There are so many pistols out there in so many sizes, it gets confusing to try to categorize them properly. It doesn’t help that there are so many names for all the categories of handguns. In this article we will clarify that a service pistol is, and where it fits in with all the other categories.
So what is a service pistol? A service pistol (aka duty pistol, full-size pistol, sidearm or home-defense pistol) is a gun issued to military and law enforcement officers. It is usually a semi-automatic pistol (though it can be revolver) issued for self-defense—not usually given to front-line soldiers. Service-type pistols can also be bought by citizens as self-defense weapons. They typically hold 16-19 rounds, have barrels around 4.5 inches and weigh 25-35 ounces.
Obviously, every model varies depending on what each specific manufacturer thinks is most important and what is the least important. Let’s take a close look at some examples and exceptions to what we’ve noted above. For a full list of our recommendations for the best full-size pistols, check out our resources page or click here.
Detailed definition of full-size/service pistols
For all intents and purposes, a duty gun and a full-size handgun are the same thing (which is why we listed it that way). That is going to give some people heartburn because service pistols are technically only issued to military personnel and law enforcement officers; but that’s okay. The guns do the same thing, and people can get their hands on the same guns as these groups. In fact, many used guns on the market today are old service guns.
But to be official service pistol/duty pistol is a handgun that is issued to military personnel and law enforcement officers. They use it as a defensive weapon, as well as an offensive weapon. It is almost always a semi-automatic gun—and very often a polymer pistol. Though there are many all-metal guns still in use. It isn’t usually used when off duty or out of the military, though this rule can be broken.
For more specifics on what a full-size handgun is, let’s take a look below.
Barrel Length
Obviously, like anything in guns, each manufacturer builds a different gun, with slightly different specifications; but, looking at many different models, we can draw some conclusions. Generally speaking, the barrel length of a full-size/service pistol is 4-5 inches, with most hovering around the 4.5 inch zone. It’s rare to see them over 5 inches because compact pistols tend to have barrel lengths in that zone. They also aren’t usually shorter than 4 inches, because that is where compact pistols are.
Round Count
Round count in any gun is directly related to what kind of ammo the gun takes. All other things being equal, larger caliber ammo (in other words, fatter ammo) occupies more space per round, which means fewer rounds will fit in the magazine. In the most broad application, full-size/service pistols hold 15-18 rounds. Guns in calibers of similar size to 9mm usually hold from 16-19 rounds. Bigger bore pistols, like .45, hold around 10-13.
Weight
Weight in handguns can be tricky. The weight usually increases with bigger-bore guns in order to handle the round, but it doesn’t increase substantially. Where weight can have a big difference is in 1) the overall size of the gun and 2) whether the gun is all metal or polymer. Obviously, full-size/duty guns are larger than compact or subcompact pistols, so they are heavier. And just as obvious, metal guns are heavier than plastic ones. However, if we generalize the weight across all pistols of the same size, they are 25-35 ounces. Metal guns tend to gravitate closer to the 35 ounce mark, while polymer guns are usually closer to 25 ounces.
Most common uses for /full-size/service pistols
Obviously, by their very nature, service pistols are often used in military applications. Many military personnel are issued pistols as their primary self-defense weapons. Those on the front lines don’t usually receive a service pistol, but instead, are issued a rifle. The current broad-use service pistols of the armed forces are the M-17 and M-18 (military version of the Sig Sauer P320).
The other major user of service pistols are law enforcement agencies. Clearly, there is not one specific gun that is used across all agencies, but some are more common than others. These weapons are usually issued as a lethal line of defense for police officers. They are usually worn outside the waistband, with extra magazines.
The third use for service-type weapons is for civilians. We fully admit that civilians are not issued any guns by the government or any other organization. But the exact same pistols are available to anyone that is legally allowed to own one. These guns are more often referred to as full-size handguns or as home-defense handguns. They aren’t usually worn around town outside the waistband by regular citizens; though, some states do allow that.
Most common full-size/service pistols
Sig Sauer P320
The Sig Sauer P320 (the military versions are referred to as the M17 and M18) made a huge splash in the industry when it won the contract with the US Army as the official service pistol. The army was looking for an incredibly reliable pistol that has a modular handgun system—meaning the chassis of the gun can be removed from the frame and customized. In fact, an entire new frame that’s a different color or different size could be installed, and it would still be considered the same gun.
M&P 9
The M&P 9 was my first gun! And I love it! The M&P 9 has been around for over a decade and has gained huge popularity as an incredibly reliable pistol. Not only does it have a huge civilian following, but it has been adopted by many police agencies as their standard issue pistol. What I love so much about this gun is how it feels in the hand. It is one of the most comfortable guns on the market. Which is more than I can say for the next on the list….
Glock 17 and Glock 19
The Glock 17 and Glock 19 may not be the most comfortable pistols in hand, but they are probably the most famous and most used pistols on this list. They are widely used in many police departments, as well as in some military applications. They have both been around for decades and are some of the most reliable pistols on the planet.
The glock 19 is technically a compact pistol but it has been included with the Glock 17 because some law enforcement agencies use it as their primary issued weapon.
Springfield XDM
The Springfield XDM is an awesome pistol that has been around for quite a few years now. This was one of the pistols on my short list when buying my first handgun because it’s that good. Not only do they look good, but they shoot reliably and very smoothly too. One unique thing about Springfield’s, that I both love and hate, is that they use a grip safety as another safety mechanism on the gun. You can’t shoot these guns unless you really mean to.
Canik TP9SF
Canik has been around for a while, but only in a major way for the last few years. In that time, it has built quite a reputation for producing extremely reliable pistols—at a fraction of the price of comparable pistols. I was sceptical initially because they are so much less expensive than others, like Glocks and M&P’s. Like, they’re almost into Highpoint territory… But after shooting them, I have come to love these pistols!
Dimensions of popular full-size/service pistols
These are only lists of the most popular calibers and handguns. We didn’t include any revolvers or revolver calibers; even though they can be used, they aren’t competitive when evaluating the uses of these types of pistols. The longest list is for 9mm (since it’s the most widely used), but we also included lists for .40, 10mm and .45.
9mm Handguns
| Gun | Height | Length | Barrel | Width | Weight | Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sig P320 | 5.5in (14cm) | 8in (20.3cm) | 4.7in (11.9cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 29.5oz (836g) | 17+1 rounds |
| S&W M&P 9 | 5.5in (14cm) | 7.63in (20.3cm) | 4.25in (10.8cm) | 1.2in (3.0cm) | 24oz* (680g) | 17+1 rounds |
| HK VP9 | 5.41in (13.7cm) | 7.34in (18.6cm) | 4.09in (10.4cm) | 1.32in (3.35cm) | 25.56oz (725g) | 15+1 rounds |
| Walther PPQ | 5.3in (13.5cm) | 7.1in (18cm) | 4in (10.2cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 24.5oz* (695g) | 15+1 rounds |
| Glock 17 | 5.47in (13.9cm) | 8.03in (20.4cm) | 4.49in (11.4cm) | 1.26in (3.2cm) | 24.87oz (705g) | 17+1 rounds |
| Springfield XDM | 5.75in (14.6cm) | 7.6in (19.3cm) | 4.5in (11.4cm) | 1.18in* (2.99cm) | 29oz (822g) | 19+1 rounds |
| Canik TP9 SF | 5.7in (14.5cm) | 7.5in (19.1cm) | 4.46in (11.3cm) | 1.35in (3.4cm) | 28.48oz (807g) | 18+1 rounds |
| Beretta 92FS | 5.4in (13.7cm) | 8.5in (21.6cm) | 4.9in (12.45cm) | 1.5in (3.8cm) | 33.3oz (944g) | 15+1 rounds |
| Beretta APX | 5.6in (14.2cm) | 7.55in (19.2cm) | 4.25in (10.8cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 28.24oz (800g) | 17+1 rounds |
| CZ 75 B | 5.4in (13.7cm) | 8.1in (20.6cm) | 4.6in (11.7cm) | 1.4in (3.56cm) | 35.2oz (998g) | 16+1 rounds |
.40 Caliber Guns
| Gun | Height | Length | Barrel | Width | Weight | Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glock 22 | 5.47in (13.9cm) | 8.03in (20.4cm) | 4.49in (11.4cm) | 1.26in (3.2cm) | 22.75oz (645g) | 15+1 rounds |
| S&W M&P | 5.5in (13.97cm) | 7.4in (18.8m) | 4.25in (10.8cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 25.8oz (734.3g) | 15+1 rounds |
| Springfield XDM | 5.75in (14.6cm) | 7.6in (19.3cm) | 4.5in (11.4cm) | 1.18in (3cm) | 30oz (850g) | 16+1 rounds |
| Beretta APX | 5.6in (14.2cm) | 7.55in (19.2cm) | 4.25in (10.8cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 28.92oz (820g) | 15+1 rounds |
10mm guns
| Gun | Height | Length | Barrel | Width | Weight | Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10mm Glock 20 (10mm) | 5.51in (13.99cm) | 8.07in (20.5cm) | 4.61in (11.7cm) | 1.34in (3.4cm) | 27.51oz (780g) | 15+1 rounds |
| Sig Sauer P220 Hunter | 5.5in (13.97cm) | 8.6in (21.8cm) | 5.0in (12.7cm) | 1.5in (3.81cm) | 39.4oz (1117g) | – |
| Springfield XDM | 5.75in (14.6cm) | 7.7in (19.56cm) | 4.5in (11.4cm) | 1.2in (3.05cm) | 31.2oz (885g) | 15+1 rounds |
.45 caliber guns
| Gun | Height | Length | Barrel | Width | Weight | Magazine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glock 21 | 5.51in (13.99cm) | 8.07in (20.5cm) | 4.61in (11.7cm) | 1.34in (3.4cm) | 26.28oz (745g) | 13+1 |
| S&W M&P | 5.6in (14.2cm) | 7.9in (20.1cm) | 4.6in (11.7cm) | 1.3in (3.3cm) | 27oz (765.5g) | 10+1 |
| Springfield XDM | 5.75in (14.6cm) | 7.7in (19.56cm) | 4.5in (11.4cm) | 1.26in (3.2cm) | 31oz (879g) | 13+1 |
Strengths of full-size/service pistols
Capacity- Full-size/service pistols hold more rounds than their compact and subcompact counterparts. These guns hold the capacities of sometimes twice as much as some carry guns. If a second magazine is carried, shooters are looking at 30+ round of firepower at the ready. The only handguns that carry more rounds are competition guns—though they aren’t used as much in combat or self-defense situations.
Accuracy- Most handguns—even the smallest ones—are more accurate than their owners; so accuracy usually isn’t an issue when evaluating the guns themselves. Some guns, however, are just easier to hold and control than others, which translates into better accuracy. These large full-size handguns we’ve been discussing have long grips that facilitate getting an entire hand on the grip, with the other to support. They also have bigger, heavy frames that weigh the guns down when the round is fired. These things help shooters flinch less, and focus more on better shooting.
Micro-carry guns would be on the other side of the spectrum; they have very short grips and almost no way to get an entire hand (pinkies included) grasping the guns. To make it worse, their small nature means they’re lighter too. The same rounds going off in a smaller gun causes more recoil. More recoil means more flinching, and usually, worse accuracy.
Weaknesses of full-size/service pistols
Concealability- this point should be fairly obvious. The same things that are strengths also expose weaknesses. Because they are large, controllable and high in round count, they are big guns. And big guns are hard to conceal. Theoretically, full-size/service pistols could be carried concealed, but it would be hard to do in practice. Their long grips and wide frames cause them to be exposed.
Weight- What almost always accompanies size is weight. Full-size/service pistols are big and heavy handguns. There is a lot of mass to these guns, which makes them heavy. It is mitigated, somewhat, in polymer guns, but they still weigh more than their polymer counterparts.They also carry more rounds, which adds even more weight. So, even if the pistol itself only weighs a few more ounces than a smaller version, it likely holds several more rounds, broadening the difference.
Related Questions
What is the highest capacity full-size handgun? Two of the most popular full-size handguns that hold the most rounds are the Springfield XDM, which holds 19+1 and the Canik TP9 SF, which holds 18+1. Most other full-size handguns can generally hold 16-17 rounds plus one in the chamber.
Do I need a full-size pistol? The most popular uses for full-size pistols are for range use, home defense and as a sidearm for fighting purposes. Most people aren’t planning to use their guns for fighting (like in battle) so that’s probably the least compelling reason to buy one. They do make great range guns that are easy to control and fun to shoot. They are also a popular home-defense choice because they are small and maneuverable.