Is the Diamondback DB9 Worth Buying for Concealed Carry? – I had never heard of Diamondback or its single-stack sub-compact 9mm, the DB9 until a few months ago. I finally got to it on my list and the results are rather underwhelming. When I was doing my research before purchasing this handgun, there were tons of guys swearing by this pistol. I think it might have something to do with its price. You can find one for less than $300 dollars and in this case you really do get what you pay for. There’s certainly a market for it, but there are better options. Keep reading to find out why I’m not recommending the Diamondback DB9.
Diamondback DB9: What to Like and Not Like
I want to mix things up today and talk about the Diamondback DB9’s recoil. It’s bad. The thing is only 11oz and has an almost alarmingly thin barrel. I’d wager that these issues are what’s causing the extra kick. It’s not a fun pistol to shoot. I was definitely feeling it after going through a box of ammo. A lot of people will argue that you don’t need to be concerned with a little extra recoil for self-defense pistols.
I disagree. If you don’t like shooting a gun, you won’t. Training with your chosen carry weapon is a must so it’s important that you actually enjoy shooting it. I’d personally stay away from based on that alone.
It does get a pass on reliability though. I had a few failures during its break-in period, but I typically don’t weigh that too heavily against it. After that it ran perfectly fine with whatever ammo it loaded it with. I’d say that reliability is the strongest selling point outside of price, especially as a carry weapon. I have to give props to Diamondback for that. Despite the problems I have with it, the DB-9 is a capable gun you can trust to function in a bad situation.
Since I’ve been carrying Sig P365s and Glock 43xs around, I’ve been pretty spoiled when it comes to magazine capacity so I was a bit let down by the DB9’s meager 6+1 capacity. Some people are okay with this, but I prefer to have extra rounds on hand in case I’m faced with multiple assailants. Plus I need to account for potential misses.
The Diamondback DB9 does a great job of putting rounds on target though, so maybe you only need 7 rounds after all. Like most handguns I test, the DB9 offers accurate shots and tight groups at 10 yards and beyond. I was even able to ping some steel 50 yards or so away. That’ll get the job done for sure.
Accuracy can suffer a bit due to a crappy trigger. It’s heavy, probably more so than you’re used to if you’ve spent some time with striker-fired pistols. By now I’m used to bad triggers on these systems, but it is something worth considering.
This isn’t the type of cheap gun that’s going to get you hurt, but it’s the type of cheap gun that’s going to make you wish you saved up a little bit more for something better. It’ll get the job done, but it won’t look pretty doing it.
Richard Douglas writes on firearms, defense, and security issues. He is the founder and editor of Scopes Field, and a columnist at the National Interest, 1945, Daily Caller, and other publications.
