{"id":83259,"date":"2017-12-06T10:14:22","date_gmt":"2017-12-06T15:14:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=83259"},"modified":"2017-12-06T10:14:22","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T13:09:55","slug":"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Editor\u2019s Note:<\/strong>\u00a0The following is a post by\u00a0Mark Kakkuri, a nationally published freelance writer who covers guns and gear, 2nd Amendment issues and the outdoors. His writing and photography have appeared in many firearms-related publications, including the USCCA\u2019s Concealed Carry Magazine. You can follow him on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/markkakkuri\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">Twitter @markkakkuri.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Read Mark\u2019s previous articles in this \u201cTop Five\u201d series:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/top-five-types-revolver-grips\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">Top Five Types of Revolver Grips<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/top-five-questions-i-get-as-a-gun-owner\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">And Top Five Questions I Get as a Gun Owner<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/top-five-glock-enhancements\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">The Top Five Glock Enhancements<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/top-five-belly-bands\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">Top Five Belly Bands<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/top-five-hollywood-gun-handling-awards\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">Top Five Hollywood Gun Handling Awards<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every now and again, someone in my immediate proximity finds out I write about guns. About half a second after that discovery, a question or two surfaces. Sometimes more, some good, some zany. Which gun for this? Which gun for that? What do you think about carrying dual Mac 10s with a 10mm 1911 as a backup?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m glad to answer the questions, but I\u2019m also quick to explain that there\u2019s a lot I don\u2019t know, that what works for me might not work for others, be sure to get formal training, etc. Still, I\u2019ve had the privilege to shoot a bit and over the years have discovered some trends in the questions as well as the answers. So, here are the top five handguns I\u2019ve recommended and the questions that usually precede them.<\/p>\n<h2>1. What do you think is the best all-around handgun?<\/h2>\n<p>By this, the questioner is really asking: What\u2019s the one gun I should buy to handle three key duties: general range\/target shooting, self-defense\/concealed carry and house\/vehicle\/backcountry? Truly a tough gun to beat in the versatility category is the Glock 19.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_83263\" style=\"width: 534px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83263\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\"wp-image-83263\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply-1024x946.jpg\" alt=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" width=\"524\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply-1024x946.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply-150x139.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply-325x300.jpg 325w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply-768x710.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Glock19DiscountTacticalSupply.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 524px) 100vw, 524px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83263\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Glock 19. A great, all-around handgun. (<em>Photo: Discount Tactical Supply\/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s reliable, accurate, durable, endlessly accessorizable, concealable, simple to use, easy to maintain and useful in a myriad of circumstances. It\u2019s a 9mm so the ammo costs won\u2019t break the bank. This is important because with 15 rounds in one magazine and it being a hoot to shoot, you\u2019ll blow through ammo quickly. If you really can only have one gun, then this might be it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>***Buy a Glock 19 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=Glock%2019\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica<\/a>***<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>2. What do you think is the best all-around concealed carry handgun?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83264\" style=\"width: 394px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83264\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\" wp-image-83264\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports-377x300.jpg\" alt=\"RugerLC9s\" width=\"384\" height=\"305\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports-377x300.jpg 377w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports-150x120.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports-768x612.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports-1024x816.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLC9sOudoorSports.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83264\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Ruger LC9s is affordable, easy to carry and reliable. (<em>Photo: Outdoor Sports\/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Similar to the first question, by this, the questioner is really asking: What\u2019s the one small gun I should buy for concealed carry? This one is far more difficult to answer because there are so many good choices out there. But one I consistently recommend is the Ruger LC9s. It\u2019s reliable, accurate, durable, very accessorizable, exceptionally concealable, relatively simple to use, easy to maintain and, as such, a very good concealed carry gun. This is a gun you can shoot a lot (but probably won\u2019t) and that you\u2019ll carry far more than you would a larger gun.<\/p>\n<p>Usually, the questioner wants a single gun for concealed carry, one gun they can know well and safely use. While all gun use requires observing the basic gun safety rules, the LC9s offers additional safety features such as an external safety and magazine disconnect. We can argue all day long about the efficacy of these features but some people love them. Plus, the Ruger LC9s retails for $479, which is a tremendous value for what you\u2019re getting.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>***Buy a Ruger LC9s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=Ruger%20LC9s\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica*<\/a>**<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>3. You carry a revolver? Which one?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83265\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLCR-RRGunShop.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83265\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-83265\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLCR-RRGunShop-400x296.jpg\" alt=\"Ruger LCR\" width=\"400\" height=\"296\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLCR-RRGunShop-400x296.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLCR-RRGunShop-150x111.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RugerLCR-RRGunShop.jpg 475w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83265\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ruger LCR is simple to operate and easy to shoot. (<em>Photo: R&amp;R Gun Shop\/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>After I tell people how much I enjoy the LC9s for concealed carry, I\u2019ll sometimes add a comment along the lines of: \u201cWell, sometimes, I carry a snub-nosed revolver\u2026\u201d And that prompts the two questions. Here, the questioner is really thinking, \u201cPhew, revolver. I knew it was a viable option. Let\u2019s find out more,\u201d as if they would have been embarrassed to admit they had actually considered it at all. Here is where I extol the virtues of my two favorites: virtually any S&amp;W J-frame and the Ruger LCR.<\/p>\n<p>I recommend the S&amp;W for its utter reliability and simplicity of operation combined with excellent hide-ability (with the right boot grip, of course) and the Ruger for its utter reliability and simplicity of operation combined with excellent shootability. An LCR is larger than a typical J-frame but comes with an outstanding rubber stock, which makes it a smidge more difficult to hide but totally worth it. While the S&amp;W might be easier to conceal, it is a smidge more difficult to shoot and it tends to hurt a bit more (depending on the ammunition used).<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_83266\" style=\"width: 613px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83266\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\" wp-image-83266\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports-400x278.jpg\" alt=\"Smith &amp; Wesson Revolvers\" width=\"603\" height=\"420\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports-400x278.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports-150x104.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports-768x534.jpg 768w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports-1024x712.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/SWRevolvers-ElkCastleShootingSports.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83266\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shop for these Model 36-10 and other J-Frame S&amp;W Revolvers <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=J%20Frame\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica<\/a>. (<em>Photo: Elk Castle Shooting Sports\/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The other thing I like about these guns is that some of them are chambered for the .357 Magnum cartridge. Though shooting .357s from a snubnose is neither required nor for the faint of heart \u2014 .38 Special +P is certainly adequate \u2014 it is fun. For about 10 to 15 rounds.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>***Buy a Ruger LCR <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=Ruger%20LCR\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica<\/a>***<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>4. What\u2019s the best house or truck gun?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83267\" style=\"width: 408px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Model686Plus.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83267\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-83267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Model686Plus-398x300.jpg\" alt=\"Model 668 Plus Smith Wesson\" width=\"398\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Model686Plus-398x300.jpg 398w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Model686Plus-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Model686Plus.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 398px) 100vw, 398px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83267\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">With a seven round capacity, the Smith &amp; Wesson 686 Plus is a solid truck gun. (<em>Photo: Laughlin&#8217;s \/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here, the questioner is really asking what potent defensive option that he or she won\u2019t be carrying much at all can be stored safely loaded and ready to go. That means weight isn\u2019t too much of an issue and with increased weight comes an increase in shootability, even with larger calibers.<\/p>\n<p>So, for the gun that\u2019s not going to make many appearances and needs to be utterly reliable and simple to use, I\u2019ve often recommended a Smith &amp; Wesson 686+. Seven rounds of .357 Magnum or .38 Special puts a smile on my face every time at the range. Plus, maintenance is simple and accessories readily available. With the right holster, this could also be the answer to which gun would be best for backcountry duty.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>***Shop for a S&amp;W 686 Plus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=Smith%20%26%20Wesson%20686%20plus\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica<\/a>***<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>5. What gun is the most fun to shoot?<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_83270\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RockIslandArmoryTCM9mm.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-83270\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-83270\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RockIslandArmoryTCM9mm-400x266.jpg\" alt=\"Rock Island 1911\" width=\"400\" height=\"266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RockIslandArmoryTCM9mm-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RockIslandArmoryTCM9mm-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/RockIslandArmoryTCM9mm.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-83270\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Rock Island Armory 1911 in .22 TCM is a really fun gun to shoot! (<em>Photo: Gun Pro Armory\/GunsAmerica<\/em>)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>I love this question. Here, the questioner is really asking, \u201cWhat\u2019s the most enjoyable gun to shoot \u2014 the one that\u2019ll have you laughing as you load it and grinning as you watch your friends shoot it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For me, that would be a Rock Island Armory 1911 in .22 TCM. Fired from this platform, the .22 TCM offers an outrageously loud report, a fireball the size of a basketball, soft recoil and the fast cycling of a 1911 with its short, single-action trigger.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s fun downrange too, as the rounds pepper whatever target you\u2019re aiming at. If you do your part, you\u2019ll enjoy fantastic accuracy enhanced by the fact that you can also fire quickly and, as mentioned, dynamically.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><strong>***Shop for a Rock Island Armory 1911 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/Search.aspx?Keyword=Rock%20Island%20Armory%201911\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"top-five-handguns-ive-recommended\" title=\"Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended\">on GunsAmerica<\/a>***<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>These are my opinions and I\u2019d love to hear yours. Later I\u2019ll write up a top five recommendations on guns that are relative newcomers to the market but deserve a mention since \u2026 well \u2026 they\u2019re so awesome right out of the gate. And maybe someday you\u2019ll see a top five on guns I\u2019d never recommend&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><em>Discover how you can join more than 200,000 responsibly armed Americans who already rely on the USCCA to protect their families, futures and freedoms: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uscca.com\/GunsAmerica\" campaign=\"USCCATop5\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\">USCCA.com\/gunsamerica<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every now and again, someone in my immediate proximity finds out I write about guns. About half a second after that discovery, a question or two surfaces. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":83260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,234,340],"tags":[132,586,127,626,621,544],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-83259","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-columns","9":"category-columns-ccw-edc","10":"tag-buzz","11":"tag-column","12":"tag-concealed-carry","13":"tag-opinion","14":"tag-pistol","15":"tag-top-5"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Top Five Handguns I\u2019ve Recommended<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here are the top five handguns I\u2019ve recommended and the questions that usually precede them. 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