Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Best 9mm home defense pistol?

I’m sure this has been asked 1,000,000 times but here we go…

Im 18 years old, and I think it’s about time we get pistols for the house. One upstairs in my room, one downstairs in my parents room. Is 9mm the way to go? I reload for my .308 so I’m not too picky on caliber. Just want something that will shoot smooth and not jump up like crazy. I am not very familiar with the different offerings, I’ve only shot a few including a sig p365 and a Ruger lcf. I definitely prefer larger. Open to suggestions of any sort.

So far I’m thinking the generic g17/19

Thanks in advance.

Just pick a decent quality piece, the bullet doesn't care which pistol it comes out of. Shop around, the Glock is a good choice, but so is the Smith and Wesson M&P, and all the other ones.

If you do NOT like recoil, buy a pistol with a steel frame. Simple as that. Shop around, but go to an indoor range and try some rentals, let that help you pick what will work best for you. What I like might not suit you at all, so I won't suggest anything in particular, but shop around, try all the types you can, and pick what you like best. If you're only 18, better take a parent,or uncle, or other adult, with you and seek their assistance.

Will do, me and my dad will be getting one together. I have seen that going to a range and testing several is the best and that’s what we will likely end up doing.

Take your parents to a well stocked gun store and try out several brands/models/sizes and see what you like.
If you are set on a semi auto, offerings from Glock, Sig, S&W, or Springfield Armory are reliable. You could also throw in FN, Beretta and HK.
If you mother will be using the pistol make sure she can rack the slide; if she struggles with this there are models made for easy racking, or a revolver may be a better choice.
9mm is never a bad choice.

Sounds good, I don’t think racking will be an issue at all.

It is for many women and even some men without good hand/arm strength, especially with hammer fired pistols.

Gotcha, my mom is a pretty strong woman, I would be very surprised if she struggles. I’ll keep it in mind for sure.

Glock 17 is always a solid choice for a house gun. It's long enough to mount a light that doesn't extend way past the muzzle.

There are many other solid options out there. I've been a Glock fan since around 1994. Glock 17 was my first, and still one of the most practical in my small collection.

If concealment is not part of the decision, I prefer the full-size grip of the 17, over the shortened grip on the 19. Yes, I have both.

Nothing wrong with the Glock 19x

I like full size pistols for home defense where concealibility isn't an issue. I like the Canik TP9SFX 9mm for home defense. I also have a red dot sight on it

Consider Glock or S&W M&P line. Both are good quality for the money and available in several different frame sizes

G19 with night sights, cheaper to get the gun set up from factory (with Glock logo or Ameriglo). The only other add on are light and Glock lanyard loop. There is factory threaded barrel version if you intend to use sound supressor.

For house guns to be stored at the site of use, weight / carry is not an issue. I find steel guns to be more reliable than polymer. I've only owned two glocks, shot a couple others. I've had problems with jamming and feeding with the 9mms .. no hitches with my 10mm, at least so far. These are almost certainly "user" issues, compatibility with my magnum revolver shooting style and a semi-auto handgun that is light weight and uses the shooter's body weight for cycling. However, a jam is a jam and when the chips are down a jam can kill you. For me, it was worth spending a little bit more to get a heavier steel gun that does not jam at all on me. I went with a CZ-75 compact decocker model. Just a thought.

If possible, whatever you get, if you are getting two, get the same. There will only be one set of controls to learn and any spare parts, magazines, holsters, accessories, etc you accumulate will work in both.

If you can manage it, arrange for hands-on training with a certified instructor. Costs a bit but it might well save $$ in the long run over having to make all the mistakes and expend all the ammo to do so yourself. And if possible, have your parents go through the same training. Having guns is not enough, knowing how to operate them is not enough. Work with your parents to formulate a family plan for who does what if the [bleep] hits the fan because if it does, it will happen very quickly and there won't be time for planning in the moment.

You answered your own question. Super reliable. Amazing aftermarket support. Stupid simple to operate and maintain. Easy to learn to shoot well. High capacity mags (to include Glock-made 33 rounders). Track record up the wazoo. No external safety.

I suggest a 4" double action revolver. Not what you asked but a good choice for simplicity and safety.

I hear this a lot, i.e., that the M&P is the same in all respects as the Glock for a novice. Not true. A Glock is monkey simple to field strip and reassemble. With an M&P I've had weird things happen on reassembly that took some time to figure out how to fix, and then there's that goofy little lever inside the gun you have to mess with.

Can't go wrong with that, but mastering a double action trigger takes more range time than does the trigger pull on a Glock. Once mastered, however, it's like learning to ride a bike. You really never forget.

Another issue is which double action revolver? A pre-lock S&W K-Frame would be a great choice, but I don't know that I'd trust one of their modern offerings. Recommending a Glock 19/17 is a much simpler matter, since they are all pretty much good to go, no matter when they were made.

How do you like the cz? That is another option I am really considering. I found a great deal on grabagun, it’s 499 right now.

Unfortunately the simplicity goes away after last round in the cylinder is fired. I find efficient, quick reload much more difficult than with with typical pistol.

I found 33 round magazines to be less reliable.