Best Home-Defense & Concealed Carry Guns of SHOT Show 2024

Attending SHOT Show is like a homecoming, a pilgrimage, and the spawning of the salmon all at once.

The annual trade show for the firearm industry covers 18 acres of convention center floor. If you ran down every aisle, you’d have completed a marathon. As you might imagine, there’s a lot to take in.

Among the best sights at SHOT Show 2024 were a slew of exciting home defense and CCW guns. Some are relatively fresh models, some are brand-spanking new, and some won’t be available until later this year.

It’s hard to narrow down such a massive pool of candidates, but these are our favorites.

1. Mossberg 590S Magpul

For many Americans, home defense and 00 buckshot go hand in hand. A pump-action 12-gauge might not always be the best choice for home defense, but it’s never a bad one.

Mossberg updated the 590 platform with the 590S Magpul – Holosun for 2024 to make it one of the most compelling scatterguns on the market.

This year, Mossberg added a Magpul stock and forend. Owners can mount a sling with traditional attachment points or QD mounts, and the forend includes M-LOK slots.

Its receiver is optic-ready and comes with a Holosun 407K red dot that uses a 6-MOA reticle. Just behind the optic is a tang safety that keeps your trigger finger free.

The furniture and red dot are nice, but what makes the 590S special is what’s inside the receiver. Mossberg modified the shotgun’s internals to seamlessly cycle 3-inch, 2-3/4-inch, and 1-3/4-inch shorty shells.

Lots of shotguns can shoot mini shells — if you’re careful, modify the receiver or both. It’s easy to induce a malfunction with an action not intended to feed such small shells.

This adaptation gives the 590S 9+1 capacity when using 1-3/4-inch shells and an 18.5-inch barrel. That bumps up to 13+1 with the 20-inch barrel.

One of the biggest drawbacks of using a shotgun for home defense is capacity, so this is a big step in the right direction without sacrificing reliability. Add Magpul furniture and a Holosun red dot, and you have a recipe for success.

Mossberg lists an MSRP of $1,035.

2. Springfield Echelon

It’s hard to stand out in the polymer striker-fire pistol market. The Springfield Armory Echelon impressed a lot of people when it launched, including us during our hands-on review.

The modular platform checks a lot of boxes. Its central control group that includes the trigger is serialized, so you can swap out everything else without going through an FFL. Three grip sizes and three backstrap sizes help you get the perfect fit.

Magazine options for the Echelon include 10-, 15-, 17-, and 20-rounders.

The Echelon’s real claim to fame, though, is optic compatibility. Instead of using adapter plates (which are deceptively challenging to produce), Springfield created a Variable Interface System that uses self-locking pins that you can reposition based on your needs. This lets owners choose from more than 30 pistol optics without an adapter plate.

Your red dot will sit nice and low with nothing stacked between the slide and the optic. You should be able to co-witness with the Echelon’s stock sights or the option three-dot tritium sights.

I’m sure this is just the beginning for the Springfield Echelon (modularity is the whole point, after all).

If so, it’s off to a great start. Springfield Armory has been pushing out options and accessories for the Hellcat family of pistols faster than we can keep up with them, so we can expect the same aggressive tempo for the Echelon.

Retail prices are currently between $600 and $650.

3. Faxon Firearms Sentinel 8.6 BLK

The AR platform has become so ubiquitous that it’s almost white noise at SHOT Show (and just about everywhere else).

One way to make an AR-10 stand out is to chamber it for the most outrageous cartridge in recent memory, like Faxon Firearms did with the Sentinel 8.6 BLK.

The ballistic characteristics of 8.6 BLK are the equivalent of lobbing a shipping container downrange. Faxon Firearms offers the Sentinel with 16-, 12-, and 8-inch barrels, so it’s as stable or as nimble as you like.

I haven’t heard anyone complain that a standard AR-10 lacks power, but I’m glad Faxon went ahead with this 8.6 BLK version.

As the saying goes, anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Think of it as a modern alternative to a 12-gauge slug — one that just happens to work magically with a suppressor.

Expect to pay north of $2,200 for all this super-sized fun.

4. Walther PDP Compact SF

The CCW market is so saturated that you can find almost anything you want, usually from several manufacturers. Walther hit a sweet spot with the brand-new PDP Compact SF that deserves special recognition.

Like the PDP Compact, we put more than 10,000 rounds through; it comes with a compact frame, a 4-inch barrel, and Walther’s Performance Duty Trigger. You can order an adapter plate from Walther to mount the optic of your choice.

What’s new is a steel frame like the one on the PDP Match SF we reviewed (and loved). That ups the weight to more than 40 ounces with an empty magazine, but it also tames recoil significantly, making for faster follow-up shots.

The PDP Compact SF feels high-end (because it is), but you can still work it like a rented mule because it’s still a duty pistol at its core.

Most people understandably want to keep their CCW gun as light as possible, but there seems to be growing demand for more substantial pistols that blur the line between carry guns and duty guns.

As long as you can stomach the $1,699 MSRP of the PDP Compact SF, you’ll get a pistol that’s pleasant to carry and confidence-inspiring to shoot.

5. Agency Arms Mac 4 Tradesman

Like everyone else, we loved the Benelli M4 when we shot it. It’s an outstanding design that’s proven itself in combat and law enforcement around the world, and it’s one of the best home defense guns ever made. It’s also way too expensive for most of us.

The solution? Start with an affordable M4 clone, shower it with bespoke performance upgrades, price it well below the Benelli, and call it the Agency Arms MAC 4 Tradesman.

Agency Arms got its starting point for the MAC 4 Tradesman by teaming up with Military Armament Corporation and SDS Imports. This improved version is still an auto-loading 12-gauge with an 18.5-inch barrel, 5+1 capacity, a fixed synthetic stock, and a pistol grip—except everything is turned up to 11.

Agency Arms raised the ante on the existing M4 clone with a proprietary M-LOK handguard, a trigger job, and an oversized safety. They replaced the carrier, charging handle, and bolt release with extended versions to improve performance (think Keanu Reeves quad-loading on the move).

The in-house machined bolt carrier has a PVD coating that runs smoother and more reliably. Finally, the new barrel is integrally ported to reduce muzzle rise.

You’ll have to be patient for this one because the MAC 4 Tradesman won’t be available until the second quarter of 2024. But I held one, so it’s real, and it’s definitely worth the wait.

Expect a delightfully accessible MSRP of $1,199.

6. Kimber KDS9c Rail

For some people, a polymer frame and striker-fire action just don’t cut it. If you want a modern, all-metal 9mm pistol with a superb 1911-style trigger, the Kimber KDS9c Rail is for you.

As with everything Kimber makes, this pistol oozes craftsmanship. The fit and finish are excellent. The trigger is crisp with a short reset. An aluminum frame feels nicer than a polymer one ever could and adds less weight than steel. The 4-inch match-grade barrel will almost certainly be more accurate than whoever is behind the trigger.

Like the KDS9c, the slide is cut for an optic, and adapter plates are available for the RMR, RMSc, and Docter footprints.

What’s new is an ambidextrous safety and a Picatinny accessory rail built into the frame. Now, you can add a light to your KDS9c Rail to bring it all the way into the modern world.

We reviewed the Kimber KDS9c a while back, and it made a strong impression. The addition of an accessory rail only makes it that much more compelling.

That’s good because the KDS9c Rail has an MSRP of $1,903.

7. Smith & Wesson Response

Pistol-caliber carbines make a lot of sense for home defense. They’re more precise and offer more room to accessorize than a pistol but don’t generally recoil or over-penetrate as much as a rifle or shotgun.

We were excited to report on the new Smith & Wesson Response when it launched, and handling one at SHOT Show confirmed that it’s as good in person as it is in pictures.

Like other PCCs, the Response combines the 9mm cartridge with the AR platform. In this case, though, polymer replaces aluminum in the upper and lower receivers to keep the carbine light.

Before you get concerned about the lack of metal, remember how many polymer pistols are out there. This isn’t exactly a high-powered cartridge we’re talking about, and Smith & Wesson put metal where it’s necessary.

The primary concern for most people shopping for a PCC is magazine compatibility. If you have a bunch of pistol magazines already, it doesn’t make sense to buy a PCC that requires something different.

The Response uses magazine adapters to work with Smith & Wesson M&P, Glock, and Sig Sauer P320 magazines. All you have to do is remove one screw in the lower receiver and swap out the magazine well.

As usual, the Response has an M-LOK handguard and a Picatinny top rail to mount accessories and optics. The barrel is threaded for a muzzle device or suppressor. The grip matches what’s on Smith & Wesson’s M&P series, so anyone who owns one will feel right at home.

The Smith & Wesson response is available now for around $700.

9. Glock 30 Gen5

Glock isn’t known for reinventing the wheel, and there weren’t any groundbreaking announcements from the company at SHOT Show 2024. The Austrian manufacturer did bring a revised Glock 30, though, which is a nice upgrade for an already solid CCW pistol.

The Glock 30 Gen5 is still a subcompact carry pistol chambered for .45 ACP, but with fifth-generation changes already available on other models. Its barrel is now a Glock Marksman Barrel that promises increased accuracy.

Gone are the grip’s finger serrations. Front serrations and an ambidextrous slide release make this version easier to manipulate than the Glock 30 Gen4.

You’ll still be limited to 10-round magazines, and no optic-ready slide exists for the Glock 30. Baby steps, remember? But this is it if you want a tiny CCW gun that fires .45 ACP and has legendary reliability.

Look for street prices around $540.

10. Henry Lever Action Supreme

Cowboy guns are awesome, but they generally aren’t great for home defense unless you live in a state where capacity is restricted. Henry Repeating Arms is bringing the classic American lever-action rifle into the modern age with none other than standard AR-15 magazines.

The Henry Lever Action Supreme Rifle uses standard AR-15 mags and comes chambered for .223 Rem and 300 Blackout.

Its receiver has a Picatinny rail for your scope or red dot of choice. The muzzle is even threaded for a suppressor.

Unlike some tactical lever guns, this one sticks with a wood stock, so it looks more traditional than it is. The Lever Action Supreme Rifle isn’t going to replace the AR-15, but it sure looks like a fun way to regulate your own personal prairie.

11. Daniel Defense H9

I was excited to get my hands on the new Daniel Defense H9 at SHOT Show.

We got a sneak peek at the Daniel Defense H9, and there’s a lot to be excited about. It’s slim enough for use as a CCW pistol and offers a 15+1 capacity. It’s optics-ready (the H9 comes with a coupon for a Docter/Noblex, RMR, C-MORE, or RMS-C adapter plate) and comes with an accessory rail for a weapon light. And the bore axis is shockingly low; managing muzzle flip should be a piece of cake.

The 1911-style trigger is extremely light for a striker-fired pistol, although it’s not as crisp as the single-action trigger on a 1911.

Thanks to an aluminum frame and Daniel Defense’s quality standards, this is a step up in price from most CCW pistols at $1,299 MSRP. It’s encouraging to see the H9 in good hands. Let’s hope for more non-AR pistols from the company.

Final Thoughts

SHOT Show is a thrilling way to kick off the new year. If you weren’t in the market for a new home defense or CCW gun when you clicked on this article, you probably are now.

Either way, it’s exciting to see all the new models and daydream about adding them to your collection.

Are you excited about any of the guns on the list? Let us know in the comments below! Interested in other cool stuff from SHOT? Check out our article on the Best Guns of SHOT Show.