Intro to Handguns systems

Written By Trenton Richardson

Primary Use Cases for Handguns

For what purpose do we buy handguns? “For fun” is an entirely justifiable answer. However, when getting a handgun with the intent for defensive purposes, the following should be considered, as the capabilities and likelihood for each are different:

1.      Daily Carry – By and far the most important and likely scenario of deploying a firearm in general. The permissive environment which we spend all our time in means we can expect others to act according to rule of law, however we will never be able to predict when they do not (otherwise we wouldn’t leave the house that day)

2.      Range Day – The second most likely scenario (if you carry your firearm, hopefully). This includes training with your handgun for defense scenarios, competitive shooting matches, and just fun with the boys

3.      Home Defense – Someone has threatened you in your home and you must protect yourself and your family.

4.      Semi permissive emergency – includes defensive scenarios where the rule of law still applies, such as natural disaster. A known higher level of risk associated given historical examples. Cannot necessarily trust others to act with accordance to the law given necessity of the situation and opportunistic predators.

5.      High level emergency/warfare – SHTF (Shit Hit The Fan) and the rule of law no longer applies. Either you are doing whatever you can to survive or engaging in offensive/defensive guerrilla style activities in support of resistance to an opposing force, whether it’s a foreign or domestic tyrannical entity. We can fantasize about this, but in reality we’ve already lost big time if this has occurred.

 

 

Considerations

What should drive your selection of a handgun? It can be easy to get lost the myriad of offerings from the gun industry for handguns, as well as whatever trend is hot at the time. The following considerations should drive  the purchase of a defensive oriented handgun:

1.      Reliability – can you trust the gun to go bang (and not bang when it isn’t supposed to). If not, it’s not for serious use, period.

2.      Comfort – people will write this one off but if its not comfortable, face it, you won’t wear it. If you don’t wear it, you won’t have it when you need it. It doesn’t matter how many rounds your magazine has if you don’t have the tool when you need it.

a.      Comfort in your hand is also important, given it will determine how you interact and shoot the gun. However, this can be trained around

3.      Frame size – this determines #1 how well you can put rounds on target and 2# how many rounds you have in 1 magazine #3 how well you can conceal the weapon

4.      RDS compatibility – you will eventually want a red dot sight. Provides much better target acquisition and ability to actively identify what you are shooting at, particularly at range. Not all mounting solutions are made equal though (ex in 2025: Glock MOS)

5.      Parts compatibility – whether at the range or in an emergency, compatibility with the most common handguns systems is extremely under considered with the following benefits:

  • same magazine

  • same parts

  • Also if you train on the same gun most people have, you will be far more proficient in the scenario someone hands you one in a pinch. This is particularly important for handguns, since while the fundamentals remain the same, small differences in grip angle and handling do affect your performance much more. The same could be said for ammo but this is not much of a choice here in 2025. 9mm is king and anything else is wrong

Primary Handgun Types:

For the most part, handguns can be categorized by the following:

1.      Full size frame (ex G17/47, Sig P320, M&P 2.0) with varying barrel lengths

Pros:

·         Most controllable due to full size frame, making this the most effective for accuracy and recoil control

·         Best magazine capacity

Cons:

·         Only concealable with bulky clothes

 

2.      Intermediate size frame or compact (G19, P10c)

Pros:

·         Slightly more concealable than full size frame

·         Acceptable Magazine capacity

Cons:

·         Smaller frame will affect the ability to control recoil, particularly for people with larger hands

 

3.      Small size frame (G43/G48, P365/P365XL) with varying barrel lengths and frame lengths – key distinction here is the thinner width of the frame:

Pros:

·         Most Comfortable to carry and conceal

Cons:

·         Significantly smaller frame affects ability to control recoil

·         Smaller magazine capacity and magazine are not cross compatible with full/intermediate size frames

·         Only micro RDS footprints are compatible (this is negligible, just buy the right rds)

Recommended Handgun Systems:

Given the above, how do we achieve the capabilities we want when buying handguns. To streamline and avoid buyer’s remorse, there are a couple recommended routes.

 

Why Glock?

For the following, one will notice almost all the specific handguns recommended are made by Glock. The term in the gun industry for this might be a “Glock fanboy”. However, it’s not that I am a shill for the brand or must prove my choice of firearm is the right one. Rather, if you refer to the “Considerations” we should have for a defensive handgun, the following Glock does very well:

·         Reliability – not that other brands of handguns aren’t reliable, Glock just has an extremely long track record

·         Compatibility – it’s the most common brand in the US. I can easily share magazines, parts, and holsters.

·         Comfort - while not best in class, its good enough and can be trained around

·         Disadvantage: in 2025 RDS mounting for Glocks is not the best. The MOS mounting platform seems to work but is not as strong as a direct mount to the slide (you mount the plate to the slide then the sight to the plate). This can be corrected by just buying a “non-MOS” slide and have an optic cut milled (costs $125 from Wager Machine works)

 

 

Two potential systems:

1.      A full-size handgun combined with a small frame handgun

If you are willing to invest in 2 handguns, you can get the benefits of both. Small frame handguns are so much more comfortable and convenient to carry, the benefits out ways all the deficits. If you don’t have the gun on you when you need it, it doesn’t matter about capacity or anything else. Also, don’t listen to the gun store salesman.  It doesn’t matter how much they tell you that your “big body” can conceal an intermediate or even full-size frame gun. In the real world we like to be able to wear tighter clothes or not get a barrel jabbed into your pelvis every time you sit down. Furthermore, by also buying a full-size frame handgun, you will get the best performance for every other use case other than daily carry

Pros:

·         Best performance out of the full-size frame handgun

·         Best concealment from small frame carry gun

Cons:

·         Requires more training on two separate platforms

·         Require more investment in 2 guns and more magazines

·         Lower capacity in carry gun

 

Recommend Full Size Frame Handguns (All of the following): Glock G47, G17, or G19x – effectively all the same gun just different barrel or dust cover lengths. G47 and 17 might have an edge due to the longer barrel

·         Proven reliability

·         Magazine compatibility with the most common magazines (both g19 and g17)

*Consideration: you can get the MOS version to mount RDS, however the MOS footprint is not the best mounting solution in 2025. For $135, a non-MOS slide can have a optic cut added for desired RDS (Wager Machine Works)

Recommended small frame handguns:

a.      Glock G43 :

                                                              i.      Very short frame which can be concealed super comfortably

                                                            ii.      Small capacity (6+1), but can get +3 magazine plates to add 3 rounds as well as extend the frame

b.     Glock G43x/G48:

                                                              i.      Same as G43 but longer frame (same as G19)

                                                            ii.      Acceptable capacity (10+1)

Note: for the above two recommendations, some will suggest shield arms magazines to increase capacity to 15, however the reliability of these are dubious

c.      Sig P365:

                                                              i.      High capacity (15)

                                                            ii.      Enhanced trigger

                                                          iii.      Best in class ergonomics

                                                          iv.      Native rds compatibility

                                                            v.      Potentially not as reliable as Glock (only downside)

 

2.      A single intermediate size handgun

If you want a single, do it all firearm that you could carry but aren’t serious about always carrying on body, this might best serve you. The best in class is the Glock G19.

Pros:

·         Single handgun to invest all your training into (this is a big deal)

·         Effective in all use cases

·         Only have to purchase one handgun (or two of the same

·         Can be concealed well

Cons:

·         It is not nearly as comfortable and concealable for daily carry, especially in the summer. Remember, while others may disagree, comfort is by far the most important factor in concealed carry

·         And, if you aren’t concealing your handgun, you might as well get the full benefit of a full size handgun

 

Recommend Handgun: Glock G19 (gen 3 or gen 5)

·         Proven reliability

·         Magazine compatibility with the most common magazines (both g19 and g17)

 

Accessories:

So you just bought your new handgun. Now what? The following are what you will need to acquire as well:

1.      Ammo – gun is a paperweight without ammo, and you aren’t as proficient with it as you think you are until you practice. If you think you are going to step on the court and make a 3-point shot during game time without any practice…. Recommended is both training ammo as well as some defensive ammo.

2.      Magazines – Handguns typically come with a few, however if you don’t want to spend all your precious range time reloading them, you’ll likely want to pick up a few more.

3.      Holster – If you are going to ever carry the gun on body rather than leave it in the safe or drawer, this is required. Some are better than others. Personal recommendations include NERD holsters for concealed carry, Safariland holsters for open carry, and even a fanny pack system

4.      Red Dot Sight – As previously mentioned, in 2025 these are easily the biggest upgrade you can make to your shooting capabilities with a handgun. Personal recommendations include Trijicon RMR or SRO and any of the Holosun lineup. These can cost as much or more than the actual gun.

5.      Weapon light – while this used to be considered a “must have”, you can also just carry a flashlight instead

6.      Defense Insurance (optional) – in the scenario you must defend yourself from another human, currently in our society, it might be the most expensive day of your life. Lawyers aren’t cheap. It’s highly recommended to get insurance. Personally, I go with USCCA ($30 a month). This protects me and my whole family for all related costs for any defensive scenario whether including a gun or just fisticuffs.

 

Trenton Richardson