Compact pistols are in demand for their smaller stature and function for the purpose of EDC. There’s no shortage of different models now that gun manufacturers have been spurred to release a wide variety of options. Here we round up the best EDC self-defense pistols we’ve seen so far.
The Best EDC Self-Defense Pistols for 2023
Kel-Tec P15
If there was ever a pistol that needed to eat a cheeseburger, it’s the P15. At just 0.875 inches in thickness, Kel-Tec claims it to be the thinnest double-stack on the market. Boasting a 15+1 capacity, it certainly isn’t short on firepower and it’s not too shy in the features department either. Those features include a combo tritium/fiber-optic front sight, a fully adjustable rear sight, and an accessory rail for a flashlight or laser.
For more information, please visit KeltecWeapons.com.
Taurus G3X
Ever find yourself saying, “Her dimples are cute, but I’m not so sure about that mullet?” Well, if you partied in the 80s, then you know that mullets rock! The Taurus G3X is business in the front but party in the back, pairing a full-sized grip with a compact slide and barrel. This makes it a great candidate for appendix carry and isn’t going to feel awful to shoot either.
Ergonomic “dimples” relieve the high spots of your grip and make for tactile reference points. This ensures every finger is right where it belongs.
For more information, please visit TaurusUSA.com.
Taurus 327
New cartridges breathe life into the firearms market as they spin off terrific supporting gear, like the guns that fire them. The Federal .327 Magnum might just be the only good thing to come out of 2008, as we watched our 401ks and property values plummet faster than our faith in the federal government.
Now Taurus has chambered an outrageous little six-shot revolver in this hard-hitting, soft-recoiling round. Features like a snag-free rear sight and a complete rubber grip make the 327 an optimal choice for the defender that prefers a snub nose wheel gun.
For more information, please visit TaurusUSA.com.
Taurus 605 Defender
Then again, we can just cut to the chase with a 3-inch .357 Magnum. The 605 Defender is a redesign of the classic and features an extra inch of barrel to get more velocity from the magnum cartridge.
Accompanied with adjustable night sights, the 605 is perfect for the CCW holder who finds themselves outdoors after hours or wants to ensure they have the tools that they need to defend their home should an uninvited guest let themselves in at 2 a.m.
For more information, please visit TaurusUSA.com.
Savage Stance
The Stance marks Savage’s return to pistol making and is hitting the CCW market just in time. This pistol is an incredibly flat-shooting compact 9mm Luger that feeds from a single-stack, 8-round magazine. Best of all, it’s built on a chassis system, paving the way for different grip modules in the future. Savage’s pistol features a unique grip pattern, low-profile controls, and is available with or without a manual safety.
For more information, please visit SavageArms.com.
Smith & Wesson CSX
“You want polymer frames? Fine, we’ll start making polymer guns. What? Now polymer is too light? Ok, we’ll make metal-framed guns again for you.”
When you have the engineering and manufacturing power that Smith & Wesson has, you can change gears as fast as the Second Amendment crowd changes fashion. As the plastic fantastics are starting to become known for their snap, Smith brings us a gorgeous aluminum-framed carry pistol that mates proven construction with modern functionality.
Features like interchangeable backstraps and a glare-reducing slide make this 9mm stand out from the rest. Likewise, the 12-round magazine certainly puts it a step above the capacity of yesteryear.
For more information, please visit Smith-Wesson.com.
Smith M&P 10mm 2.0
With the introduction of this gun, it looks like even Smith & Wesson admits the .40 S&W was a bad idea. Either that or they got tired of everybody comparing it to 10mm, so they went ahead and made a 10mm.
This latest incarnation of the M&P is a nod to the resurgence of the big 10 and offers far better ergonomics and controllability than the guns in which it was initially introduced. Smith’s 10mm has all of the features that we love from the M&P line, including tool-less interchangeable backstraps, and is cut to take nearly any large-pattern optic on the market.
For more information, please visit Smith-Wesson.com.
Smith & Wesson Shield EZ 30 Super Carry
The .30 Super Carry cartridge was big news when it debuted and it is an easy amendment to proven platforms like the Shield EZ.
By scaling the round’s diameter down to .30 caliber (7.65mm) from 9mm, shooters can enjoy around a 20% capacity increase without any loss in energy. The Shield EZ .30 Super Carry is a lightweight platform that provides easy racking and a capacity of 10+1 with an increase over the 8+1 of the 9mm luger variant.
For more information, please visit Smith-Wesson.com.
SCCY CPX-2 Gen 3
A good gun doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, especially when there is the ever-present chance that it might wind up in an evidence locker while they “sort out” a clearly obvious self-defense shooting.
SCCY’s popular CPX-2 underwent a major face-lift and now comes with highly sought-after features like an accessory rail and a sight system that can accept aftermarket options. Gone are the finger grooves, as the grip module has been redesigned to reduce trigger reach, leaving us with a package that is altogether more comfortable to shoot.
For more information, please visit SCCY.com.
SDS Imports PX-9 Duty
When I first heard of Turkish guns, I was indeed skeptical, but after shooting a few of them, I now welcome all of the new additions to the American market. The PX-9 is a polymer striker-fired 9mm that features a trigger blade safety and accepts easy-to-find SIG 226 magazines. The RMR optics cut opens it up to a large variety of red-dot options, and the hammer-forged barrel ensures each round goes precisely where you intend.
For more information, please visit SDSImports.com.
BRG USA BRG9 Elite
The Buffalo Cartridge Company was founded on the idea that their shooters needed better ammo. It took things further by branching off an arms division and importing the BRG 9 Elite. This striker-fired polymer-framed pistol is built with a higher grade of steel than the industry standard and features an integral grip safety that so few pistols are known for having these days.
High-vis sights and an accessory rail provide shooters with options for evening engagements. Additionally, striker status and loaded chamber indicators help to ensure that you are ready for the fight.
For more information, please visit BRG-USA.com.
American Tactical FXS9
The human hand is an amazing creation. Comprised of 27 unique bones, each hand will fit a different gun best. The American Tactical FXS-9 “not a Glock” pistol embodies this statement with its unique grip angle and shape. This pistol is home to interchangeable backstraps as well as click-adjustable sights and even takes easy-to-find CZ 75 magazines.
For more information, please visit AmericanTactical.us.
American Tactical FNH Moxie
The American Tactical Moxie might just have ended the debate between 1911 and polymer-framed pistol owners. By lightening up the design with a metal reinforced polymer frame, the Moxie provides 1911 functionality in a pistol that is easier to hang off of your belt. Chambered in classic .45 ACP, this pistol keeps a stout 8+1 of these hard-hitting rounds on deck.
For more information, please visit AmericanTactical.us.
EAA Regard Sport MC Gen 4
With regards to the Beretta 92, this rendition of the former U.S. military sidearm retains the slide-mounted safety and offers a Picatinny rail for accessories. Setting it apart from its Italian counterpart are features like see-through grips and magazines that show the shooter how much ammo they have on hand. Constructed from stylish and controllable G-10 material these grips make for an incredibly smooth shooting experience.
For more information, please visit EAACorp.com.
EAA Regard MC Sport Gen 3
The universe has been begging for an optics-ready version of this platform for years. EAA sought to do one better and delivered the optics-included MC Sport Gen 3. This pistol comes straight from the factory, ready to complete with a pre-mounted Perry 4-MOA Far-Dot Optic.
Other enhancements include a frame-mounted safety that stays out of the way when racking and the same see-through ammo management system that we have grown to love in most of the Regard series.
For more information, please visit EAACorp.com.
Mossberg MC2sc
SHOT Show gave us the optics-ready version of Mossberg’s reentry to the pistol market. The MC2sc offers a simple, direct-mount solution for those that like the platform but want to add a red dot.
There is plenty about it to like too, as it features a takedown system that doesn’t require pulling the trigger and a unique cross-bolt safety that we don’t see on many handguns. Minimized texturing makes the micro compact comfortable, while a total capacity of 15 rounds makes it comforting.
For more information, please visit Mossberg.com.
RRA Lightweight Carry 1911
If the design hasn’t worked for more than 100 years, it wouldn’t still be in existence. Of course, I’m talking about the standard all-steel 1911 pistol. While the purists demand that both the frame and slide be made of steel, those that have carried one for a while can quickly warm up to the weight reduction that aluminum has to offer.
These are the folks that Rock River Arms are trying to attract with its Lightweight Carry 1911. This aluminum-framed option is all 1911 but with a shorter 4.25-inch barrel. A high-polished slide makes it both attractive and impervious to the elements.
For more information, please visit RockRiverArms.com.
Walther PDP Pro SD Compact
The Walther PDP Pro SD Compact features the upgraded Walther Dynamic Performance trigger, an aluminum magwell for faster reloads, and a threaded barrel for the easy installation of a sound suppressor. Adding an optic is equally simple as it comes cut, drilled, and tapped for your favorite red dot.
For more information, please visit WaltherArms.com.
Standard Manufacturing Switch-Gun
From the makers of the double-barreled, pump-action shotgun comes a revolver that’s easy to carry in your pocket and has the slightest chance of printing. The Switch-gun springs into action with the press of a button and can deliver five rounds of .22 Magnum as fast as you can cock the hammer and pull the trigger. When fully extended, it provides a complete grip which was entirely unexpected for a package so small. As a result, the small pistol is easy to shoot compared to other pistols in this size class.
For more information, please visit STDGun.com.
Live Free Armory AMP
We need more aluminum-framed pistols in our life, and Live Free Armory knows that. The AMP, or aluminum match pistol, represents painstaking machining down to .0005 inches of tolerance that yields a gun that fits both tight to itself and tight to the palm of your hand.
The fluted and honed barrel is machined above and beyond the industry standard, leaving you fewer excuses for crumby marksmanship. In this writer’s opinion, finding a pistol built to these specs for $699 is certainly something to get AMPed about.
For more information, please visit LiveFreeArmory.com.
SAR9 C
I can safely say that this was the only case of Sars that I encountered at this year’s SHOT Show. Some might say it was acute as the SAR9 C marks the addition of a compact version of the company’s flagship pistol.
This 4-incher is small enough to conceal yet large enough for enjoyable range time. Furthermore, the 4-inch barrel is hammer-forged and cut with a target-recessed crown for more accuracy than you could ever need out of a defensive 9mm pistol.
For more information, please visit SARUSA.com.
Nighthawk President 30 Super Carry
Why should small guns get to have all of the fun when a new carry cartridge comes out? This uber-custom offering from Nighthawk is made by one solemn gunsmith from start to finish and features a lightened slide for the fastest cycling possible as well as a target barrel and final fitment that devoid it of any snag points.
Accents like a solid-gold beaded front sight and a nitrided barrel offer functionality that also make it one sharp-looking piece.
For more information, please visit NighthawkCustom.com.
Stoeger STR-9C Optic Ready
Stoeger has been bringing value to the firearms industry with its shotguns for decades before it wowed us with the STR-9C. This polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol found its way into the hands of casual target shooters and competitors alike and was a hit from its inception.
As it was ahead of the optics craze, Stoeger needed to update this instant classic and introduced an optics-ready version to keep pace with the competition. It includes four mounting plates to allow the end user their choice of optic.
For more information, please visit StoegerIndustries.com.
Bond Arms Roughneck .380 ACP
Bond Arms was created with the goal of eliminating the “cheap” perception of derringer-styled pocket pistols. If you have ever picked one of its guns up, you’ll likely admit, mission accomplished.
Of course, there is the crowd that likes these pistols for their utility and scoffs at the price point of these works of art. For those folks, we present the Roughneck, an unpolished no-BS version of the easy-to-conceal Bond classic. Now Bond Arms is offering it soft-recoiling .380 ACP, making the concealed carry handgun as easy on your wrist as it is on your wallet.
For more information, please visit BondArms.com.
Cabot Apocalypse
If the prince of Nigeria ever makes good on his email and delivers the $1 million that he promised, I’m going to place an order that same day for one of these. Built with a hand-made Damascus slide, no two are alike.
Aside from beauty, your $7,500 gets you an unheard-of accuracy guarantee of 1.5 inches or better at 25 yards. As you would expect, the Apocalypse comes ready for an optic. However, for those that prefer irons, Cabot offers a host of options to select at checkout.
For more information, please visit CabotGuns.com.
