Pistols

(GunReports.com) -- Gun Owners of America issued an email alert in response to New York Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy's call for magazine and gun show bans in the wake of shooting of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords over the weekend.

In this test we'll take a look at three 6+1 380 Auto pistols that Gun Tests readers have been asking us to test: the $430 Diamondback DB380, the $575 Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380, and the $336 Taurus Model 738B.

The Diamondback DB series pistols are manufactured by a relatively new company in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Diamondback lays claim to "a FEA (Fine Element Analysis) designed slide and barrel that is stronger than any comparable firearm, resulting in durability with less felt recoil…." Some of the finer points we liked were the steel magazine catch and the taper at the lower corner of the trigger guard to ease holstering or other means of retention. The slide had cocking serrations that were both functional and visually appealing. There was also a helpful beavertail to aide recoil control and protect larger hands from contact with the slide as it moved forward and back. Only one six round magazine was supplied. True to each of our 380 test guns, the Diamondback magazine was fashioned from sheet metal with a polymer follower, and it had a removable basepad for cleaning or replacement of the spring.

Including our 738B, there are a total of six Model 738 pistols with different color frames and stainless slides on the taurususa.com website. The most expensive model costs as little as $352. Our stealth-black Taurus 738B arrived in a black ballistic-nylon belt pouch measuring about 5.5 inches long by 4.0 inches high. The pouch was deep enough to carry a second six-round magazine, supplied, and the full-length flap was secured by two magnetic snaps. Belt contact was by belt loop or a steel clip. This product, the Tetron Ambi Cell Phone holster, was designed for "mini 380s" and can be found online in a variety of colors for about $19, at bulldogcases.com.

There was a great deal of technology in each of our test guns, but the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 makes use of many modern advancements. Each of our guns utilized a narrow synthetic frame, and, in addition, the Bodyguard 380 was fit with a two-stage laser built in to the dust cover, and it had a slide stop and a thumb-operated safety. The receiver of the Bodyguard 380 was rock hard, and the front side of the grip offered a finger groove directly below the trigger guard. Only one magazine was supplied, but it was fit with a base pad that added one additional finger groove. Smith & Wesson shipped the Bodyguard in a black zippered case that suggested the pistol can be carried concealed in what appeared to be a daily planner. A flat basepad was also supplied, which was intended to make this pistol even more concealable.

Long ago someone put a shoulder stock on a handgun so he could do a better job of shooting it without becoming a skilled pistolero. The shoulder stock holds the gun steadier than the hands alone can hold it, thus some immediate handgunning success was possible. Some early examples were the shoulder-stocked Third Model Colt Dragoons and 1860 Army Colts of the Civil War era, and there were some earlier uses. We've seen examples of percussion firearms dating to the mid 1830s, and would bet a nickel there exist examples of shoulder-stocked flintlock pistols going back a hundred years earlier.

For this test report we looked at two guns from the early 20th century, both of which types saw plenty of wartime and civilian use. Our test guns are by Mauser and by Browning/Inglis. Both were supplied to us by Collectors Firearms in Houston (www.collectorsfirearms.com). The Mauser was a C96 Model 1921 "Bolo" with short barrel ($2395 plus $395 for the stock at Collectors), and the Browning was a Hi-Power made by Inglis in Canada ($1650 with stock, also Collectors's counter price). Both handguns had walnut stocks, and both had tangent sights with a narrow V-notch combined with a sharpened post front blade, which gave relatively poor sight pictures. We tested the 30 Mauser with Serbian Prvi Partizan FMJ ammo, and the 9mm Hi-Power with Black Hills 147-gr and Winchester BEB 115-gr ammunition. Here is what we found.

(GunReports.com) -– Kahr Arms's 100th Anniversary Edition 1911 from Auto-Ordnance will debut at SHOT Show 2011 in January. The 100th Anniversary Edition is a .45 caliber classic style WWII Parkerized 1911 pistol with a 5” barrel. A special engraving on the slide will read “1911 .45 ACP, 1911-2011, 100 Years”.

(GunReports.com) -- In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the classic 1911 pistol designed by John M. Browning, Browning has introduced a scaled-down, 22 L.R. version of this firearm for 2011. The new Browning 1911-22 pistol is almost an exact replica of the original 1911, just smaller. The new Browning 1911-22 is 85% the size of the original 1911 John M. Browning design.

(GunReports.com) -- Smith & Wesson Corp. is shipping the new Bodyguard 38 and Bodyguard 380 First Edition firearm sets. The limited edition sets feature one Bodyguard pistol and one Bodyguard revolver with corresponding serial numbers and laser engraving.

(GunReports.com) -- Friends of NRA has announced its 2011 Gun of the Year: a custom-made Colt 1911 that honors the firearm's 100 years of service in the United States Armed Forces. Offered only at local Friends of NRA events, each pistol has a 5-inch barrel, carbon steel polished blued finish, 7+1 capacity, standard grip safety, spur hammer and custom rosewood grips with an NRA medallion recessed on both panels. Every specially produced Colt commemorative pistol in…

(GunReports.com) -- Chiappa Firearms' new .22 LR handgun--which operates like a U.S. Military M-4 Carbine with a 6-inch barrel but without a shoulder stock--will hit the shelves in early 2011. It will be distributed by MKS Supply, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio.

Improve your speed when removing and replacing your magazine in pressure scenarios with minimized, smooth movements. The speed at which you remove and replace your magazine in a fire fight can mean the difference between victory and disaster.

There are several versions of the Ruger MKIII, but we chose one of the plainest, with the 6-inch barrel. This blued Ruger was exceptionally well balanced, something we all noticed right away. We all loved the feel of the grips, too. The grip angle seemed just right for most of us, and the checkered plastic panels were mighty comfortable as well as functional.We’ve handled the 4-inch version of the Ruger Standard in the recent past and it didn’t balance nearly as well for us. The Ruger Standard is the gun that put Sturm, Ruger & Co. on the map. Introduced in 1949 and selling for $37.50 for many long years, it provided the background and basic building blocks for today’s huge Ruger operation. We’re not sure how many Ruger Standards have sold, but the numbers passed the million mark back in 1979. There have been a few changes to the gun over the years, and most changes may be seen as improvements. We found a few items of contention, however. First, the good stuff.

The double-action first-shot self-loading pistol continues being popular because many shooters are uncomfortable with the requirement to keep a single-action pistol cocked and locked, hammer back, safety on. Others do not trust the lack of a manual safety in the double-action-only pistol. These shooters are more comfortable with a long first-shot double-action trigger press. The double-action first shot seems to offer the best of both worlds. This is a prime example of handling features taking advantage over range performance. The double-action-first-shot pistol will never win a combat competition, but many personal-defense shooters favor it. The long double-action trigger is a safety feature that requires 10 pounds or more of pressure to fire the handgun. If you need real precision, you have the option of a crisp single-action trigger press. The double-action-first-shot action transferred to the polymer-frame handgun offers light weight, low maintenance, and low expense, and two pistols like that we tested recently were the FNH-USA FNP-9 USG Flat Dark Earth (FDE) 9mm, $599, and the CZ-USA CZ P07 Duty No. 91186 9mm, $575. Each was individual enough that there were clear choices based on personal preference, but we were also struck by how similar these pistols are. The magazines, hammers and even many of the internal parts were similar in appearance.Each handgun represented a different viewpoint. The FNH pistol is probably better suited as a holster gun for the Armed Services or as a home defender than for concealed carry, although it is light enough for concealed carry. The CZ may be better suited as a concealed carry handgun. Neither is a small pistol. The FNH is a result of the Armed Services requests for new pistol designs, although no contract test program or clear outline for specifications is forthcoming. No maker wishes to be left out of these competitions if they emerge. The pistol is available in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. The CZ is an update in polymer of the proven CZ 75 design, with the new Omega action.We tested each in 9mm Luger caliber. The 9mm is still an immensely popular handgun, and improvements in bullet technology and the availability of 9mm +P and +P+ loads make the caliber suitable for personal defense. Truth be told, in such light handguns the 9mm caliber is all the average shooter is probably willing to master.

The double-action first-shot self-loading pistol continues being popular because many shooters are uncomfortable with the requirement to keep a single-action pistol cocked and locked, hammer back, safety on. Others do not trust the lack of a manual safety in the double-action-only pistol. These shooters are more comfortable with a long first-shot double-action trigger press. The double-action first shot seems to offer the best of both worlds. This is a prime example of handling features taking advantage over range performance. The double-action-first-shot pistol will never win a combat competition, but many personal-defense shooters favor it. The long double-action trigger is a safety feature that requires 10 pounds or more of pressure to fire the handgun. If you need real precision, you have the option of a crisp single-action trigger press. The double-action-first-shot action transferred to the polymer-frame handgun offers light weight, low maintenance, and low expense, and two pistols like that we tested recently were the FNH-USA FNP-9 USG Flat Dark Earth (FDE) 9mm, $599, and the CZ-USA CZ P07 Duty No. 91186 9mm, $575. Each was individual enough that there were clear choices based on personal preference, but we were also struck by how similar these pistols are. The magazines, hammers and even many of the internal parts were similar in appearance.Each handgun represented a different viewpoint. The FNH pistol is probably better suited as a holster gun for the Armed Services or as a home defender than for concealed carry, although it is light enough for concealed carry. The CZ may be better suited as a concealed carry handgun. Neither is a small pistol. The FNH is a result of the Armed Services requests for new pistol designs, although no contract test program or clear outline for specifications is forthcoming. No maker wishes to be left out of these competitions if they emerge. The pistol is available in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. The CZ is an update in polymer of the proven CZ 75 design, with the new Omega action.We tested each in 9mm Luger caliber. The 9mm is still an immensely popular handgun, and improvements in bullet technology and the availability of 9mm +P and +P+ loads make the caliber suitable for personal defense. Truth be told, in such light handguns the 9mm caliber is all the average shooter is probably willing to master.