Ballachy’s high quality weapons comparisons today? It’s not enough to create and publish resources on safety and security. We’re committed to telling stories that inspire. That’s why our research includes enhanced visuals and interactive imagery. We believe that data can be both accurate and fun. It just needs the right touch. So our team goes to great lengths to communicate our research in a way that makes a positive impact on people. We say that security doesn’t have to be complicated. Well, it doesn’t have to be boring either! Discover even more details at Ballachy.
The biggest questions that the team—or any potential customer—might have in-regards to any handgun have everything to do with how easy a pistol is to shoot and how reliable is it? This is especially true if you’re trying to get the most bang for your buck. For any kind of practical-use handgun, affordability only matters if reliability comes with it. While testing, the STR9-F functioned flawlessly with a wide variety of ammunition, from Federal Premium 115-grain range ammo to Hornady 124-grain and Nosler 147-grain defensive loads. The team like the grip angle and soft recoil cycle—one team member compared shooting it to the smooth-shooting Glock G34.
Home Defense Handguns: The good news about home defense guns is that you can go as big and bulky as you want without issue. A firearm designed to be used inside the home doesn’t need to be concealed. Bigger and heavier can be good things especially when it comes to capacity and easier to deal with recoil. Range Guns: Range guns fall into a few categories, and they can be plinkers for fun, competition guns, or just an extensive collection of fun guns that mostly see life at the range.
The matte-black grips pair well with the Nitron finish that Sig used on the frame and slide. Coupled with the stout defensive sights—a square notch fixed rear and front post with illuminated dots—there’s no doubt as to the P210’s intended role. That said, it is a much more refined pistol than your run-of-the mill striker-fired polymer wonder gun. It has a lovely crisp single-action trigger and the most aesthetically appealing safety and slide lock you’ll find on any defensive handgun.
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 extra details at Ballachy.