Handguns

Understanding and rigorously implementing the basics of proper handgun shooting will improve your downrange performance.

VALUE GUIDE: RECENT 9MM HANDGUN RANKINGS

GUN NAME

ISSUE

GRADE

COMMENTS

Springfield XD(M) 4.5 XDMT9459FDEHCE TB 9mm, $505

Apr.

2019

A

Our Pick as a personal-defense, home-

defense, and tactical pistol.

Glock G34 Gen5 MOS PA3430103MOS 9mm, $710

Apr.

2019

A

The Gen5 guns are the best yet, with superior accuracy and features over earlier Glocks.

CZ-USA CZ P0-9 91620

9mm Luger, $402

Apr.

2019

B

Best Buy. CZ has managed to pack a lot of value into the P0-9. 19-round magazine. …

CNN has reported that federal authorities are searching for thousands of conversion devices that render semi-automatic Glock pistols into fully automatic weapons that are considered to be machine guns.

Readers have had a lot of challenges finding good wheelgun reloading devices. We were happy to help. Also, Reader Gail wonders about the 6.5 PRC, but not so much that a change is in the cards.

Log on toGun-Tests.comto read complete reviews of these products in the designated months.Highly-ranked products from older reviews are often available used at substantial discounts.

There should be a saying: Once you shoot a 1911, you won't go back. That's how some of our testers feel about the 1911 platform, which in a properly executed handgun will have a nice trigger, comfortable grip angle, good sights, and plenty of power in 45 ACP. And 1911s that you might carry don't have to have a big footprint, so with that in mind, we looked at a Commander and two Officer-size 1911 pistols with a street cost of about $450. Inexpensive doesn't necessarily equate to value in a 1911, but with the two Officer models, one each from Taurus and Taylor's, and a Commander from American Tactical, Inc. (ATI), we found some value-packed compact 1911s. Not perfect by any means, but good performance for the cost. Of course there are compromises, but that is to be expected in a 1911 that costs about $450. In fact, if we could disassemble and reassemble these compact 1911s into one optimal compact 1911, we would take the trigger from the ATI, the sights from the Taylor's, and the receiver from the Taurus.

What many concealed carry consumers do is use Gun Tests grades and write-ups to identify problems and things to look for when purchasing a firearm. But the final decision has to be made by the buyer, because a gun should fit the shooter like a pair of well-worn shoes. That requires very personal decision-making for the CCW licensee. With that said, here are five handguns I believe stand out above the others if you're looking for a handgun with modest recoil.

During the past year, revolvers have gotten a lot of attention. The introduction of the Taurus AirLite six-shot revolver, basically a six-shot J frame, was interesting. Ruger introduced a seven-shot 357 Magnum version of the GP100. The revolver, it seems, continues to interest the self-defense shooter who wants his or her carry handgun to agree with the Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) maxim. We have done reports on revolvers and on self-loading pistol magazines, but we've never tested revolver speedloaders. It seemed long overdue. We got together a team of revolver shooters, collected a number of revolvers, and ordered a range of revolver speedloaders. While the basic design of all speedloaders is similar, we discovered that there are important differences in the speedloaders that will be important to the user. Whether the speedloader is used for competition or defense, we think the reader who carries a revolver would be well advised to carry a speedloader, master the technique to deploy it, and choose the device well.