When you are at the range very often, picking a heavy handgun turns into part hobby, part a slew of different kinds of effects. Some shooters want tighter groups, others faster follow-up shots, whereas some just like the balance and the feeling of a solid, well-built pistol. Many guns can meet these criteria, but a few of them are especially significant in connection with weight, ergonomics, and smooth shooting. Here are five heavy-hitting pistols that serious range folks keep returning to — listed from five to one.
Canik Rival S: Steel Power Without the Tab
Looking for a sturdy 9mm with a steel frame that doesn’t cost a fortune? The Canik Rival S is an excellent place to start. It is heavy enough to control the recoil and keep the shots on target during quick strings, yet it will not cost you a lot of money. Shooters speak highly of how secure it is and how little muzzle flip you get when doing a quick trigger pull – one shooter even claimed that he managed six 14-inch plates at eight yards in just over two seconds, which is a very good controllability indication. At a price of about $600, it is a good value for anyone who wants the performance of a steel frame without the high-end price.
Sig Sauer P226 X-Five / Legion: Mass with Purpose
The P226 is an old favorite in the military and law-enforcement worlds and has been for a good reason; the X-Five and Legion models take this heritage further into competition-grade territory. The all-steel versions are heavy, steady, and constructed with long dust covers and sturdy slides – some shooters joke that due to high mass, you feel like a revolver rather than a pistol.
The X-Five is frequently referred to as “wicked and heavy,” a platform that absorbs recoil completely and gives off the same accurate shot every time. Legion models bring in more comfortable ergonomics and optics-ready possibilities right from the start, making them appealing for both competition and serious range work. The additional weight really works for muzzle control and the speed of follow-up shots.
CZ Shadow 2: The Flat-Shooting Favorite
When talking about heavy range pistols with competitive shooters, it won’t take long before someone mentions the CZ Shadow 2. It is a low bore axis, very smooth trigger, and almost frictionless slide/frame fit, all-steel 9mm that is well known. “Flat shooting” would be the most accurate term for it – shooters are very enthusiastic about gun tracking and how quickly they can get back on the target. Furthermore, this gun with big-capacity magazines and a speed and precision-oriented design has become a fixture in USPSA and IPSC circles. It is not so much an everyday carry but a pure performance range/competition gun that can hardly be beaten.
1911 / 2011 Platforms: Classic Feel, Modern Muscle
Heavily talk about the range of handguns and you are sure to see the 1911 and its double-stack 2011 cousins mentioned. Springfield, STI, and Dan Wesson, just to name a few, are the brands that work with classic 1911 ergonomics and single-action trigger, adding modern finishing, capacity, and mass to the mix. Particularly, the 2011s offer the 1911 feeling but with higher capacity and more weight – a combination that competition shooters find terrific.
Thicker grips, optics mounting possibilities, and the option to add weight where you want it make these platforms extremely flexible. Some shooters have compared the handling of the 1911 to the accuracy of a well-tuned rifle – and the 2011 simply strengthens that characteristic for the modern pistols.
Dan Wesson DWX: The Apex of Heavy-Handgun Design
The Dan Wesson DWX is at number one on the list, and it is a pistol that takes the good from the CZ 75 and the 1911 and combines them to make a heavy, accurate, and comfortable unit. Coming also in steel, the DWX is about 45 ounces, offers large capacity (19+1 in 9mm), adjustable sights, and a match-grade bull barrel. Its lockup discontinues the conventional 1911 bushing and grip safety combination in favor of a single-lug system, and a comfortable beavertail that gives great control and a familiar sensation for 1911 shooters.
The reports that come from the range are very often mentioning sub-two-inch groups at 25 yards and very trustworthy performance through long sessions. The people who are used to single-action ergonomics will find the controls intuitive; however, the DWX is modular and works with a large number of accessories. Reviewers are constantly praising the balance, the smooth trigger, and the overall shootability of the firearm – they call it both dependable and a pleasure to operate on the range.
The combination of weight, capacity, and trigger of the DWX leads to faster follow-ups, less felt recoil, and a highly tunable platform for competition, practice, or simply enjoyment of a long day at the line. Instead of feeling like a Frankenstein mashup, it functions as a thoughtful evolution of two classic designs.
If you regularly go to the range and appreciate heavy, stable performance, then these five pistols are built for you to get a good performance. Each one of them offers something slightly different, but they all have one reliable feature in common, which is that they help you make your shots count.
