The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first look just moments before it hits dealers’ shelves. This year pistol manufacturers were in full force. The uptick likely came due to the easing of concealed carry laws and the return of raw materials. To that end, I pounded the proverbial pavement to round up my top 20 picks for best new handguns. Here’s what caught my eye.
Best New Handguns for 2023
Franklin Armory – CA320
Let’s kick things off with a punch to the face of California’s DOJ. The Franklin Armory CA320 starts as a standard SIG 320 FCU that bears a manual safety. It comes tucked inside of a full-sized grip module, configured in a way that it cannot accept a magazine. This configuration enables the gun’s listing on the state handgun roster. This allows owners to swap in a standard magazine-accepting grip module when they visit free states. (franklinarmory.com)
Beretta – 92Xi SAO
While I love the design of a 92, I despise anything DA/SA. If you feel the same way, then the 92Xi is for you. This 9mm Luger is all Beretta and swaps out the slide-mounted de-cocker for a frame-mounted safety. Why? Because it only runs in single action. Gone are the days of a long trigger pull on the first shot. Now, you can walk around cocked and locked with the famed design. (beretta.com)
Beretta – 80X Cheetah
It really says something when a company can re-introduce a classic, and the industry loses its mind. Such is the case with the 80X Cheetah. Admittedly, I was swept away myself. This definitive design retains its .380 ACP chambering but now exhibits modern ergonomics and an optics-ready slide. Beretta is also importing these in a variety of finishes. One such finish is a slick-looking bronze that all but screams Cheetah. (beretta.com)
BRG9 Elite Gen2
If you need a little help getting over the stigma of Turkish firearms, this just might be the gun to do it. Last year I covered the first generation of this pistol in great detail, thrilled by its tough-as-nails construction and superb shootability. 2023 brings us an edgy redesign that features enhanced grip surfaces, increased capacity, and red-dot compatibility. Just like its predecessor, 4340 steel comprises both the slide and barrel. It’s extraordinarily robust and up to the task of even the roughest service. (brg-usa.com)
BRG9 Tactical
The BRG9 Tactical just might be the best deal for a pistol with all the bells and whistles. $499.99 gets you all the functionality of the BRG9 Elite, now with a threaded barrel, flared magazine well, extended 20-round capacity, and suppressor-height sights. The Tac model eliminates the grip safety, allowing for a wider variety of gripping methods, including those that are less than perfect due to stressful situations. A 3.5-pound match-grade trigger is also added to the package, making it ready for duty, competition, or whatever the world throws at you that day. (brg-usa.com)
Smith & Wesson – M&P 5.7
With Fiocchi Ammunition starting to flood the market with this cartridge, we can expect to see more guns released that fire it. Not letting us down, Smith & Wesson threw its 5.7 hat in the ring in the form of its faithful M&P pistol. This full-sized blaster features a whopping 22-round flush-fit magazine, a flat-faced performance trigger and comes optics-ready right out of the box. Its 5-inch rotating tempo barrel system is unique to this rendition and is responsible for its outstanding reliability and flat shooting nature. (smith-wesson.com)
Savage – 1911s
Collectors of 1911s got another box to check this year, as Savage has entered the market with several reiterations of this iconic handgun. All models feature stainless steel construction, Novak sights, and G-10 grips, courtesy of VZ. Buyers have their choice of the original profile or the more modern railed variety, and both options come chambered in traditional .45 ACP or easy-to-handle 9mm Luger. Reliability is enhanced by a lowered and flared ejection port while the match-grade barrel and target crown guarantee unsurpassed accuracy. (savagearms.com)
Stoeger – STR-40
Although not as popular as it once was, there are still plenty of .40 S&W enthusiasts out there. Those looking for a combo personal and woodland defender are going to be hard pressed to find a better middle ground cartridge. Answering the call to keep this round alive, Stoeger stepped up in 2023 to chamber its hit STR series handgun to fire it. This polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol features easy-to-find three-dot sights or can be upgraded to a tritium option. A 12-round double-stack magazine sits flush with the frame, providing enough firepower for both two and four-legged attackers. (stoegerindustries.com)
FN – 510 Tactical
There are few, if any, scenarios that 22 rounds of 10mm Auto can’t handle, as is the theme of FN’s new 510 tactical. Fueled with a seemingly endless supply of spicy .40 cal, this well-balanced striker-fired handgun touts a cold-hammer-forged, target-crowned barrel that is threaded to accept a suppressor or compensator as well as a match-grade trigger and interchangeable backstraps. Through this suite of features, the end user should have no trouble customizing it to best fit their needs and hand size. Lastly, the handy optics cut allows for the use of both iron sights and your favorite red dot. (fnamerica.com)
FN – 545 Tactical
While the 9mm vs. .40 S&W crowd is pulling each other’s man buns out, the .45ACP vs. 10mm Auto guys are bare-knuckle boxing in the parking lot of a seedy tavern. Yes, the age-old argument between capacity and energy has its roots in the latter pair of cartridges, and FN is all about arming both sides. The FN 545 tactical offers everything the 510 does, except chambered in .45ACP, as God intended. 18+1 rounds of f*ck around and find out are kept at the ready, with a modest 15-round magazine included in the box for better concealment. (fnamerica.com)
Hi-Point YC9 Yeet Cannon
Hi-Point is unapologetically open and honest about what they make. You don’t buy a Hi-Point to flex or win a competition; you buy one because you want an affordable gun that is going to go bang every time you press the trigger. As the C9 was starting to show its age, the Ohio-based company decided to remodel the old standby to include improved ergonomics, an optics cut slide, and a threaded barrel. Things were going well until they decided to let the internet name it. Keyboard commandos alike agreed that “Yeet Cannon” was the most fitting moniker, and Hi-Point kept its word and inscribed it on the weapon. Best of all, the YC9 is still going to mimic the $199 retail price that made the Gen1 so popular in the first place. (hi-pointfirearms.com)
Armscor – RIA 5.0
Arguably the biggest news of the show was the American-made RIA 5.0. This full-sized competition-ready pistol utilizes a revolutionary new valve-based lock-up system and employs a non-tilting square-profile barrel. This allows for maximum barrel mass as the lowest bore axis possible. These features add up to one flat-shooting, nimble firearm that can blaze through a course of fire in no time. Introductory options include your choice of iron sights or a pre-mounted C-More red dot optic. (armscor.com)
Military Armament Company – JSOC
The JSOC is a retro 1911 handgun designed to remind us of the glory days of the U.S. Special forces. Built to be a dressed-up service pistol, the MAC JSOC retains its venerable .45 ACP chambering but now features ergonomic features like an extended beavertail, 25 LPI checkering on both the front and back straps and dark walnut stock panels bearing the MAC logo. A front brass-bead sight pairs with a fully-adjustable rear sight to center up impacts as far as the shooter can place them. (no website available yet)
TISAS – Raider
TISAS had me hooked on its firearms ever since I laid hands on its “Army” model, which is a dead ringer for an original M1911A1. Following suit for 2023, it introduced the Raider, a reproduction of the M45A1 Marine Corps fighting pistol. With its FDE Cerakote finish and matching G10 grips, the Raider looks like something straight out of the sandbox. Features like Novak three-dot sights and a cold-hammer-forged barrel ensure that she shoots just as good as she looks. Meanwhile, a four-slot Picatinny dustcover allows for the easy addition of a light or laser. (sdsimports.com)
Oracle – 2311 Combat Elite
Sometimes chunky is beautiful. With double-stack 1911’s making a comeback, Oracle Arms couldn’t have picked a better time to hit the scene with its five introductory 9mm Luger models. The 2311 Combat Elite sports an aluminum frame and slide and takes SIG 320 magazines for relaxed compatibility. Features like an optics cut slide, modular grip system, gas pedal, and flared mag well allow the end-user to set it up for competition or casual range use. A linkless barrel system and patented debris-clearing channels ensure that it will run regardless of the environment, making it perfect for duty or defense too. (oraclearms.com)
Canik – SFx Rival-S
Just when you think Canik couldn’t get any better, it goes ahead and drops a steel-framed version of its hit Rival. By subbing out the polymer frame for one made of steel, the new Rival-S shifts the balance point closer to the palm, aiding in faster recovery and more instinctual pointing. Like others in the series, this one is built with Canik’s award-winning flat-faced trigger an optics-cut slide, making it ready to compete the moment your background check clears. (canikusa.com)
Canik – Mete MC9
Canik lovers have been asking for a smaller, slimmer option for years, and after no less than three years of development, their answer came in the Mete MC9. This micro-compact packs 12 or 15 rounds into a cleverly designed magazine and can be tucked away nearly anywhere on your body. The Mete MC9 carries over Canik’s signature trigger system and includes an IWB holster along with everything else needed for target practice and maintenance. (canikusa.com)
Anderson – Kiger 9C Pro
Paying extra for common designs doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Anderson proved this with its AR-15s years ago. Carrying the idea over to the handgun realm, it introduced its polymer-framed Kiger 9C and, for 2023, the 9C Pro. The latest from Anderson makes an exceptional suppressor host for those that blew their wad on a stack of tax stamps. It features a threaded barrel and the proper height sights to deliver quiet rounds on target. (andersonmanufacturing.com)
CZ – A01-SD OR
There are those that play, and there are those that win, and CZ-USA wins. The A01-SD OR is built on a typical 75 action made to accept a red dot. It’s a perfect contender for the Production or Carry Optics divisions of USPSA. Using a short dust cover system, CZ has tuned this A01 to balance closer to the hand to increase maneuverability and reduce transition times. (cz-usa.com)
EAA – Witness2311
Double-stack 1911s for under a grand? Believe it. The EAA Witness2311 leaves distributors with MSRPs starting at $999. This means that we’ll likely see them in the $900 range in dealers’ showcases. You’ll find offerings in the usual 9mm Luger and .45 ACP. We were surprised to see that EAA would be including a 15-round 10mm Auto in the initial lineup as well. Several trims will be available and include multiple grip and sight options. (eaacorp.com)
EAA – MC P35 PI
There are several firearms designs that will survive the test of time. John Browning’s Hi-Power undoubtedly makes the list, even for concealed carry. At the 2023 SHOT Show, EAA introduced the MC P35 PI (for Private Investigator). It features a shorter 3.88-inch barrel, ambidextrous safety, and traditional three-dot sights. In this compact configuration, it is perfect for self-defense or informal target shooting. (eaacorp.com)
