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All home defense guns are not created equal. Every firearm has pros and cons that must be considered before making a selection. To help narrow your choices, here are our picks for the best guns for home defense in 2025.
There are a few qualities a gun must have to be considered for a home defense build. Most firearms trainers recommend a weapon light for positive target identification, so the ability to mount a light is essential. Each gun on our list must also offer a solid balance of capacity and ballistic performance.
One caveat: our picks are meant as general guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules. A given firearm or type of firearm may exist in various configurations, in which case, we recommend choosing the variant that best satisfies the above criteria.
Chambered in hard-hitting 12GA, the Panzer M4 Speed Pro is based on the battle-proven Benelli M4 platform. It features a fixed skeletonized stock and a ported barrel for improved recoil control, as well as an M-LOK handguard for mounting light or laser modules.
A Picatinny top rail allows shooters to mount a red dot sight, plus aftermarket magazine extension tubes can increase capacity from 5+1 up to 7+1. Shotguns are easy to shoot and can utilize a variety of defensive ammo, so the Panzer M4 Speed Pro is a great choice for new gun owners.
Any double stack 9mm will do in a pinch, but the Walther PDP is one of the best options on the market in 2025. This pistol has great ergonomics, a phenomenally crisp trigger, and an optics-ready slide out of the box. Threaded barrels are readily available, so the PDP can even be suppressed if desired.
While conventional wisdom says a handgun is meant to help shooters get to their long guns, the Walther PDP is a capable home defense firearm all on its own. The accessory rail can accommodate virtually any weapon-mounted light and the 18+1 capacity allows the shooter to get plenty of rounds on target quickly.
In terms of versatility, it's hard to beat a suppressed AR-15 with a quality optic. The platform can be adapted for CQB or mid-to-long-range engagements, meaning that one rifle can pull double duty as a patrol carbine and a dedicated home defense gun. Build or buy, you can't go wrong with an AR-15.
We generally recommend running an AR-15 with a purpose-built 5.56 suppressor, as this achieves the best signature reduction and sound suppression. The HUXWRX VENTUM is one of the best bang-for-your-buck suppressors available, combining Flow-Through technology with the ability to use whichever HUB-compatible mounting solution the shooter prefers.
The FNX-45 Tactical might be the best home defense handgun ever conceived, sporting a threaded barrel and an optics-ready slide with suppressor-height sights. Given that .45 ACP is naturally subsonic, this pistol is the perfect suppressor host for defenders looking to minimize risk of hearing loss.
Paired with a can like the Dead Air Mojave 45, the FNX-45 Tactical becomes one of the quietest and softest-shooting guns on the market for home defense. This is a true "do everything" platform that - when decked out with a suppressor, optic, and light - allows the shooter to rapidly transition between well-lit rooms and darkened hallways with ease.
Available in a pistol or rifle configuration, the CZ Scorpion 3+ is our go-to Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) for home defense scenarios. It's lightweight and maneuverable, with solid ergonomics and a capacity of 20+1. Best of all, CZ Scorpion mags are uber reliable, so much so that many other PCC manufacturers prefer to use Scorpion magazines for their builds rather than developing a proprietary mag.
We've fired many PCCs for our YouTube channel and the Scorpion 3+ has remained one of our favorites to shoot. The low recoil impulse, exceptional performance, and modularity make the CZ Scorpion 3+ an excellent choice for home defense.
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As mentioned above, we recommend running some of our picks with a suppressor. But is this strictly necessary? Watch our video to learn more about the pros and cons of suppressors for home defense!
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