According to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the number of firearms manufactured in the U.S. has tripled since 2000. Fueling this years-long gun-buying bonanza has been rising demand for handguns. In 2009, semi-automatic handguns began outselling hunting rifles, underscoring a consumer shift toward guns typically used for personal protection. (This is how many guns people bought in each state so far this year.)
A civilian-firearms market the size of the United States means buyers have a wide selection of revolvers and pistols to choose from. How much punch a handgun delivers is typically measured by the pressure on the bullet the moment the firing pin ignites the powder, measured in the U.S. by pounds per square inch (psi), and the velocity of the bullet as it leaves the muzzle, measured by feet per second.
But gauging the power of a handgun isn’t simply a matter of how much explosive pressure is put on the bullet, or even of the bullet type. Some popular handguns for personal protection have lower pressure than other guns but deliver faster muzzle velocity. For example, the Ruger Wrangler single action revolver using .22 LR ammunition has relatively low chamber pressure of 24,000 psi but its muzzle velocity is 41% faster than that of a Ruger LCP semi-automatic pistol firing a .380 bullet with a chamber pressure of 62,000 psi.
To compile a ranking of high-velocity handguns, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a list of some of the most popular handguns in the U.S. as of July 2022 published by American Firearms, a firearms information site. We considered muzzle velocity – the starting speed of the bullet after the gunpowder has been ignited – as the primary criterion for our ranking. Recommended ammunition and price come from American Firearms and from other online sources. (Compare our list with our roster of the 50 most popular guns in the world.)
Click here to see the world’s 25 highest-velocity handguns.
Among the 25 handguns on this list, prices vary widely, from a Sig Sauer P266 for about $2,500 to a Heritage Rough Rider single-action revolver, which can be found for around $100. The most powerful one of all ranked here, the Ruger GP100 double-action revolver – which boasts a muzzle velocity of 1,525 feet per second – sells for about $950.
25. Smith and Wesson Shield
> Velocity: 600 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .40 S&W
> Pressure: 35,000 psi
> Price: $499
24. Smith and Wesson 442
> Velocity: 830 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .38 Special +P
> Pressure: 21,756 psi
> Price: $422
23. Ruger LCP
> Velocity: 891 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 0.38
> Pressure: 62,000 psi
> Price: $319
22. Glock 48
> Velocity: 1000 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $381
21. Ruger Mark IV 22/45
> Velocity: 1032 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .22 LR
> Pressure: 24,000 psi
> Price: $346
20. Sig Sauer P365
> Velocity: 1050 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $500
19. Heckler and Koch VP9
> Velocity: 1051 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $584
24/7 Wall St.
18. Taurus G2c
> Velocity: 1052 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $210
17. Sccy Cpx-2
> Velocity: 1060 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $172
16. Kimber Micro 9
> Velocity: 1,079 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $486
15. Taurus Gx4
> Velocity: 1,100 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $245
14. Springfield Armory Hellcat
> Velocity: 1,123 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $587
13. Glock 43
> Velocity: 1,168 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $469
12. Springfield XD
> Velocity: 1,173 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .45 ACP
> Pressure: 21,000 psi
> Price: $469
11. Sig Sauer P226
> Velocity: 1,180 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $2548
10. CZ 75B
> Velocity: 1,180 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $1615
9. Sig Sauer P320
> Velocity: 1,198 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $529
8. Kel-Tec PMR-30
> Velocity: 1,200 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .22 WMR
> Pressure: 24,000 psi
> Price: $381
7. Heritage Rough Rider
> Velocity: 1,225 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 22 LR
> Pressure: 24,000 psi
> Price: $97
6. Glock 45
> Velocity: 1,225 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $569
5. Glock 17
> Velocity: 1,230 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $620
4. ATI GSG 1911
> Velocity: 1,250 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .22 LR
> Pressure: 24,000 psi
> Price: $269
24/7 Wall St.
3. Ruger Wrangler
> Velocity: 1,255 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .22 LR
> Pressure: 24,000 psi
> Price: $145
2. Glock 19
> Velocity: 1,500 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: 9mm
> Pressure: 34,084 psi
> Price: $560
1. Ruger GP100
> Velocity: 1,525 ft/s
> Recommended ammunition: .357 magnum
> Pressure: 43,551 psi
> Price: $949
(I sure would like to know where in the Hell does he get these prices! Grumpy)