Patriot Arsenal: 3 Guns Every American Should Own – The Pistol

You can read the first installment of the Patriot Arsenal series on the rifle here.

We are fully aware that the array of firearms to many Americans is akin to the choice of religious affiliations. People view their choice as correct and everyone else’s as heresy. At the risk of being labeled a heretic, I’ll lay out my reasons for the caliber and design for the handgun that I recommend every American should own and be able to use effectively.

A GLOCK by Any Other Name

As William Shakespeare asserted, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” To wit, I would assert that a GLOCK by any other name is still the best fighting pistol around. Gaston Glock took a chance and filed the patent application for his G17 pistol in April of 1981. Since the patent protection in the United States for the original G17 expired in 2002, most every firearms manufacturer in the world has produced a polymer-framed, striker-fired (PFSF), self-loading handgun of some sort with internal components closely mimicking those of the GLOCK. 

Yes, there are cosmetic variations as well as some mechanical differences, but the basic design of the PFSF is consistent. Why is this so important? Because these pistols are the most reliable type of semi-automatic handguns in history.

Gun buyers under forty years of age seem to take for granted that 100 percent out-of-the-box reliability for self-loading handguns has always been a thing. Folks, I can tell you for certain has not always been the case. It hasn’t been that long since manufacturers recommended and specified break-in periods for their handguns. If you had stoppages during the first few magazines and called to complain, the maker would simply tell you that the gun wasn’t broken in yet.      

Thanks to the G17 and the small, but important improvements to the original design over forty years, newly manufactured pistols are almost always reliable out-of-the-box. In our modern world, if you were to purchase a semi-auto handgun and have stoppages during your first range trip, you could be justifiably angry, disappointed, or a combination of both. 

Patriot Arsenal: The Pistol     

Based on the previous set-up, you will not be surprised that I recommend that you purchase some type of 9mm PFSF handgun for your Patriot Arsenal. The examples that I have here for your consideration come from Canik USA. I have an original TP9 SA, a TP9 DA, and a TP9 SFT (suppressor-ready) pistol. Yes, the colorful Duracoat finishes were added by the author for aesthetics. 

All of the aforementioned pistols are chambered in the 9x19mm cartridge (9mm Luger, 9mm Para, 9mm NATO, they’re all the same) and they use the same magazines. We acknowledge there are numerous handgun calibers available to the American gun owner. However, just as we recommended the AR-15 in .223/5.56 because that’s the most prevalent centerfire rifle cartridge in the USA, we use the same reasoning for the handgun.

It might have taken thirty years or so, but we’re finally to a place in the United States where our military and 95% of our law enforcement agencies are using the same caliber handguns. Remember when the US Army was using the .45 ACP and American cops were carrying .38 Special revolvers? Then, when the US Army switched to the 9mm NATO Beretta M9, American cops started transitioning from the .38 Spl. to .40 S&W.

Now the .40 S&W is all but dead and the .45 ACP is more and more a niche cartridge. Therefore we find that there’s more 9mm parabellum ammunition being manufactured in the USA — and the world — than any other pistol cartridge. Hell, even the Russians are issuing 9mm NATO chambered pistols now to their Army.

When it comes to using firearms for self-defense and home protection, the #1 most important aspect is reliability. Notice I did not say “accuracy.” First, what good is an accurate pistol that can’t be relied on to cycle round after round without stoppages? Secondly, modern barrel manufacturing being what it is, 99.7% of all handguns being produced today have more inherent accuracy built into them than the hands which hold them. If your skills are able to exceed the built-in accuracy of the pistol you’re using, you’re among the top 1% of all shooters. Congratulations.     

 

We recommend some type of PFSF pistol, such as these Canik TP9 versions, because they have a consistent trigger press and don’t have superfluous external controls. The shooter needs only to master one, consistent, trigger press. The Canik TP9 pistols have what can be honestly described as very good triggers. They’re not too light, nor are they too heavy.  

When it comes to using firearms for self-defense/home protection, the #1 most important aspect is reliability. Notice I did not say “accuracy.”

 

The guns are full-sized pistols. However, they aren’t too big for the hands of most women or the mature teens we spoke of in the first installment in this series. Remember, just as we asserted that all mature, responsible members of the household should be taught to use the rifle, the same goes for the pistol. Chambered in 9x19mm, the felt recoil of these pistols isn’t overwhelming by any stretch of the imagination. Also, the full-sized slide offers ample surface area to hold onto when working the action.    

Accessories

As for pistol accessories, we recommend that you have multiple magazines as your first priority. You will also want some brand of holster. If you’re concerned primarily with home defense rather than concealed carry, outside-the-waistband holsters will work just fine.

In the Patriot Arsenal hard case above, I have cut-outs, not just for the pistols, but also for the magazines and a rail-mounted flashlight. Employing a handgun with a light mounted is a skill that must be learned and practiced, but it’s worth the effort.

As for ammunition, when it comes to training and practicing, either the 115 grain or 124 grain FMJ loads will work. For game day, spend the money and purchase quality controlled-expansion ammunition from a reputable company. My go-to ammo makers are Black Hills and Double Tap. You won’t go wrong purchasing from either maker. 

Train, Train, Train and Practice

Americans love handguns for many reasons which we don’t have time to enumerate here. However, the reality of the situation is that proficiency with a handgun is more difficult to come by and achieve than it is with a long gun which has four points of contact. If you’re forced to use a handgun in a self-defense situation, you’ll have two points of contact in the best case and only one point in the worst.

Also, when it comes to terminal ballistics, handguns pale in comparison to rifles and shotguns. We carry handguns for convenience, not power. Understanding this reality, shot placement with handguns is critical. The ability to put rounds on target in the preferred area under extreme stress requires training and then practice. 

Training is a formalized undertaking where the student is coached and critiqued by a subject matter expert. Practice is what you do on your own time. Another way to put it is this: training teaches you how and what to practice. If you are unsure what type or training and practice you should be taking, I’ll suggest that you start with the Martial Application of the Pistol home study program from Student of the Gun University. 

Paul G. Markel is the founder of Student the Gun University and has been teaching Small Arms & Tactics to military personnel, police officers, and citizens for over three decades. He is the author of numerous books and is a combat decorated United States Marine veteran.