6 of the Best Guns for Home Protection Just Hitting the Market

Selecting a firearm for your self-defense needs has never been more exciting. I daresay the current options on the market reflect a high-water mark for quality in the history of firearms. Shooters have a breathtaking selection of quality guns available to them these days. But, although there are many great products already on the market to sate your hunger for a new defensive weapon, you may want to check out some of the newer guns before making a purchase. Perhaps I can pique your interest with one of these six best guns for home protection.

Best Guns for Home Protection — Glock 48

Since the 1990s, I’ve wanted a single-stack 9mm from Glock that’s roughly the size of the Glock 19. For me, the Glock 19 is a great handgun that offers impressive reliability and shootability while still being very affordable. I carried one for years, both on- and off-duty as a local cop. However, I always felt that the grip was just a hair too thick for optimal placement of my finger on the trigger. A thinner grip would allow me to improve my shooting while also making concealment easier. Glock finally released a gun that matches what I’ve desired — the Glock 48.

The new Glock 48 is a 9mm pistol that has a full-sized grip and a 4.17-inch barrel but measures about a quarter-inch thinner than the Glock 19. With an unloaded magazine, it’s also a little more than 3 ounces lighter than the Glock 19. Slimming the gun down does come at a cost, however: The Glock 48 holds 10+1 rounds instead of the 15+1 of the larger pistol. For me, this is an acceptable tradeoff. For more information, please visit glock.com.

Glock 48 Specs:

Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.17 inches
OA Length: 7.28 inches
Weight: 20.74 ounces (empty)
Grip: Polymer
Sights: Fixed
Action: Safe Action
Finish: Matte black, silver
Capacity: 10+1
MSRP: $580

Best Guns for Home Protection — Kimber K6s TLE

One of the better revolver designs in modern times is the K6s from Kimber. This compact revolver squeezes six .357 Magnum rounds into its svelte cylinder, giving it a significant advantage over revolvers that offer hold five.

For 2019, the company expanded the line to include a TLE variant with either a 2- or 3-inch barrel. For pocket or ankle carry, the 2-inch-barreled iteration is the better choice. If you’d prefer belt carry, I suggest looking at the 3-inch-barreled model.

I’ve always liked 3-inch-barreled revolvers for concealed carry. The additional barrel length gives you a longer sight radius for faster, more precise shots and helps .357 Magnum loads achieve higher velocities. A set of tritium night sights are standard on the K6s TLE and help in low-light conditions when many armed confrontations historically occur.

The K6s TLE was designed for personal protection and law enforcement duty use, either as a backup weapon or for plainclothes assignments. It has a matte black finish and a set of very attractive and durable G10 grips. The lack of an external hammer means the gun won’t hang up on a concealment garment when drawn. For more information, please visit kimberamerica.com.

Kimber K6s TLE Specs:

Caliber: .357 Magnum/.38 Special
Barrel: 2 or 3 inches
OA Length: 6.62-7.62 inches
Weight: 23 ounces (empty)
Grips: G10
Sights: Three-dot tritium
Action: DAO
Finish: Matte black
Capacity: 6
MSRP: $999

Best Guns for Home Protection — Mossberg MC1sc

Almost everyone knows Mossberg makes high-quality shotguns and rifles, but fewer know that when the company opened for business 100 years ago, it began by manufacturing pistols. Its first gun was the .22-caliber Brownie, a four-barreled pocket pistol. While such a gun might be archaic by modern standards for concealed carry, Mossberg’s new MC1sc appears to be ready for the 21st century.

After three years in development, this new subcompact pistol is a 9mm, polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun. Unloaded, the single-stack pistol weighs only 19 ounces with an empty magazine. The translucent, flush-fitting magazine holds six rounds, and Mossberg includes an extended seven-round magazine. Also, if your budget is tight, I have good news: The base model has a suggested retail price of only $425. Options like a factory-installed laser and night sights are also available. For more information, please visit mossberg.com.

Mossberg MC1sc Specs:

Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 3.4 inches
OA Length: 6.25 inches
Weight: 19 ounces (empty)
Grip: Polymer
Sights: Three-dot
Action: Striker-fired
Finish: Matte black
Capacity: 6+1, 7+1
MSRP: $425

Best Guns for Home Protection — Nighthawk VIP Black

Nighthawk Custom is recognized as a premium builder of modern 1911 pistols. One of its latest creations is the VIP Black, a presentation-grade pistol that is still built for fighting. This .45 ACP starts with a 5-inch, crowned barrel and features a black diamond-like carbon (DLC) finish with hand engraving done by Bertram Edmonston. The front sight is a 14-karat solid gold bead, and it’s paired with a black Heinie SlantPro rear sight. Nighthawk Custom also installs a set of giraffe-bone grips, and the gun comes in a stylish walnut presentation case.

While the VIP Black may not be the concealed-carry pistol most folks would pick, it’s a viable option, especially when attending social functions where guns are not just allowed but expected.

Nighthawk VIP Black Specs:

Caliber: .45 ACP
Barrel: 5 inches
OA Length: 8.66 inches
Weight: 40 ounces (empty)
Grips: Giraffe bone
Sights: Gold bead front, Heinie SlantPro rear
Action: SA
Finish: Black DLC
Capacity: 8+1
MSRP: $7,999

Best Guns for Home Protection — Ruger AR-556 Optics Carbine

Without a doubt, the AR-15 is one of the best defensive weapons ever created. These guns tend to be easy to operate, light to carry and can be exceptionally accurate. Homeowners and law enforcement officers alike have used them to stop violent criminals quickly.

When the first AR-556 rifles started rolling off the Ruger assembly line, I was surprised to see the company jumping into that market. Nevertheless, the Ruger guns have impressed me as being well-made rifles at very reasonable prices.

If you’re like me and prefer your defensive rifles to be equipped with red-dot optics and folding iron sights as backups, the new AR-556 Optics Carbine is just the thing. This model replaces the front-sight tower with a gas block that has a Picatinny-type rail on top of it. This allows you to install a folding front sight and not have mandatory co-witnessing through your optic.

As with the other rifles in the line, the AR-556 Optics Carbine features a threaded, 16.1-inch barrel with a 1-in-8-inch twist. It also has an improved pistol grip and ships with a 30-round Magpul PMAG magazine. For more information, please ruger.com.

Ruger AR-556 Optics Carbine Specs:

Caliber: 5.56mm NATO
Barrel: 16.1 inches
OA Length: 32.25-35.5 inches
Weight: 6.7 pounds (empty)
Stock: Collapsible
Sights: None
Action: Direct impingement semi-auto
Finish: Matte black
Capacity: 30+1
MSRP: $789

Best Guns for Home Protection — Stevens 320 Security Ghost Ring Pistol Grip

Shotguns are universally acknowledged as exceptionally powerful self-defense tools. Loaded with buckshot, they have shown time and again that they are effective at quickly stopping attackers. Stevens offers a variation on its 320 Security shotgun that incorporates many of the features a homeowner might be looking for in a defensive weapon.

The 320 Security Ghost Ring Pistol Grip is a pump-action scattergun that gives the shooter an excellent set of ghost-ring sights combined with a pistol-grip stock for accuracy and control when shooting. Both 12- and 20-gauge versions are available. While I enjoy shooting a 12-gauge, I prefer 20-gauge shotguns for self-defense, as they are easier for anyone in the family to run without losing very much in terms of effectiveness with quality personal-protection ammunition. The magazine tube holds five shells. And for an MSRP of only $264, you’re getting a quality weapon that can literally save your life. For more information, please visit savagearms.com.