun.
We almost went for the HK, but price, availability and flexibility win the day for the Sig Sauer. This is a platform, not just a gun, and you can turn the little Sig into just about anything if you need to.
Most people keep it simple. This is a small, compact gun that sites perfectly in two hands and really only needs a sling or a pistol stabilizing brace to turn it into an absolute champion of urban warfare.
The Sig Sauer MPX is a short stroke gas piston operated system with a rotating bolt. There’s a full-length Picatinny rail, a Keymod system up front and you can trim the Sig MPX to pretty much any configuration. That’s the point.
Now this isn’t the sexiest gun on this list and there are better options if you have a lot more money to spend. In terms of bang for buck, general reliability, simplicity and flexibility, though, the Sig Sauer MPX is a great all-round 9mm AR pistol. Muzzle devices, braces, stocks and suppressors slot on the MPX effortlessly, because they were designed for harsher conditions than we should ever see.
You can also get a matching Sig Sauer AR-15 pistol, too, which might cut down on your parts & accessories bill as you can share your red dot, pistol stabilizing brace and other goodies between your weapons.
