Top 10 Military Pistols in the World in 2026

The handgun is the last line of defense for soldiers, and for officers, vehicle crews and pilots, often their main personal weapon. Modern military pistols are lighter, more reliable and easier to fit with optics and lights than ever before. This ranking weighs reliability, adoption by armed forces, ergonomics and modular design.

1. SIG Sauer M17/M18 (United States)

Chosen in 2017 as the US military’s Modular Handgun System, replacing the Beretta M9, the M17 and compact M18 are based on the SIG P320. Their modular “fire control unit” lets armies change grip size and slide length easily.

2. Glock 17/19 (Austria)

The most widely used pistol in the world among police and military forces, from British forces to special operations units everywhere. Simple, light and famously reliable, it set the standard for polymer-frame pistols.

3. Beretta M9A4 / 92 series (Italy)

The Beretta 92 served as the US M9 for more than 30 years and remains in service worldwide. The updated M9A4 adds an optics-ready slide and improved ergonomics.

4. HK SFP9 / P30 (Germany)

Heckler & Koch’s striker-fired pistol is the German Bundeswehr’s P13 and is used by several NATO forces, praised for its ergonomics and adjustable grips.

5. CZ P-10 / P-09 (Czech Republic)

Czech pistols are in service with many European armies and police forces, combining reliability with excellent value for money.

6. FN 509 (Belgium/United States)

A tough striker-fired pistol developed from FN’s US Army handgun bid, available with optics-ready slides for military and police users.

7. Walther PDP (Germany)

A modern optics-ready pistol known for an excellent trigger, adopted by several police and special forces units.

8. Canik METE / TP9 (Türkiye)

Turkish manufacturer Canik has become one of the fastest-growing pistol makers in the world, supplying Turkish forces and exporting large numbers, especially to the United States.

9. Udav (Russia)

Russia’s new 9 mm service pistol, intended to replace the Makarov and Yarygin, firing powerful armor-piercing ammunition.

10. QSZ-92 (China)

The standard sidearm of the People’s Liberation Army, a polymer-frame pistol produced in 9 mm and China’s 5.8 mm caliber.

The trend

Military pistols are converging on the same features: polymer frames, striker firing, red-dot optics and modular grips. Many armies are also switching back to 9 mm with modern hollow-point ammunition, which delivers more stopping power than older rounds.

Featured image: U.S. Army / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons