Handguns

The 21 was Glock’s biggest gun until the arrival of the models 34 and 35, which feature a longer slide and 5.3-inch barrel. The .45 ACP 21 incorporates a 4.6-inch barrel, but at about 27 ounces unloaded, it is still the heaviest pistol in the Glock lineup. This is the result of beefing up the original design to handle the pounding of .45 ACP ammunition. For example, the current 9mm Model 17, which is similar in dimensions to the GL21 and closest in design to the original Glock pistol, weighs only about 22 ounces. Our GL21 arrived with two 13-round magazines.Palm swells and finger grooves with helpful checkering molded into place have helped the Glock pistols become more shooter friendly, and adding a rail to the dustcover allows accessories to be added easily. The magazine release is prominent, making reloading faster. The extractor offers plenty of surface area to the case rim and serves as a loaded-chamber indicator, sticking out just enough to tell the shooter visually or by touch when the gun is charged.

BERRYVILLE, Ark. -- Wilson Combat has added the Spec Ops 9 to its family of custom pistols. The new 29.8-oz polymer 1911 sports a 4.5” barrel with 16+1 rounds of 9mm on board.

EXETER, NH – SIG Sauer will resume shipping all standard commercial pistols with two magazines. SIG Sauer suppliers increased production to meet the heightened consumer demand, thus allowing SIG Sauer to resume shipping two magazines with every commercial handgun.

Charter Arms has released an explanation about why the company’s new rimless-ammunition firing revolver is not yet out.

Below are examples of operations performed on firearms and guidance as to whether or not such operations would be considered manufacturing under the Gun Control Act (GCA).

Buffalo Bore now offers a round that was designed to be similar to the old FBI-standard round that featured a soft-lead 158-grain bullet at very good velocity.

When it comes to 45 ACP semi-automatics, we're always looking for ways to fill our holsters without emptying our bank accounts. There are many 45s that cost about $1200, and it's not hard to find 45s that cost twice that or more. In this test we will look at three affordable 45s with suggested retail prices that are well under the $1000 mark. Aside from categorizing by price, both the $650 Beretta PX4 Storm F and the $874 CZ 97BD could also be categorized as traditional double action (TDA) guns. We compared these guns to a $600 single-action 1911, the new Para USA GI Expert.

We followed the same test procedure as our last evaluation of 45 ACP pistols published in the April 2009 issue. We fired five-shot groups from a bench at targets 15 yards downrange. Then, we put our guns through an action test of firing 10 three-shot strings standing offhand at an IPSC Metric target 7 yards away. Using a shot-activated electronic timer, we began with the pistol held chest high with both hands. Upon an audible start signal, we pushed the gun toward the target and attempted to land two hits inside the 5.9-inch-wide by 11.1-inch-high A-zone located at center mass, followed by a single shot to the B-zone, which delineated the head area of our target. This area was 6.4 inches by 6.9 inches. We've used this procedure many times before and think it offers valuable insight into what is required to bring the gun into action. We shot this test at the Impact Zone in Monaville, Texas (theimpactzonerange.com).

What proved more difficult than formulating a test procedure was finding ammunition. Supplies of popular calibers such as 45 ACP have all but dried up. If we hadn't visited Top Gun in Houston (topgunrange.com), we may not have been able to find any reasonably priced ammunition at all. To test we purchased a supply of Hornady 200-grain XTP hollowpoints for about $22 per 20-round box. We handloaded two other test rounds. They consisted of cases topped with Zero brand 185-grain jacketed hollowpoints and 200-grain roundnosed lead bullets by Bushwacker. Each round was powered by Winchester 231 powder with charges about midway between the starting load and the maximum load, as per Hodgdon's latest load data. We used Winchester large pistol primers, and the rounds were loaded on a Dillon Precision Super 1050. Both our handloads were previously developed for competition, so we knew our rounds would be safe and accurate. Throughout our tests, all three guns performed without malfunction, so we were able to concentrate on the handling and performance of each pistol. Here is what we found in our side-by-side evaluations:

Ported guns are loud, and some say they are dangerous. But porting makes it possible for the shooter to practice more often and fire more rounds with more comfort, especially if the caliber of the weapon is big and bad. The concept of porting is simple. The expanding gases that drive a bullet out of the barrel can also be redirected at such an angle that it fights muzzle flip and reduces felt recoil. Some guns are designed to weigh more, specifically to absorb recoil. But in the case of polymer-framed guns such as the Springfield Armory XD, this is not the case. The use of polymer construction created an all-weather lightweight carry gun, but when faced with the pressure and power of 40 S&W caliber ammunition, making the gun more comfortable meant porting was a desirable option. Weve tested the XD several times in several sizes and caliber. But we had to know if adding holes to the barrel would be a plus or a minus to the XDs performance, so we got an XD Service Model 4-inch V-10 Ported XD9702HCSP06 in 40 S&W. The V-10s barrel was perforated with 10 holes, five on each side of the bore centerline. The first hole (approximately 0.1 inch in diameter) was drilled just less than 0.9 inch from the muzzle and there was about .08 inch between each hole. What effect did it have on performance?

Ported guns are loud, and some say they are dangerous. But porting makes it possible for the shooter to practice more often and fire more rounds with more comfort, especially if the caliber of the weapon is big and bad. The concept of porting is simple. The expanding gases that drive a bullet out of the barrel can also be redirected at such an angle that it fights muzzle flip and reduces felt recoil. Some guns are designed to weigh more, specifically to absorb recoil. But in the case of polymer-framed guns such as the Springfield Armory XD, this is not the case. The use of polymer construction created an all-weather lightweight carry gun, but when faced with the pressure and power of 40 S&W caliber ammunition, making the gun more comfortable meant porting was a desirable option. Weve tested the XD several times in several sizes and caliber. But we had to know if adding holes to the barrel would be a plus or a minus to the XDs performance, so we got an XD Service Model 4-inch V-10 Ported XD9702HCSP06 in 40 S&W. The V-10s barrel was perforated with 10 holes, five on each side of the bore centerline. The first hole (approximately 0.1 inch in diameter) was drilled just less than 0.9 inch from the muzzle and there was about .08 inch between each hole. What effect did it have on performance?

While many of us prefer full-caliber cartridges in full-size pistols, there are many reasons and many mandates to pack a large, high-capacity 9mm handgun. There are plenty out there to choose from. For this test we chose one of the oldest, a double-action CZ 75 B ($597), and one of the newest, the S&W M&P9 ($679) to compare. Both held a lot of rounds, 16 and 17 respectively, and both were big handguns by any measure. They approached the bulk of a full-size 1911 45 ACP, though both were shorter and the M&P was a good deal lighter… unloaded, of course.We tested them with Fiocchi 115-grain jacketed hollowpoints, American Eagle 115-grain full-metal-jacket rounds, and Black Hills 147-grain full-metal-jacket bullets. We "broke them in" with a mix of other types of ammo to get a feel for the guns before serious accuracy and function testing. Here is what we found.

While many of us prefer full-caliber cartridges in full-size pistols, there are many reasons and many mandates to pack a large, high-capacity 9mm handgun. There are plenty out there to choose from. For this test we chose one of the oldest, a double-action CZ 75 B ($597), and one of the newest, the S&W M&P9 ($679) to compare. Both held a lot of rounds, 16 and 17 respectively, and both were big handguns by any measure. They approached the bulk of a full-size 1911 45 ACP, though both were shorter and the M&P was a good deal lighter… unloaded, of course.We tested them with Fiocchi 115-grain jacketed hollowpoints, American Eagle 115-grain full-metal-jacket rounds, and Black Hills 147-grain full-metal-jacket bullets. We "broke them in" with a mix of other types of ammo to get a feel for the guns before serious accuracy and function testing. Here is what we found.

In the April 2009 issue, our test team shot and evaluated three high-end custom full-size 1911s: the Combat Custom, $2895, from Luke Volkmann of Volkmann Custom Inc.; Wilsons CQB, $2550, and Les Baers Premier II Super-Tac, $2280. Attempting to pick the best one was anything but easy. They were all excellent. But we graded the Wilson CQB as the best of that trio. At the same time we also shot and evaluated a fourth product, but held back the test data for this special report because the gun was massively more expensive and harder to get than the other three. This follow-up will cover a Michiguns 45 Commander Custom, about $5000, available from Ned Christiansen. If you want a gun from Michiguns, be prepared to wait five or six years. Christiansens innovative touches and incredible machining skills (hes a one-man shop) have vaulted him to the top echelon of gunsmiths, with a resultant huge backlog. As before, we tested with four types of ammunition, Black Hills hardball, Federal 185-grain Hi-Shok JHP, Cor-Bon 230-grain JHP, and with cast-lead, 230-grain round-nose Ultramax. We tested during a severe winter in Idaho, and thus had trouble achieving the guns full accuracy potential. With the Federal 185-grain JHPs, the Commander bested the CQB slightly, with an average group size of 1.5 inches to 1.6 inches. The margin was a little wider with the Cor-Bon 230-grain JHPs, with the Commander shooting average group sizes of 1.4 inches compared to the CQBs 2.0-inch average. The measurements with the Ultramax 230-grain cast roundnose had the Commander in front 1.4 inches to 1.7 inches, and likewise for the Black Hills 230-grain ball, 1.3 inches to 1.6 inches. All were five-shot groups fired at 15 yards.