PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol – Review

Palmetto State Armory’s entrance into the world of the micro compact wasn’t a surprise. SIG started the trend in 2018, and everyone has been playing catchup since then. The PSA Dagger Micro is an evolution of the Dagger series into a more compact, easier-to-carry, but still loaded-for-bear option.

The PSA Dagger Micro 9mm pistol features a full-length grip with a compact optics-ready slide. Externally and internally, the guns are very similar, but the Dagger Micro adds a few different twists.

PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol

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	PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol - Shield Cut With Night Sights, Black	Palmetto State Armory	$ 359.99
	PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol - Shield Cut With Night Sights, Black	Palmetto State Armory	$ 359.99
	PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol - Shield Cut, Black	Palmetto State Armory	$ 339.99
	PSA Dagger Micro 9mm Pistol - Shield Cut, Black	Palmetto State Armory	$ 339.99

The Dagger Micro – What’s On The Inside

The PSA Dagger Micro isn’t stuck with a 10-round single-stack magazine. PSA developed its own Dagger Micro magazine that holds 15 rounds instead of the typical 10. The Dagger Micro magazines are an interesting polymer-metal hybrid design that outclasses the competition.

These magazines work in the G43X, by the way. They aren’t the first 15-round G43X/G48 magazine. Shield Arms creates all metal mags that offer the same capacity. The difference is the need for a metal magazine release. Due to their hybrid design, the Dagger Micro mags don’t require a different magazine release.

I got a handful of the mags to test various of them to ensure they remain reliable. It’s a radical departure from the other manufacturer’s magazines and deserves to be a major part of the Dagger Micro’s evaluation.

More Than the Magazine

The Dagger Micro comes ready with a Picatinny rail and an optics cut for Shield RMSc optics. PSA makes various Dagger models, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see alternative options in the near future. The RMSc is the most popular for small guns, and tons of optics exist for this footprint. A big bonus of the Dagger Micro comes from the sight height. Most RMSc-cut optics seem to co-witness without the need for taller sights.

PSA went for a unique frame for the Dagger Micro. The rear of the gun features a more aggressive, hand-protecting overhang. The trigger guard also has a higher undercut to provide the most comfortable high grip possible. At the bottom of the grip, we have relief cuts to grip and rip should a complicated malfunction get the magazine stuck in the gun.

The trigger on the PSA Dagger Micro is also a departure from similar pistols. The trigger shoe is split in two, and the bottom portion of the trigger must be pressed so that the weapon can fire. PSA also went the extra mile and included metal sights with the Dagger Micro.

You get all this, plus a soft carry case for $339.99.

The Dagger Micro At the Range

The Dagger Micro features an excellent and svelte grip that fits my hands quite well. I’m not a huge nerd for grip angle and all the somewhat useless drama people who can’t shoot opine about. Still, I do enjoy it when a gun feels nice in my hand. You can hold the gun quite high without any discomfort.

A high grip translates into a comfy recoil experience. There is no rubbing on the middle finger or slide bite present. We get a bit of snap with every shot. A short barrel and lightweight gun aren’t going to handle like a Shadow 2. It’s snappy but controllable and isn’t painful.

With standard 115-grain plinker’s grade ammo, you’ll have no problems and won’t develop a flinch. Some hotter 124-grain +P loads will ensure you feel that snap and acknowledge that muzzle rise.

I fired a Bill drill with 115-grain FMJs and landed my six shots in 2.7 to 3 seconds on average. It’s not my fastest, but it’s not bad for a brand-new gun and holster combo. I use the Bill Drill to illustrate the gun’s recoil and ease of control.

The Bill Drill consists of firing six rounds into a rectangular target as fast as possible from the draw. Firing six rounds as fast as possible into a small target is a great way to test recoil and recoil control. Even when going fast, I always felt like I controlled the gun. I was never lucky and passed the drill because I yanked the trigger fast enough and didn’t walk off target.

If I add a red dot, I can also imagine that time shrinking because dots are faster.

Shooting Straight

A dot would improve speed and likely accuracy. For a micro-compact handgun, the Dagger Micro doesn’t disappoint in the accuracy department. The sights are plain but functional. It’s likely the most common sight arrangement we see on modern handguns.

The big three-dot iron sights aren’t bad. They are standard and better than you deserve from a sub-350-dollar gun. Align the three dots and start shooting. They aren’t high visibility and aren’t the fastest option, but we are splitting hairs. Where they tend to suffer is at increased distances.

Their size starts to obscure targets at 25 yards quite a bit. When most of the target is covered by the sight and the target is small, it’s tough to hit. At 25 yards, you can still put them into the chest of an FBI Q Target at 25 yards. That’s acceptable for most use cases of this gun.

At 15 yards, I fired for accuracy. With dedicated slow fire, I was capable of producing 3-inch groups pretty easily. If I rested the gun and used something besides the cheapest bulk 9mm I could find, I could probably shrink that group.

Run and Gun

The full-length grip of the Dagger Micro makes reloading much easier than your average-sized Micro Compact. Most micro-compact handguns have a fairly short grip, and my palm and pinky will often pin the magazine into the grip and prevent it from dropping free.

That’s not a problem here. I can reload the Dagger Micro quite quickly. The mags drop without a problem, and I can slam one home, hit the slide release, and get back on target in what seems like a heartbeat.

In going to one-handed manipulation, the snappiness of the pistol rears its head. Dear lord, do I suck with my non-dominant hand. Luckily, I’m good with my dominant hand and could shoot a 3.7-second Bill Drill with no misses. I had to slow down with one hand, but it’s given me something to work on.

To The Mattresses

The Dagger Micro works well as a gun and is accurate, controllable, and reliable. Outside of the range and on the waist, it carries nicely. The longer grip makes drawing easier for me, and the short barrel makes it comfy to carry IWB or well-hidden when carried in a high OWB position. It’s lightweight and thin enough to disappear and not to poke and prod.

PSA’s goal was to produce a competent carry pistol, and they’ve done just that. My highest praise goes to the magazine design. I had no noticeable problems with the six magazines I had on hand. As a gun, it’s a functional mico compact option in that X configuration that people seem to like. Plus, it’s less than 350 dollars. That makes the Micro Dagger a certified banger in my eyes.

About Travis Pike

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner, a lifelong firearms enthusiast, and now a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s Okayest firearm’s instructor.