The Top 5 Guns From 2024
I got to shoot a number of guns for the first time in 2024. Some I loved. Some I liked. And some I wouldn’t recommend. Here are my top 5 guns that I shot for the first time in 2024.
Walther PDP Compact
This polymer-framed, striker-fired 9mm was a gift from my awesome wife last Christmas, but I didn’t get to shoot it until 2024 had started. The compact version has a 4’ barrel and is comparable in size and capacity with the Glock 19 or Sig P320 Compact. All PDPs are optics-ready, and the ergonomics of the gun are designed with red dot shooting in mind.
The trigger is outstanding. I would put the Walther trigger up against any duty gun. It’s simply excellent. This helps the PDP Compact be a very reliable handgun. I’m over 2k rounds in on this gun and have yet to have a malfunction with it. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the gun and it has become one of the guns I most frequently use on the range.
Read the full review of the Walther PDP Compact here.
Buy a Walther PDP Compact here.
Top Protector’s Perspective Articles of 2024
Canik Mete MC9
Another polymer-framed striker-fired 9mm, the MC9 is a subcompact gun that had a few growing pains when it first appeared on the market but has since turned into a valid choice for an EDC gun. It ships with a 12-round and 15-round magazine (if you live in a free state) and comes optics-ready.
The trigger on the Canik Mete MC9 was as excellent as I expected from a gun with the Canik name on it. For my first shots article, I put a little over 100 rounds through it. Since then, I’ve put a lot more through it and the gun has been 100%. The gun looks chunky, but the ergonomics on the gun are terrific. My son-in-law recently decided to switch the a version of the MC9 and I think that was an excellent choice.
Read the First Shots of the Canik Mete MC9 here.
Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly Compact
The next gun on the Top 5 for 2024 list is the BCA Grizzly Compact. To be honest, this gun surprised me. At an MSRP of $295, I wasn’t expecting to be impressed. It turned out that I was wrong. The gun is a Glock 19 clone that has many features I like better than the Glock. Everyone who shot the gun preferred the grip texture. The trigger is a touch better than the standard Glock trigger and much crisper than the trigger on the rival Palmetto State Armory Dagger. The Grizzly is optics-ready and ships with steel sights.
I took the gun straight out of the box and, over the course of a couple of range trips, put over 600 rounds of FMJ and hollow point through it with zero malfunctions. It has run like a champ. It punches above its weight and I have no hesitation saying it is a great value.
Read the full review of the Bear Creek Arsenal Grizzly Compact here.
Heckler & Koch MP5 .22 Rifle
The next gun on the Top 5 Guns I shot for the first time in 2024 is the H&K MP5 .22 Rifle. This is not a self-defense gun. It’s just plain fun to shoot. The gun ships with one 25-round magazine and is chambered in .22LR. It has a collapsible skeleton stock (either collapsed or fully extended). The gun has the diopter-style sights you find on its 9mm cousin. It has a large faux suppressor on it that makes the gun pretty heavy to shoot for a .22. My wife likes to name guns and since this one was so front-heavy, she was christened Dolly.
I spent a few years with an MP5K as an assigned weapon, so there was a little nostalgia when I picked this up. The safety selector and ergos were all familiar feelings. And of course, there is that satisfying ‘HK Slap” to release the bolt. Between being a .22 LR and the weight, there was absolutely no recoil to this gun. If you’re looking for a lower-cost .22 with a serious cool factor in appearance, the H&K MP5 .22 Rifle is tough to beat.
The Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard 2.0
The last gun on my Top 5 Guns list is the S&W Bodyguard 2.0. This gun surprised me for sure. I was never a fan of the Bodyguard 1.0. Between its sights, lower capacity and very long trigger pull, I had no interest in it. Then the Bodyguard 2.0 came out and it was clear that Smith & Wesson had been waiting to get it right.
Smaller than the Glock 42, this polymer-framed, Striker-fired micro pistol held more rounds, and had far better sights and much better ergonomics. It also has a trigger that is superior in every way. It is very accurate and has been completely reliable to date. There really was nothing I didn’t like about this gun.
Read the First Shots of the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 here.
Wrapping Up
That’s my Top 5 Guns I shot for the first time in 2024. I’m not going to add an honorable mention this year. I can’t wait to see what I get to shoot in 2025. Whatever it is, count on getting an honest opinion on it.