Compact pistols seem to be the Goldilock standard for handguns. They fit just right in a role where they can double as both a firearm that can be carried concealed and used for home defense. It’s small and light enough to tuck into your pants and hit the road, but it also accommodates a light and is easy to handle for home defense. Compact pistols are big enough to fill your hand and be easy to control with minimal recoil from standard calibers.

Compact pistols offer you most of the benefits of a full-sized pistol combined with most of the benefits of a subcompact pistol. Today we are looking at three popular compact pistols and seeing which comes out as top dog. Those pistols are the Sig P320C, the Glock 19, and CZ P-10C. 

I’m not sure if I need to mention this, but we’ll be looking at the 9mm variants of these guns.

Glock 19

O.G. of compact pistols, the Glock 19 is easily the most popular Glock model—especially with the civilian market. This pistol started the theme of compact pistols being just right in size. It packs a rail, a 15 round magazine, and is now in its fifth generation.

Sig P320C 

When the P320 hit shelves, the P320C followed up quite quickly. Sig advertised the P320 to provide you everything a lot of people believed Glock left out. The p320C comes with a 15 round magazine, a rail, and a variety of models available.

CZ P-10C

As much as we try to keep CZ sacred, the P-10C brought them lots of mainstream attention. The CZ P-10C refines the compact pistol and comes with a 15 round magazine, a rail, and it also provides a multitude of models.

Compact Pistol Life

I find that these three particular compact pistols have reached a certain degree of popularity. The Glock 19 obviously rules the roost, but the P320C and P-10C are catching up. I’ve broken down this article into several categories, and we’ll discuss the merits of each pistol and why one might edge the others out in each category.

All three of these handguns are great guns.

They are duty suitable and built to last. There isn’t a single bad gun in this group. However, some pull ahead in certain categories every so slightly. Keep in mind this is just my opinion, and the good news is you can sound off in the comments to let me know what you think about each category.

Best Ergonomics — CZ P-10C

Ergonomics are how the pistol feels in hand and how accessible and easy the controls are to reach. In this category, I think the CZ P-10C stands out considerably. The Glock 19, even the latest generation, feels a bit like a brick in your hand. The P320C feels a bit like a thinner brick in your hand. Neither is terrible, but when held in comparison to the P-10C, you notice a huge difference.

The P10C tapers its grip as it meets its peak behind the trigger. This thinner portion of the gun provides a much more comfortable grip overall. I didn’t notice the brick-like nature of the other two compact pistols until I picked up the P-10C. Plus, the ultra-aggressive grip texture is fantastic and tough to beat.

Additionally, I appreciate the slide lock/release on the P-10C. On the Glock and Sig, my thumbs pin down the slide lock and render it nearly useless. The undercut on the trigger guard of both the P-10C and P320C makes it easy to choke up. Accessing the magazine release of each weapon isn’t difficult, and the CZ P-10C is the only one that provides a true ambidextrous release.

The P320C comes in second, and ultimately the Glock 19 comes in third in ergonomics.

Best in Reliability — Glock 19

All three of these compact pistols have been proven to be extremely reliable. When a gun sucks, it doesn’t take long for the internet to notice and report on it. Well, you won’t see many reports of any of these guns failing. In general, these are all very reliable pistols.

However, the age of the Glock 19 and the fact that it’s been issued so widely to police and military forces across the world show that the gun works. It’s the most proven firearm on this list and takes the top spot for reliability.

Coming in second will be the P320C which proved itself well during the Army’s MHS contest. Third, obviously is the CZ P-10C, and that’s largely due to the fact it has not been tested to the same degree as the other two pistols. None of these guns have failed in my usage.

Best for Customization — SIG P320C

The Glock 19 would be the easiest option to toss onto this category and call it a day. Sure, you can get a dozen different triggers for the Glock 19, but they aren’t all that different. With the P320C, you can pop out that fire control unit (FCU) and instantly change the grip module. You can get metal grip modules, X series, and aftermarket options without the need for an FFL.

Like the Glock, you can change a wide variety of things about the gun. This includes the slide, barrel, triggers, and beyond. However, the FCU makes your customizations more meaningful. The Glock 19 comes in second clearly, and the P-10C in a distant third.

Best in Accuracy — It’s a Tie

Compact pistols are all relatively the same when it comes to accuracy. You won’t see any massive difference between the guns in the hands of a shooter. An expert with a Glock will shoot a Sig or CZ just as accurately. I’m personally most accurate with the P320C, but the optic certainly helps in that role.

Best Price — P-10C (Just Barely)

As I write this in 2021, prices are all other the place. The best I can do is find one website that sells all three pistols and look at the price between each standard model. I’ve excluded special additions, X-Series guns, etc. I compared the Glock 19 Gen 5, the CZ P-10C, and P320C.

It seems that the P-10C is about 40 bucks cheaper for its bare-bones base model. If I compare the Glock 19 Gen 4, the prices are identical, so you could argue it’s a tie. So as a tiebreaker, I looked to the optic’s ready models, and the CZ P-10C is cheaper than both the P320C RX and Glock 19 Gen 4 MOS guns.

My Personal Favorite?

Out of the box, I think the best stock gun of these three compact pistols is the CZ P-10C. Yes, I’m a CZ fan, but I do feel for the money the CZ provides the best features and experience. From the metal sights to the better overall ergonomics, I think it’s just a better gun compared to the other two. That’s just looking at stock pistols; I’m sure if we dived into some of SIG’s special editions, I’d change my mind. That being said, the Sig and Glock offer plenty of reasons to purchase them.

The Glock 19 offers a massive aftermarket with affordable and available OEM magazines, lots of holsters, and a superbly simple design. Anyone can work on a Glock, and the armorer’s course is like a day-long, and all you need is a punch to take the entire thing apart.

The Sig P320C allows for a crazy degree of customization, with new features, grip modules, and slides being released all the time. The FCU opens up an entire market to turn one pistol into many.

Compact Pistols For All

Ultimately I think these are the three best compact pistols currently on the market. You know my personal favorite and feelings on the above categories. What’s your opinion? Let us know below your favorite of the compact pistols on this list and beyond this list.

Leave it to Magpul to take a concept that historically sucked and make it great. I’m speaking about drums, of course, and how Magpul figured out how to finally make them work. Historically, drums sucked. And they continued to suck until Magpul figured out how to make them work. They started with the AR 15 and then the AR 10, and now we have drums for the CZ Scorpion and Glock series as well. I got my hands on the Magpul D-50 CZ Scorpion drum magazine and have taken it for a spin.

The Scorpion series has been extremely popular in the world of PCCs and large format pistols. I’m lucky enough to have both the pistol variant as well as the carbine variant. That being said, my rifle variant is the bullpup model, so this will certainly be a unique test.

Magpul modeled the Scorpion D-50 drum directly after the D-60 and D-50 drums. It’s a fair bit smaller and shorter than those two but identical in design. This includes the Gen M3 style design. It features the Gen M3 polymer mix, the Dot Matrix, the easy takedown procedure, and the same load lever design. Even though it’s a well-made drum, you might ask why exactly you would need a Scorpion D-50?

Is the D-50 CZ Scorpion drum magazine practical?

Obviously, the benefit of a drum is to increase capacity without having an obnoxiously long magazine. Magpul did this previously with the 35 round Scorpion magazines but took it a step further with the D-50 and its 50 round capacity. More ammo is better than less ammo as long as the ammo feeding device works, obviously.

That’s always been the real downside of a drum. The feeding devices rarely worked and had a tendency to be maintenance-heavy. Magpul fixed that previously and their drums have been proven to work. In a rifle, obviously, a drum makes sense, but what about a PCC or large format pistol? Well, if you’ve chosen either to be a defensive weapon, then the D-50 CZ Scorpion drum magazine makes a lot of sense.

Using a pistol-caliber firearm means you’ll likely need to fire more rounds to put a threat down. Sadly, pistol calibers can’t meet the power of anything rifle caliber. Having more ammo than less makes sense. The weight penalty for a bedside gun isn’t an issue. You won’t be patrolling with a Scorpion D-50 across the Helmand province.

Plus, in a home defense situation, you won’t be rocking a chest rig and packing a half dozen magazines for speed reloads. As such, the drum offers you almost twice the capacity of a standard magazine. More ammo in the gun means less reloading, and less reloading is a good thing in a fight.

Yes, by the way, you can leave it loaded. Unlike other drums, this isn’t a major issue with the Scorpion D-50 (or any Magpul drum). You can load it JHPs and forget about it.

Breaking down Scorpion D-50

Breaking the Magpul drums down for maintenance is very simple to do. First, pop off the four tabs with a flat head tool. Once the tops are popped off, use the same flat head tool to defeat the four latches, and you can remove the front and rear of the drum for maintenance.

Obviously, make sure the drum is unloaded prior to taking things apart. Once the drum is apart, you can clean and oil the drum. Magpul previously said that the D-60 and D-50 could go for 1000 rounds between cleanings, and I assume the same with the Scorpion D-50.

The insides of the drum are quite simple, and that makes cleaning them rather simple as well. Simple is good, and you can’t beat simple, especially when it comes to magazines.

Load, Shoot, Repeat

Magpul loves to claim the drums are easy to load, and in some ways—they are. The lever that presses the follower down and allows you to load the drum ensures you aren’t fighting a single spring for all 50 rounds. That being said, trying to hold the drum, while holding the lever and putting in rounds will make you wish you had three hands.

Sure, it’s not difficult from a manual loading perspective, but it’s not what I’d call easy ergonomically. I hug the Scorpion D-50 with the same arm that manipulates the lever and then load rounds with the other hand. Loading is relatively quick, although, near the end, you’ll be loading one round per lever manipulation. It’s a thumb workout, to be sure.

I really love the window at the rear of the drum that allows you to monitor capacity. Unlike a side-mounted window, you can do a quick flick of the eyes to see how much you got left. It’s very clearly marked and keeps you keep track of your 9mm rounds as you deplete them.

Speaking of depleting ammo, I set forth to do just that. Drums are so much fun to shoot and in the Scorpion doubly so. I grabbed several hundred rounds, a pair of Scorpions, and went to the range. I love shooting Scorpions and PCCs in general. So I certainly enjoyed the process of emptying these drums more than I enjoyed filling them.

Getting Our Pow On with the CZ Scorpion Drum Magazine 

I utilized a Scorpion Micro pistol and my Scorpion bullpup rifle and let the lead fly. I started with just a few basic drills to see if the drum did the very basics of being a drum. Next, I then set forth dropping the almost fully loaded drum from the gun and seeing what happened. On occasion, a round or two popped out, but nothing else seemed to happen. Oh, and the drum dropped free without issue.

Those takedown tabs never dislodged as I assumed they would. They aren’t hard to pry off, and I just assumed they would pop off rather easily under pressure. Even if so, all four of them could pop off, and the Scorpion D-50 will still run completely fine.

Next, I wanted to apply pressure in various ways to see if I could make it fail. I used it first as a monopod of sorts and let the full weight of the weapon sit on the drum, and I pulled the trigger. No problems.

I used the drum as an improvised barrier stop and pressed the drum into the barrier, and fired. Again, no problem with reliability.

Lastly, I placed the drum over the top of a barrier and pulled rearward to change the pressure up, and again the gun and drum operated without issue.

From there, I got to do the fun stuff. I did various drills and just shot a lot out of the drum. Several hundred rounds over several days between a few different shooters. I dropped round after round and heard ding after ding. Whenever the drum ran empty, I dropped it from the gun to the ground to try and give it a little stress. The drum must’ve meditated prior because the Scorpion D-50 didn’t seem to mind stress.

Saved Rounds

The drum doesn’t affect Scorpions with a standard layout. Sure the gun gets a bit heavier, and using it with a single hand is rather difficult. The brace certainly helps stabilize the now heavier weapon. In the bullpup Scorpion, the drum feels somewhat awkward, and your arm has to wrap around its bulbous form. Yet it loads, ejects, and fires without issue in the bullpup gun.

All in all, the Scorpion D-50 drum is pretty fantastic.

The last pistol caliber subgun to wear a drum this well was the Tommy gun. In fact, the Scorpion quickly becomes a rather modern variant of the Tommy gun with a dream and certainly looks pretty freaking sweet. Luckily it works as good as it looks. Do you love it? Hate it? Let us know below!

Everyone loves a good .22. Everyone. Yes, even you. But let’s be honest, it seems like it’s all been done. Maybe so, but the guys at Smith & Wesson have something that might pique your interest. The M&P 15-22 pistol is a slick little package that is not only fun to shoot but could help with your training if you’re so inclined.

Allen at Olde English Outfitter breaks down the S&W M&P 15-22 pistol for us.

As Allen notes, the AR platform has kind of taken over the US market, and with good reason:

• Ease of use
• Ease of maintenance
• Modularity makes customization a breeze
• Adaptable to multiple shooters and uses
• Affordability

All that adds up to a popular platform that almost any shooter can find a use for. One of those uses is training. ARs chambered in .22 long rifle are nothing new, but many of those rifles don’t feature fully functional controls, so while they’re fun to shoot, they don’t help much with mechanics and muscle memory. Not so the M&P 15-22 Pistol.

The controls are identical to a standard AR-15 with a functional mag release, charging handle, bolt catch, and 90-degree two-position safety lever. The only thing missing is a forward assist, and I think we can live without that since the gun doesn’t need one.

So, as Allen points out, you can use this gun just like your AR-15 but not shoot up that still-expensive centerfire ammo. Just make certain, as I know you will, to get high-velocity ammo to cycle the action.

Features

The gun is lightweight, with polymer receivers, though the barrel, bolt, bolt carrier, and trigger group are steel. The gun features a blowback action with the recoil spring on the bolt carrier. The gun obviously doesn’t need a buffer tube, being a .22.

The brace is an SB Tactical SBA3, just like you might find on an AR-15 pistol. 

Basic disassembly is similar to an AR-15, with the two takedown pins, and the bolt carrier slides out the back with the charging handle.

Allen says that he is sometimes asked whether a standard AR-15 upper can be placed on the M&P 15-22 lower. The answer is NO. The polymer receiver and controls are not meant to handle that kind of pressure and the lower is not capable of accepting a buffer tube.

Not only does the gun offer functional controls and a nice brace, but there are also lots of other nice features:

• Threaded barrel
• Birdcage flash hider
• Full-length pic rail on top for optic or whatever else 
• M&P M-Lok handguard for lights and stuff
•Magpul MOE-SL pistol grip Magpul MOE SL AR15/M4 Grip (gunmagwarehouse.com)
• Integral QD sling attachment on the brace
•25 round polymer mag with exposed spring and tabs for easy loading 
• Available 10 round mag and 10 round short mag for those who live behind the Blue Curtain 
• Overall length: 25.4” (extended) 22.8” (collapsed)
• Barrel length: 8”
• Barrel twist rate: 1-15
• Weight: 53.6 ounces

Before writing this article, I dropped by my favorite gun store and handled one of these. I really liked it. The controls were crisp and, just as advertised—right where I expected them to be. I thought I had all the .22 I was going to get, but I think an S&W M&P 15-22 Pistol just might have my name on it. Might want to check one out for yourself.

We all know the good of the MP5, but what if there was a slightly better 9mm caliber carbine out there? The gent over at Garand Thumb on YouTube did a review of the Sig MPX (K version specifically) and asserts that this rifle is better than the MP5.

Curious? Us too.

The carbine is a short-stroke gas-operated system with a closed bolt. Thumb states that it is a professional firearm designed for use by professional individuals. He then goes through all the major parts of the rifle for a more thorough review.

He starts out with the flash hider, barrel, and handguard. While the flash hider is effective, he finds it frustrating that if you upgrade to a different flash hider, you’ll need a thread adapter because of the threading. The barrel is free-floating cold hammered forged and accurate with groups of 4-5” at 100 yards. The handguard is modular with M-lock on the sides and a small Picatinny rail near the front. His one complaint about the guard is that it is kind of large with lots of free space around the barrel.

Thumb goes on to the short-stroke gas piston system saying that it is incredible. He claims that it is the softest shooting system he’s shot, even more gentle than the MP5. He feels that Sig does a great job gassing the weapon to achieve reliability and accuracy.

On the MPX receiver, there is a full-length Picatinny rail that is very robust and sturdy. The magazine well is very large and makes reloading very smooth and easy. His one main gripe on the lower receiver is that the MPX magazines while being made of high-quality polymer with metal reinforced lips, are pretty expensive compared to other magazines on the market.

One of his big compliments to the system is the use of ambidextrous controls for the mag and bolt releases, safety, and the charging handle. However, he does recommend that you upgrade the handle to a Radian model.

To round out the receiver, the carbine does have AR-type selector switches with a good Sig grip. The trigger is from Timney, which is a crisp single-stage trigger with zero take up and roughly a three-pound pull. He really likes the trigger and feels like the system could run fast because of how effective the trigger is.

The end of the receiver has the Sig 1913 stock adapter. The model reviewed came with the pistol brace, which he doesn’t like, and recommends having a different option. 1913 stock adapter on the rifle and he really likes it.

In conclusion, he says that Sig did a great job with the MPX in that it is a softer shooting option than the MP5. Overall, he thinks it’s an awesome firearm and recommends it. Want a review on a different model of MPX? Check out the Sig MPX K.

We all know AR-style rifles — and pistols — are versatile. Not only are they highly adaptable and changeable for components but they come chambered in all manner of calibers with a ton of barrel lengths and features. The SIG MCX Tacops Rifle in 300 BLK is one configuration of the hot SIG MCX line, proving once again that AR-style owners do have more fun. In a video review, Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics gets into the details of the rifle but also delves into what he thinks of the 300 BLK itself.

What Is 300 BLK Made To Do?

300 BLK was designed by Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC)  right after they were acquired by the Remington Arms family of companies in 2012. It was meant for close-quarters work, meaning you’re not going to get good long-range use out of it, but that’s just fine for a defensive firearm used in enclosed spaces. This cartridge was also made to work well with suppressors, so keep that in mind if you plan to shoot it without one.

Some 300 BLK details:

• Bullet diameter 0.308-inches
• Case type rimless, bottleneck
• Primer type small rifle
• SAAMI maximum pressure 55,000 PSI
• CIP maximum pressure 56,565 PSI

Is 300 BLK a Good Caliber for the AR Platform?

One of the great things about this particular video review is that Aaron Cowan gets into the details of the 300 BLK itself. This isn’t just a rifle review, it gives viewers a background on the cartridge and an idea of what to look for if they’re in the market for an AR-style gun chambered in this specific cartridge.

Leading into his review, Aaron had a few things to say:

“What appeals to me about the MCX line – specifically the Tacops, which is apparently exclusive to TALO distributors — is the fact that it’s a folding-stock, piston-driven rifle. It comes from the factory with a trainer can in place. Now, I went ahead and removed that trainer can and went with Sig Sauer’s SRD762TI, which is a direct thread, titanium suppressor. So for this review, you’re kind of getting a review of the Tacops MCX, but you’re also getting a review of the suppressor—at least in regards to the 300 BLK round.

“What appeals to me mainly about the 300 BLK round, which I kind of already mentioned, is how I can effortlessly go back and forth from super to subsonic if the rifle allows me to do so. The original specs from AAC on the 300 BLK — SAAMI specs — some people just build the gun for those specifications and don’t allow for a lot of adjustment.

“One thing is, Primary Weapons Systems did is (and I don’t want to use this as a comparison, but mention it as an example) with their Mk109, is the gas system is not adjustable, which is a departure for PWS, because all of their rifles have adjustable gas. But 300 BLK, they went away from it, which tended to make the rifle kind of gassy, and left me wanting a little bit more performance — I shouldn’t say performance, a little more comfort when it came to the recoil impulse.”

So how does the Sig Sauer MCX Tacops Rifle in 300 BLK measure up?

Watch the video below to find out.

SIG Sauer is a respected manufacturer known for designing and producing some fantastic guns. As with any gun, choosing a rifle chambered in 300 BLK depends on your own needs. What do you need the gun to do? Is it for plinking or home defense? Do you want a truck gun? Once you’ve answered those kinds of questions it gets easier to choose your gun. If you want to check out the entire SIG MCX line, take a look on the Sig website.

Do you like 300 BLK? Why or why not?