Handguns

Kel-Tec's $295 P32 is a modern alternative to the Derringer, as is the $368 Beretta Alley Cat. But to our eyes, Walther's $499 PP is a durable icon with greater potential.

Colt's Model XSE model is a second-step upgrade that does all you would ask of a defense gun. Basic models from Llama and Firestorm shot poorly or malfunctioned during testing.

The $898 Taurus and $999 Magnum Research revolvers are unique among firearms. Chambered for .22 Hornet, both guns offer the varmint and small-game hunter a lot of performance.

We pitted three Glocks—the 31, 32, and 33 models—against three Sigarms products—the P229, the P239, and the 2340 Pro. One gun was so good we bought it for ourselves.

We found even the most dynamic duos from Taurus and Smith & Wesson have trouble keeping up with Glock's full-sized GL17 and the Model 26 pocket cannon.

We were caught in an alloy quandary trying to pick from Colt's classic Agent, the high-dollar S&W 342PD, and S&W's newly slimmed-down Bodyguard. Now we know which one to buy.

Taurus's $355 Model 617 and Rossi's new 461, $298, mount a lukewarm challenge to Smith & Wesson's $545 Model 66. The big edge: The S&W handgun's overall consistency.

Small semiautos that match the physical dimensions of two pistols we tested recently—the $1,695 Smith & Wesson 945 and Para-Ordnance's $740 P12-45—are usually referred to as compacts or sub-compact. But when pistols of this size class are miniaturized 1911s, the tag of "Officer's models" is hung on to them, even though they may not exactly fit the mold of the original Colt's Officer's model. In fact, the Smith & Wesson 945 stretches the designation even further by offering a variation on John Browning's action lock up. Still, the physical operation the 945 affords is decidedly 1911 in nature, since it shoots the .45 ACP and can be carried cocked and locked.

Manufacturers are taking a fresh look at the Officer's model for a number of reasons. For one, the 1911 pistol has legions of fans inside both competitive shooting and law-enforcement circles. Also, many military and ex-military personnel recognize the .45 ACP's superiority over the 9mm Parabellum, a cartridge choice often perceived as NATO's intrusion into American affairs. Once the United States government set a capacity limit for civilian handguns, the trend has been toward larger-caliber rounds, even when this means lower total capacity. Traditionally the Officer's model offered a six-round magazine, like the 945's. However, the Para Ordnance P12 integrates a double-stack or staggered-round magazine that in civilian trim will hold the full ten-round legal limit.

The SIG P220 and Smith & Wesson's 4566TSW successfully bridge the gap between single- and double-action .45s. The polymer H&K USP45 offers cocked-&-locked operation.

For 2001, Sturm, Ruger & Co. has introduced its new proprietary .480 Ruger handgun round in the firm's double-action Super Redhawk revolver, available with 7.5- or 9.5-inch barrels. Recent testing we performed on the gun head to head against two other monster revolver rounds, the .475 Linebaugh and the .500 Linebaugh, call the company's introduction of the round into question. Though we are well aware of Ruger's proven ability to make and market world-beating firearms when everyone else thinks they're nuts (the No. 1 single shot and the 10-22 rimfire rifles come to mind), we can only say we were underwhelmed with the .480 Ruger. Here's why.

Glock's GL19 fired the first shot in this niche, but the latest volley of Parabellums includes impressive pieces like Steyr's M9, Walther's P99QA, and Intrac's budget HS2000.

Picking a .45 hogleg just got easier because Cabela's Millennium is an inexpensive but excellent product, where Colt's and Ruger guns both have drawbacks.