Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2025 i Handguns

Calling All Oddballs Recently we received a letter from a reader looking for information on the .22 Jet. Our published sources found no mention of it, and an internet search turned up scant info that couldn’t even agree on what bullet diameter it used, which was what prompted the reader’s question. That got us to thinking about all the oddball calibers chambered in handguns over the years. A lot of them were in the old Contender platform, but there were some obscure ones in revolvers and even semiautos. What offbeat cartridges have you shot—or maybe are currently shooting? Let us know at HANDGUNS@OUTDOORSG.COM. More Revolvers, Please I wish you had more articles about revolvers. I would like an article about the S&W Model 627. MIKE DENTON Ah, we get this…

IF YOU SIMPLY CAN’T GET ENOUGH GUNS and shooting, the My Outdoor TV (MOTV) app is a resource like no other, a curated treasure trove of firearms- and outdoor-oriented television shows and videos. For example, MOTV offers nine seasons—102 episodes—of “Handguns” (formerly “Handguns & Defensive Weapons”) alone. The show focuses primarily on personal protection and includes plenty of recreational shooting activities such as plinking and action-shooting competitions. It features reviews of the latest firearms, ammunition and shooting accessories, as well as advice on marksmanship, gun handling, self-defense techniques and a host of other handgun-related topics. But wait, there’s more! There are 10-plus seasons of the popular “Guns & Ammo” television shows, encompassing more than 200 episodes available on the app. You can also check out past episodes of shows like…

Over the past few years, Taurus has proved that it not only builds top-quality guns but comes up with designs that make sense for defensive handgunners. I’ve been particularly impressed with the G3 family of 9mms, as well as the GX4, and now Taurus has introduced the GX2—a gun aimed straight at beginning shooters. A member of the GX family as opposed to the G2 family, this is unapologetically an entry-level compact pistol with a suggested retail price of $310. A cursory internet search showed the street price to be in the $250 neighborhood, and you’d be tempted to think a gun this inexpensive would be a waste of time. I can assure you that, in this case, inexpensive doesn’t equate to cheap. With its 3.4-inch barrel, 6.2-inch overall length,…

AT HANDGUNS WE TRY TO MAKE EVERY article easily understood by everyone—whether you’re a beginner or advanced—but having jargon creep into reviews is unavoidable. Here are some often-used terms that can help some of you make better sense of the articles you read in this and other gun magazines. 1911: A single-action semiautomatic pistol designed by John Browning in 1911. Long a military sidearm, it has maintained a loyal following among shooters due to its ergonomics, dependability and trigger pull. Backstrap: The rear of a handgun’s grip or frame. Many polymer-frame pistols today feature interchangeable backstraps to easily modify fit. Break: When referring to a trigger pull, the point at which the hammer or firing pin is released to strike the cartridge’s primer. Checkering: A type of texturing with intersecting…

AS GOOD GUYS AND GALS, WE DON’T GET to choose the time or place we may be forced to protect ourselves or someone else. That’s the bad guy’s prerogative. He gets a head start and usually has at least a hasty plan of attack. By carrying a concealed handgun consistently, you can mitigate the bad guy’s advantage and tilt the odds of winning in your favor. Of course, the defensive use of a handgun is predicated on the fact that you have one with you. Since bad guys aren’t confined to the bad side of town, you should carry whenever it’s legal to do so. But having a gun is only one aspect of concealed carry consistency. To the extent possible, you should carry the same gun in the same…

The year is 2025 but, based on the handgun market, we may want to call it 2011. It seems that everyone is making their own version of the 2011, also known as the double-stack 1911. Kimber, one of the best-known names in the 1911 world, took its time to engineer its own high-capacity 2011-style pistol. The new 2K11 is evidence that rushing to be the first to market isn’t always the best plan. This well-executed handgun is evidence of a well-crafted mix of design, engineering, machining and assembly. The Kimber 2K11 is offered in two primary versions: the optics-ready 2K11 (OR) and the optics-ready and tricked-out 2K11 Target (OR). Each of the 2K11 models is available in both .45 ACP and 9mm Luger. I tested the 2K11 (OR) chambered in…

The 9mm vs. .45 debate is the most tired one in the handgun world. Which is superior? Both certainly have their merits. The 9mm offers low recoil, has a greater magazine capacity and feeds and extracts well thanks to its significant body taper. The .45 has more bullet mass, greater frontal area and arguably better terminal performance. It’s difficult to pick a winner but, with the release of the Kobra Carry Dual Caliber 1911, you don’t have to. This compact handgun from Ed Brown allows shooters to swap chamberings, and their virtues, in seconds. The late Ed Brown was a legend in the 1911 community. He was the first person I met at my very first SHOT Show way back in 2003. He was a gentleman, and he is missed…

THE SMITH & WESSON M&P9 TURNS 20 years old in 2025, but today’s M&P9s are very different than the originals—Smith & Wesson has done an excellent job of refining these guns over the years. The new Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 Shield Plus Carry Comp is a perfect example of this evolution. Like other Shield Plus pistols, this one offers double-digit magazine capacities. Each Shield Plus Carry Comp comes with a flush-fit 10-round magazine, an extended 13-round magazine and an extended 15-rounder. As the name suggests, the Shield Plus Carry Comp comes with a compensator, making it the smallest member of Smith & Wesson’s Carry Comp family. Known as the Power Port, this compensator is designed to help direct gases upward from the muzzle, reducing muzzle rise and allowing…

AS A TEEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO fire many of the newest handguns that my father had purchased, and a piece I remember well was the Stoeger Luger .22 semiautomatic. It was traded off long ago, but recently I was able to obtain an original example in decent condition. The Stoeger Luger is an American-made .22 styled after the original German Luger. During the time period the Stoeger was introduced, a similar pistol was imported by Erma, but they are not the same gun. Stoeger owned rights to the Luger name in America and introduced its .22 pistol in 1969. It is a straight blowback with a nicely designed toggle that recoils with the bolt. While the P 08 9mm actually uses the toggle for locking and unlocking, the…

I TRAVEL WITH HANDGUNS FREQUENTLY, so having a reliable locking pistol case is a necessity. During the past decade I’ve used multiple cases, but the Nanuk 909 ($87) has become my favorite. Its durable design stands up to abuse, yet it’s not as heavy or burdensome as competing cases. The Nanuk cases have an NK-7 resin outer shell. NK-7 is a polypropylene with special additives that was designed specifically for Nanuk cases, and it provides extreme durability with minimal mass. It’s also resistant to shifts in temperature, which makes the Nanuk 909 suitable for work in cold environments. The 909 case features multi-level polyurethane foam, and it’s customizable so you can make the most of the interior space and get a perfect fit for your handgun, even if it wears…

Companies like Springfield Armory began manufacturing 1911s in 9mm several years ago, the advantage being that they could be made smaller than the .45 ACP versions but with higher capacity. But even 9mm-chambered 1911s lack the capacity of many 9mm striker-fired pistols. Fortunately, a pistol like the double-stack 1911 DS Prodigy, which Springfield Armory introduced in 2022, affords you the best of both worlds: 1911 ergonomics with a capacity that’s on par with double-stack, striker-fired pistols. Capitalizing on the success of its 1911 DS Prodigy line, Springfield just launched two compact versions, one with a 4.25-inch barrel and one with a 3.5-inch barrel. These new pistols sport all the features that made the Prodigy a hit, but they are lighter and smaller, making them even better suited for concealed carry.…

There’s no shortage of custom 1911 builders out there, but when you list the very best in the business, Nighthawk Custom in Berryville, Arkansas, is always on the list—and with good reason. “One Gun, One Gunsmith” is more than a catchy slogan; it’s an ethos that describes the attention Nighthawk pours into every pistol that leaves its doors, including the new Fire Hawk. The Fire Hawk offers a long list of noteworthy features, but I suppose the most obvious is the single-port compensator at the muzzle. Compensators are more popular than ever, and while most of them work well, you’d hardly call them works of art. The Fire Hawk is different. It’s clear that the goal of this pistol was to gain the benefits of reduced recoil and faster follow-ups…

USUALLY WHEN A COMPANY RESURRECTS a model from its past, that gun was popular the first time around or has some kind of special hold on shooters. The Colt Viper would seem to fall into neither of those categories. The original was produced only in 1977, and only 4,000 were made. R.L. Wilson’s authoritative Colt: An American Legend has but a single Viper photograph and no background on its design and history. But with the current demand for defensive revolvers, the timing of this .357 Magnum double-action/single-action reintroduction couldn’t be better. The six-shot Viper is available with a 4.25- or three-inch barrel; I borrowed the latter. In this configuration the gun is 8.25 inches long, with a weight of 27 ounces. Height is five inches. While these dimensions are bigger…