Some people experience a threat, some experience more, and some don’t experience it at all. For most people, there’s an undeniable vulnerability, especially when they do not live in the center of the city with blazing security alarms and burglar support. If someone breaks into your house, you dash to your phone and call 911 while praying they arrive to rescue you on time.
As they draw closer, how much can you protect yourself before the police get there? In a way that is tough to explain, guns make you feel a lot safer, whether you’re in your house or traveling. When it comes to the choice of picking home defense guns, your frontline priority should be on purchasing a firearm that matches your level of experience, price, and state laws governing gun ownership.
A wide range of home defense shotguns are available in the market, but how do you choose which one is appropriate for you? No worries, we’ve taken the time to make a list of guns that are pocket-friendly, comfortable, and accessory decorated.
Glock 17
Glock 17 is a large-sized handgun that is used to serve as a duty weapon with military and police units. Its rugged, simple design makes it a favorite among police around the globe. Although the Glock 17 has a large capacity and a larger frame, it is still a light pistol overall. It is small enough to fit in most safes, including the biometric.
Because it is a Glock, the Glock 17 is carried by many concealed carriers. This gun is hard to pin down because of its popularity. This particular MOS model is very popular in competition. The addition of an optic opens up a lot of possibilities for our Glock 17 review.
SPECIFICATIONS
Barrel Length – 4.49 inches
Overall Length: 7.95 inches
Width: 1.26 inches
Height: 5.47 inches
Weight – 24.87 ounces
Capacity – 17
Although the Glock 17 is not small, it is very light for its size. Glock has mastered the art of reducing weight. This gun is almost half a pound lighter than the CZ P-09. This is a remarkable feat. Factory magazine capacity is 17 rounds. However, 10-round magazines can be purchased in states that have magazine restrictions. OEM magazines are also available with extended 24 or 33-round capacities.
Read: What you should know about the laws in New Mexico before getting a self-defense gun
Mossberg 500
With Moosberg around anywhere in your house, you have intimidation on your side. When loaded, it can fire across a long-range, and even the sound will get an intruder on his toes. Aside from being economical and comfortable, it is reliable and easy to load, and over the years, it has maintained a good record.
In North Haven, Connecticut O.F. was founded in 1919. Mossberg was a manufacturer of rimfire rifles. The company made some bolt-action shotguns but in 1960 it took a bold step. The company discontinued its rimfire lines in 1960 and introduced a shotgun that would be one of America’s most beloved firearms.
Mossberg Model 500 pump shotgun, is, for the money, one of the best duck hunting shotguns you can buy. It is also one of the most effective deer-hunting shotguns. It is also one of the most popular turkey guns. The Model 500 hunting gun is a versatile platform that can be modified in many ways. It also has many additional barrels and parts. In just a matter of minutes, it can transform into a Mossberg 500 tactical or home defense shotgun or a Model 500 hunting rifle. Mossberg used to call the gun “Shooting System”, and it lives up to its name.
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Length 47.5 Inches
- LOP 14 Inches
- Trigger weight: 6.8 pounds
- Overall weight: 6.5 pounds
American hunters needed firepower after World War II. The double guns of prewar were replaced by semiautomatic and pump shotguns. Mossberg began work on its own pump shotgun after seeing the success of Remington’s Remington 870 express. It would be a cheap gun that took advantage of the innovations in manufacturing and materials created by gunmakers during WWII, just like the 870. It used stamped parts and an alloy receiver which was lighter than a standard steel receiver. It was priced to match or even slightly lower than the 870.
The Model 500 is available in.410 and 12 gauge. It can also chamber 3-inch shells. This waterfowl gun is very reliable and capable. Model 500s were the first to have a single bolt and slide action bar. Mossberg added another bar to the gun’s reliability and smoothness after Remington’s patent for dual-action bars expired. They have served in the military and police departments, which speaks to their reliability. Although the Mossberg 500s are often the first shotgun for hunters, many waterfowlers have a Mossberg500 12 gauge as a backup and bad-weather gun. It’s also easy to shoot thanks to its top safety, making it an excellent choice for left-handers as well as being a good loaner gun.
AR-15
With the rapid increase in house invasions, you wouldn’t rely on the government for complete safety as intruders don’t come with good intentions but bad ones. The AR-15 prepares you for such events as house invasions, and mostly in cases where they come in numbers, you’ll need more than a shotgun to protect yourself. This semi-automatic rifle is what you need. The range and velocity it covers are surprising, and for some good reason, the AR-15 has become a yardstick by which other modern automatic weapons are compared.
People are constantly arguing about which weapon is better for home defense. But what if there were another option? What if there were a tool that combined both the best of both guns? Let’s look at what the AR-15 has to offer and why it might be the right choice for you. Its potential disadvantages and its advantages.
- Stopping power
- Ammo capacity
- Lightweight & little recoil
- Is it too big?
- Negative “connotation”
Because of its stopping power, the AR-15 is a great home defense weapon. The majority of AR-15s use .223 Remingtons. This will allow you to stop any criminal in their tracks. You can also purchase ammo specifically for home defense. An AR-15 fires single bullets in a targeted direction, as opposed to a shotgun that sprays small metal balls. This will make it less likely that you accidentally shoot a family member or damage your home.
Ruger GP100 357 Magnum
The Ruger semi-automatic pistol is another unapologetic firearm best for home and military defense duties. It comes with high-strength features for excellent durability and ease of usage. You can never go wrong with this 357 double action smooth polished and optimized revolver. It is easy to shoot while training because of its unique 38-chambered specials and less recoil for people with short stature. You can never go wrong with this one. It holds eight rounds of ammunition and only weighs in at 17.2 oz.
Ruger is known for making high-quality handguns. The GP100 revolver series from Ruger is no exception. This American-made wheel gun was first produced in 1985 and has been a success for more than three decades. Although there are some aligning features in the GP family of revolvers, the current line has the largest range.
To show how varied this lineup is, GP revolvers come in.357 magnum and.327 federal magnum,.38 Special, 10mm Auto,.44 Special, and even.22LR. The double-action GP100 comes in three barrel lengths and two finishes. It also has many grips (which will be covered later). Ruger makes these revolvers with fixed or adjustable sights, full shrouds or short shrouds. This revolver series is considered to be one of the most versatile on the market, with at least one model available for all-wheel gun enthusiasts. The GP100 has been a top-selling revolver for many years. It peaked at number one in 2018 among all revolvers. Let’s take a closer look into the GP100 family.
Due to its traditional design and caliber, the GP100.357 Magnum is the most loved model in the series. There are many options available even if you want a model in.357. Ruger produces a.357 GP100 with at least five barrel lengths and two finishes. It also offers fixed or adjustable sights and shrouds in full or short shrouds. These models are popular because they can handle all factory loads .357 mags and.38 special factory cartridges.
The GP100 classic model is the 4.2-inch barreled.357 Magnum with a blued finish. This gun measures 9.5 inches in length and is often carried by others. Others use it for home defense or range mules. The gun’s medium size makes it an excellent choice for multi-purpose shooting. It is also very user-friendly. Disassembly of revolvers is easy, but many people like the safety feature that protects against accidental discharge. The model’s simple sight system is effective and manageable, making follow-up shots very easy.
Beretta PX4 Storm
The Beretta is durably compacted, and it accommodates both right and left-handed shooters. It also features a unique and resistant hold that gives you a firm grip in life-threatening situations. Its 3-Dot sight system makes for easy acquiring of a moving target. One striking feature that makes it suitable for beginners is its automatic firing pin block that narrows the chances of accidental discharge. This bad boy serves as an ideal gift to novices.
One thing I learned was how to trigger the double-action/single-action system. It was a difficult lesson.
It seems too difficult for most people. The DA/SA system fell into relative obscurity after the striker-fired pistols and 1911. In 2000, Ernest Langdon won the USPSA Production Division National Championship. Heresy! ), but a DA/SA gun. Almost twenty years later, we can see DA/SA systems making a return, and everything old has been reinvented.
There is plenty of tried and true DA/SA FN’s superb FNX series is a great example.
The company that produced the pistol John McClane trusted has been quietly improving the product. The Beretta PX4 Storm is that gun.
TTAG was able to get all three sizes of the PX-4 Storm from Beretta, which makes many versions. I reviewed them all and then put them up against one another in a competition.
The rotating barrel design is one of the most interesting features of PX4 Storm series pistols. Unlike the vast majority of pistols on the market, the PX-4 Storm Full Size and Compact models eschew the venerable cam lock Grand Power X–Calibur. It is only the Beretta Cougar that I can locate it on.
The theory is that some of the recoil energy can be dispersed in the rotation of the barrel. This should result in a more in-line feeling of recoil and reduced muzzle flip – at least in comparison with tilt-barrel actions. The theory is true. It allows for a slightly lower bore axis which in practice means less muzzle rise.
It might work because the gun is a fast shooter. The lack of muzzle rise on the full-size version was expected, but the same can be said for the sub-compact model as well, which has the more typical Browning action. Each version of this gun is smooth and easy to use. I was able to see the front sight throughout the entire recoil cycle.
The heavy slide must be a major part of it. Although it works, it’s not pretty. The PX4 Storm should become a more popular pistol because of all its features, including the price, performance, and options. It may be because of the large slide, which I find just plain ugly.
It’s not the finish. The proprietary Bruniton coating, which is non-glare, is applied throughout. This gun has no tool marks or uneven spots. I would not expect it to have any tool marks or rough spots because it’s a Beretta.
There’s also that huge slide that sits on top of the small frame. This gives the gun an almost pit bull appearance. It gives the pistol a pit bull look. I dare.
This Beretta may remind you of a High Point.
Beretta PX4 Storm (R) next to a Beretta 92 (L)
This is not the end of it, but those wing-like, ambidextrous safetyties make the otherwise thin model too wide. The compact model is a good example. It is similar in size to the GLOCK 19. The specifications show that the Beretta is wider. This is due solely to the widths of the safeties. Both guns have almost the same slide width.
Flat tops are the norm on the PX4 Storm’s slide. Flat-top slides are my favorite. It drives my eyes to the sights. It also contributes to the pistol’s blocky appearance.
All three models have a strange grip. The handle on the polymer frame is quite small in comparison to the large metal slide on 92. It looks as though the grip extends from the frame. It’s actually angled back and does swell slightly at the palm.
This gun is much more comfortable than the 92 series. It fits smaller and medium-sized hands well. You might find that the grip is too narrow for your hands if you have larger hands. The full length will also be shorter.
Beretta has included a complete set of backstraps for all sizes in its pistol. Replacing the backstrap is easy with just a bar to pull in the magazine well. It is definitely worth the time to find the right one. The backstraps don’t make the pistol thicker. They simply add width to your grip, which increases the length of your pull. This pistol is not the right one if you want the same feel as the 92 series.
The front and back straps are nicely textured and there is plenty of room for three fingers underneath the gun. Do you mean all three? The subcompact is not the only one?
Here’s some Italian design genius that I haven’t seen on any other pistols. On the standard Sub Compact
Sig Sauer P320 (9mm)
You can’t get enough of the strength and maneuverability this model wields. Little wonder the Navy Seals carry the P226 as a sidearm. It comes with a clear night sight, hard but durable anodized aluminum frame, and a glowing Nitron – coated stainless steel slide with 15 rounds. The concealed size is not a problem but an additional advantage of its P320 Compact holster.
The versatile new striker-fired SIG Sauer 320 is a new line of guns from the New Hampshire manufacturer. A single “pistol”, with three different grip sizes, can be transformed into a full-size handgun or a compact or subcompact one.
They have the SIG look: a blocky slide that sits well above the receiver, a gracefully shaped butt section, and simplified controls. There is a strong family connection which means the New Hampshire designers have a new series to consider.
There are many features that make this gun stand out, but the most important is the lack of a traditional hammer. For this article, I was able to access the full-size P320 Compact and P320 Compact models. These were both 9 mm Luger semiautomatics. However, there are.40 S&Ws as well as.357 SIGs. And even.45 ACPs.
As I mentioned, the P320s have a striker-fired pistol. The striker-fired pistols are capable of striking the primer of a chambered cartridge. This is because the spring-loaded striker can be released to fire the gun. The pivoting hammer that struck a firing pin was used in previous SIG Sauer pistols. It was housed within the slide assembly. A firing pin spring would then retract the pin after firing the shot.
The P320s differ in that the striker moves forward by using a spring. When the slide moves to the rear of the striker, it is manually or under recoil, the striker will be cocked. Although the mechanical processes may be different, both methods give off a satisfying “boom”, when you press the trigger.
SIG Sauer’s semiautomatic pistols use the traditional exposed hammer with a visible spur since the 1970s. For most of that time, it paired the hammer to a unique double-action/single-action trigger system with no manual safety. However, the design included a decocking lever which allowed the handgunner safely to lower a cocked Hammer.
This system has stood the test. Although the maker tried several trigger systems, including the Kellerman, a simple double-action-only system. However, there are many thousands of SIG Sauer pistols, including the government-issue M11, that provide excellent service with the original, unique SIG lockwork.
Why is SIG Sauer now considering a striker-fired gun? Many handgunners, rightly or wrongly, believe that the striker-fired pistol is the best choice. Even some handgunners believe that polymer is the best way to make pistol receivers, while traditional steel and aluminum alloys are obsolete.
While polymer has some advantages with weight and contouring, the truth is that metal receivers offer other benefits, and that are why we still have them. We now have many options. SIG Sauer has built the P320 to satisfy handgunners looking for a SIG equipped with a polymer receiver, striker-based firing system, and a polymer receiver.
SIG’s last new product, the P250 pistol, was used to achieve these features. The 2008 rollout was a big step in modularity. The gun’s modular system was constructed around a metal lockwork frame, which housed the trigger, hammer, and other parts. It was also marked with the serial number.
To make a complete pistol receiver, the frame could be slipped into various grip modules. On this part, a slide assembly can be fitted. This includes the barrel, striker, and recoil spring. The barrel and recoil spring determined the caliber, while the capacity was determined by the cartridge-specific magazines. This was an amazing system that allowed the gun owner to swap between different calibers, barrel lengths, and magazine capacities.
Most P250s were hammer-fired and used SIG’s original DA/SA trigger system. These parts were also used to create grip modules and special magazines for the P250 system.
This brings us to the review of the P320 guns. There were two versions of the P320 guns available at the time of writing, the Full-Size or Compact. Both are 9 mm Luger. There will be many other variants, including the Carry and Subcompact models as well as the full range calibers. We have the Full-Size P320 Service Pistol first. The large holster gun measures 8.05″x5.51″,x1.38″ (length and width), and weighs 29.4 Oz. empty.
The barrel of this gun is 4.69 inches long. The sheet-steel magazines can hold 17 rounds 9 mm Luger ammunition. The total on-tap number is either 18 or nine fast pairs, depending on whether you have a magazine and a round chambered. The front and rear sights fit into the top of each slide. They can be drift-adjustable to adjust windage. Both sample pistols had SigLite night sights. This is a tritium-three-dot system.
This gun’s trigger system is described by the maker as DAO. It means that the internal striker of the gun is cocked through the movement and recoiling slide. Trigger pressure is used to complete the final bit of cocking and also clears internal safety ties. Releasing the trigger finger will return internal drop safety ties to their original position.
Read: What you need to know about New Mexico Gun Laws
Springfield XD Mod 2
Still sampling and gun hunting? This bad boy is your best stop from a top-notch Melonite finish to a full-size XD bright Max-X tension magazine. And yes, it has an exclusive 30% improved Grip Zone that makes it easy to control and recoil. There is also an additional 4-inch barrel length making it a top pantheon ready for unexpected moves. The list would not be complete without this beauty weighing only 27.5 oz when fully loaded.
Since its inception, the Springfield XD-S is a very popular model. The XD-S is a popular model in an increasingly crowded category of EDC pistols. However, it has always been near the top of the best handguns for home defense. I spent a few days getting to know the Mod.2 9mm version.
Why not consider the Springfield XD–S Mod.2 9mm
The XD–S platform is designed for concealed carry. It is a subcompact, single-stack, striker-fired pistol, which is lightweight and thin. The pistol can be concealed with casual clothing and with formal attire. The XD-S pistol can be used as a carry gun when you don’t have a larger double-stack or smaller pistol.
The XD–S model has a good track record of reliability (except the 2013 early recall issue that Springfield managed very well). It also has no design flaws or problems. It’s a solid platform. Mod.2 is primarily an exterior and aesthetic update. It should only bring advantages. The future will be interesting. These are the specifications:
Springfield Armory XD.2 3.3’’ 9mm Specs
- Caliber: 9x19mm
- Length: 6.3″
- Height: 4.3″
- Width: .975″
- Barrel: 3.3 inches hammer-forged, Melonite finish
- Weight: 21oz. (w/empty magazine)
- Slide Finish: Black (Melonite).
- Magazines: One 7-rd magazine w/pinky extension, one 9-rd extended mag, and one flush base plate
- MSRP: $524 (fiber optic sight), $586 (Tritium sight), $555 (w/Fiber + Viridian laser)
Conclusion
In conclusion, we could comfortably go on and on with the list, but we broke a leg and selected the best for you. Some guns develop issues like jamming almost immediately after purchase; that is why it is best you avoid making mistakes and risking your life.
You would put your life on heels when the bad guy is with an excellent gun. While it may seem convenient to pick cheap and fresh firearms, we recommend you save your household by choosing from this list of the best handguns for home defense. They are professionally proven and reliable.
