0
Our Favorite Pistols of SHOT Show 2026
SHOT Show 2026 is currently underway, and we have been walking the booths to see what new pistols are being offered this year. It wasn’t long before we had our list of favorites! Remember, we haven’t actually been able to shoot these yet, so this is more of a “we like what we see” article.
Without taking too much time (there are still more booths we have to hit), here are our favorite pistols of SHOT Show 2026.
Smith & Wesson M&P 10mm Carry Comp
It’s a chonker, but that comp will help keep the recoil down.
The Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 Carry Comp has been a hit across the board, from everyday carry to competition to simply being a great-looking gun. Seriously, it’s one of the finest-looking pistols of all time. And the Metal series is in a league of its own.
The compensator is clearly designed to reduce felt recoil on the M&P 2.0 platform. 9mm is already low enough. But you know what isn’t? 10mm. Or what I like to call it: not known for being easy on the hands.
Well, that’s unless you’re running a serious compensator. Or a pistol that was fine-tuned to lower the recoil of such a heavy caliber, such as the 10mm Carry Comp.
For those who carry 10mm for protection, recoil control is the real story here.
SALE 
Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0 10mm 15 Round Magazine
151 reviews
Original price was: $42.00.$36.99Current price is: $36.99.
S&W M&P M2.0 Metal HD
By far one of my favorite series on the market. You have to try it.
For those who thought the M&P lineup couldn’t get any better, I hate to break it to you, but you and I were both wrong. Smith & Wesson continues to iterate aggressively on the M&P platform.
New grip texture, more aggressive slide serrations, night fision tritium sights, and the renowned CORE trigger package to remind you just what it is you’re working with: a gun that was already great, and is now pushed further toward performance.
They could have called this the beginning of the M&P 3.0, and I would have believed it. For those who love the 2.0 platform, this is one you have to try.
S&W Competitor HD
It’s a surprise that any gases escape the crown of the barrel at all.
And if the standard Metal HD is an excellent gun on steroids, then the Competitor is an all-out assault on competition guns. Ports, everywhere. A built-in compensator? That’s a given. Oh, and the new slide serrations with a grip texture that prioritizes control under recoil.
But you won’t be having trouble with your shot groupings at all. We’ve had the pleasure of shooting all of the new competition 2.0s, and once you get to the top, recoil basically melts away. Especially if you know what you’re doing and know how to keep your grip from breaking down, you’re golden.
And lord knows what these new Competitor HDs will be capable of in the right hands. My guess is, it’ll be on par with any 2011 you put in front of it. I mean, this thing feels amazing in your hands. We can’t wait to put it through its paces on the range.
Staccato HD C4X
The compensator was a great touch with the short barrel.
What happens when you mash together a Glock 43X and a 2011? You get a Frankenstein of a concealed carry gun that is extremely capable at its job, all while looking great and keeping that great American spirit alive.
The C4X gives you front-of-dot rear sights, Trijicon or Ameriglo front sights (depending on the options you pick), and a built-in compensator dedicated to keeping that muzzle exactly where you need it when things go wrong.
Basically, Staccato built this little 2011 that shoots flat and feels great in the hand. A little pricey, but that’s Staccato. You get 15 rounds of 9mm to hurl at your target while your muzzle moves very little.
For those who want a concealed carry gun, this may have taken the top spot.
Beretta 80X .32acp by LTT
Smaller calibers are making a comeback and looking good at the same time.
The 80X started its life in .380 meant to be a concealed carry pistol. Lightweight, smaller than a regular Beretta 92, and a platform that is as classic as time itself. Now, Langdon Tactical has released its own variant. In .32. And it looks like a blast to shoot.
The flat trigger and factory EPS cut (if you don’t want to use plates) give you an accurate-as-you-are platform and have the makings of a great carry gun. It’s still on the bigger side compared to other carry guns, but who can argue with a small Beretta 92?
The 80X .32ACP by Langdon Tactical Technologies is a custom gun. Of course, it will be far better than something you can just go pick up from the factory. Anything you will eventually want to add to this pistol is already there.
Beretta Overlanding M9A4
How can you argue with that color?
The iconic Beretta 92 has seen more combat than almost any other pistol on the market and has kept millions of people safe for decades. It has worked hard, and in its retirement, it likes to get out into the wilderness.
Or that’s the story Beretta has planted in my mind.
The Beretta Overlanding M9A4 is exactly what it sounds like. A pistol meant to get out there with you and keep you safe, as the M9 platform has done for generations. It comes in two colors that pay homage to the visuals you will find out there: Lunar, Nomad Orange, and Clay.
All of them come with a threaded barrel and slide, ready to have your favorite optic mounted to the top with a plate.
Of course, it’s huge. It’s a full-size combat pistol. Having an OWB holster of some sort will be paramount when you get out there. Other than that, you have one of the most well-traveled pistols in the world to rely on.
Kimber 1911 DS Warrior (9mm, 45acp, 10mm)
Classic with a modern twist.
In 2011, it entered the game and ate up every improvement opportunity. Once we started shooting 9mm out of a 1911, what we wanted from a pistol changed forever. Who does that extremely well? Kimber. The new Warrior aims to aid that claim.
The Warrior is nothing fancy, but it is everything you’d want in a 1911/2011 and nothing that could get in the way. If you want all the characteristics, that isn’t this pistol. It’s a quality American-built 1911 that is more old school than new.
Aside from the materials, which include a carbon-fiber-infused grip and a stainless steel slide with Kimber’s in-house black finish, the Warrior is an accurate and true 1911. Available in 9mm, .45 ACP, and 10mm.
For the purists out there.
FN 309
It won’t be the most concealable, but it will help get the job done.
Remember when FN was taking NATO’s request for a new rifle and turning it into the beloved tank of a rifle that is the SCAR platform? Longtime FN fans will remember. Now, on the more tame side of things, they make concealed carry guns. Yay.
Times have clearly changed.
The FN 309 is new to the concealed carry world and takes a slim-without-sacrificing-capacity approach to the game by offering 16 and 20-round magazines with its new carry gun. If there’s one thing FN never sacrifices on, it’s capacity.
Like the 509 that held 23 rounds when everyone else was still in the teens or just in the young 20-something round range, even in their smallest pistols, FN wants you to have as much firepower as possible.
Oddly enough, the 309 bears a striking resemblance to the P365 Fuse. And it’s about the same size as well. If you’ve been on the market for a Fuse, you might want to consider the 309 beforehand.
Springfield Echelon 4.0FC
Looks can be deceiving; this Echelon is quite different from the standard.
I’ve been saying for a long time that the Echelon is by far one of the best pistols on the market. Especially for its price point. Springfield took listening to the industry to a whole new level and ran with everything they could get their hands on.
Modular like a P320, simple like a Glock, and far more in tune with what their customers want.
And the FC is our first look at an Echelon crossover. F for full-size grip, C for compact frame. Think of it like a 19X but far more capable for other jobs. Not locked down to a singular one. And, if you ask me, far better in the trigger category than both. Yes, even with the new Gen 6.
Springfield, like Smith & Wesson, is taking its job very seriously and delivering the pistols we’ve all been asking for. A modular Glock that goes beyond magazines and major parts? The ability to have a low bore-axis pistol that can be switched up?
SALE 
Springfield Echelon 9mm 20 Round Extended Magazine
24 reviews
Original price was: $44.99.$34.99Current price is: $34.99.
SALE 
Springfield Echelon 9mm 20 Round Extended Magazine (3 Pack)
102 reviews
Original price was: $134.99.$99.99Current price is: $99.99.
Conclusion
SHOT Show has not been a disappointment this year in the slightest. It’s packed, and getting close to these pistols proved challenging at times, but they were so cool that we had to wait around for our chance to get our hands on them.
On a side note, another thing you should get your hands on at SHOT is some hand sanitizer…just saying.
We will also be going over the long guns we couldn’t get out of our minds. So stick around so you can live SHOT through us.
Be good and take care.
