The P320 M17 is the civilian twin of the pistol picked for the U.S. military. It is a 9mm with a 4.7 inch barrel, a coyote brown finish and magazines in 17 and 21 rounds.

A full-size pistol like this is comfortable to shoot. Heft soaks up recoil, a longer sight radius helps with accuracy, and the extra capacity is welcome at the range. In North Carolina, many owners keep one as a house gun, a truck gun or a range gun, and some wear it in a duty-style holster. A little practice every month beats a long session once a year.

The P320 is a striker-fired modular pistol. The fire control unit is the serialized part, which lets owners swap grips and slides to change the size. That flexibility is a big reason for its popularity. The coyote brown color makes it easy to find in a range bag.

Learn the trigger and keep your finger off it until the sights are on target. It ships to a North Carolina FFL dealer, where the background check is completed.