Which handgun should I buy?

With so many options and opinions out there, choosing a handgun for self-defense can feel overwhelming. This post cuts through the noise by focusing on what truly matters in high-stress situations.

Ok, so you’ve decided to buy a gun for personal protection, evaluated the use cases and types , and decided to start with a handgun , but, now what?

When you're selecting a handgun for self-defense, the number of choices can be overwhelming. Most gun buying advice you’ll find online or at the gun shop tends to focus on marksmanship, competition shooting, or range performance where features like long sight radius or trigger feel take center stage. While those factors matter, they don’t always translate to what counts most in a real self-defense situation.

In this post, we’ll walk through the most important factors to consider specifically through the lens of self defense, including the commonly overlooked yet critical factor in a self defense context: efficiency under stress.

Efficiency Under Stress

In a real defensive encounter, your brain and body are under extreme stress. Fine motor skills degrade. There’s a distortion in the perception of time. Blood pressure rises, blood flow changes, moving resources from extremity to critical organs, and literally hundreds of other physiological changes that kick in when your fight or flight response is triggered. That’s why your handgun should support simple, repeatable actions with minimal unnecessary extra steps or decisions required.

Manual safety levers, decockers, or unnecessary buttons may seem like useful safety features, but they create opportunities for hesitation and failure. If you have to remember whether the safety is on, or which direction to flip it, or whether you decocked the gun before reholstering, you’re introducing unnecessary risk.

The most efficient self-defense handguns:

Bottom line: Pick a gun with minimal controls, that’s easy to use and works the same way every time, even when you’re stressed. Read on to learn how and why different types of handguns are more or less efficient as shown above.

Revolver vs. Semi-Automatic: Which Is Right for You?

Let’s start with the big-picture choice: revolver or semi-automatic pistol.

Revolvers are mechanically simple, and their operation is often more intuitive for first-time shooters. They don't have external safeties to manipulate or slides to rack, and they rarely jam . For someone who doesn’t plan to train much, a revolver can be a dependable “grab and go” option.

Revolver advantages:

However, that simplicity comes with trade-offs:

Semi-automatics, by contrast, are more complex but offer significant advantages:

For most people committed to training, even occasionally, a modern semi-auto pistol offers more capability without sacrificing reliability.

One common challenge some shooters face, especially those new to firearms or with limited hand strength, is racking the slide on a semi-automatic pistol. The slide must be pulled back with enough force to chamber a round and cock the firing mechanism, and for some, this feels intimidating or physically difficult. As a result, many people, particularly seniors, individuals with arthritis, or those with smaller hands, are steered toward revolvers under the assumption that they are easier to operate.

It’s true that upper body strength plays a role, but strength is only part of the equation. In most cases, difficulty racking the slide comes down to technique, not muscle. Ma ny beginners try to pull the slide straight back using only their fingertips or by holding the gun away from their body, which puts them at a mechanical disadvantage. A proper technique, using the push-pull method, anchoring the gun close to the body, and using the stronger muscles of the shoulders and chest, can make racking the slide much easier and far more consistent, even for people with limited grip strength.

While revolvers do have simpler manual operation, there’s no slide to rack, they come with their own trade-offs, such as lower capacity, heavier trigger pulls, and more complex reloads under stress. If you’re choosing a revolver solely because the slide on a semi-auto feels difficult, it’s worth spending time with a qualified instructor or trainer who can coach you on proper technique. Many people who once thought they couldn't manage a semi-auto are surprised at how quickly they build confidence and control with just a bit of hands-on guidance.

Bottom line: If you want ease of use and don’t plan to train much, a small-frame revolver may be fine. However, a semi-auto is the more practical, versatile, and efficient choice for self-defense.

Hammer-Fired vs. Striker-Fired Pistols: What’s Best for Simplicity?

If you’ve decided on a semi-automatic pistol, the next choice is between hammer-fired and striker-fired models.

Double Action/Single Action (DA/SA) models are a common hammer-fired design that have a heavy, long trigger pull for the first shot and a lighter, shorter pull for the rest. This inconsistency makes them harder to use under stress and require more training compared to guns with the same trigger pull every time. While some shooters prefer the tactile feedback and visible hammer, the varied trigger pull and extra levers can make them harder to run efficiently under stress.

Striker-fired guns, like Glocks or many Sig Sauer models, use a spring-loaded firing pin that’s partially cocked inside the slide, like the tension you feel when pulling back a pinball plunger. Because of their medium weight triggers, striker-fired guns often require no manual safety or decocker levers that increase complexity and every trigger pull feels the same. This consistency supports better performance under stress and faster learning during training.

This is one reason why striker-fired pistols without manual safeties, like the Glock 19, have become dominant in both law enforcement and civilian defensive circles. They’re safe when holstered, but immediately ready when drawn. No levers, no switches, no confusion, and they typically have medium trigger length weight and length, making them efficient to fire a defensively accurate string of fire under stress.

Bottom line: Unless you have extensive training with hammer-fired pistols, striker-fired options are more efficient for real-world defense.

Ammunition Caliber

Once you've decided on the type of handgun, you'll need to choose a caliber. While handguns come in a wide range, 9mm stands out as the ideal balance for defensive use against human threats.

Here’s why:

1. Availability and Cost

2. Ballistic Performance

3. Manageable Recoil

4. Special Consideration: Animal Defense

While some online forums argue that 9mm is insufficient for defending against large, aggressive animals, the reality is that such encounters are extremely rare. According to the National Park Service, the odds of being injured by a grizzly bear are about 1 in 2.7 million visits. You're statistically more likely to be killed by a bee, and far more likely to face violence from another person.

If you're primarily concerned about animal threats, a high-quality bear spray is often a better first line of defense and more effective in most bear encounters than a firearm. However, for those who live, work, or hike in areas with a real risk of large predator attacks, more powerful handgun calibers like .357 Magnum (revolver), 10mm Auto, or .44 Magnum may be more appropriate. These offer deeper penetration and greater energy transfer which are important factors when stopping a charging animal at close range.

Bottom line: For typical self-defense needs, 9mm remains the best overall choice due to its balance of power, recoil control, cost, and availability. But in environments where animal threats are a serious concern, your caliber choice should reflect that specific risk.

Ergonomics and Fit

A self-defense gun isn’t just a mechanical tool, it’s an extension of your body under pressure. That’s why how a gun fits your hand and how naturally you can operate it are just as important as caliber or brand. When lives are on the line, comfort, control, and consistency become critical.

Why Fit and Ergonomics Matter

Poorly fitting guns are harder to shoot well. They increase the risk of fumbling, inconsistent grip, missed shots, and slower response times.

A defensive handgun should:

You should also be able to manage the recoil and maintain your grip throughout a rapid string of shots. If the gun feels top-heavy, snappy, or awkward in your hands, you’re less likely to perform well under stress.

Bottom line: A good fit in the hand, easy access to controls, and manageable recoil matter just as much as size or caliber when your life may depend on it.

Additional Feature Considerations

While simplicity is key, certain features add real value in worst-case scenarios. If deciding between two options otherwise satisfying the other requirements spelled out here, these features may help you make your final choice. Treat this as optional though as most of these features can easily be added later for most popular striker fired handgun models.

Bottom line: Avoid guns with overly smooth surfaces, tiny controls, or bulky additions that make emergency manipulation harder. Every feature on a self-defense handgun should serve a clear purpose—and that purpose should be survival under duress.

Size Matters: Balancing Shootability with Concealability

Larger guns are easier to shoot accurately, but harder to conceal making the best sized gun dependent on use case.

Larger handguns—with longer barrels and full-size grips—offer significant advantages:

These features make full-size pistols an excellent choice for home defense, where concealability isn’t a concern and performance matters most.

Smaller Guns Are Easier to Conceal—but Harder to Master

When it comes to concealed carry, the calculus changes. A smaller gun:

However, those benefits come at a cost:

Grip Length vs. Barrel Length

Quick Summary: Home vs. Carry

Use Case

Recommended Size

Home Defense

Full-size handgun with full grip and longer barrel for better control and accuracy

Concealed Carry

The smallest gun you can shoot well, ideally with enough grip for control and a barrel long enough to aid stability and concealment

Bottom Line: Your self-defense gun should strike a balance—large enough to shoot comfortably and control under stress, but small enough to conceal if you plan to carry it. Many ranges rent a variety of different sizes and models making it possible to try before you buy. To determine the right size and fit for you, it’s highly recommended you try a variety of models and see what works best for you.

Final Thoughts

The best handgun for self-defense is one that you can operate consistently, confidently, and instinctively under pressure. That means unless your primary concern is animal defense, we recommend:

Keep it simple. Train consistently. And trust that when stress spikes and seconds count, your minimalist, well-chosen gear won’t get in your way.

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