Last updated September 2026 · By Nick Hall, S&W pistol shooter who has owned M&Ps, Shields, Bodyguards, and Performance Center variants
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- Treat every gun as loaded
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
- Know your target and what’s beyond
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun.
Best Smith & Wesson Pistols at a Glance
| Pick | Best For | Street Price | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith & Wesson M&P9 Metal | Best overall | $581-$885 | Price ↓ |
| Smith and Wesson Model 629 | Best 44 Magnum | $966-$1,500 | Price ↓ |
| S&W M&P Shield Plus | Best concealed carry | $829-$829 | Price ↓ |
| Smith and Wesson SW1911 Scandium | Best lightweight 1911 | $1,570-$1,570 | Price ↓ |
| Smith and Wesson Model 340 PD | Best pocket revolver | $1,033-$1,153 | Price ↓ |
| S&W 500 | Biggest bore | $1,312-$2,084 | Price ↓ |
| S&W SW1911 Pro Series | Best 1911 value | $1,095-$1,427 | Price ↓ |
| Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm | Best duty pistol | $480-$650 | Price ↓ |
| SW22 Victory | Best 22 target | $414-$454 | Price ↓ |
| Smith & Wesson CSX | Best micro-compact | $590-$600 | Price ↓ |
| Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0 | Best deep carry | $565-$565 | Price ↓ |
| Image | Product | Detail | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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S&W M&P Metal |
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Best Price |
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S&W Model 629 |
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S&W M&P Shield Plus |
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S&W SW1911 Scandium |
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S&W Model 340 PD |
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Why the Best Smith & Wesson Pistols Still Win in 2026
The best Smith & Wesson pistols carry 173 years of design pedigree, Smith and Wesson has been going strong since 1852 and it’s inevitable that it sells some of the best handguns, pistols and revolvers on the market today.
But what are the best S&W handguns?
Here are our top picks.
Table of Contents
1. Smith & Wesson M&P9 Metal
- Caliber: 9mm Luger
- Action: Striker fire
- Barrel: 4.25 inch
- Length: 7.2 inch
- Weight: 1.87lb
- Capacity: 17+1 rounds
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 4/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
The polymer frame striker fired Smith & Wesson M&P Metal 2.0 is the next generation service pistol at a great price.
Now the metal can be a launchpad for a competition pistol. Or it can simply be a stronger, sexier compact pistol. We can see a lot of Law Enforcement Officers going for this, especially if the discount is good enough.
It is an all metal handgun with a Tungsten Cerakote finish on the slide and frame.
Contrasting grip texture and palmswells that help tailor this compact pistol to your hand combine with a flared magwell to give it a race gun look when you’re shooting targets. You also get closer to the bore axis.
Features include a fiber optic front sight, loaded chamber indicator and lots of other performance features on this new gun.
Of course you can order the full-sized Competitor version of the best Smith & Wesson M&P9 with the integral compensator and match grade barrel for recoil free target shooting.
And the Smith and Wesson M&P 9mm is a great gun.
The slide is optic ready, so you can fit a red dot sight to your S&W M&P 9mm. It is one of the best 9mm pistols of 2025, without a doubt, and easily one of the best Smith & Wesson pistols you can buy today.
2. Smith and Wesson Model 629
- Caliber: 44 Magnum
- Barrel: 4
- Weight: 2.59lb
- Capacity: 6
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 2.5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2.5/5 |
The S&W 629 has turned into a whole model line now, and some of the modern day Performance Center model wheelguns will blow your mind. But the S&W Model 629 is the original, almost.
This is the same basic recipe that the Model 29 and its precursor, Smith & Wesson’s first 44 Magnum revolver, in 1956.
Production methods are much better these days and the 6 in the name indicates the switch to stainless steel.
So it is much stronger now, but essentially this is the old school six shot revolver that we all know and love. Let’s face it, Smith and Wesson revolvers are awesome.
You can get a shorter barrel, or a longer barrel, but this is the meat and potatoes S&W 44 Magnum.
If you want something a little wilder, have a look at these:
3. S&W M&P Shield Plus
- Barrel length: 3.1 inch
- Action: Striker fire
- Length: 6.1 inch
- Weight: 1.26lb
- Capacity: 10+1 rounds
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 4.5/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 4.5/5 | 3.5/5 |
The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus has evolved into one of the best sub-compact 9mm pistols for concealed carry, and you can still find gun deals for the single stack version if you want deep concealment for even less money.
Now this second gen S&W M&P Shield has a much better hinged trigger, slide serrations and the fatter grip with the double stack mag transformed this S&W M&P Shield 9mm carry pistol.
An optic ready slide is a big step forward for the Smith and Wesson M&P line, too.
With a fatter grip, the subcompact Smith & Wesson M&P Shield striker fired handguns can go head to head with the likes of the Sig Sauer P365 and Glock 43x 9mm pistols.
As well as the elegant magazine release, you can also order one of these personal defense handguns with a thumb safety. They’re going out of fashion, but some of us still want one on a carry gun and it’s one reason the S&W M&P Shield remains a best seller.
Get the full S&W Military & Police line, here, and maybe a new CCW handgun,
4. Smith and Wesson SW1911 Scandium
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Action: Single action
- Barrel: 4.25 inch barrel
- Length: 7.95 inch
- Weight: 1.85lb
- Magazine capacity: 8+1 rounds
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 2.5/5 | 3.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | 3/5 |
Lightweight material science has slashed the weight of a modern 45 ACP 1911 and turned the Scandium steel frame pistol into a potential everyday carry.
This is one of the best 1911 45 ACP pistols under $2000.
You can go for a slightly more expensive and undoubtedly high quality PC handgun, too, with a ported slide, a rail gun or other performance features for home defense.
This one if the Commander size 4.25 inch barrel, too, with an aggressive grip and checkered front strap, together with the rounded heel for a faster draw. Front and rear cocking serrations also help with slide and barrel manipulation on this hammer fired pistol.
All of them are handfitted by in-house engineers and are reliable, accurate and easy to shoot single action 1911s. You get the beavertail grip safety, laser etched slide work, and front strap checkering that borders on sharp.
5. Smith and Wesson Model 340 PD
- Caliber: 357 Magnum
- Barrel: 1.875 inch
- Total: 6.3 inch
- Weight: 0.74lb
- Capacity: 5
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 3.5/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 |
The lightest 357 Magnum revolver in the world is a double action concealed carry revolver that slips into your waistband until you need to point and squirt.
Now this best selling revolver really can trace its lineage back to the J Frame 38 Special revolvers of the 1950s. They became the Model 40 Airlite and finally this 0.74lb concealed carry revolver with a Scandium alloy frame and internal hammer.
The enclosed hammer means this is strictly a double action trigger pull and a defensive pistol. It’s also a 357 Magnum revolver with a barrel less than 2 inches.
So recoil is a real thing here and some people think it’s just too intense with this concealed carry revolver. That’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself.
It’s a great gun, if you’ve got the grip strength to handle these Smith and Wesson revolvers.
6. S&W 500
- Caliber: S&W500
- Barrel: 4 inch
- Length: 10.25 inch
- Weight: 3.5lb
- Capacity: 5
This big old lump of steel with a ported barrel is the most powerful production revolver in the world.
Of course the Magnum Research BFR 45-70 Government is an issue, but that’s when you get into the fine print of what makes a production revolver. The simple truth is this is more gun than most of us will ever need.
If you live in Alaska, these are legit bear defense guns. Anywhere else, this is more or less a fun toy to play with at the range, then spend the night nursing your wrists.
The full size guns, the long barrel Smith and Wesson revolvers are a different story. People use them for big game hunting and deer hunting all across the United States.
7. S&W SW1911 Pro Series
- Caliber: 45 ACP
- Barrel: 3 inch
- Length: 6.9 inch
- Weight: 1.6lb
- Capacity: 7+1
The SW1911 Pro Series comes as a 45 ACP or 9mm pistol and is a real, cut down Officer size 1911.
Of course the aluminum frame Smith and Wesson is a Performance Center firearm and really it’s a carefully selected package of performance mods to the basic SW1911 frame and single action trigger pull.
You can order a full sized 1911 Pro Series too, but we do like this single stack 1911 for its purity of purpose and the design.
8. Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm
- Barrel: 5 inches long
- Length: 8.3 inch
- Weight: 1.7lb
- Magazine Capacity: 17+1
| Price | Accuracy | Concealability | Weight | Capacity |
| 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
The Smith & Wesson 2.0 full size pistols are absolute workhorses for home defense.
Now the S&W M&P series offers a high magazine capacity, a simple grip texture that a lot of people would take any day over the famous Glock grip angle, nicer ergonomics with interchangeable backstraps and a proper manual safety.
Law Enforcement and lots of military carry the best 9mm handguns as a duty gun in some form or another. The metal version of the S&W M&P 9mm is sexier, but the polymer frame pistol line is still the volume seller.
This semi-automatic pistol is a great beginner handgun too, with an external safety and simple finishing touches that all help with hand placement.
Merely firing a few shots with the polymer frame S&W M&P at the range has been enough to convert some former Glock lovers on the spot and that thumb safety is a big deal for some. A few Sig Sauer P320 owners too.
Smith & Wesson M&P vs Glock
“It just fits better…”
You hear that a lot with these semi auto pistols from Smith & Wesson’s Military and Police range.
A beveled slide, rear cocking serrations and a rail for a light or laser underneath make these fantastic for defensive duties. Optics ready slide versions cost a little more, but might be worth it for the added accuracy and ease of use.
9. SW22 Victory
- Caliber: 22LR
- Action: Single Action
- Barrel: 5.5 inches
- Length: 6 inch
- Weight: 2.3lb
- Magazine capacity: 10+1
The SW22 Victory is a favorite with recreational target shooters. If you’re exclusive, shooting targets and nothing else, you can get seriously deep into this range shooting rabbit hole with these semi-automatic pistols.
The Smith and Wesson Performance Center SW22 with the carbon-fiber barrel is wild. But the standard brushed stainless steel 22LR pistol with the 5.5 inch threaded barrel is a high quality institution at gun ranges around the United States.
Low recoil plinking with a single action semi-automatic pistol with a super comfortable grip angle is a lot of fun and can be addictive. Smith & Wesson’s 22LR has become a legend based on that single fact.
10. Smith & Wesson CSX
- Barrel: 3.1 inches
- Length: 6 inch
- Weight: 1.2lb
- Capacity: 10+1
If you want a hammer fired S&W 9mm micro-compact pistol, well do we have something for you.
The S&W CSX 9mm is arguably the best marriage of compact 1911 and micro-compact 9mm striker fired handguns we have seen.
It isn’t perfect. There are pros & cons to these Smith & Wesson handguns. Like the flat faced trigger is a heavy trigger and other oddities on this carry pistol aren’t to everybody’s liking.
We certainly don’t think it’s even close to a spiritual successor to the Chief’s Special revolver that gave it the name. It’s just a different kind of hammer fired handgun.
But this Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol is a quasi 1911 concealed carry gun that is just 6 inches lwith a proper safety, options for the palm swell and 3.1 inch steel barrel.
That’s basically micro-compact. And it is different, cheaper than a full on Colt Defender or Kimber Ultra Carry, and lighter too.
11. Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 2.0
- Caliber: .380 ACP
- Barrel: 2.75 in
- Capacity: 10+1 flush, 12+1 extended
- Weight: about 9.8 oz unloaded
- Best for: deep-concealment micro carry
The Bodyguard 2.0 is Smith & Wesson’s answer to the modern micro .380, and it is a huge leap over the original Bodyguard. It packs 10+1 rounds, or 12+1 with the extended magazine, into a pistol that weighs under ten ounces, with a flat-faced trigger and real usable sights that shame most pocket .380s.
For a backup gun or the lightest possible everyday carry, it is one of the best pocket pistols S&W has ever built, and it undercuts the Ruger LCP MAX on capacity. If you want a true set-and-forget deep-concealment piece, this is the S&W to reach for.
Gun Parts
If you need an extended slide stop, an optic ready slide, range gear, night sights or you want to shop concealed carry holsters, we can help. Open carry holsters, concealed carry, ankle holsters, we can help with that too thanks to awesome customer service.
Don’t forget gun safes, too, from big gun safes for your house to hidden gun safes for your car.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Smith & Wesson pistol?
The S&W M&P9 Metal is the best overall S&W pistol in 2026. It combines an aluminum frame with the proven M&P platform, delivering a premium feel, excellent trigger, and reduced recoil. For concealed carry, the M&P Shield Plus is the top pick. For revolvers, the Model 629 in .44 Magnum is the gold standard.
Is Smith & Wesson better than Glock?
Both are excellent. S&W offers better stock triggers on most models, more variety (pistols, revolvers, rifles), and often better ergonomics. Glock wins on simplicity, aftermarket depth, and proven track record. The M&P 2.0 competes directly with the Glock 19, and many shooters prefer the M&P trigger. Neither brand is objectively better.
What is the best S&W for concealed carry?
The M&P Shield Plus is the best S&W for concealed carry. It holds 13+1 rounds in a slim frame, has an excellent trigger, and costs around $449. For deep concealment, the Model 340 PD is a lightweight .357 Magnum revolver that disappears in a pocket holster. The newer CSX is a micro-compact metal-frame option.
Are Smith & Wesson M&P pistols reliable?
Very reliable. The M&P platform has been in service with law enforcement and military units worldwide since 2005. In our testing, M&P pistols consistently run thousands of rounds without malfunctions. The M&P 2.0 generation improved the trigger and grip texture, making an already reliable platform even better.
What does M&P stand for?
M&P stands for Military and Police. The line was introduced in 2005 as a modern duty pistol to compete with Glock in the law enforcement market. The name follows S&W tradition of naming pistols after their intended market, similar to their classic Military & Police revolvers dating back to 1899.
Is the S&W CSX worth buying?
Yes, if you want a metal-frame micro-compact. The CSX is an aluminum-framed, single-action pistol that feels premium in the hand. It holds 12+1 rounds of 9mm in a slim package. The single-action trigger is crisp and short. It competes with the Sig P365 and Springfield Hellcat on capacity while offering a unique metal-frame feel.
What is the most popular Smith & Wesson pistol in 2026?
The M&P9 M2.0 family remains S&W's best-selling polymer-frame pistol, with the M&P Shield Plus dominating the micro-compact CCW segment and the M&P9 Metal hitting the premium duty-grade tier. The CSX continues to outsell the Shield Plus in some markets thanks to its hammer-fired DA/SA action.
Are Smith & Wesson pistols good for concealed carry?
Yes. The Shield Plus 9mm at 1.1 inches wide and 20.2 oz is one of the most carryable production pistols made. The CSX adds a hammer-fired DA/SA option with the same micro-compact footprint. For deep-concealment carriers, the J-frame revolvers like the 642 Airweight remain the lightest options at 14.6 oz.
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