5 Best Guns For Self Defense in 2025: When you’re dealing with a personal defense weapon, remember the word “personal.” It doesn’t matter what I or any of the thousands of very experienced gun-hands who write for magazines say.
It is YOUR weapon.
So, unless you are in the military, law enforcement, or another government organization, you have a choice.
The gun you choose is the one that you need to save your life.
So, it must be one that you’re comfortable holding, aiming, and shooting. You may like one you see here, great. If not, even better; you found one that works for you.
The choice is subjective and personal. You deal with a person’s built-in biases whenever a column like this is published. For instance, I love the M1911A1 .45 auto. I also detested the M-92 Beretta 9mm. Many troops in the military loved it. It doesn’t make any of us wrong. It is a personal choice.
Enough of that. Let’s move on to some other topics.
5 Best Guns For Self Defense
It is tough to narrow down a list to just five weapons because there are literally dozens of worthy weapons. So, I’ll stick with weapons I’ve owned, used, or had the opportunity to fire.
Another consideration before we get into the pistols on our list is whether this weapon will be concealed carry on your person or strictly a home defense weapon. It matters because you’d want a full-sized pistol if it’s for home defense. Concealed carry may be slightly smaller, depending on your situation.
Training
Anyone can stick a weapon under their shirt and continue their business. Most will never have to use it to protect themselves or members of their families. A friend who used to teach Special Forces guys in a shooting course the Army trains on said that shooting accurately was 10 percent hardware and 90 percent software (meaning your brain).
Then, go out and put thousands of rounds downrange with that weapon until it becomes an extension of your arm.
If you haven’t been in the military or law enforcement, getting professional training is never bad. Even if you have been, shooting courses are fun and a great way to get back on track. Being confident in your weapon and yourself is essential. We can all pick up bad habits, especially if you haven’t shot for a while, that a pro can pick up on and help you correct.
Feel
That means, how does the weapon fit and feel in your hand? While a pro football player (or Bullet Tooth Tony) may be able to handle a Desert Eagle .50, a woman with smaller hands and even many men may find that iconic weapon a bit too much to handle.
There are many other considerations regarding fit and feel; again, they are subjective. Curved or straight grips? Rubber, wood, or polymer grips? Weight is important in CCW, especially if you plan to carry it all day/night. Some bigger-frame pistols can get heavy after a 12-16-hour day.
Caliber
The caliber of your ammo is always an important factor. As I said earlier, I was always a fan of .45 ACP. However, the 9mm is the most popular round and ammunition found anywhere today. Other considerations are .380, .40 S&W, .357 Magnum, and, of course, the .45 ACP. But there are many, many more.
So, Let’s go check out some great pistols.
Glock 19, 9mm:
The Glock has to be on the list. It is compact enough to be concealed and powerful enough to be widely used by law enforcement and military forces around the world.
The Glock 19 is lightweight (24 ounces) and carries 17 rounds in the magazine plus one in the chamber. The Gen 5 has moved away from the finger groves that I didn’t care for. The Glock 19 MOS has a built-in cutout for a red dot. For those new to the game, the red dot makes it much easier to focus on your target.
Glock 19X. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The Glock gives the shooter the perfect blend of a service weapon in a compact package. It may be one of the most popular concealed-carry pistols of all time.
I’ll be honest: I disliked the weapons back then, but they grew on me. Now, I’d take one anywhere, and if that’s your weapon of choice, it will serve you well and may well be the pistol that all the others are compared to. The Glock 17 is a fantastic pistol as well.
SigSauer P320 XCompact, 9mm:
The Sig P320 is rapidly becoming the go-to pistol for concealed carriers in the US. It is the slightly shorter version of the excellent Sig P320 XCarry. The barrel length is 3.6 inches (compared to 3.9), and with the shorter grip, it is easier to conceal but still able to carry 15 rounds in the magazine plus 1 in the chamber, just fine for home defense.
Sig Sauer P320 which is similar to the Sig Sauer M18.
The weapon weighs 25.3 ounces and has excellent night sights installed, although the slide is set up to add a red dot. The ergonomics of the Sig pistols are unmatched. And if you’ve never fired one, the flat trigger is outstanding and allows for easy and quick sight readjustment when firing multiple shots.
The P320 XCompact gets extremely high marks and is extremely reliable and, as all SigSauer pistols are, very accurate. The finish and fit in your hand are outstanding right out of the box. Shoot one of these once, and you’ll be sold.
Smith & Wesson Model 686 Plus:
Having owned Smith & Wesson’s before, they make some of the very best revolvers in the world. Their automatics have never felt comfortable in my hand, but I know many people who swear by them. But back to the Model 686 Plus. The plus means you have seven shots rather than six in a normal wheelgun.
Smith and Wesson 686 Image Credit – Creative Commons
I would opt for the one in .357 Magnum, which is a potent cartridge. The choice here is simplicity. If this weapon is going to be used by an inexperienced shooter, then a misfire is easily fixed—just keep pulling the trigger. And training with .38 Special rounds is easier and cheaper.
Colt Lightweight Commander, .45 ACP:
The Colt Lightweight Commander is a very accurate, fast-shooting pistol. Its slim single-stack magazine makes it an excellent concealed-carry choice.
Colt made this model with an aluminum frame, which cuts down on the weight and comes in at 27 ounces. It features Colt’s dual recoil spring, which is supposed to cut down on the recoil while prolonging the life of the recoil springs. It also comes in a 9mm model as well. The barrel length is 4.25 inches with an overall length of 7.75 inches, so it is concealable but not so small as to make it uncomfortable to shoot, especially with a caliber as large as the .45 ACP. The magazine holds 8 +1.
Like all 1911s, the weapon comes with excellent Novak sights and is a joy to shoot. Like the Walther PPK, the venerable 1911-type pistols have lasted this long for a very good reason. They are very reliable, shoot exceptionally well, and are accurate.
SigSauer P365XL, 9mm:
Another excellent pistol from SigSauer, the folks at the factory took an already excellent weapon in the P365 and made it even better with the XL model. The XL has a 15-round magazine (15+1), and they extended the barrel by 0.6 inches, which helps with a longer sight radius, which is supposed to help with accuracy.
Although it is a tad longer, it weighs just 20 ounces. The longer grip allows for a very comfortable feel, and of course, it comes with Sig’s outstanding ergonomics. Of course, they included that flat trigger, which is such a nice feature to shoot with. The slide is perfectly designed to install a red dot optic, and the one I had the opportunity to fire had the factory Sig Romeo red dot optic. And it was accurate.
The SigSauer P365XL is another ideal concealed carry weapon, especially if the shooter has larger hands; otherwise, the P365 may be a better option. But it is an incredibly accurate, smooth pistol built with Sig’s well-deserved reputation of excellence.
Honorable mention: FN 509 Compact, CZ P-10C. Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard .38
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
