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Speaking of the magazine, we were impressed with their construction, how easy they are to load to capacity and with how they dropped free from the pistol and clicked into place with smooth assurance. The Kimber R7 Mako comes in two versions, one with an included red-dot, and the other with an optics-ready slide. Ours came equipped with a Crimson Trace CTS-1500. The price difference between the two models is $200, and if you’re at all mechanically inclined you can purchase a CTS-1500 for about $140 and save yourself a few bucks for some extra ammo. But even with the optic included, we felt the pistol was a hell of a value. And given how well it ran out-of-the box while being smartly configured for concealed-carry use, it earned the Great Buy designation as well.

When the Sig p365 first came out, it was a game-changer and I had to get my hands on it. They squeezed a double stack’s capacity into a single-sized gun. The P365 is small and light, so it’s easy to carry and comfortable for most shooters of all sizes. The P365 is a purpose-built concealed carry gun that comes in capacities of 10, 12, and even a 15-round extended magazine. I personally love the combination of the size and feel of the gun. If you are interested in other versions of the p365, they also have the p365 xl which has a larger capacity, and the Sig p365 SAS which has been slimmed and smoothed so as to not snag. The P365 is a great gun but is still a subcompact pistol, so it can be challenging to shoot compared to the more massive firearms on this list. With proper self-defense ammunition, the weapon can be a little snappy, so practice makes perfect.

Some shooters might be put off by the P210’s single-stack magazine that only holds eight rounds, but that didn’t bother us in the least. The pistol’s accuracy, speed on target, and overall shootability won us over. If you want an in-depth look at the evolution of the P210 and the P210 Carry, check out Sean Murphy’s Sig Sauer P210 review. One drawback that does limit the P210’s versatility is that it is configured for right-handed shooters. There’s no way to reverse any of the controls and manipulating them as a lefty is a chore. Despite this, the P210 rose to the top of the heap in the mid-sized pistol category earning an Editor’s Choice award. Combining elegance, utility and a good price it is a defensive carry gun with heirloom appeal.

This is my bonus pick because I know that despite my best efforts, someone is going to want a micro-compact gun as their first purchase. It came down to this or the excellent SIG 365 380, but I chose the Ruger for a couple of reasons. First one is that the slide and the controls are easy to manipulate on the Ruger. For an experienced or strong shooter, that’s not an issue, but for a newer, possibly smaller-statured shooter, the Ruger is easier to operate. Second, the Ruger is widely perceived as having the softest recoil for a .380 in its class. While the .380 does recoil less than a 9mm, the recoil from most micro-compact .380 pistols can be off-putting for new shooters. The LCP Max mitigates this through a combination of ergonomics, size and materials. Read even more information on https://medium.com/@ballachyofficial.