Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2023 i Handguns

A Beefy Cylinder While reading the “Back Page Beauties” item on the Taurus Judge Executive Grade in the June/July issue, I noticed what just has to be an error: “Due to the large cylinder—which is 1.5 inches long and 2.6 inches in diameter…” I have yet to see a “shorty” .410 cartridge. Methinks someone transposed the two dimensions as a revolver cylinder because 2.6 inches in diameter would make for one chunky piece. SCOTT NELSON, NORTH DAKOTA You’re correct, Mr. Nelson. Our apologies for the error. Caliber, Please Why do manufacturers take out expensive, full-page ads that say things like “11+1” or “14+1,” or “Available in large-frame or medium-frame configurations” but don’t say what caliber the guns are? There are several calibers I won’t even consider carrying. Sure would be…

RULE 3 KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON TARGET LLAMA FIREARMS WERE NO STRANGERS to American shores for nearly 100 years. Llama Gabilondo y Cia SA is best known for self-loading pistols, beginning with the Ruby .32 ACP types built for the French military. Llama is less well known for revolvers. There were various early models produced in Spain under the Llama name. The Martial .38 Special—produced 1969-78—was a well-made and reliable wheelgun based on the Smith & Wesson K-frame revolver. While based on the K-frame, it also had some unique features. As an example, rather than using the Smith & Wesson leaf spring, many Llama Martial revolvers used a more modern coil spring. While catalogs list the revolvers as being offered with two, four-…

AFTER YOU’VE GOT THE HANG OF SHOOTing while standing, you’ll want to devote some training time to drawing and shooting from various sitting positions such as on a chair, behind the wheel and on the ground. While sitting isn’t the ideal position from which to fight, circumstances may dictate you start fighting from there. Your handgun doesn’t care if you’re standing or sitting. Since shooting a handgun is primarily an upper body endeavor, gripping, aiming and pressing the trigger remain the same. The big difference is that when sitting, you aren’t in a shooting stance. While you’ll want to stand at the first opportunity, it’s naïve to assume there will be time to stand. Drawing and shooting while seated may be required. Depending on where you are carrying and how…

A couple decades ago, the 10mm appeared to be fading into obscurity, but a handful of dedicated users saw the value in this potent cartridge. Now the 10mm is enjoying something of a renaissance, and most major semiauto pistol manufacturers offer at least one 10mm in their lineups. You can now add Hi-Point Firearms to that list with its introduction of the JXP 10, a formidable 10mm semiauto with lots of desirable features. Hi-Point’s JXP 10 is a blowback-operated, striker-fired semiauto. The slide is made from a material known as Zamak 3, which is an alloy of zinc and aluminum that is relatively affordable, easy to cast and offers good dimensional stability. The JXP 10’s Zamak slide comes with a matte black powder-coated finish, and it has both front and…

THE FOUR BASIC GUN SAFETY RULES RULE 1: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED I’M AN ONLINE AND PRIVATE STRENGTH coach, movement geek and lover of handguns. Wanting to learn a new skill and get out of my comfort zone, in 2018 I picked up my first handgun, fell in love with shooting and began competing in the USPSA Production division. I make a living helping people move better and get stronger. I work primarily with everyday folks like you and me, but I also train several athletes ranging from high school to the pros. No matter who the client is, I believe everyone needs to be able to move explosively quickly, have stability, be strong and have the endurance to last when situations arise. And this includes shooters. Whether you’re…

There are some great handguns coming from manufacturers in the Philippines these days, and the guns from Metro Arms can be counted among that number. The company was established about a decade ago by Hector Rodriguez, an IPSC shooter of some note back in the 1990s. Today Metro Arms’ guns are imported by TriStar, a company with a nose for quality firearms it can sell at a good price. One of its latest imports is a line of 1911s properly called the TriStar Arms American Classic by Metro Arms. There are nearly a dozen American Classics, including Government models, Commanders, blued guns, chrome guns and double-stacks. The one that caught my attention was the American Classic Government chrome pistol. It caught my attention because in addition to .45 ACP and…

IN COLDER WEATHER, I FAVOR MY COLT Commander in .45 ACP for concealed carry, and as the seasons change the nod goes to something smaller like a compact 9mm. Just recently, though, an interesting alternative knocked on my door. The Taurus TX 22 Compact is small and light enough for everyday carry. I can hear it now—the .22 Long Rifle for a defense round? I had my doubts at first, but if you think about it, looking down the barrel of any gun—be it a .45 or .22—sure would make any misguided individual a bit uneasy. This TX 22 Compact lineup includes four models with or without a Riton sight and with a 10- or 13-round capacity. I was always in favor of an arched mainspring housing, and the curve…

RULE 2 NEVER LET THE MUZZLE POINT AT ANYTHING YOU’RE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY IF YOU OWN A SPRINGFIELD XD PISTOL and have watched with envy as other shooters come to the line with a red dot on their pistols, your solution is at hand. Springfield is now offering OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) slide kits that will convert your XD to a red-dot-ready XD. And depending on what XD you have, it’s an opportunity to create a whole new type of pistol. Here are the possibilities: • XD five-inch 9mm to four-inch OSP 9mm • XD four-inch .40 S&W to four-inch OSP 9mm • XD five-inch .40 S&W to four-inch OSP 9mm • XD four-inch 9mm to four-inch OSP 9mm The photos above show the conversion from five-inch 9mm to…

BILL WILSON ISN’T THE TYPE OF FELLOW to let grass grow under his feet. Although he’s best known for producing premium-quality 1911 pistols, that’s only one of Wilson’s many ventures. In addition to his 1911s, Bill Wilson also offers customized pistols from other makers along with some of the best ARs available today. He’s working on combat shotguns as part of the Scattergun Technologies brand that he owns, and he recently acquired New Ultralight Arms. Wilson added to his portfolio of brands in late 2021 with the acquisition of Lehigh Defense, an ammunition manufacturer founded in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, by Dave Fricke. Along with partners Pete Vogel and Mike Cyrus, Lehigh developed a following with its solid copper and brass bullets. In 2009 the company boosted its profile when it partnered…

I’m not picking on Smith & Wesson when I say it has not been at the forefront of handgun development for the past few years, opting instead for an incremental approach to innovation. That changed this year when the company introduced the M&P 5.7, a semiautomatic handgun chambered in the high-performance 5.7x28 cartridge. The 5.7 is not simply another M&P variant; this handgun incorporates some unique features that have tangible effects on its performance. Smith & Wesson’s take on the 5.7x28 pairs a stainless steel slide with a full-size polymer frame. Though the M&P 5.7 shares the overall look and several features with the rest of the M&P line of handguns, there are some significant design departures as well. For starters, this is not a striker-fired handgun but rather a…

When the U.S. military dumped the 1911 in favor of Beretta’s M9, there were plenty of people who weren’t impressed. It wasn’t the M9’s fault per se, but replacing the 1911 is like pinch-hitting for Mickey Mantle. The M9 was made in Italy, it was a 9mm and it didn’t borrow much of anything terms of looks, operation or ergonomics from John Moses Browning’s flagship gun. The transition was driven in part by practicality—NATO countries used the 9mm—but there were those who viewed the M9 as an interloper treading on sacred 1911 ground. The M9 eventually won the favor of many who carried it, though, and it proved to be a workhorse until it too was retired in favor of the SIG M17/M18 several years ago. But that doesn’t mean…

SINCE JEFF COOPER PUBLISHED HIS tome Cooper on Handguns in 1974, there have been countless variations of the 1911 pistol. Wilson Combat, a leader in both handguns and long custom guns, has a rather neat 1911 variant called the SFT9—Solid Frame Trak 9mm. This model is built on a Commander platform and chambered for the 9mm. Its combination of a one-piece aluminum frame and a steel slide puts the balance right at the grip. Sights are combat in design and rugged. The rear assembly is secured with dual Allen screws for windage adjustment only, and its U-shape notch is angled slightly forward and serrated against glare. The rear of the slide is also cut at 40 lines per inch, further reducing glare. The front sight is attached via a dovetail…