Took home a new toy today. Bough her from Tommy over at Sooner State Pawn. Very smooth transaction from Tommy. Thanks for great service! On to the impressions:
Size and Weight. Pretty self evident, but until you carry it in your pocket for a little bit you just don't understand how small this 9mm actually is. It's quite incredible, I don't even notice the pistol when it's resting in my pants pocket. The .80" in width is best in class. The barrel/slide length is just a bit longer than some others, but honestly I prefer the extra length. Could this be the lightest/smallest a 9mm design can get?
A
Comfort and Fit in the Hand. Out of all the pocket nines that I've tried (just about all of them even the R9), the DB9 is IMO the most comfortable to hold and aim. Feels and points natural. The Diamondback texturing on the sides of the grip is some of the best texturing I've ever felt on a polymer frame. In fact I think it's pretty much perfect, just the right amount of aggressiveness. They really grip the palm nicely. The other texturing is also nice. For me my pinky wraps perfectly under the grip/mag and sits nicely in the relief cut at the mag bottom. The small beaver tail helps with stability. Overall very comfortable for such a small size.
A-
Trigger. Long but smooth. Definitely very Kahr-like, which many consider the best of the mouse guns. I don't own a trigger pull scale, but I'd estimate a bit higher than the claimed 5 lbs. Probably somewhere between 6-7 lbs. A negative here would be the shape of the trigger. Not a huge negative, but overall the trigger is a bit too sharp at the tip. I will probably take off just a bit of material and smooth it out a bit. The reset is long, again very Kahr-like. A the top of it's class here.
B-
Sights.The sights are overall positive. They are polymer, would have preferred steel, but that's OK. The rear is dovetailed which also a nice bonus. Sight picture is surprisingly good, especially considering that the sights are low profile. They are also well finished, no sharp edges, nice and smooth to prevent catching/snagging on clothing. Speed of target acquisition is only average, which is to be expected with the small size.
B-
Magazine. Seems of high enough quality. Made in Italy, they are probably Mec-Gar, which are highly thought of. Browning, Remington, Sig Sauer, Walther and many other use Mec-Gar mags. Spring tension seems fine, nice and stiff. My follower is one the new ones. I also like the mag release on my DB9. Definitely stiff and low profile. But honestly that exactly what I want on such a small carry pistol. I like the baseplate as well. The relief cut in the baseplate makes a nice spot for my pinky to rest while gripping the gun. Feels way more stable with my pinky there. Also of note is that the mag drops freely from the mag. On the release and on insertion, there is positive and satisfying click.
B
Design. I really like the look of the Diamondbacks. I love and own Glocks so that should come as a no-brainer. Take down is a breeze, using a Glock-like take down was one best decision that DB could have made. The Zero Energy Striker is an innovative feature, and is a huge advantage over some of the other pocket 9s out there. The guide-rod and recoil springs are nice and stiff, which is needed to help tame the recoil. One negative here is that the inner rod on my DB9 is also out of square. It looks like a nail that's been hit slightly off center. You can see it in one of the pictures. Doesn't seem to affect anything. But it's something to keep an eye on.
B
Fit and Finish.
The finish on the slide is just average IMO. Very matte and has a light gritty feel to it. Kinda like 320 grit sandpaper. DB claims to use a salt bath nitrite finish. If that is the case then, durability and corrosion shouldn't be an issue. No machine marks are present on the exterior. Very light machining marks are visible on the interior, but you'd have to have a flashlight to make them out. The polymer frame is near perfect. No tits or burs are present, and the seam is flush and smooth. The barrel's feed ramp and throat are both polished. I may polish them even more if I notice FTFs, but for now I'll leave it as is, because it looks pretty good from the factory. The lands and groves in the barrel looks pretty good, but not polished. Would have been nice to have a chrome-lined barrel. But that's OK because it is a carry weapon and I'm not going to be shooting 10,000 rounds though it.
B-
Price and Value. Definitely a good value at it's current price. I wish that the package came with two mags, but you could say that for a lot handguns.
B+
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the DB9 out of the box. Kel-Tec and some of the other pocket pistol manufacturers are going to have to go back to the drawing board, because from what I've seen from the DB9 so far it blows them out of the water. From the size and weight, to the design of the weapon, there's certainly a lot to like with the DB9. I'm looking forward to posting a range report soon, hopefully that will be just as positive as my initial impressions have been. If so then this will be a huge winner.
Pictures in the post below...
Size and Weight. Pretty self evident, but until you carry it in your pocket for a little bit you just don't understand how small this 9mm actually is. It's quite incredible, I don't even notice the pistol when it's resting in my pants pocket. The .80" in width is best in class. The barrel/slide length is just a bit longer than some others, but honestly I prefer the extra length. Could this be the lightest/smallest a 9mm design can get?
A
Comfort and Fit in the Hand. Out of all the pocket nines that I've tried (just about all of them even the R9), the DB9 is IMO the most comfortable to hold and aim. Feels and points natural. The Diamondback texturing on the sides of the grip is some of the best texturing I've ever felt on a polymer frame. In fact I think it's pretty much perfect, just the right amount of aggressiveness. They really grip the palm nicely. The other texturing is also nice. For me my pinky wraps perfectly under the grip/mag and sits nicely in the relief cut at the mag bottom. The small beaver tail helps with stability. Overall very comfortable for such a small size.
A-
Trigger. Long but smooth. Definitely very Kahr-like, which many consider the best of the mouse guns. I don't own a trigger pull scale, but I'd estimate a bit higher than the claimed 5 lbs. Probably somewhere between 6-7 lbs. A negative here would be the shape of the trigger. Not a huge negative, but overall the trigger is a bit too sharp at the tip. I will probably take off just a bit of material and smooth it out a bit. The reset is long, again very Kahr-like. A the top of it's class here.
B-
Sights.The sights are overall positive. They are polymer, would have preferred steel, but that's OK. The rear is dovetailed which also a nice bonus. Sight picture is surprisingly good, especially considering that the sights are low profile. They are also well finished, no sharp edges, nice and smooth to prevent catching/snagging on clothing. Speed of target acquisition is only average, which is to be expected with the small size.
B-
Magazine. Seems of high enough quality. Made in Italy, they are probably Mec-Gar, which are highly thought of. Browning, Remington, Sig Sauer, Walther and many other use Mec-Gar mags. Spring tension seems fine, nice and stiff. My follower is one the new ones. I also like the mag release on my DB9. Definitely stiff and low profile. But honestly that exactly what I want on such a small carry pistol. I like the baseplate as well. The relief cut in the baseplate makes a nice spot for my pinky to rest while gripping the gun. Feels way more stable with my pinky there. Also of note is that the mag drops freely from the mag. On the release and on insertion, there is positive and satisfying click.
B
Design. I really like the look of the Diamondbacks. I love and own Glocks so that should come as a no-brainer. Take down is a breeze, using a Glock-like take down was one best decision that DB could have made. The Zero Energy Striker is an innovative feature, and is a huge advantage over some of the other pocket 9s out there. The guide-rod and recoil springs are nice and stiff, which is needed to help tame the recoil. One negative here is that the inner rod on my DB9 is also out of square. It looks like a nail that's been hit slightly off center. You can see it in one of the pictures. Doesn't seem to affect anything. But it's something to keep an eye on.
B
Fit and Finish.
The finish on the slide is just average IMO. Very matte and has a light gritty feel to it. Kinda like 320 grit sandpaper. DB claims to use a salt bath nitrite finish. If that is the case then, durability and corrosion shouldn't be an issue. No machine marks are present on the exterior. Very light machining marks are visible on the interior, but you'd have to have a flashlight to make them out. The polymer frame is near perfect. No tits or burs are present, and the seam is flush and smooth. The barrel's feed ramp and throat are both polished. I may polish them even more if I notice FTFs, but for now I'll leave it as is, because it looks pretty good from the factory. The lands and groves in the barrel looks pretty good, but not polished. Would have been nice to have a chrome-lined barrel. But that's OK because it is a carry weapon and I'm not going to be shooting 10,000 rounds though it.
B-
Price and Value. Definitely a good value at it's current price. I wish that the package came with two mags, but you could say that for a lot handguns.
B+
Overall I'm pretty impressed with the DB9 out of the box. Kel-Tec and some of the other pocket pistol manufacturers are going to have to go back to the drawing board, because from what I've seen from the DB9 so far it blows them out of the water. From the size and weight, to the design of the weapon, there's certainly a lot to like with the DB9. I'm looking forward to posting a range report soon, hopefully that will be just as positive as my initial impressions have been. If so then this will be a huge winner.
Pictures in the post below...
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