Pistols

Quantities of the long-awaited Px4 Storm pistol have begun appearing in retail stores. The Px4 Storm is a 13+1 9mm compact w/Picatinny rail and matte-black finish. It has a locked breech with rotating barrel system, technopolymer-reinforced fiberglass frame, weighs 26.1 oz.

The United States Practical Shooting Association will hold its National Handgun Championships at the U.S. Shooting Academy on Sept. 6-13 in Tulsa, Okla.

FFL dealers should advise their customers of two manufacturer recalls from Ruger and Smith & Wesson:

Lawyers who won the historic Second Amendment gun rights case in the Supreme Court — District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290) — on Monday asked a federal judge to award them more than $3.5 million for attorneys' fees, plus $13,215.30 for expenses and court costs. In a motion and memorandum filed with U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, the attorneys said that they had achieved 'one of the most profound and important victories available under…

As a Federal firearms licensee (FFL), it is your duty and obligation to account for the acquisition and disposition of firearms, and it is essential to ensure that firearms are not diverted to the criminal element whether by theft or pilferage. ATF is dedicated to your success in fulfilling your duties and preventing the unlawful diversion of firearms. The following guidance on required and recommended security measures is intended to assist you in accomplishing these goals.

WILSONVILLE, OR -- Crimson Trace Corp. has secured an order to supply the Alameda County Sheriff Office with 1,200 Lasergrips for their Sig Sauer duty weapons. Deputy sheriffs from Alameda County will use the Lasergrip-equipped Sig Sauer side-arm as their primary duty weapon.

BEIJING, China —The U.S. Olympic Team for Shooting turned out an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China earning six medals to double the medal count from Athens four years ago. Arguably, the most successful showing for the U.S. in the history of the Olympic shooting competition, the U.S. Shooting team brought home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and set a total of five new Olympic records.

The Houston Chronicle has reported that Harris County District Attorney Ken Magidson has asked for a legal opinion from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to see if assistant DAs can be prevented from taking handguns into courtrooms.

Gun Tests magazine recognized this in the January 2007 issue, when the magazine staff wrote that the 45 ACP was a Best Buy. “Ten rounds of big bullet with a full-size grip highlight this low-priced street fighter. A thumb safety and Heinie sights are plusses in our book.” A recent check of www.Gunbroker.com showed a couple of choices for the gun, both of which were substantially below the MSRP quoted in that issue—$421.

Dick Heller walked out of D.C. police headquarters Monday, clutching a yellow firearms registration certificate stamped 'approved.' He gave the thumbs-up sign, grinned and said, 'Victory!'

In this test we will evaluate three handguns for self defense that we would regard as enhanced versions of more basic models available from their manufacturers. First up is the Sig Sauer P229 SCT, an $1100 40 S&W that "improves" on the $929 base model P229 in a couple of important areas. The P229 SCT is about a $200 upgrade of the model P229 that is popular with law enforcement in 357 Sig and 40 S&W. The SCT Super Capacity Tactical pistol offers upgrades in the form of a TruGlo tritium fiber-optic front sight, front cocking serrations on the slide, and a supply of four 14-round magazines. The standard magazines for the P229 pistols carry 12 or 10 rounds of 40 S&W or 357 Sig.Next is Springfield Armorys $749 XDM, wherein the letter "M" does not stand for "mystery." Instead, Springfields website explains that this gun contains several M-nomenclature upgrades from the base model XD, including Major Grasp Serrations, Model Contour Frame, Max Reach Magazine Release, Mega Capacity magazine, Mega-Lock Texture, Melonite Finish, Minimum Error Disassembly, Minimal Reset Trigger, Multi-Adjust Rail system, Multi-Use Carrying Case, Match Grade Barrel, and interchangeable Mould-Tru back straps. These "mupgrades" come in a gun chambered only for 40 S&W, and they create a $200 premium for the XDM over the standard XD40, which costs $543.Kimber was among the few manufacturers that believed the onslaught of high-capacity 9mm handguns could be beaten back with a traditional American design. The lowest-priced 1911 we could find on the kimberamerica.com website was the $815 Custom II. This is a full-size 45 ACP. The Pro Carry series is based around a full-size grip capable of housing full-length seven- or eight-round magazines, but with a shorter 4-inch barrel. The lowest MSRP for a Pro Carry we found on site was an $850 45 built on a matte-black alloy frame. The Heavy Duty HD model is constructed of stainless steel with satin finish. Our Pro Carry HD II was one of the few Kimber models available chambered for 38 Super, and it runs $1010. Are the upgrades worth the extra money? If the answer is not obvious, then at least we will try to explain the purpose of each upgrade and leave it to our knowledgeable readers to decide.

Kimber’s Custom SIS RL recently won a test of three 45s in the February 2008 issue of Gun Tests, earning an A- rating. One of the concerns the Gun Tests staff had about the gun was its price, a list of $1421. Based on our research, tight supply seems to keep the gun’s price up.