The most popular category of firearms produced year over year, the semi-auto pistol also proved king in Guns.com's catalog in 2020, and we crunched the numbers to see who was on top of the trend.
Of course, this "Top 10" countdown is just a list of pistols we've sold on Guns.com over the course of this wild year and is not based on industry-wide figures. Further, due to supply chain issues, it should be taken with at least a pinch of salt as some models were harder to keep in stock than others, which could account for several popular makes missing the cut.
Nonetheless, the break down is still interesting for sure.
10. Taurus G2C
While Taurus surpassed this second-generation polymer-framed pistol this year with the upgraded G3C, it was the legacy model that made it to the charts. This is likely because there were more in the pipeline. Still, this rugged and affordable everyday carry 9mm, with its 12+1 capacity, has a lot going for it. So its appearance here shouldn't be surprising.
If we told you in 2019 that one of the most popular handguns on the market the next year was going to be chambered in 5.7x28mm, you'd think we were bananas. Well, welcome to 2020. So grab your peanut butter and Wonder Bread because Ruger delivered its Model 57 pistol to market this year, and they have been flying off the shelves. So much so that we haven't even been able to snag one for a review ... yet.
Again, with the unexpected! Glock delivered its first rimfire pistol to the market in 2020, and the G44 ended up being so popular that it not only made our Top 10 pistols list but was the most popular .22LR handgun as well. For fans of the Glock 19, this lightweight pistol is an easy choice for a plinker or to augment training. If only it had a bigger mag and a threaded barrel it would be just about perfect. Did we just leak the Gen 6 G44?
Smith & Wesson has been a household name when it comes to American handguns for over 164 years, so it is really no surprise to see one of the company's staples, the M&P 9, in this lineup, regardless of the year. After all, these are solid and dependable guns with a reputation of being reliable and forgiving. Our most popular M&P 9s heading out to customers was Smith's second-gen M2.0, which bring a lot of improvements to the line, especially when it comes to the trigger.
If you liked Number 7 above, you'll love Number 6 – the M&P 9 Shield. It builds on the foundation established by its larger brother while translating to a much more compact and carry-friendly 9mm. A dependable self-defense handgun that's perfect for daily carry, these are often unseen in the best places.
Sig Sauer has made huge inroads into both the military and consumer market in the past few years with their modular P320 series pistols. Available in dozens of variants to include the M17 and M18, we found the most in-demand model this year was the tactical/practical XFive Legion, showing that optics-ready is increasingly mainstream.
When Glock introduced the G43 in 2015, it delivered a single-stack 9mm subcompact to the marketplace that filled a huge niche for fans of polymer-framed perfection. However, calls for "more rounds" soon surfaced, and Glock double-downed with the G43x last year. They upped the ante with a 10+1 capacity. It seems that Glock was on to something and the pistol this year proved one of our most popular, bounding easily into the top four. Speaking of which, if you like Glock, stick around.
Something of a trump card to the modern sub-compact pistol market, Sig Sauer's P365 got the EDC community excited when it was first introduced. Nonetheless, the most popular version of the gun to sail out our doors, the P365XL, goes slightly longer than the standard micro 9mm but is optics ready.
The legend when it comes to striker-fired "combat pistols," the Glock 17 is about as general-purpose as it gets for a low-maintenance 9mm handgun that will go bang every time. Accurate and with a 17+1 standard capacity, the G17 is a favorite for home defense. We found the recently introduced Gen 5 variant of the gun to be the best-selling of the species.
When it comes to a universal adapter for today's pistol buyer, the Glock 19 is often regarded as many things to many people. Easily concealable, this 15+1 9mm is often tapped for everyday use while still being both fun at the range and a solid service and home defense tool. Steady incremental improvement a couple of years ago brought us the current Gen 5 model, which proved our most popular in 2020.