The handgun is the #1 self-defense firearm in use today.  This is especially true in home defense situations and for those who carry firearms.  The pistol is very appropriate for use in the home, despite the fact that some experts advocate a shotgun as the best home defense weapon.  We believe this to be inaccurate because the length of the shotgun barrel becomes a hindrance in the confined quarters of the home and can also divulge your position to the intruder.  The pistol is also easier to hide inside the home and simple to conceal on the body, where such carry is legally allowed.

While handguns are available from .22 rim fire to the ultra large .500 S&W magnum, we will concentrate on pistols normally used for personal defense in the home or on the street.   We will be looking at the .38 special/9mm on the low end, up to the 10mm auto on the high end.  Additionally, we will only be looking at double action revolvers and semi automatic pistols.

Many experts will recommend a revolver for home defense for those people who do not want to invest a large amount of time training.  Those experts feel that the semi automatic is too complex and unreliable for the casual user.  On the other hand, semi automatics are typically easier to shoot accurately and fit the hand better than most revolvers.  Likewise, they can hold 2-3 times as many rounds.   In the end, it boils down to a personal choice of what the user is comfortable with.

There are several brands of excellent combat revolvers on the market from makers such as Smith and Wesson, Ruger and Taurus.  You can’t go wrong with any of these quality weapons.  The Taurus line is typically the least expensive with the Smith and Wesson being the most expensive.

As far as calibers are concerned, the most common are the .38 special and .357 magnum.  The .38 cartridge can be fired in a 357 revolver because the .357 is an evolution of the older .38 cartridge.  Since it operates at much higher pressure than the .38, the designers made the .357 case slightly longer so that it would not fit into a .38 special.  If you are going to be purchasing a revolver, the best option is a .357 magnum which then gives you the flexibility to shoot both rounds in a single gun.

Combat revolvers come in various sizes, from the Smith and Wesson model 60 (and similar variants) which hold 5 rounds and are very concealable, to larger pistols like the Ruger GP series.  The larger pistols are excellent for use as home defensive firearms.

Other revolver cartridges that are sometimes encountered include the .44 special, .45 long Colt, .44 magnum, and auto loading cartridges such as the .45 ACP and .10mm auto chambered in revolvers.  While all of these cartridges will work, we would not advise anyone to go out and buy a revolver chambered in these cartridges for defense.

Today, there are many manufacturers of quality auto loading pistols, to include Glock, Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Sig Sauer (Sig) and Beretta.  As with revolvers, auto loading pistols come in various sizes.  Some are more suited for concealed carry while others, being larger and easier to shoot, make excellent home defense weapons.

Useful calibers range from the 9mm to the .45 ACP.  In terms of power, the 9mm has the lowest amount of energy in this group of self-defense cartridges.  This makes it a soft-recoiling, easy-to-shoot cartridge.  It is excellent for beginners or those that are unwilling to spend the time necessary to learn how to shoot heavier cartridges.  Several 9mm loads exceed 90% stopping efficiency in published studies.  (see the Ammo Selection article for more information) 

Every handgun manufacturer has 9mm offerings.  Many are very small and compact--excellent as concealment guns, where legal.  An excellent example of this type of weapon is the Glock 26 9mm pistol.  The Glock 19, while larger than the model 26 is still very compact and can fit the role of a dual purpose house gun and concealment piece.  Another very concealable 9mm is the model 3913 from Smith and Wesson.  This double action pistol has a full on/off safety feature that many people feel more comfortable with.  The Sig P239 is also a great small pistol in 9mm that can fit both the home defense and concealment role.

the Sig P226 and the Ruger P-Series pistols.  The Sig 226 pistols are used by many military Special Forces teams and police agencies.  Beretta’s 92/96 Series pistols are the issued sidearm of the US Military.  The Taurus 92 series are very similar to the Beretta 92 pistols, very reliable and significantly less expensive.  The superbly designed CZ-75 type pistols offer the unique ability to carry them both as double action or single action and are very reliable.  Finally, the Glock 17 with it’s 17 round magazine capacity is another excellent choice.

The .40 S&W (Smith and Wesson) cartridge is an offshoot of the more powerful 10mm cartridge.  The 10mm became the issue cartridge for the FBI and other agencies.  Its power and stopping ability are excellent.  However, the cartridge requires a full size frame pistol and the recoil is perceived by many as being too much.  However, we know of women weighing 100 pounds who shoot this cartridge in full power loads and have no problem with it.  So this reason is mostly an issue of mental perception and training rather than physical ability. 

Nevertheless, in searching for a less potent cartridge the 10mm case was shortened and the new round named the .40 S&W.  Power wise, it is just a bit higher than the 9mm but it fires heavier and wider bullets at lower velocity.  By shortening the cartridge it allowed it to be chambered in virtually all the 9mm compact and subcompact pistols.  The cartridge took off in popularity and in a few years was adopted by numerous police agencies.  Since it chambered in the same size guns as the 9mm it is equally concealable but provides slightly more power per shot.  On the down side, since it is wider than the 9mm, it has less magazine capacity.  Choices for the .40 S&W are the same as the 9mm above.  All the makers listed above make a .40 version of the pistols.

The .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol) has been the traditional American favorite in automatic cartridges for almost a hundred years.  Originally only offered in the Colt 1911-type single action pistols, it is now available in dozens of pistols from all makers.  The .45 ACP uses a large diameter bullet at moderate velocity to do its job.  The .45 is the largest diameter caliber commonly offered in automatic pistol cartridges.  The original loading of this pistol is a 230 grain bullet at approximately 800fps (feet per second).  Modern loadings bump this to a bit over 900 fps.  These loads are below the speed of sound and are much less noisy than higher velocity cartridges that exceed the speed of sound.

The .45 is chambered in large to medium-frame handguns.  The original Colt 1911 design that was the military sidearm through two World Wars (Korea and Vietnam) is a classic.  It has been copied and refined by several manufacturers.  This gun, especially in the shortened version, is easily concealed.  Being single action, it requires that it be carried with the hammer cocked and the safety on for instant accessibility.  This makes it an expert’s gun and can be quite an unnerving thought to most people.  However, in the hands of a trained user it is an extremely accurate and effective weapon.  It is the choice of many counter-terrorist teams and police swat units.  Examples of this gun can be found from manufacturers such as Kimber, Springfield Armory and Smith and Wesson.  This gun is also the choice of many competition shooters and there are numerous custom gunsmiths making their living customizing the 1911 style pistols.

There are also several double action version of this caliber available.  Some examples are the Glock 21, 30 and 36, Smith and Wesson 945 and 457, Ruger P-Series, Sig 220 and 245.

The 10mm auto briefly discussed above will roundup our discussion on self-defense pistols.  As it can be intimidating, this cartridge is not as popular as many of the calibers listed above.  However, as a self protection pistol for home use it really is very versatile.  It can be fired with reduced power loads which are available from several manufacturers that replicate the .40 S&W loading.  Full power loadings far exceed the power of the .357 magnum and nip on the heels of the lower end .41 magnum loadings.  For someone who is only going to buy one gun and wants protection at home and perhaps in the woods from wild animals this is the ideal cartridge. 

The current availability of pistols in this caliber is limited.  Fortunately, Glock chambers their excellent model 20 and 29 in this caliber.  Kimber offers a 1911 style version in 10mm.  In addition, used Smith and Wesson model 1006 pistols are available on the market.  Tanfoglio also offers a 10mm version of their Witness CZ-75 style pistol.

For additional information on ammunition selection please click on the links on the handgun page under ammo selection.  For more information on the pistols described above click on the specific manufacturer’s links.  We will be doing reviews of many of these pistols in the future so check back for more information.