pocket pals: a GOOD $200 9mm semi-auto with manual safety

​At just under 1lb in weight and with an average 4.5 star user rating, the SCCY CPX-1 9MM is a premium contender for budget deep-concealed carry. It seems we've foregone the term mouse gun in this striker-fired era, but I still like it as a description of diminutive pocketable pistols that you're more likely to carry than not, and SCCY makes a worthy companion for three different proclivities: 9MM with manual safety, 9MM without manual safety and 380ACP without manual safety. I like the former so thats the one I'm giving a shoutout to now. I like manual safeties, I just do, but that comes from a lifetime of firearm usage and observing a myriad of fails, faux pas' and foolishness among inexperienced or careless shooters. Safeties make sense on all fronts and with practice you don't forget to disengage them because its part of the process of attaining gun readiness, like racking the slide or inserting a magazine! Why folks are so rabidly anti safety confuses me more than an ashtray on a motorcycle. So here is a 9MM mouse gun with a manual safety, awesome! AND it's affordable. AND shooters find them generally reliable. And they're in the $200 range online-store value. Damn, whats not to like? I do recall the first generation having some issues but given time and tenacity, most diligent manufacturers will iron out those hiccups manifested in their first wave of releases if the reviews don't first kill business stone dead. The secret to market survival is price: SCCY founder Joe Roebuck hit a home run with the MSRP and thusly found affection and forgiveness among his customers...this allowed him time to address the reliability issues and release the Gen2 which for the most part resolved user complaints. For anyone who has pored over the pages of the AFD they will notice a direct correlation between price and user rating. I know, I know, we haven't finished the job of adding user ratings to all listed companies yet (we do have day jobs you know), but for the hundreds of companies completed we've seen a curious pattern: the higher the price the more nit-picky the buyer. Low cost in general makes buyers more long-suffering and despite more affluent consumers' readiness to procure high-ticket brands, bragging rights is apparently not enough to deter harsh reviews for the slightest technical infraction (manufacturers take note). Back to the little pistol at hand: 9MM is the cheapest ammunition after 22LR and significantly more effective as a threat stopper when pointed, under stress, at central mass. So, if you are in the market for a sub-compact 9MM with a manual safety - and you're not ready to part with a week's wages - then take a serious look at these quality pistols. After 12 years of production they've completed the test of time. As for guarantees, I remember when they first launched, their warranty included replacement of any weapon stolen but after a spate of bogus thefts they had to withdraw that promise: shame on those scammers but kudos to SCCY for maintaining a "No Questions Asked Warranty" meaning they'll make technical issues right should you have a functionality concern. They also come in a wide range of colors providing appeal for all those who don't dig the standard Henry Ford black. Good founder, good business practices, good pistol. $200. http://www.sccy.com
​Ed.