5 Highly Rated Handguns for Self Defense – Street/Home

By Tom Hererra, Staff Writer

Recent studies have shown,  a U.S. home is burglarized every 26 seconds – that’s over 3000 invasions every day.  Law enforcement experts said the future is bleak, as these invasions are on the rise, in spite of more complex security systems and video surveillance.

Most people envision a home invasion occurring when they are not at home, but the fact is, home invasions are very dangerous when home owners are present. The emotional scars of such a situation highly overshadow any personal property that may be stolen.

Many families understand the risk and have taken strong measures to ensure that their family is as protected as possible.  Studies show that millions of crimes are prevented each year by legal gun owners.

These gun owners very seldomly are in a position to need their weapons, but if they do, firearms owners want the best in protection.  But finding the “best” weapon can be a tricky ordeal for those who are not experts in the field.

The experts agree, any weapon used for him defense should be reliable, tested, and maintained so that when it is needed, it’s ready for action.

There are so many options that homeowners can get overwhelmed by the choices.  The good news is there are very few bad choices, but the weapons below have been tested over the years and held up better than any other.

This is the all star lineup of handguns.

No matter what weapon you choose for any reason, the most important thing to do is to take the gun to the range, practice, and clean your weapon thoroughly with the best CLP you can possibly find (we use GunEze www.guneze.com).

Also, the weapon should be stored in a safe place and if you have children in your house, you should take every precaution to make sure they have no access to the weapon.  This cannot be stressed enough.

This is our list for home self defense:

The S&W M&P is used by military and police throughout the country.  It is somewhat larger than most of the handguns we looked at and would probably not be a great choice for concealed carry.

This is the weapon we recommend for beginners because some models include a safety.  The safety feature is on that should be included for all novice shooters – in fact, it’s not bad for even seasoned shooters.  The safety can be extremely helpful in high stress situations.

This is the smallest of the weapons on our list.  Sig makes a great weapon and the P365 is arguably the best.  This is a sub-compact version of the P320 and one of the drawbacks is the smaller magazine capacity.

When it comes to home self-defense, 6 rounds should be more than enough.  Also, spare magazines are not hard to come by, so we don’t worry about the capacity.  Also, those with smaller hands may find the P365 more comfortable.

Glock has certainly built a brand known for reliability and function, at a fairly reasonable price.  Police departments carry Glocks more than any other service firearm and the Glock 19 has been one of the most tried and true weapons in their lineup.

This compact pistol in 9mm has a great magazine capacity at 16 rounds.  Another great feature for Glocks is that there are many aftermarket accessories including optics, barrels, grips, and triggers.  Most owners don’t do much customization because they come from the factory very well set up.

Although Glock manufactures roughly 50 different models, the Glock 19 continues to be one of the most popular.

The Sig Sauer P320 is well-known by top tier shooters, even though it is Sig’s entry-level Polymer frame handgun.  This weapon is a little more expensive than most entry level weapons and considered the “Cadillac” of everyday handguns.

While  similar to the Glock 19 in size, caliber, and reliability, there are some differences that set the P320 apart.  The extended slide and magazine release allows for quicker reloads, which is a nice feature, but not a huge benefit for most.

The Glock 43 is a 9mm subcompact handgun similar to the Glock 19, just smaller.  This is a great weapon for those with smaller hands.  Many ladies like the Glock 43 because it has a smooth pull and the frame is engineered to feel comfortable for those who are around five feet tall or so.

The weapon is just as functional and reliable as the Glock 19.  While we wouldn’t recommend this as an everyday shooter for someone bigger, it is certainly not inoperable for someone on the larger size.  This is a good weapon to keep in a bedroom where a man or woman may be going for the weapon.

Conclusion

There are unlimited choices for weapons, but not every choice makes sense in every situation.  When choosing a handgun, some preparation is best.  Although any weapon on this list is suitable for home self-defense, some are better than others based on the shooter.  We recommend that any shooter interested in these weapons find a range that rents these weapons and try them out.  Subtle differences can make an impact and you want to love the weapon you are relying on.

Thank you to our sponsor Guneze.  www.guneze.com