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A Look Back At The New Pistols of 2024
A new year has arrived and gone, and with it, we look forward to the last of the new pistols of 2024.
Every year, we see pistol manufacturers throw their best into the ring for consumers and enthusiasts to pick apart, find what works, and then go to Reddit to complain about what doesn’t.
It’s clockwork. Year after year. As is the excitement.
While not all new pistols are exactly innovative, many pistol manufacturers find new ways to tweak their pistols, whether it be by adding an optics-ready slide, extra ammo in the magazine, or a crossover variant, marrying two pistols and all of their best features.
You never know what’s going to come out in these gun shows. Let’s look at some of what 2024 has brought us firearms enthusiasts so far.
HK CC9
Heckler and Koch patiently sat on the sidelines for years while companies like Glock, Sig Sauer, and Smith & Wesson produced dozens of concealed carry pistols. After years of research and thousands of rounds, HK has created the CC9.
And the wait was well worth it. HK is said to have put the CC9 through 750,000 rounds before deeming it good enough to be on the market.
There’s a new breed of German firearms hitting the market. Source
The CC9 has all of the fixings that make a great carry gun. The slide is optics-ready, there is space for a light, and the magazine capacity is a respectable ten rounds with an extended 12-round option.
While designing it, HK wanted to build the smallest pistol with the highest magazine capacity available. And for what you get, the CC9 is a top contender for the best concealed carry pistol on the market. We shall see.
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0
After the Bodyguard .380 came around and brought a new meaning to the term “pocket pistol,” Smith & Wesson took what it got right, did away with what wasn’t so great, and gave us a carry gun fit with modern ergonomics.
Albeit not as small as its predecessor, the Bodyguard 2.0 gives you more gun to get your hands on. If you’ve ever shot a micro-compact pistol with larger hands, you know how hard it can be.
You’d never have guessed it came from the Bodyguard.
It still fits in the palm of your hand and even has a 12-round magazine capacity, adding more real estate for your hands.
SALE 
Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 .380 ACP 12 Round Magazine
218 reviews
Original price was: $40.00.$36.99Current price is: $36.99.
The flat-face trigger gives a modern pull, making it far easier to get accurate shots than the curved trigger, which was often compared to the trigger of a stapler gun.
While not as good of a pocket pistol as the Bodyguard .380 from a pure-size perspective, the Bodyguard 2.0 is far more equipped for the modern shooter. Now, all Smith and Wesson needs is an optics-ready version. The lack will keep it in the shadows compared to Glock and Sig Sauer. It’s 2024, this should be a no-brainer.
Canik METE SFX/SFT
The METE line has been surprising, to say the least. The triggers are great, they come optics-ready, the iron sights are easy to use, and they won’t drain your wallet. They come in many shapes and sizes for any shooter’s needs, and now Canik has built on that success.
SFx (top) and SFT (bottom) base models. Source
The SFX and SFT are two new editions that are similar in size but differ in their intended uses. The SFX (Striker Fire-X) is intended for competition-style shooting, with porting in the slide and a flared magazine well. On the other hand, the SFT (Striker Fired-Tactical) is, as the name suggests, more features for tactical shooters. A shorter overall size is the key difference. Nonetheless, they both take standard Canik TP9-series magazines.
SALE 
Canik TP9, TP9SF, TP9SFX 9mm 18 Round Magazine
174 reviews
Original price was: $42.99.$36.99Current price is: $36.99.
Both pro models feature flat-faced triggers, fluted and chrome-plated barrels, optics cuts, suppressor height sights, and Tritium front sights. Compared to the base versions, the Pros scream premium. Across the board, Canik is making some fine pistols, whether base or pro.
Glock 20 Gen5MOS
The Glock 20 has been a fan favorite for many shooting styles since its inception over three decades ago. With the standard 15 rounds of 10mm full-powered pistol cartridges sitting at the ready, there is almost nothing the Glock 20 can’t do. It’s a Glock.
Since it’s come out, there have been very few facelifts to keep the Glock 20 current. Now, the Glock 20 has all of the features you’ll find on its brother pistols like the Glock 17 and Glock 19. In the MOS variant, the Glock 20 comes with an optics cut and front slide serrations, unlike previous models.
All of the Gen 5 Glock models come with ambidextrous slide releases, reversible magazine release buttons, and slightly flared mag wells.
Exciting and bland all in one package. Source
Glock 21 Gen5 MOS
The Glock 21 is another dinosaur that doesn’t get enough love from Glock. For the longest time, we waited for the MOS version. Now we have it, and it’s like any other Gen5 MOS Glock pistol with the MOS cut, ambi slide release, reversible magazine release, and slightly flared magazine well.
New to the Gen5 Glock 21 are the front slide serrations to help chamber that big .45 before going out. Remember your hands slipping on the first four generations? Additionally, the rounded-off edges seen on all of the Gen5 Glocks help with holstering.
For those who want a .45 but have smaller hands, the backstraps can be changed out as with every other Glock. And the 13-round standard capacity doesn’t hurt!
Nothing fancy, an Austrian 1911. Source
Glock 29 Gen5
A chihuahua that bites really hard. All bark, no bite does not describe the Glock 29. The pocket pistol packs ten rounds of full-power 10mm and is tiny enough to tuck into your khaki cargo shorts when you take the boat out this summer, and the Gen5 variant is flying off the shelves like Reef sandals in July.
Seriously, even with the lack of an MOS version, the Glock 29 Gen5 is one of the most beloved pistols in the lineup. For the longest time, finding one only occurred after someone traded it in; something about their hands hurting. It’s compact, and pulling the trigger only needs to happen once.
The front slide serrations and doing away with the finger groves are the most notable features, and at the heart of these changes is a Glock Marksman Barrel, which is aimed to help improve that 10mm bite’s reach. Ambidextrous shooters get a dual-sided magazine release, that is all.
Glock, hurry up on an MOS variant.
A cult classic, a mountain dog trapped in a chihuahua’s body. Source
Springfield Armory XD Mod.3
When Springfield updates its pistols, the results leave you wondering how you went without on the last generation. The flat trigger, aggressive front slide serrations, a fiber-optic front sight, and a loaded chamber indicator bring it up to date and put it back in competition.
When I shot the Mod.2, while it functioned perfectly fine, it left room for more. The sights felt dated, and the trigger felt inconsistent. At the same time, I haven’t had my hands on the Mod.3 yet, but I’ve heard from my friends at my local FFL that the heartache is over.
The lower price point leaves you some extra money for a nice optic! Source
Springfield listened and gave us a solution. What’s crazier is the price.
An optic-ready pistol with a 16-round magazine, a fiber optic front sight ready to co-witness, and all the striker-fired safety features you can ask for under $400?
That’s wild. The XD Mod.3 is a very capable pistol at a budget price. Careful there, Glock.
Sig P320 Flux Legion
What is Sig Sauer if not innovative? While the PCC is far from a new idea, the Flux Legion is a complete package that fits with (2) 30-round magazines.
The Flux Legion is the first micro-PCC to be offered as one complete unit from the factory. It offers all the good stuff you typically find on a Sig Sauer Legion edition firearm, including the skeletonized trigger and gray colorway. Since it’s all one unit, you can’t take it apart and just have a standard pistol.
Suppressor not included (unfortunately). Source
However, the Flux Legion features a built-in compensator, rapid stabilizing brace, flared mag well, small non-reciprocating Picatinny rail for your red dot optics, and huge chevrons embossed on the frame.
There are QD slots for slings for those who want to use them. Who wants to drop their Flux Legion in a firefight?
And with how futuristic it looks…Dare I call it…The Flux Capacitor?
Nahhhh. But you’ll have one of the coolest new pistols of 2024.
Canik MC9L/MC9LS
At the price point, Canik makes some of the best pistols, and its MC9L/LS are testaments to how dedicated Canik is to ensuring its consumers have the right firearm for the job.
The only difference between the MC9L and MC9LS is a slightly longer slide (0.46 inches, to be exact). Outside of that, everything else is the same.
Don’t the frames look like P80 lowers? Or is it just me? Source
Both are packed with features like an optics-ready slide and an accessory rail to mount your favorite lights. From the words of a few friends, the trigger is crisp, similar to a broken-in Glock trigger, and it is only slightly larger than the METE series.
The front sight has a dot, while the rear sights are blacked out. It features slide releases on both sides and since the magazine release is reversible, this pistol is a fine idea for ambidextrous or left-handed shooters.
With a magazine capacity of 17 rounds and a price under $500, it’s a strong competitor against the Sig Sauer Macro series and a strong contender in the micro-compact pistol market.
In proper Canik fashion, the MC9L and LS come with inner waistband holsters, a cleaning kit, different-sized grips, extra magazines, and a miniaturized keychain version of your pistol.
For all you get, the Canik MC9L and MC9LS are close to the top of the rankings this year.
Springfield Echelon 4.0C Compact
After the Springfield Echelon came out a little over a year ago, no one could guess that the big Lego set would become one of the most attractive carry options among shooters a year later, especially after the abundance of memes made about it when it hit the market.
But they got it wrong. Not only is the Echelon one of the most complete packages on the market, but it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg like some of the other highly modular pistols money can buy. And unlike the others, it’s fully ambidextrous.
And now there’s a compact version. Bringing the barrel length from the original 4.5 inches down to 4 inches even, the Echelon Compact takes everything we’ve grown to love about the full-size version and shrinks it down to fit nicely in the waistband. It offers a generous 15 rounds with a flush-fitting magazine and an 18-round magazine that goes beyond the grip.
SALE 
Springfield Echelon 4.0C 9mm 18 Round Extended Magazine
7 reviews
Original price was: $44.99.$34.99Current price is: $34.99.
With all of the features stuffed into the Echelon line, Springfield is backing the market into a corner. Optics ready, suppressor height sights, grip texture where it matters (something I missed on my 19X), and it goes bang when you pull the trigger.
Outside of fine-tuning, what else can you want from a pistol of the Echelon’s class?
Count your days, Glock. Source
Taurus 22TUC
One of the weirder pistols of the bunch is the “tip-up” barrel .22LR Taurus 22TUC, which also has a 9-round magazine. Sounds crazy, right?
This isn’t a new design; Taurus did it this way back in the day with the PT22. What’s the point? Ease of use, fine shooter. The first round is meant to be loaded straight into the tip-up barrel. Once that round is spent, the pistol acts the same as a semi-automatic pistol.
It looks odd, but the mission it serves is beautiful. Source
You can rack the slide, but that defeats the purpose. The barrel quickly tips up via a lever on the left side, located northwest of the magazine release. This lever opens the top like a break-action shotgun, allowing a round to be chambered.
This was meant for shooters with less hand strength, who still want to be able to defend themselves as anyone else would. While .22LR is not the most effective at this task, the first rule of a gunfight is always having a gun.
The 22TUC has you there.
Conclusion
Genuine innovations in the gun industry are few and far between, but some of the ones we’ve seen this year are bound to make a mark in one way or another. How long do you think it will be until Flux Glocks start hitting the market?
Or a far cheaper knock-off variant? The idea is brilliant. It brings new life to the PDW market and gives a much smaller footprint than your Scorpion 3+ or your MP5, which are classic personal defense weapons.
I’m sure the Secret Service already ordered a bunch to have on tap.
And break-action pistols? Great idea. Now give it to me in 9mm with ten extra rounds, and we’re in business.
Let’s see what 2025 brings.
Be good and take care.
