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The Ruger Security 9 made it to our favorite carry gun list of 2022. See why we liked it.

“Taurus provides reliable personal protection to a lot of folks who may be on a budget. Their G3C is a solid and cost-effective offering in a fairly saturated market. The Taurus G3C delivers a reliable, ergonomic, and economic CCW for the average person.” – Johnny B.

The Taurus GX4XL builds on the standard GX4 micro-compact by adding length to the slide, providing a longer sight radius and increased velocity. Features include a DLC-coated barrel, flat-faced trigger, 11 or 13-round (extended) capacity, and a 3.7-inch barrel. At only one inch wide, the GX4XL combines capacity, accuracy, reliability, and concealability to make for a great EDC pistol.

“The Shadow Systems DR920 is a solid option for those that want the Glock feel but with elevated features. It’s cheaper than building a custom aftermarket Glock yet still performs reliably.” – Eric Huh

“Chiappa’s Little Badger is a single-shot rifle with a wire stock and hardly anything but a small barrel, receiver, and wire stock. It weighs 2.9 pounds and comes with four short rails to attach accessories to. It’s very easy to operate — all you have to do is load the gun, close it up, cock the hammer, and pull the trigger. The gun folds in half to be only roughly 17 inches long. It’s super thin and fits in a backpack with hardly any room taken up.” — Travis Pike  

The Taurus TX22 is a great choice for target shooting, plinking, small game hunting, and sometimes even self-defense. Most .22 LR pistols hold 10 rounds due to concerns about rimlocking. However, Taurus seems to have figured this problem out and created an ergonomic, great-shooting rimfire pistol with a capacity of 16 rounds.  The TX22 features a polymer frame with an ergonomic grip design and match-grade threaded bull barrel.  Overall, the Taurus TX22 is a reliable and accurate 22LR pistol that’s ideal for a variety of uses. As with most Taurus products, it comes in at an attractive price point, and its features have put it ahead of many of the guns in its class.

The AR-9 platform is a great way to save money by shooting 9mm ammo instead of 5.56 NATO. Palmetto State Armory’s PX-9 PCC is affordable to buy, as well, making it a fantastic bargain. While the fit and finish can’t compete with premium PCCs, we were impressed with how well the PX-9 shot. It’s reliable, accurate, and offers a ton of value for the money.

The Ruger 10/22 remains America’s most popular rimfire rifle, with millions having been sold since its inception. Utilizing a simple blowback design and a 10-round rotary magazine, the standard 10/22 is a reliable and accurate rifle that is cheap to operate and easy to maintain. With the ability to easily mount optics, along with a massive aftermarket, the 10/22 is possibly the most accessible plinking rifle on the market.

The Taurus G3X is the evolution of G3 platform but in a hybrid configuration with a compact barrel and a longer grip. The 3.2-inch barrel allows for easier concealment, while the full-size aggressively textured grip allows for controllability. A Picatinny rail allows for the mounting of accessories, and the lack of thumb safety ensures that the gun will always be ready to go whenever you need it.

The Beretta APX A1 was created by taking feedback from various professional and recreational shooters and applying it to their already successful APX platform. Improved ergonomics, aggressive slide serrations, and an upgraded trigger provide a better hand feel and shooting experience than its predecessor. The low bore axis helps reduce muzzle flip and recoil, improving accuracy. Additionally, it features a blacked-out rear sight and tritium front sight combo and is also optics-ready out of the box. Ambidextrous capable controls and interchangeable backstraps round out the feature set and ensure that the APX A1 is a fit for any hand.

“Overall a reliable and dependable CCW gun for a reasonable price (under $300). It’s certainly a step up from the G2C and usually only costs a few bucks more. Well worth the update!” – Johnny B.

“This is a great CCW pistol for the price point. It’s incredibly reliable and has very few flaws. Taurus has been around for a while, and its reputation is…spotty. But the G2C is designed from the ground up to be a highly affordable compact CCW pistol – and it nails it.”