The holiday season is fast approaching, and it’s the perfect time to pick out a great gift for the competitive shooter in your life.
To make your shopping easier, we’ve curated a refined list of five excellent pistols worth considering for the 2025 Christmas and holiday season.
Beretta 92X Performance Optic Dark Series
Beretta’s new 92X Performance Carry Optic Dark Series chambered in 9 mm Luger are competition‑tuned 92X handguns outfitted with a steel Vertec frame, a beveled magazine well and adjustable Xtreme‑S trigger. With 18‑ or 20-round capacity, the Dark Series has an optics‑ready slide that accepts many popular red‑dots (mounting plates are available separately). The Dark Series also has several color options, including blue, yellow and red. $1,699, beretta.com
Ruger RXM
The RXM 9 mm is a Ruger and Magpul collaboration featuring a stainless-steel slide with aggressive serrations, a lightweight Magpul polymer frame and low-profile flared magazine well. An optics-ready slide accepts several red dots; the RXM also includes two 15‑round magazines and supports extended magazines. A solid choice for performance and reliability. $499, ruger.com
Smith & Wesson M&P9 Metal HD Spec Series V
This steel‑framed, competition‑ready 9 mm handgun with 23-round capacity sports blue PVD accents, a factory compensator, a steel magazine well and a threaded barrel. Optics‑cut and match‑tuned out of the box for USPSA Carry Optics competitors, the heavier steel frame soaks up recoil for faster follow‑up shots. $1,699, smith-wesson.com
Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR
A highlight at Colt’s booth during SHOT Show 2025, the King Cobra Target chambered in .22 Long Rifle is a precision six-inch double-action/single-action target revolver with forged one‑piece stainless steel construction, 10‑round capacity, adjustable target rear sight and fiber‑optic front sight, plus Hogue overmolded rubber grips for comfort and control. A must for rimfire revolver fans. $1,149, colt.com
Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP .380 ACP
While not a competition gun, Springfield Armory’s new Hellcat OSP chambered in .380 ACP is worth mentioning. This purpose-built micro-compact boasts an optics-ready slide (Shield RMSc/SMSc pattern), Tritium U‑Dot co-witnessing, hammer‑forged barrel and Adaptive Grip Texture, along with flush and extended magazines. A solid choice for concealed carry. $653, springfield-armory.com
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