{"id":69101,"date":"2017-05-31T09:40:44","date_gmt":"2017-05-31T13:40:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=69101"},"modified":"2026-10-18T15:14:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T20:14:52","slug":"dump-380-get-9mm-kimbers-tiny-micro-9-full-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/dump-380-get-9mm-kimbers-tiny-micro-9-full-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Kimber Micro 9 vs Micro 380: Size, Recoil and Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Kimber Micro 9 is only about half an inch longer and 2.2 ounces heavier than the Micro 380, and in our test it recoiled less than the Kimber Solo.<\/strong> Dennis Adler shot a best five shot group of 1.1 inches at 7 yards with Federal Hydra-Shok, and after 25 years of carrying .380s, he said he would trade them for this 9mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The size and capacity comparison is first, then his full review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Barely
Barely 10 percent larger than a Colt Mustang<\/a> .380 ACP, the new 6+1 capacity Kimber Micro 9<\/a> measures 6.1 inches in overall length, 4.07 inches in height and weighs 15.6 ounces.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Can you make a single stack, 6+1 capacity subcompact 9mm semi-auto that is practically no larger than most .380 pistols? The answer is yes, if you\u2019re Kimber and you start with an interesting premise, that the original Colt Mustang .380 ACP was nearly big enough to handle a 9mm round. That\u2019s quite a leap of faith for what was, at the time, the smallest .380 semi-auto ever designed. The time was 1986, and the Colt Mustang was the most significant breakthrough in .380 ACP pistol designs since the Walther PPK<\/a> in 1930.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mustang was introduced by Colt\u2019s 30 years ago. The current Mustang Pocketlite version looks and feels a little different from the original with a superior fit and finish. With a loaded magazine the current Mustang Pocketlite tips the scales at less than a pound, and measures 5.5 inches in length with a 2.75-inch barrel. With a 6+1 capacity \u201ccocked and locked\u201d is the standard carry method, just like a Model 1911. One unique feature of the Mustang (now copied by other manufacturers of the Mustang design), is a thumb safety that permits the slide to be manually cycled, even when the safety is set, thus one can check for a loaded chamber, clear the gun or load the first round with the safety still engaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This same description also fits the new Kimber Micro 9, although the Kimber has an even better level of fit and finish, and of course, the one big difference, it is a 9mm not a .380. But look at those specs, the Mustang\u2019s overall length is 5.5 inches; it has a 2.75-inch barrel, and weighs less than a pound in carry weight. The Kimber Micro 9 is just one half inch longer at 6.1-inches in overall length, and that includes an upswept extended beavertail, which is better than the Mustang\u2019s shorter down turned beavertail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Article continued below:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With both semi-autos very close in overall length, the Mustang .380 has a 2.75-inch barrel and 4.75 inch slide length, while the Kimber\u2019s barrel is 3.15 inches in length with a 5.25 inch slide length. And as for carry weight, the 6+1 capacity Micro 9 is 15.6 ounces, just under a pound like the Colt Mustang. The thumb safety design is the same type as the Colt\u2019s, allowing the Micro 9 to be carried cocked and locked, yet the slide can still be racked with the safety engaged. Kimber has succeeded in building a 9mm that is the almost the same size as a .380 once regarded as the smallest on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Kimber Micro 9 is easily one of the smallest 6+1 capacity 9mm semi-autos on the market. Just 0.6 inches greater in length than a Colt Mustang, Sig Sauer P238 or Kimber\u2019s own Micro CDP .380, the new Micro 9 model is the best handling 9mm pocket model ever.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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