Pistols

Video: LaserLyte Expands Rear Sight Laser Line for Ruger SR9 Pistols. Shows installation, destruction attempt, shooting.

Crimson Trace's new modular vertical foregrip product, the MVF-515 GREEN, utilizes both a green laser and a white light in one unit. The MVF-515 GREEN provides a laser, white-light, and a robust vertical foregrip in a single, modular package.

Ruger Video on Mental Preparation: Before self-defense training can begin, you must mentally prepare yourself for combative situations. (4:46)

This Ruger how-to video covers fast pistol reloading. (4:45)

(GunReports.com) – Taurus International will continue its sponsorship of the United States Military Academy Cadet Pistol Team in 2010. The team has won three out of the past five national intercollegiate championships and this year swept all competition categories.

One of the hottest trends in firearms sales is the resurgence of pistols chambered for 380 Auto or 9mm Browning. This cartridge is also referred to as 9mm Kurz or 9mm "short." However, scarcity of available ammunition remains a problem. We checked with several retailers and found they were hesitant to sell quantities of 380 ammunition unless the customer was actually buying a 380-caliber handgun. It wasnt until our local gun shop made contact with a wholesaler by the name of Camfour (www.camfour.com) that we were able to locate the necessary quantity of ammunition to complete our tests. But with so many new 380s in the offing, supply of ammunition is bound to catch up.We begin our tests of available 380s with two models that have been in production for so long they are, in regards to marketing, almost invisible. They are the $522 CZ USA Model 83 and the $900 Sig Sauer P232. Our third gun was the $393 Walther PK380. The PK380 has been available for little more than one year. The fourth gun represents the new generation of 380 ACP pistols. The $643 Sig Sauer P238 is a much smaller pistol with little pretense towards filling the role of a primary carry gun.Our test procedure was broken down into two phases of operation. Phase one was to determine base accuracy. We wanted to know what kind of groups could be shot with each gun from sandbag support. Test distance was 15 yards. Our point of aim was the white 1.9-inch circle at the heart of the Reckstine Sight-In Target. This test was performed outdoors.To assess the close-quarter capabilities of each pistol, we utilized a three-shot drill fired at close range upon a Hoffners ABC16 target. Placed 5 yards downrange, we recorded elapsed time beginning with the audible start signal from our Competitive Edge Dynamics electronic shot recording timer (www.cedhk.com). The drill was to fire two shots into the 5.5-inch-wide by 7.9-inch-high A-zone at the center of the humanoid print and then a third shot to the B-zone or cranial pocket. The B-zone was represented by a semi-circle about 5 inches wide and 3 inches high. Start position was with the gun held in both hands pulled in towards the chest with the muzzle raised at approximately a 45-degree angle. We recorded elapsed times for 10 three-shot strings of fire. This test was performed indoors at the newly renovated Top Gun Handgun Training Center in Houston (www.topgunrange.com). Here we benefitted from a state-of-the-art air filtration system and the safety of ballistic partitions, plus a splash-proof backstop. Lighting was adjustable from back-alley dim to classroom bright. We also noticed digital multi-screens behind the counter and behind the scenes in the administrative offices. Not only was unsafe handling quickly addressed by staff, but our vehicles were under constant surveillance as well.Test ammunition consisted of full metal jacket fodder and an innovative defense round from Hornady Manufacturing. Our FMJs were the 92-grain rounds from the Czech Republic by Sellier & Bellot, and 90-grain rounds of PMC Bronze from Korea. To determine carry weight of each gun at full capacity, we weighed each gun (unloaded) with a full magazine plus one round of the 92-grain Sellier and Bellot ammunition. During our break-in session, we fired a variety of rounds, including Hornady XTP hollowpoints. But for recording accuracy data, our third test round was the new 90-grain Hornady Critical Defense ammunition. These rounds, manufactured in Nebraska and sold in boxes of 25, were constructed with a filled hollow point to ensure expansion at any velocity in any media. What struck us was that all four guns ran without a single malfunction. Another aspect was that every round we tried in all four guns, regardless of being offered as target ammunition or for defensive purposes, resulted in about the same amount of felt recoil. Usually, target rounds are softer and defensive rounds leave our hands sore. The test turned out to be a lot of fun. Here is what we learned.

Recently we reported on these pages the test results of Kimber's and CZ's 22 conversion units. The Kimber was for any 1911 and the Kadet was for the CZ 75. We like the versatility these units give the owner. There are quite a few other conversions around, and more seem to be added every month, with all makers reporting very brisk sales. The advantages of these conversions are obvious. For a fraction of the cost of another gun, or about what you'd expect to pay for a low-priced 22 auto, you can convert your main centerfire gun to shoot inexpensive 22 LR ammo. And it's the same trigger pull used with centerfire ammo. Within a few hundred rounds the units pay for themselves in ammo costs saved. That's why these conversions are all flying off dealers' shelves.

This month we report on three additional units, one by J.A. Ciener of Cape Canaveral, Florida, for the Hi-Power, and two more for the 1911. One of these was by Advantage Arms in Valencia, California. The other was by Tactical Solutions out of Boise, Idaho. We note that Ciener also makes conversions for 1911s and for a host of other guns including Beretta 92/96, Para Ordnance P14, Taurus PT 92/99, and several Glocks as well as for AR-15s, Ruger Minis, and other semiauto and fully auto 223-caliber rifles. Advantage also makes ‘em for Glocks. Tactical Solutions makes a host of gun-related products, sight rails, stocks, AR-15 22 uppers, etc., and is gearing up to produce a 22 conversion for Glocks.

We tested the three units with the same three types of ammo as last time, which was Eley Pistol XTRA Target, Federal Classic RN, and Remington Yellow Jacket. We added CCI Mini Mag solids and Winchester 40-grain HP to the mix because one maker, Advantage Arms, specified that Federal ammo was a no-no in their unit. The other two makers, Ciener and Tactical Solutions, recommended high-velocity ammo, but noted that many types of 22 ammo might work, and the user could experiment to find the best type. We tested on a bitterly cold late March day, and because of the cold we overlooked a few failures to feed that could have been caused by near-frozen oil in the guns. But if a problem was obvious and repetitious we noted it. All the units worked extremely well, nearly perfectly, with one or another type of ammo. But there were some distinct problems. Here's what we found.

(May 12, 2010) – Thompson/Center Arms Company, Inc., a Smith & Wesson company, announced that it will introduce a new Encore® handgun package as part of the Larry Weishuhn Signature Series at the 2010 National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting and Exhibits taking place May 14-16 in Charlotte, North Carolina. During the NRA convention, the widely recognized Thompson/Center professional hunter, credited writer and television personality will be on hand to promote the new pistol as well as talk one-on-one with attendees and fans.

Remington reenters the handgun market with a hand-fitted 1911 45 ACP, called the R1. Available June 2010.

Cheaper Than Dirt is running an ammo special that will interest 40 S&W owners.

'Sandlew3' Wins Insight Technology M6X Laser/Illuminator in the GunReports.com survey: Be sure to register for our free weekly eReport to keep up with the latest gun news, reviews, and future drawings.

GunReports.com rolls out several videos on new product introductions at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas: Included are reviews of 22 Rimfires in Tactical Platforms (4:00), Beretta U22 Neo 22 pistol/carbine combo (0:53 secs), FN Report (3:02 mins), Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 and Bodyguard 38 Special (2:08) w/integral Insite laser, and Steyr AUG A3 bullpup 223 (1:16).