There are ~75 Self Defense Handgun makers I could find. Task is to divide them into three tiers - kind of like First Class (most desirable), Business Class (very solid), Economy Class (might get us there perfectly in some cases, but if we had more money, we'd rather traveling First or Business)
To avoid connotations of price being the only criteria, I will be calling the Classes A, B and C.
We're looking only at the best gun from each maker - whichever that gun is, in your opinion. I will start listing universally acknowledged flagships behind the maker - please help me along with that, too. Let me know if anything should be shifted around.
This list is only there to help organize things in the head of the total novice. A novice in a country where you are only allowed one handgun. Or two, like in Germany. It can only be compiled by you experts, but it is not intended for you experts.
The best gun from the best maker in Class B has to be worse than the best gun from the worst maker in Class A.
The best gun from the best maker in Class C has to be worse than the best gun from the worst maker in Class C.
DISCLAIMER: In some cases, the C Class guns will be perfectly fine and reliable. But it would be very unlikely, that if guns were all free, or if - like in some countries - people can only have one handgun, they would choose one from that group.
Of course, nothing beats holding the gun in your hands, shooting it and knowing which one -to use a Harry Potter analogy- is your wand!
Class A Handgun Makers in no particular order (we would choose these makers over Class B and C even if all guns from all three classes cost exactly the same)
Manurhin (France) r (flagship: MR-73)
Glock (flagship: Glock 17 Gen4)
Kahr (flagship: K9)
Sig Sauer (flagship: p210 p226/8 or 220)
CZ (flagship: CZ 75)
Smith & Wesson r (flagship: Model 27 or 686? )
Walther (flagship: P99 or PPK)
Ruger r (flagship: Redhawk or GP-100)
Beretta (flagship: 92FS)
IWI (Israel) (flagship: Desert Eagle)
Colt r (flagship: M1911 Special Combat Government)
Springfield Armory (flagship: 1911 Loaded or TRP)
Browning (flagship: Hi Power)
Heckler und Koch (flagship: P7)
FN
Remington
Magnum Research r
Cabot Guns
Korth (Germany) r
Seecamp r
NAA r
Freedom Arms r
Caracal (UAE)
Steyr (Austria) (flagship: M9)
Sphinx (Switzerland)
Dan Wesson r
Coonan
Daewoo (South Korea)
Detonics
Infinity
Lionheart
Boberg Arms
Uberti r
F.lli Pietta r
Les Baer
Wilson Combat
Ed Brown
Guncrafter Industries
Nighthawk Custom
STI r
Bond Arms
Tanfoglio (Italy)
Class B Handgun Makers in no particular order (if we could only have one gun, we would only buy these guns if none of the comparable Class A guns were available) :
Kimber
Taurus (Brazil) r (flagship: PT92)
Rossi (Brazil) r
Arcus (Bulgaria) r
Charter Arms r
Auto Ordnance
FMK
Hi-Point
Kel-Tec
Armscor/Rock Island Armory r
Canik (Turkey)
Diamondback
Stoeger
Girsan Yavuz (Turkey)
Bersa (Argentina) r
Arsenal Firearms
Heritage r
Am assuming the below are Class B, but I just don't know enough about them. Any Class A or Class Cs among the following? Otherwise, I'll just leave them in Class B:
BUL (Israel)
Zastava (Serbia) r
S.A.M. (Philippines) r
KORA Brno (Czech) r
Alfa Proj (Czech) r
American Classic (Philippines)
MAC (Philippines)
Grand Power (Slovakia)
Norinco (China) r
Weihrauch/Arminius (Germany) r
Valtro
Class C Handgun Makers in no particular order (we would only buy these if we couldn't get our hands on anything comparable from A or B. If there is something in B that you consider worse than something in C, let's move the guy from B down, rather than moving the guy from C up. C is underpopulated at the moment)
Chiappa (Italy) r
Cobra r
Accu-Tek
Bryco/Jennings/Jimenez
Comanche (Argentina) r
Phoenix Arms
S.P.S. (Spain)
High Standard (Texas, not Connecticut)
SCCY
("r" after the make denotes they currently make revolvers also)
Please also tell me if I am missing any contemporary (not interested in defunct) handgun gun makers from anywhere in the world.
I will keep editing the list using your feedback.
Thnx.
To avoid connotations of price being the only criteria, I will be calling the Classes A, B and C.
We're looking only at the best gun from each maker - whichever that gun is, in your opinion. I will start listing universally acknowledged flagships behind the maker - please help me along with that, too. Let me know if anything should be shifted around.
This list is only there to help organize things in the head of the total novice. A novice in a country where you are only allowed one handgun. Or two, like in Germany. It can only be compiled by you experts, but it is not intended for you experts.
The best gun from the best maker in Class B has to be worse than the best gun from the worst maker in Class A.
The best gun from the best maker in Class C has to be worse than the best gun from the worst maker in Class C.
DISCLAIMER: In some cases, the C Class guns will be perfectly fine and reliable. But it would be very unlikely, that if guns were all free, or if - like in some countries - people can only have one handgun, they would choose one from that group.
Of course, nothing beats holding the gun in your hands, shooting it and knowing which one -to use a Harry Potter analogy- is your wand!
Class A Handgun Makers in no particular order (we would choose these makers over Class B and C even if all guns from all three classes cost exactly the same)
Manurhin (France) r (flagship: MR-73)
Glock (flagship: Glock 17 Gen4)
Kahr (flagship: K9)
Sig Sauer (flagship: p210 p226/8 or 220)
CZ (flagship: CZ 75)
Smith & Wesson r (flagship: Model 27 or 686? )
Walther (flagship: P99 or PPK)
Ruger r (flagship: Redhawk or GP-100)
Beretta (flagship: 92FS)
IWI (Israel) (flagship: Desert Eagle)
Colt r (flagship: M1911 Special Combat Government)
Springfield Armory (flagship: 1911 Loaded or TRP)
Browning (flagship: Hi Power)
Heckler und Koch (flagship: P7)
FN
Remington
Magnum Research r
Cabot Guns
Korth (Germany) r
Seecamp r
NAA r
Freedom Arms r
Caracal (UAE)
Steyr (Austria) (flagship: M9)
Sphinx (Switzerland)
Dan Wesson r
Coonan
Daewoo (South Korea)
Detonics
Infinity
Lionheart
Boberg Arms
Uberti r
F.lli Pietta r
Les Baer
Wilson Combat
Ed Brown
Guncrafter Industries
Nighthawk Custom
STI r
Bond Arms
Tanfoglio (Italy)
Class B Handgun Makers in no particular order (if we could only have one gun, we would only buy these guns if none of the comparable Class A guns were available) :
Kimber
Taurus (Brazil) r (flagship: PT92)
Rossi (Brazil) r
Arcus (Bulgaria) r
Charter Arms r
Auto Ordnance
FMK
Hi-Point
Kel-Tec
Armscor/Rock Island Armory r
Canik (Turkey)
Diamondback
Stoeger
Girsan Yavuz (Turkey)
Bersa (Argentina) r
Arsenal Firearms
Heritage r
Am assuming the below are Class B, but I just don't know enough about them. Any Class A or Class Cs among the following? Otherwise, I'll just leave them in Class B:
BUL (Israel)
Zastava (Serbia) r
S.A.M. (Philippines) r
KORA Brno (Czech) r
Alfa Proj (Czech) r
American Classic (Philippines)
MAC (Philippines)
Grand Power (Slovakia)
Norinco (China) r
Weihrauch/Arminius (Germany) r
Valtro
Class C Handgun Makers in no particular order (we would only buy these if we couldn't get our hands on anything comparable from A or B. If there is something in B that you consider worse than something in C, let's move the guy from B down, rather than moving the guy from C up. C is underpopulated at the moment)
Chiappa (Italy) r
Cobra r
Accu-Tek
Bryco/Jennings/Jimenez
Comanche (Argentina) r
Phoenix Arms
S.P.S. (Spain)
High Standard (Texas, not Connecticut)
SCCY
("r" after the make denotes they currently make revolvers also)
Please also tell me if I am missing any contemporary (not interested in defunct) handgun gun makers from anywhere in the world.
I will keep editing the list using your feedback.
Thnx.
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