The internal frame, an aluminum block with slide rails on the top, was pinned to the black polymer grip. The deep gripping serrations at the rear of the slide were functional and aesthetically appealing. The barrel was dull white and had a belled muzzle. Most of its steel parts had a uniform matte blue/black finish. We thought the Taurus PT-111 was slightly better looking than the other pistols in this test.
A takedown tool and a magazine loading tool are provided with this model. There is a cutout in the polymer frame’s integral grip for the magazine’s dual latches. Unlike the others in this test, the SW9M has a trigger-mounted safety and a single-column magazine. It utilizes a blowback-operated firing system with an internal striker and a double-action-only trigger. The $366 Smith & Wesson SW9M, a member of the Sigma line since 1996, is this manufacturer’s cheapest 9mm pistol. Other features include a polymer frame with an integral grip, a double-column magazine and a 3-inch barrel. However, it utilizes a spurless hammer, instead of an internal striker. Like the Taurus, it is a recoil-operated 9mm with a double-action-only trigger. Introduced in 1995, the $309 Kel-Tec P-11 is made by CNC Industries of Coco, Florida. Although there are several differences, the P-111 looks like this next pistol. The polymer frame, which has an integral grip, accommodates a double-column magazine.
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Unlike most striker-fired pistols, it is equipped with a frame-mounted manual safety. This recoil-operated handgun’s firing system has an internal striker and a double-action-only trigger. New this year, the Taurus PT-111 Millennium is a $344 Brazilian-made 9mm pistol. All of these SMPDs are chambered for the 9mm cartridge. The subjects of this head-to-head test are the Taurus PT-111, the Kel-Tec P-11 and the Smith & Wesson SW9M. To answer that question, we recently evaluated three SMPDs. The big question is whether it’s going to be reliable and will handle well enough for its intended use as a self-defense tool. Of course, the workmanship and accuracy of a $300 pistol probably isn’t going to be as good as those of a $500 to $600 pistol. The ease of making a polymer frame and the simplicity of a double-action-only trigger mechanism are two of the main reasons why SMPD’s cost less than other kinds of subcompacts. The combination of a low price, polymer construction and a DAO trigger is not accidental. The SMPD is a subcompact with a moderate price (in the $300 range), a polymer frame and a double-action-only (DAO) trigger. Within the last couple of years, a new kind of subcompact pistol has emerged-which we shall refer to as an SMPD. Typically, they cost as much as the original or maybe even a little more. Many of these handguns are reduced versions of already existing handguns. Subcompact pistols, those which are small and light enough to ride in an ankle holster or carry in a large pocket, have been around for several years.