Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 i Handguns

Not Quite Everything The article in your February/March issue on the Springfield SA-35 was well written and informative. I do, however, take exception to one comment that was made in the article, specifically, “This gun has everything it needs and nothing more.” As one of the 10 percent of the people in this world who are left-handed, it needs an ambidextrous safety. Not only for those of us so cursed, but also for the right-handed folks who wish to have the controls available in the event that they need to use the pistol with their weak hand. I can only hope that Springfield will eventually offer this pistol with an ambi safety. DAN DANIELS, FLORIDA Place Your Bets! Your June/July issue was again a winner. While I have always enjoyed…

As much as I appreciate the utility of Kydex and other polymer holsters, some guns cry out for leather, and DeSantis makes some of the best. What I love about the Mini Scabbard is its simple elegance. There’s not a fancy bone in its body, but to me it looks like a million bucks and is a fitting rig for my Springfield SA-35. But it’s not all about appearance. The Mini Scabbard is precisely molded and fits the pistol like the proverbial glove. A tension screw provides additional security, but I didn’t find any adjustment necessary because it gripped the gun just right straight out of the box. Its slight forward cant positions the gun perfectly for a smooth draw. Fits belts up to 1.75 inches and is available in…

Springfield Armory has been on a roll of late, adding a new 10mm carry version of its XD line of pistols, reviving the Browning Hi Power with the SA-35, and redefining the micro-compact pistol with the high-capacity Hellcat. Recently, Springfield set out to optimize one of the most revered pistol platforms of all time with the release of its Ronin EMP (Enhanced Micro Pistol), a 1911 that’s optimized for concealed carry. The Ronin EMP is chambered in 9mm and is available in two versions. One version comes with a three-inch barrel and has a capacity of nine rounds, while the second has a four-inch barrel with a 10-round mag. Both pistols come with blued steel slides, aluminum frames and walnut grips, and both have more than 10 parts that are…

If you’re charged with a crime, you’ll have to defend yourself regardless of your guilt or innocence. The U.S. court system promises every accused individual the right to free legal counsel, but if you elect to hire a defense attorney who specializes in firearms law, the cost can be quite high. The average charge of a defense attorney is $200 an hour, and as mentioned in the main article, a murder trail requires roughly 1,000 hours of attorney time, which translates to a cost of $200,000. Less serious crimes require fewer attorney hours, but the cost can still be quite high. According to U.S. LawShield estimates, an aggravated assault charge requires 320 attorney hours with an average overall cost of $64,000. Simply discharging a firearm in certain municipalities requires roughly…

THE 1911 IS UNDENIABLY POPULAR, BUT as labor and material costs rise, some models are priced beyond the means of the working-class shooter. Springfield Armory has introduced a handgun that, like the Ford Model T, is affordable to all: the Garrison. The Garrison has a forged-steel frame and slide, along with a forged match-grade stainless steel barrel. In either 9mm or .45 ACP (shown above), it’s available in both a traditional carbon-steel gun with a hot-salt-blue finish as well as a stainless steel version. Prices are $849 for the blue gun and $899 for stainless. The top of the slide has a subdued matte finish, and a matte-finished cut at the front of the slide contrasts nicely with the polished slide flats and frame. The frame’s undersides are accented in…

EUROPEAN SMALLBORE MANIA SWEPT the U.S. Board of Ordnance in the late 1880s, leading to adoption of the pitiful .38 Colt to replace the supremely efficacious .45 Colt. Failure in combat led Ordnance to return to a .45, but in a new self-loading pistol and cartridge. John M. Browning and Colt won the competition among the world’s makers, setting off a strenuous evolution over the next six years culminating in the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol, Model of 1911. The so-called Government model featured a five-inch barrel and Browning’s short guide rod and barrel bushing designs, and the pistol received only cosmetic changes until after World War II. Then, the U.S. Army flirted with a switch to Georg Luger’s 9x19mm, along with a new double-action pistol. Colt and others vied to…

FAILURE TO MAKE USE OF AVAILABLE cover is often cited as a contributing factor in police line-of-duty deaths, but it’s not just cops who overlook the importance of cover. We should be mindful of cover and utilize it if confronted by an assailant armed with a firearm. However, the unfortunate reality is that cover may not be available when the bullets start flying. Since we can’t necessarily control where we will be in relation to cover in an emergency, why not bring cover with us? Many of us carry a laptop and other personal belongings in some sort of pack anyway. If we can replace that pack with one that could potentially save our lives by stopping bullets we’d be crazy not to consider it. As a police officer for…

In 2020, revolver enthusiasts rejoiced when Colt reintroduced the much sought-after Python. The classic double-action revolver had been discontinued nearly 20 years earlier, but nostalgia-fed demand had increased steadily after, and Colt finally gave the shooting public what it was demanding: a new Python. This release was part of Colt’s broader move back into the double-action sixgun market, with new examples of both the King Cobra and Anaconda re-emerging in recent years. Barrels of 4.5 and six inches—both in stainless steel—were offered on the reimagined Python. For 2022, Colt took things a step further, adding a stainless Python with a three-inch barrel to the mix. The first production Pythons left the factory in 1995. The original list price was $125. Most Pythons were chambered in .357 Magnum, although Target models…

WHEN FEDERAL INTRODUCED ITS NEW .30 Super Carry cartridge earlier this year, it partnered with Smith & Wesson to produce the first polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols chambered to the new round. Both the M&P Shield Plus and the M&P Shield EZ are now available in .30 Super Carry. The new Shield EZ in .30 Super Carry is virtually identical to the 9mm version. It has a grip safety, and a manual thumb safety is optional. Due to the grip safety, it does not have interchangeable backstraps. The grip angle is vertical, about 18 degrees according to S&W, which is roughly the same as a 1911. All Shield EZ pistols feature modern surface texturing that provides a secure grip without being too aggressive. Both the Shield EZ’s slide and the 3.7-inch barrel…

AS ONE OF THOSE SHOOTERS WHO often carries everything but the kitchen sink, having the right gear bag is a big deal. And the Safariland Convertible is the best one I’ve found so far. It can be worn as a backpack, and the second strap for backpack use stows out of sight if you’re just going to carry it over the shoulder, as I do. It has a handy detachable 16x8x10-inch inner bag that features eight magazine pouches attached via hook and loop as well as adjustable dividers. On match days, I use it for ammo, spare mags and ear muffs. Tools, cleaning gear, drinks, snacks and more go into the 23x13x10-inch main bag. My competition rig handily attaches to quick-detach loops on the outside. When I’m not toting as…

WILSON SFX9 SOLID FRAME The new pistol from Wilson Combat combines a five-inch bushing-barrel top end matched up with the company’s new one-piece frame machined from T6-7075 aluminum. The result is full-size 1911 in 9mm that weighs 32 ounces. The tri-top slide top is serrated 30 lpi and has carry cuts along with X-Tac front and rear cocking serrations. The frontstrap, backstrap and grips also get the X-Tac treatment. The pistol is available with a 15-round flush mag or an 18-round extended mag. {$2,995, WILSONCOMBAT.COM } CZ SCORPION 3+ The newest version of the Scorpion has a slimmed-down upper receiver that better handles accessories, and a redesigned mag well provides more room for large or gloved hands. The ambidextrous magazine release is now an AR-style, and the double-stack polymer mag…

The 1911 has been with us for more than a century. One would think that everything that could be done to this category of firearm has already been attempted. The new product development team at Kimber may disagree. Each year Kimber, in Troy, Alabama, pushes the aging platform further and further into the future while maintaining many of the attributes that have made it a classic. This latest evolution is the Scorpius, which is part of the Rapide family. The Scorpius combines time-tested features with new and interesting lines. The Scorpius begins as a full-size 1911 with a stainless steel frame—nothing too exotic about that. But that’s about where the traditional lines end. The slide and frame are aggressively milled with functional and aesthetic patterns, creating a modern overall look…

IN A WORLD WHERE NEARLY EVERY polymer-framed, striker-fired concealed carry handgun one can imagine is available in 9mm Luger, Springfield Armory continues to give us big-bore options. A great example is the XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact OSP, a concealable handgun chambered in .45 ACP with a 10+1 capacity. This is a big gun in a small package. Like all handguns in the XD series, it is manufactured by HS Produkt in Croatia to Springfield Armory’s standards and specifications. The XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact OSP’s frame is injection-molded polymer and will provide a full-fingered grip for all but the largest hands. Aggressive texturing provides a secure grip. The XD-M Elite 3.8 Compact OSP ships with three backstrap options, so users can custom-fit the gun to their own needs. A removable extended…