Handguns
Thirty models grouped by what they physically are, so you can see the shape of the market rather than one writer's ranking of it.
Handgun buying splits cleanly along one axis before any other: how much gun you are willing to carry. Everything else — capacity, shootability, sight radius, whether it takes an optic — follows from that first decision. The segments below are ordered from smallest to largest, then by tier.
Optics-ready is now close to standard across the market. If you are adding a dot, read the footprint guide first — buying an optic your slide is not cut for is the single most common way to waste money in this category.
Looking for comparisons or reviews?
This page is a catalogue — what exists, organised by form factor and tier. It deliberately does not run head-to-head matchups or name a "best" carry gun. For that, our sister site DefensiveHandgun.com has forty model-versus-model comparisons and nineteen individual reviews, including the litigation history where it exists. Use this page to see what is available; use that one to decide between two guns.
Micro-compact and slimline
The dominant carry category. Sub-1-inch slide widths, 10–15 round capacity, and almost all of them now ship optics-ready. This is where most of the market's development effort has gone since 2018.
Compact and full-size striker-fired
The everyday and duty tier. Larger grips, higher capacity, and generally easier to shoot well than the micro-compacts — at the cost of concealment.
Metal frame, 1911 and 2011 pattern
Heavier, generally softer shooting, and where the enthusiast money goes. Steel and alloy frames in single-action or hybrid designs.
Budget tier
Under the mainstream price floor. Build quality varies more here than anywhere else in the market, and so do warranty experiences.
Revolver
Still the simplest manual of arms available, and the only common action type indifferent to ammunition that won't cycle a slide.