Best Handgun: Top 10 Choice For Home Defense
Almost nobody wants to be in the sort of emergency situation where they have to fire their gun. However, in life it often pays to prepare for the worst even while you hope for the best. For many, that will mean owning a gun and training with it regularly so as to be able to use it to protect themselves and others. For that task, you need the right tool. We want to help you to find the best handgun for everyday carry or home defense so that in a crisis you can be sure that it won’t let you down.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. WHAT IS THE BEST HANDGUN?
2. SHOULD I GET A REVOLVER OR A SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANDGUN?
3. HOW MUCH DOES A GOOD HANDGUN COST?
How We Reviewed
In order to help you find the best handgun for you, we compiled a list of some of the handguns suitable for everyday use and home- and personal-defense. These handguns are all ones from reputable brands and which came highly recommended by their users. We have provided an overview of each handgun’s key features, a list of Pros and Cons, a rough price, and a link to where you can find more information on buying one.
Overall Prices of Handguns
The guns we reviewed ranged in price from the very affordable to the most expensive. However most were available for an affordable price. Prices of handguns of the same model vary depending on the handgun’s finish, barrel length, magazine capacity and the size of rounds that it takes.
What We Reviewed
WALTHER PPQ M2
FEATURES
This pistol, a product of German precision engineering, incorporates a range of features such as striker fire action, three automatic safeties, and a loaded-chamber indicator, with accuracy, durability, and reliability. It has almost negligible recoil, making it one of the best handguns for women or other users with less wrist strength or who have conditions such as carpal tunnel. This handgun may be just slightly too big for concealed carry unless you are a large framed person yourself, but in almost all respects it’s a good gun. However, users may wish to switch out the plastic sights for something a bit more durable.
FNX-45
FEATURES
This handgun is well suited to a range of tasks, such as personal defense, home security, and law enforcement. The frame is made of a tough polymer, but the barrel and slides are stainless steel, allowing users to get the best of both worlds. It can be racked with either hand, meaning that it can be used easily by left handed shooters. On the downside, the grips are rather large, and some users reported that the grippy texture began to cut into their hands after they had been through a few magazines.
CZ 75 SP-01 TACTICAL
FEATURES
CZ, the Czech gun manufacturers claim that “CZ 75 Pistols are used by more government, law-enforcement, military and security agencies than any other pistol in the world.” This model was designed to take the best features of military service pistols from around the world to create a tough, reliable, and accurate handgun. Many of its users describe it as the best handgun they have ever owned, and it was very hard to find any criticisms of its design or performance. However, you might find it hard to get hold of.
SPRINGFIELD XD MOD2
FEATURES
This slimmer “sub-compact” new model in Springfield Armory’s XD range is comfortable in the hand and as a concealed-carry firearm. It has a short trigger and short reset, meaning that follow-up shots are as accurate as the first shot. The XD MOD2 has a corrosion resistant Meltonite coating which gives it a rugged semi-matte finish.
COLT 1911
FEATURES
This pistol, sometimes known as “The Government” has a long and glorious history within the world of American Firearms. The single-action, semi-automatic, magazine-fed pistol fits comfortably in the hand and “points” well. It can be easily modified and customized, including the ability to fine-tune the trigger action; one of the reasons it is loved by gun enthusiasts. However, the pistol may be too large to be gripped comfortably by some users. Additionally, the lack of a de-cocker in the pistol means that great care must be taken when lowering the hammer.
RUGER 1707 GP100
FEATURES
Ruger’s range of Centerfire revolvers are well-known for being dependable, reliable, and accurate. This Ruger, the only revolver on our list, features a smooth-cycling triple-locking cylinder making sure of an accurate shot every time you fire. The grip is designed to reduce recoil and make firing the gun comfortable. The revolver is available in a range of chamber sizes and finishes.
SMITH & WESSON M&P SHIELD
FEATURES
This Smith & Wesson model is the handgun of choice for many military and law-enforcement personnel because of its rugged build, reliability, and accuracy. This is one of the best handgun choices for a concealed-carry gun because of its compact frame. This handgun comes with two magazines of different sizes so you can decide which you want with you on any given day.
SIG SAUER MK25 P226
FEATURES
This German-made pistol, with black hard-anodized aluminum frame and extra-grippy ergonomic grips is the choice of a wide range of law enforcement and military units, including the Navy Seals. It is a ruggedly built, extremely tough gun that is easy to strip down and clean. It has no safety-catch and is designed to be carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer de-cocked so that it can be drawn and fired with ease. Though there is little danger of the gun firing accidentally, this feature of the handgun may be a little too intense for some.
GEN 4 GLOCK 19
FEATURES
Glocks are well known for their reliability and performance. This latest version of the Glock 19 featured a rough textured frame and grips, and three backstraps to customize the fit. The handgun boasts a stronger-than-steel polymer frame coated with Tenifer to make them impervious to all kinds of bad weather. The magazine release buttons are large and reversible to make the Glock 19 suitable for ring- and left-handed users.
BERETTA M9
FEATURES
The Beretta M9 was developed with input from military, police, and other law enforcement personnel to create a gun suitable for use in any sort of crisis, even meeting the requirements of the U.S. Marine Corps. The Beretta M9 is available with single or double action. The handgun can be disassembled and reassembled without any tools. It comes with two magazines so you’ll always have a spare. However, some users reported that their accuracy with the Beretta was far below that of any other of their guns, which may be a serious cause for concern.
The Verdict
We’re loathe to make any definitive statement on the best handgun, because it’s such a subjective field. Nevertheless there were a few standout candidates in this field of ten. The best handgun if you prefer a revolver is the reliable and compact yet powerful Ruger 1707 GP100. Amongst the pistols, we thought the best handgun for concealed carry was the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield, and the best handgun overall was the CZ 75 SP-01 Tactical. When you go to try out handguns that you find that something completely different is to your liking, but whether you go for one of these guns or not, we hope that this was a good place to start.
Hey, look at that! You found me! Lucky for you, because when I’m not writing articles all about the wilderness life, I’m out in the bush. Camping, fishing, canoeing, and sometimes even getting lost. You know the drill.