The scientists and engineers at Diamondback may have been so busy considering what they could do that they never considered what they should do. That’s how I feel about the DB9. Diamondback’s DB9 might be the smallest semi-auto 9mm ever produced. I remember when I became a concealed carrier and the hottest hotness was micro-sized pocket pistols.
The pocket .380 ACP ruled and guns like the LCP and (original) Bodyguard resided in the pockets of shooters around the country. This was a time when most people assumed a bigger bullet was better when it came to handguns, and the .380 ACP was the absolute minimum anyone should ever carry. Many people preferred 9mm and Diamondback saw an opportunity in the market.
They filled that market with the DB9. I remember seeing one in my gun store and thinking it was perfect for concealed carry. However, I never bit the bullet and bought one. Recently, the same gun store discovered a more profitable business and the owner allowed me to select a few guns at a great price before listing the rest on Gunbroker. An older model DB9 was still there and now, after laying down $100, it’s mine.
The DB9, Old and New
This appears to be a first-generation DB9. To Diamondback’s credit, they’ve continued to evolve the DB9 format. They’re not on the 4th generation of the pistol and it looks more modern. I’m reviewing a much older model here, which is likely not representative of the current version of the DB9.
The design uses a fairly standard Browning short-recoil design. It’s reliable, functional, and well proven in guns both big and small.
The Gen1 DB9 is slab-sided. There’s no manual safety and no slide release. The magazine release is…rudimentary. This a design intended for pocket and deep concealed carry. The origninal DB9 doesn’t have a lot of features and is overall very simple and plain-Jane. It’s a polymer frame, striker-fired 9mm pistol.
The striker is partially cocked, but only barely. The trigger pull feels like a long double-action design. It’s not a true double-action-only design, and there’s no ability to re-strike. I don’t mind a DAO design on a pocket pistol. It helps provide a greater level of safety when carried in a pocket, even with a holster.
The DB9 has sights that really aren’t terrible for such a small pistol, especially considering what some of its competitors had at the time. They aren’t huge, they aren’t fantastic, but they’re functional enough to put rounds where you want them. They’re milled into the slide and, as such, are not removable or interchangeable.
The slim DB9 is only .8-inch wide. It was likely the thinnest 9mm on the market (the current Gen4 version is .9-inch wide). The gun weighs 11 ounces, which makes it lighter than my .22LR LCP II. The gun has a 3-inch barrel and is 5.6 inches long overall. It holds six plus one rounds and the magazine has an integrated pinky rest.
Handling the DB9
The DB9 is remarkably thin, which is great for concealment, but not great for getting a grip. The lack of round counting and the flat design make it feel like you’re holding a board or a Beretta 9000S.
The magazine release is positively micro-sized, and when combined with a lack of a last-round hold open, it results in slow reloads. Additionally, the pinky extension tends to pin the magazine in place, preventing it from easily dropping free. This isn’t a gun you’d use in situations you’d likely have to reload.
The slide is extremely stiff. The super-small nature of this gun calls for a strong recoil spring, and you get it. It’s challenging to rack and the lack of good, deep serrations on the slide doesn’t help much in terms of getting a good grip on the gun.
I’m one of those random weirdos who actually reads the manual that comes with their gun. Accordingly, the DB9 is not a +P-rated handgun and it should only be used with 115 and 124-grain ammunition. That’s limiting, but not surprising given the gun’s overall size.
To The Range
I’ll just let you know upfront, this isn’t a gun for me. I like pocket pistols, but I also like fast, accurate, and easily repeatable shots in just about any scenario. That’s not going to happen with the DB9. Given its diminutive size, it’s snappy…almost insanely so. The recoil is stout and will tire out your hand, but that’s generally not a big deal from a self-defense perspective, and that, after all, is what the DB9 is intended to be.
What is a big deal is how far your sights come off target between rounds and how the gun tends to shifts in my large-handed grip. When I ratchet down on the pistol, it still wants to fight its way out of my hand. Firing multiple, rapid shots and having those shots hit your target can be challenging. Even at seven yards, I was quickly drifting off target while shooting a B8 target.
I want sub-half-second double taps from my pocket guns. I could probably train and try hard to get there, but that gives us the second problem with the original DB9 — I don’t like shooting it. I get tired after a couple of magazines. It’s not expected that I’d shoot 100 rounds in a self-defense encounter, but if I want to become good with the DB9, I have to shoot it. But again, my hand gets tired.
At some point, the juice of a 9mm round in such a slim, small package isn’t worth the squeeze to me.
Everything Else About The DB9
Combine a heavy trigger with small sights and a short sight radius, this thing would probably be a good belly gun, or something akin to a belly gun. It’s no marksman’s pistol, but I was pleasantly surprised at its 25-yard accuracy. I could keep most of my shots inside the A and C zone of a USPSA target at 25 yards.
If I really took my time, I could hit a 10-inch gong with slow fire. My 15-yard groups hovered around five inches with six rounds fired. It’s not great, but it’s capable of effective self-defense. I’d pass the NRA test for a Pistol Instructor while shooting it.
Like a lot of micro nines from back in its day, the Gen1 DB9 proved to be a bit ammo-picky. As mentioned, you shouldn’t use anything heavier than 124 grains and you shouldn’t use +P ammo. In my shooting, I found that you also shouldn’t use steel-cased ammo. That seemed to choke the gun. Standard 115-grain FMJs worked just fine. As with any self-defense gun you have to make sure you pick ammo that works.
Final Thoughts
The DB9 isn’t a carry gun for me. It’s too small and the benefits of the 9mm aren’t worth the extra recoil and muzzle rise. Overall, though, I’m impressed by the gun’s capabilities as a whole. It’s surprisingly accurate for its size, and with the right ammo, it’s plenty reliable. It’s just the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. For me.
With that said, let us know below what you think about the DB9 and if the extra oomph of a 9mm projectile is worth it for you.
Having shot the Ruger LCP 2 in 380. I’m starting to understand why 25ACP, 32ACP, and 22lr were so popular. Over 30 years ago.
The 380 cartridge is not pleasant to shoot at all in a pocket gun.
I have taken
Firearms instructor Chuck Haggard’s “pocket rocket” class.
You go to “war”, what you have on you. Accuracy is everything and caliber means nothing.
Police officers have been shot with a 9mm handgun 4, 5 and 6 times. And they live to talk about it, and some of them even still arrested their attackers. Still bleeding with no bandages or tourniquet.
I carried a beretta 21a in 22LR for several years while in college. And I had several reload magazines on me as well.
Btw
Thanks for the review. You confirmed my belief about the 380 cartridge and a small gun.
I agree fully. I most commonly carry a P32 in my pocket these days.
That only changes when I go out with my family and my ability to run disappears.
Then I carry the larger 9mm, not necessarily because it’s 9mm but because I get 15 rounds, a red dot, and a gun that’s much easier to shoot accurately.
worth a hondo.
like sccy and some others, pass.