My wife chose the XDm9 compact for her new carry gun. I've shot it quite a bit and am impressed. It's the perfect size for those who choose to carry concealed but still big enough to be quite shootable. Although, if I were you I would not trade the full size for the compact. I would simply buy the compact outright. The grip will be identical with the full size mag and you're shaving less than an inch off the barrel. Buy the compact and use the short mag for when you need better concealment or as a backup gun. That's my opinion.