HANDGUNS

YOU'LL FIND COVERAGE OF EVERY STYLE AND CALIBER HERE.

Smythons & Cougers |...

I'm actually a Ruger revolver lover at heart. You can also see my custom Speed vice-Six I built because I couldn't stand not having a 3" round butt Speed-Six. So a fairly rare, square butt 4"...

The New Colt Python

It was circa-1955. Bullseye shooting, where you stood on your hind legs and shot one-handed is king. Cops’ holsters are filled with either a Colt or S&W DA revolver, with more of the former than...

IWI US MASADA Pistol

Combining IWI’s legendary reliability with design input from military, LEO and civilians, the MASADA is a high-performance handgun that can stand strong against the competition. Some might call...

Nighthawk Tactical Ready...

Hearing the name Nighthawk Custom will instantly have one thinking of top-tier custom guns built by one of the most respected manufacturers in the industry.

The S&W Mod. 69 – A Warrior’s Fighting Spirit

American Handgunner editor Roy Huntington takes an inside
look at Mag-na-port’s S&W Model 69 .44 Magnum, he dubs The Haka!

The Astra Model 400

That grand old man Skeeter Skelton once described the Astra Model 400 as “wart-hog ugly,” but I’ve always thought it had a certain simple elegance.

Retro Revolver Ads, 1976-1977

What better way to spend our time while quarantined than dusting off our magazine archive, flipping through the yellowed pages and reminiscing on classic...

A Royal Restoration

In the May/June 2019 Handgunner I spoke of Old School Cool. It was all about a very special Colt Single Action Army dating back to before WWII.

9 Reasons to Love the New...

A favorite of military, law enforcement and civilian gun owners since its introduction in 2014, Heckler & Koch has upgraded the popular VP9 with new...

A G-2-Three

AG-2-Three is not an artificially intelligent 24th century spaceship robot. Rather, it’s my Thompson/Center Contender G-2 pistol with three barrels:

In Praise Of The Stock Trigger

It’s fine to like nice things. No one should feel guilty for sleeping on sheets with a high thread count, driving a sports car, or wearing a watch...

Beretta 92X Performance

To the average non-shooting citizen — yes, they exist — a gun is a gun is a gun. Sheesh! How can anyone have such an opaque opinion towards one of the...

the rise and fall of the...

In 2003, a joint effort by GLOCK and an ATK team led by the brilliant Ernest Durham birthed the .45 GAP cartridge. GLOCK’s 13+1 round G21 had, in 13 years,

Para’s Expert GI

Most any US veteran sporting grey or missing hair and the aches and pains of age associated with service prior to the introduction of the Beretta M9 is...

The Mighty 32's

When someone mentions .32 caliber handguns, we often think of small, low powered rounds. The .32 ACP comes to mind, and the .32 S&W Short and Long pop into...

New Products May/June 2020...

The 92 Elite LTT has been described as the ultimate Beretta 92. Recently, Langdon Tactical released the carry friendly versions of the pistol —

Wilson American Combat...

Wilson introduces the American Combat Pistol (ACP) series in .45 ACP or 9mm. Hand built in Berryville, Arkansas, the ACP features all of the precision,...

SIG's Fastback Emperor...

I was helping open packages and check in guns at the gun store. As I picked up one box, I was admittedly a little giddy with anticipation.

Budget Beaters

While one person’s “budget” gun might cost a bit more than another’s, the idea here is to not break the bank — but still deliver the goods.

Taurus 942 & Defender 856

Since their inception, and later introduction to the U.S. market in 1968, Taurus has led the way in affordable, reliable firearms.

America’s Got Talent

As a way of promoting non-Master engravers, Bobby Tyler had an idea. Why not hold a national contest for engravers of non-Master status, offering them a...

Leaning Left...

Got your attention I’ll bet, but we’re not talking about “that” left here. Left-handed people in many ways are better off today than in the past.

Taurus 380 UL

A neat little revolver, using full-moon clips, and chambered for the .380 Auto cartridge? At this point, a gun-cynic might ask why?

Springfield Armory's...

The new Springfield Armory Micro-Compact Hellcat concealed carry pistol packs as much 9mm as you might carry in a full-sized Browning Hi-Power — all going...

Odd But Good?

A perusal of revolvers developed around the world in the last 150 years cannot help but give you some insight about the human mind.

DOUBLE, TRIPLE, QUADRUPLE ...

Let’s think about the .38-40 and the .41 Long Colt. Two totally different cartridges. The first is a tapered or bottleneck cartridge beginning life in the...

Pliers And Files

In the spring of 1984 I was preparing to fly to Southern California to participate in my very first End Of Trail cowboy action match. I had only one misgiving.

Pocket Snakes From Cobra

The first pocket-sized, 5-shot .38 Special arrived in 1950 when it was unveiled as the Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special at a national gathering of chiefs of...

They Called Him “Fitz”

As with all boys from time immemorial, the young lad was curious while at the same time somewhat bored with nothing to do. Going into his father’s office...

Buck and Ball For .45...

In these pages I’ve previously made it clear I am not the .45 Colt’s greatest fan. That said, there is one area where it shines above all other revolver...

Long Range Rugers

It had been a long hot summer, in fact the last of three painful summers. Summers are meant for shooting, camping, hiking, outdoor activities with the family.

Keep Your Fancy Customs!

I gotta be me.” That’s good. We all should do that. Don’t just say it — do it! But know your “do it” attitude might not be someone else’s cup...

Dear Handgunner

Well, the new .44 Magnum is now arriving regularly at local dealers both in the original S&W .44 Magnum and the Ruger Blackhawk.

EAA'S MC1911SC Ultimate

Just what is the ultimate 1911 pistol? John Browning birthed the gun back when telephones were both tethered to the wall and rare.

A Robar Single Action

A seed was planted in my brain over 13 years ago. In December 1996 I was invited to participate in a unique class conducted at Thunder Ranch, then located...

Perfect Packin’ Pistol

Several years (decades?) ago I coined the phrase Perfect Packin’ Pistol, or as it has come to be known by many readers, PPP.

The Return Of The Mastodons

There was a time when elephants roamed North America. Mastodons had tusks up to 15' in length and were found in Africa, Europe and both North and South...

A Special That Is Special

A few issues back I wrote a piece in these pages titled “The .44 Special Ain’t So Special” (July/Aug 2009). Some might be surprised I received as many...

J! S&W’s Most Popular...

The mighty X-frame revolvers and the gorgeous handguns of their Performance Center notwithstanding, the single most popular handgun Smith & Wesson makes...

I Gotta Be Me

In the 1950s I discovered Elmer Keith and his writings, which often covered customized sixguns. He had about a half-dozen highly customized .44 Special...

On Accuracy

So I shot the gun at the normal combat range of seven yards,” reads all too many lines, in all too many gun articles I see.

MANSON REAMERS FORCING...

Every now and again, a tool comes along that will revolutionize a process, however obscure or seemingly unimportant.

An Heirloom Colt

The elements of style can be mystifying. Just as there are billions of people in the world, we might safely say there are billions of ideas of what...

Laugo Arms Alien Pistol

Every once in a while, a gun comes down the pike that makes us take pause. In the case of the Laugo Arms Alien, it has gun owners in awe as if it had, well,...

Pocket Pistol Preparedness

I’m not as prepared for emergencies as I should be, and there was a time I wanted to be ready for anything.

Real .44 Cowboy loads

The last place to learn safe gun handling is at the movies or the TV screen and it’s a rare film that ever depicts recoil in any shape or fashion....

An Expert’s Gun

Yeah, I know, we all have one or more of them, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In experienced hands — and I mean near-expert hands — they are...

Lawman Leather

Here’s a holster quiz for ya, trivia fans: Back in 1978, the late great Elmer Keith described somebody’s leather as “… the most comfortable holster...

Big Bore Snubbies

The concept of bigbore, snub-nosed revolvers isn’t new. In fact it’s just about as old as revolvers themselves. As soon as men began to carry revolving...

Colt Rising

Like the proverbial Phoenix rising from the ashes, I’m seeing more and more fine old Colt revolvers coming out of drawers, gun cabinets, estates and other...

Purdy Gear

There’s a reason Karla Van Horne’s cowboy shooting alias is “Purdy Gear,” it’s because she makes, well … purdy gear.

BluMagnum Grips

Skeeter Skelton’s earliest articles appeared in the pages of our sister publication, GUNS, in the late 1950s when he was still known as Charles A....

The Best Ever Revolver...

What’s the best ever big-bore revolver cartridge? I’m not talking about something chambered in a bazooka-length revolver fitted with a bipod.

ACCOUTERMENTS

My dictionary says “accouterments” are military accessories. I love the word because to me it seems like a combination of accumulate and collect,

The First Gunfighter's Sixgun

The era of The American gunfighter of fact and legend didn’t begin until 1850. That was when Samuel Colt introduced his first “Belt Pistol” meaning...

All Things 1911

I know, I know … more 1911 stuff? You bet. The design doesn’t die because it works, and Browning’s genius allows incremental improvements, each one...

New Mossberg MC2c

What’s the first thing to pop into your head when you hear mention of Mossberg?

Trio Of Treats From...

What would the state of the sixgunning world be without dreamers? Those who looked at what was and saw what could be.

umarex beretta mod. 92a1

Nope, this isn’t a “real” Beretta. But at first glance, it really looks like one. In the hand it feels like one too, with the right weight, heft and...

The First Engraved Colt Python

An exclusive look at the first engraved new-production Colt Python, beautifully hand scroll-engraved by Dale Bass of Tyler Gun Works.

caspian 1911 mods

We touched on these new offerings from Caspian a while ago but I wanted to flesh ’em out a bit. Basically, you can buy a frame and slide,

12 New Revolvers Seen at...

Despite the ever-growing market of polymer semi-auto handguns, new revolvers are not only still being produced, but also generating a lot of buzz in 2020....

Taurus .357 Raging Hunter —

Shooters buy firearms for many reasons including self-defense, hunting, target shooting and just plain old plinking.

one for the street — one...

Handguns are purchased for a variety of reasons, with self-defense and general outdoor use right at the top.

Glock 44 .22 LR Pistol

When word of the GLOCK 44 trickled out, the keyboard commandos dropped their Cheetos bags and fired up their computers, yet again.

Ruger Security-9 Compact

The three R’s of guns could easily be Rugged, Reliable and Ruger. Add an additional “R” for “Reasonably” priced and you’ve got Ruger’s...

Nighthawk Custom Drop-In...

Try not to be too jealous, but I’ve had an early production model of Nighthawk Custom’s hot new honest-to-gosh drop-in trigger system for 1911s, and the...

Guns We're Excited to See...

Just days away from the 2020 SHOT Show, we can't help but drool thinking about all the new guns we'll get to shoot, handle and see throughout the week.

Sortin' Out The Glocks

Life used to be so simple. When I started seriously shooting, sixguns had names like Outdoorsman, Combat Magnum, Heavy Duty, Triple-Lock and on and on.

Ruger Custom Shop Super GP100

Priced at workingman wages since their inception over 70 years ago, Ruger has provided us with a slew of rugged and reliable guns.

Chippa Rhino 200DS .357 Magnum

As a guy who makes his living evaluating and writing about guns, I get a lot of “What’s the best …” questions from folks.

80 Percent Arms GST-9 Pistol

The nation’s largest manufacturer of 80% lowers and frames, 80 Percent Arms, is proud of their innovative history of providing do-it-yourself frames and...

Ruger LCPII .22 LR

If you’re looking for a back-up gun, you’ve found it. If you just want a handy .22 for the trail, your pocket around the farm or to teach kids to shoot,...

Looking Like A Million Bucks

Tooling down an Exhibit Hall aisle at the NRA Expo in Fort Worth, I did an abrupt turnaround when a tabletop of color caught my eye. Just another black gun...

Walther Q5 Conversion Slide

Walther makes the standard PPQ pistol series, and recently introduced the Q5 Match series, which rapidly rose to the top ranks among competitors. Now, with...

A Woebegone Woodsman No More

This all started typically for me. I walked into a gun store on University Avenue in San Diego about 1980 and there, staring at me from the display case,

Ed Brown Fueled Series

Ed Brown Products is proud of their custom-built 1911s — and for good reason. For over 50 years, they’ve set the standard in design and advanced...

Home Defense Handguns

We like shotguns and rifles for home defense, but we really like handguns, too. Full-size handguns are legit options for home defense, but so are...

SIG’s P320 X5 LEGION &...

A short time ago, SIG SAUER introduced a pair of 9mms that could hardly be farther apart in size and application.

ca-legal colt night cobra

Four Colt revolvers were recently added to the California “certified for sale” roster approved by the state’s Department of Justice.

The Cinderella Gun

Several years ago, I was at a local gun show helping my shooting buddies offload a bunch of guns from departed friends. There were some pricey items, but at...

Kimber Deploys RAPIDE...

Kimber has added a great new addition to their already stalwart lineup with the RAPIDE (Black Ice).

S&W's Model 610 10mm Auto

A few months ago I stumbled across a couple of S&W 657 models in .41 Mag. One was a 6.5" version while the other wore a 7.5" barrel.

Re-Visiting An Old Friend

It’s confession time. For many years I’ve neglected the .357 Magnum. When hunting big game with straight-walled pistol cartridges, I generally reach for...

Your First Time

I’ve been a firearms instructor and federally licensed gun dealer for about 12 years now and been asked a whole lot of questions about how to carry a...

Wilson Combat X-TAC Commander

To refine is “to improve something by making small changes, in particular, make an idea, theory, or method more subtle and accurate.”

The NRA PPC Course Of Fire

The term PPC has several historical variations on a theme. Practical Pistol Course, Police Practical Course and Police Pistol Combat are all cited.

You Asked For It — So We...

It’s only natural the world’s best handgun magazine teamed up with Les Baer Custom to create an exclusive celebration of the classic John Browning 1911...

Hand Ejectors

Colt Patent Firearms had an 8-year head start when it came to solid-frame revolvers with swing-out cylinders.

DA Semi-Autos

It’s been 90 years since Walther made what’s generally considered the first commercially successful DA semi-auto pistol, the model PP. Most previous...

The Sixguns Of Cimarron

Colt dropped the single action from production prior to World War II and announced it would never be produced again.

Reunited

Back in 1973 a friend and I got it in our heads we should take a couple saddle horses and my trusty steed “Duke” as a pack horse and head south.

Dan Wesson DWX

A hybrid is defined as combining something from two different elements. When the best of both are combined, a super-hybrid is the result.

Motor City Sixgun Fun Run

Heading up the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I set my sights on mi amigo, Doc Barranti’s adobe in Pittsburgh, 3.5 hours away. From there, we head north for 5...

.38 Super Or Super .38?

When it came to semi-autos, like many teenagers from my era I had one of the 1911 Government Model .45’s and a source for military hardball.

An Officer And A Gentleman

The folks at Ruger have an annoying habit of releasing new guns I just can’t resist.

Taurus Raging Hunter .454...

As my buddy Dick Thompson candidly says, “You never master a handgun.” Shooting is a diminishing skill unless you keep chasing it. To maintain upmost...

The Extreme Danger of Squibs

We all know squibs are bad. The most common result is a bullet stuck in the barrel. If the shooter is not aware of what’s happened

The .40 Story

One of the many quirks of history is the truth is often more complex and nuanced than the commonly-accepted version of events. If history is truly written...

How Accurate Is 'Accurate'

In my experience handgun shooters don’t obsess about accuracy the way rifle shooters do. Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s when I was getting into...

A Retro-Mod 1911

Pistolsmith Jarret Wehunt has created what looks like a battle-worn WWII era Colt — but there’s actually a race car lurking underneath those familiar...

Black Collar Arms Pork...

As a cop, you quickly learn if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck! Conversely as a gun writer, if looks like a rifle and...

A Remington Resurfaces

Back in the first years of this century a fellow contacted me saying he was putting a replica of the Remington Model 1875 revolver into production and he...

Providing Value with Values

Providing American firearms owners with value since 1990, EAA Corp has searched the world to import quality firearms from respectable international...

Honor Guard 9mm

With a market flooded with poly-framed, striker-fired pistols, how do you go about creating a new gun that would stand apart from all the others?

Dan Wesson 1911 Wraith

As suppressors are fast becoming a popular accessory, it’s no wonder manufacturers are turning out guns with threaded barrels to accommodate their use.

Remington's Radically...

When I first heard Remington was introducing a bolt-action pistol, the discontinued XP-100 came to mind. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. Could...

Ruger's Time Machine

Whether gumshoe detective or guncrank writer, the words “revolver” and “reliable” are synonymous to these probing guys. There’s a reason some guns...

The SCCY CPX-3.380

By now, most gun-people know about the compact 9mm pistols from SCCY, the CPX-1 and CPX-2. They differ only in the presence or absence of a manual safety.

Wrangler Vs. Super Single Six

In about 1969 I was 15 “going on 16” as we used to say. I had a hopeless case of the “gun crazies” and had been suffering from the syndrome since I...

Walther PPQ Q5 Match...

Funny things happen when a manufacturer releases a good gun — everyone wants one, and now! Those who previously purchased an earlier model may feel...

A Perfect Pair

There’s simply nothing better than a good .22. Recently I picked up two really great Classic .22’s, a Colt Match Target and a High Standard...

Stoeger's STR-9

I have to admit when I think of Stoeger my first thought turns to shotguns. You know, all those solid and affordable side-by-sides, over-unders, pumps,...

More Carry Options — Options

Our old friends from Alaska have come up with a bare minimalist holster fitting medium and large autos. Called the “Alaska EDC,”

Fussing With A Fitz

Sometimes you just have to get out of your comfort zone. I work on a lot of 1911’s every year. So when I got a call from Mark Mason of Downers Grove,...

HK's Americanized VP9-B

The two thugs yanked their captive roughly to his feet, a black hood over his head and his hands secured with a zip tie. Any normal man would have panicked,...

One Eye — Or Two?

Should I shoot with one eye open — or two? The short answer is two. Most shooters, most of the time, are better off with both eyes open. Most of the top...

Ruger's .22 Wranglers

In 1956 I was straight out of high school and purchased my first handgun, a Ruger .22 Single-Six for $63.25. At the time I was working for $0.90 an hour so...

SCCY CPX-3 .380 Pistol

Owning a compact pistol means there’s no excuse for you to go unarmed anymore! Their ease and comfort of carrying means you can be armed at all times. The...

Team Tactics class at...

“A journey of discovery…teaching married couples a simple yet highly effec-tive communication technique…to grow in their marriage through open and...

Preferences, Opinions and...

The advice you get when trying to choose a new gun may come from a father, brother, sister, uncle, cousin, co-worker, magazine article, online forum, or...

Revolver Trappings

Arevolver’s strength lies in its simplicity, but these must-have accessories will profoundly improve performance. From grip, to reloading, to cleaning, to...

Hellcat X2 Commander

Some think the 1911 is outdated — too “old school” to be effective today. They’re not only wrong, but spectacularly wrong. It’s like looking at a...

Mag-na-port's S&W Mod. 69...

The Maori warriors of New Zealand are legendary for their fighting spirit. Part of the mystique is the war “Haka” — a traditional ancestral war cry,...

The "I"s Have It

As we’ve been told so often, there’s no “I” in team. But you do need it to spell words like interesting and iconic.

Pre-War Perfection

I sort of stumbled onto this .38 Special Colt Officers Model a couple of years ago. I did a favor for a friend and he asked if I wanted “Something in a...

.45 Colt Conversion &...

While loving the simplicity of the strong and reliable single-action thumb-cocker, I’m savvy enough to appreciate its swinging sidekick — the...

Ruger Flag Series

You’re a Grand Ol’ Flag and what better way to show your patriotic pride by having ol’ Glory ruggedly displayed on your favorite Ruger shooter?...

Beretta APX Pistol

Over the past 30-plus years, I’ve written two books on Beretta pistols, so my fondness for the brand should be well known.

The SAA's Most Prominent...

Research has shown the Colt SAA (Single Action Army) has been chambered for about 30 cartridges ranging from .22 to .476 Eley during its on-again/off-again...

Esthetics In Handguns

Esthetics — also correctly written as aesthetics — are words defined as “the laws and principles determining the beauty in nature, art, taste, etc.”...

Who Wants A 3-Wheeled Car?

What’s that? A polymer-framed 9mm? Is it striker-fired? How about a double-column magazine? Accessory rail on the front end, replaceable backstraps on the...

The Taurus Spectrum

The array of colors really catches the eye, and of course, it gave the pistol its name. But, don’t be misled, this is not just another little .380.

The Rock River Arms 1911 Poly

Back in 1996, two brothers named Mark and Chuck Larson started a modest gun company in Cleveland, Illinois, devoted to building the finest 1911 pistols...

The Overlooked Archetype?

Over the last couple of decades we’ve been inundated with new handgun makes and models. I’m not complaining mind you, competition among manufacturers...

Double-Barrel Shotguns Or...

Ex Vice-President Joe Biden is apparently planning a post-political career as an expert on defensive firearms and tactics. On the subject of firearms, he...

More Ways To Play:...

When his Editorship asked me to write a piece about guns that are fun to shoot, cost effective and light recoiling, but weren’t .22 caliber, I had to...

Smith & Wesson Meets...

The Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380 ACP pocket pistol is almost — but not quite — awesome. Running on a miniaturized version of John Moses Browning’s...

Behind Enemy Lines:...

It might be surprising to some in more recent generations there was a time when many of our celebrities and entertainers were more than just carnival...

An Interview With Mister B.

Don’t ask me how it happened — there ain’t room here. It took years of clandestine meetings with physicists and fakirs, crystal-gazers and crackpots,...

The .40 S&W: Too Strong or...

While the price of Maseratis has not risen as fast as the cost of health insurance under the oddly named Affordable Care Act, I’m resigned to live without...

Make Mine A 'Trial' Nine

As a wee lad, I lived often with my grandparents and three good-looking aunts, especially one, a tall Northern Italian beauty with long wavy reddish hair...

Gordon Ingram’s...

Small-caliber concealable handguns in a variety of sizes, weights, calibers, and hues are commonplace nowadays. However, back when U.S. gun laws were...

Handguns Of WWII Part 11

It’s perhaps true more people were killed by Soviet handguns in World War II than by those used by any other combatant nation. At least eight, and perhaps...

The Carolina Arms Group 1911

Timex makes superb timepieces. Their watches are built in a variety of plants in a variety of countries from quality materials using state of the art...

SIG’s P320

For those of us who revere the classic P226 and its cousins, the new P320 from SIG/Sauer is very different. Different, though, in good ways. You get the...

The SCCY’s The Limit

Finally in most parts of our country a law-abiding citizen not averse to a little administrative baggage can legally carry a gun for personal protection....

Handguns Of WWII, Part 10

Some folks hold the Webley Mk VI .455 revolver in near reverence. I’m not one of them. To me it’s big, clunky, ugly, underpowered and worst of all I...

Roberts Defense Super...

I met him in a relatively quiet corner at some industry show. SHOT, maybe. Or NRA. Honestly, I can’t recall. The impression stayed with me, though. Rob...

Remington 1911 R1 Ultralights

Combining legendary 1911 performance with a new lightweight design, the Remington 1911 R1 Ultralight is a great option for today’s shooters.

Colt's Last Three Cap &...

We’re going to lump the last three Colt cap and ball revolvers together in one article because they were simply modifications and adaptations of...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 9

Perhaps the British could claim at least a small amount of credit for the advent of Smith & Wesson’s Model 1917 .45 Auto revolver. Just into World War II...

Kimber Micro 9 Stainless DN

When talking about concealed carry, size matters — especially a lack thereof. The smaller the gun, the easier and more convenient it is to carry, making...

First Favorites — For A...

As always, I had to have one — you know the feeling! I needed the ultimate hunting handgun, one fitting my needs perfectly, and yet having the ability to...

An Evolutionary Revolution

Charles Darwin’s controversial book On the Origin of Species formulates his theory of evolution by natural selection. Did man evolve from the monkey?

Handguns Of WWII, Part 8

Starting in grade school my primary passion was World War II history and the firearms used. Therefore it was an amazing day when around age 12 my father...

The Speedloader Comes of Age

When the Colt Paterson revolver burst onto the scene in 1836, the game changed forever. With five chambers of .36 caliber ball at the shooter’s disposal,

Gemini Customs: Improving...

I’ve known Marc Morganti, founder of this one-man show called Gemini Customs, for almost 20 years. After nearly two decades of association you learn much...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 7

American fighting men anywhere in World War II could have been issued one of two basic .45 caliber pistols. The primary one was the Model 1911A1, and its...

The Legacy of Wayne Baker...

The wide array of sixguns we have today comes from the vision of three men, namely Sam Colt, Daniel Wesson and Bill Ruger. Both Colt and Wesson were gone by...

Pocket Power Perfected

The Springfield XD-S Mod.2 Subcompact is a polymer-framed .45 ACP carry gun thinner than a 9mm GLOCK 43, weighing two oz. less than a .380 ACP Walther PPK/S.

Mossberg's New 9mm MC1SC

When you think of Mossberg, I’ll wager the words coming to mind are along the lines of “tough,” “rugged,” “affordable” and “reliable.” I...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 6

When Britain jumped into World War I and dragged Canada along, as usual their military outfits were woefully short of weapons. In those days the United...

The Dragoons

As pointed out in Part One of this series, in U.S. Army parlance of the 1840s/1850s the word Dragoon referred to horse mounted troops. It’s also the term...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 5

Next to the Luger, Germany’s most recognized World War II handgun was the Walther-designed P38. It’s credited as being the first military pistol with a...

So you carry a snubby. But...

Some weeks ago a friend, Detective Dick Peters, and I, watched a made-for-TV movie one night at my place. It was called ''A Small Killing" and starred...

S&W Performance Center M&P...

When S&W released their M&P .380 Shield EZ, it caused a lot of head scratching. Why a mid’ish-sized .380? The question was answered after a host of gun...

Heizer's PK045

It may seem impossible, but here it is. A semi-auto in .45 ACP about the same size as a 9mm compact. The design is brilliant, and the materials and...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 5

Next to the Luger, Germany’s most recognized World War II handgun was the Walther-designed P38. It’s credited as being the first military pistol with a...

Aimpoint Acro P-1

I’ll admit to liking the challenge of shooting with iron sights, but I’m hardheaded. Nothing’s more satisfying knowing you’ve lined up your front...

New, Old Colt Defender ......

You know the Colt Defender. It’s a classic 1911 for concealed carry, an old-timer showing how to pack .45 ACP into a small, rough and tumble platform....

Revolvers And Home Defense

In the “old” days almost everyone had a “wheel gun” sitting in the sock drawer at home, carried in a leather holster — or sometimes just shoved...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 4

Without a doubt the U.S. Army’s adoption of Model 1917 .45 ACP revolvers was a “make-do” situation. And also without a doubt it “made-do” very...

.25 ACP Ragtime Wonders

Every Era deserves its Index Fossil and no material remnant evokes those carefree days from 1890 until roughly WWI quite as convincingly as the small,...

A Betta' Beretta

In the world of defensive handguns, Beretta is a name to conjure with. And in the world of its popular Model 92, the same’s true of the name Ernest...

Little Big Gun

I’ll be frank with you. I normally have practically zero interest in micro .380s. Am I impressed by the engineering expertise in getting a bullet this...

Springfield Armory's XD(M)...

The Springfield Armory XD series of handguns occupies a unique niche at your local gun emporium. These weapons are short-recoil, polymer-framed combat...

Handguns Of WWII, Part 3

A statement I’ll make about the British Enfield No. 2 Mk I .38 revolver is one I’m not willing to make about any other British weapons of World War II....

Remington 1911 R1 Ultralights

Combining legendary 1911 performance with a new lightweight design, the Remington 1911 R1 Ultralight is a great option for today’s shooters.

How I Carry

I don’t always carry a Glock 26 in a shoulder holster, but when I do, it’s usually in a Diamond D Custom Leather rig. This good-looking, functional...

Franklin Armory Reformation

We all know SBRs (Short Barrel Rifle) are handy and convenient, along with being top-tier cool on the fun scale … but they have one drawback. Their...

You Never Forget Your First…

No doubt about it, good, bad, or ugly — you never forget your first, well…anything. Be it first day of school, first kiss, first car or first car wreck

Handguns Of WWII, Part 2

As with so many Americans during most of my life, I felt nothing but disdain for Japanese firearms. In fact in the pages of American Handgunner I’ve...

ZEV Technologies:...

It would make no sense and strike as arrogant to assume refinements to GLOCK striker-fired handguns would not benefit the user after nearly 40 years of...

Safely Practice With Your Gun

You can train with a blue gun or a red gun but it won’t be your gun. But when you do non-shooting training drills with your gun — a real gun —

Handguns Of WWII, Part 1

Luger P08 9mm pistols were considered the best souvenirs by American troops in the European Theatre of Operations (ETO) during World War II. That’s...

Kimber KHX Pro (OR) .45 ACP

There’s nothing worse than having to send your beloved “Betsy” away! Separation anxiety, followed by night tremors, cause you to sweat bullets, as you...

The Long Vs. The Short Of It

In a letter to Handgunner reader Jens Jensen commented, “Roy ... I read the book he (John Taffin) suggested, The Secrets of Double Action Shooting by Bob...

Help For Hurting Hands

Sooner or later age catches up with all of us. For some of us, ailments such as arthritis, bursitis or neuropathy affect our ability to shoot any kind of...

None dare call it...

Pay close attention to the release of the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2018 in late September and refer quickly to Table 15 under “Homicides,” because...

Ruger Security-9 Compact

Last year, Ruger released an Affordable-Care Act we could all sink our teeth into with the Security-9, a full-size, 15+1, hammer-fired 9mm. Despite an MSRP...

Turbocharging Your Glock

Americans simply live to customize stuff. Aftermarket widgets abound to amp up our automobiles, cell phones, fashions — even teeth. In no place is this...

Trigger Nometry

Squeeze them, pull them, press them, slap them, whatever you do to make a gun go boom, you do it with a trigger. Arguments abound about how you do it and...

The Devil By Another Name

He may have meant well. “It’s a double-stack DA. Threaded. Ported. Night sights. Lemme show you.” The young lady handed the pistol back. He cycled...

Naroh Arms N1

The Naroh Arms N1 is a sub-compact, single-stack, 7+1, DAO hammer-fired, polymer-framed 9mm pistol that was years in the making. I could stop here, but then...

Behind the Scenes — My...

I’ve become quite enamored with the new MC1sc pistol from Mossberg and have made it my primary pocket carry gun since I picked one up earlier this...

Ruger’s Wrangler

When word trickled out about Ruger’s new Wrangler, the Internet was abuzz as naysayers were gearing up with ludicrous Ned Ludd worries. Turns out these...

"Plastic Pistol" (from the...

Here's the media's latest cause celebre, the next awful thing the gun manufacturers have propagated to endanger us. It's the plastic gun, the one that can...

Ruger Custom Shop SR1911

Oh, hi Paul,” I said, answering the phone. It’s always nice to hear from Paul Pluff as he’s usually the bearer of news of note. Paul is a dear old...

Performance Center S&W 45...

The mere words “Performance Center” blended with the moniker S&W, brings a wry smile across the lips of those who know a thing or two about guns.

Ruger’s Blued SP-101

Ruger’s been at it yet again and it’s why we love them so much! Using their SP-101 platform this time, they released a powerful-punching wheelgun using...

Taurus Tracker 692…

Whether you need the raw power of a .357 magnum for your heavy-handed chores, or desire something a little more subtle, for light-duty paper punching, like...

Speedloading Handguns...

Thumbing (electronically) through the July/August 1982 issue of American Handgunner, the editor's note at the end of the "Speedloading Handguns Takes Skill"...

The Virtually Unsnubbable...

Smith & Wesson’s J-frame -- what many consider the quintessential snub-nose revolver -- is virtually unsnubbable. That is, you can’t fault it for...

Performance Center S&W 442...

Who doesn’t love a J-Frame? Not doing so is as un-American as skipping over a John Wayne movie while channel surfing.

What I Carry: A...

I’ve almost always been the guy who carries a full-size handgun for CCW. I was willing to forego comfort for capability, wanting to make sure I had a gun...

Living Archive: The 9mm Myth

If you prefer a flat handgun that is easier to conceal and carries more rounds than a revolver, you have only to take your pick from the large array of 9mm...

FN 509 Mid-Size Prize...

In a world brimming of poly-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistols, the mere thought of yet another release will surely torque traditionalists’ tempers....

Dan Wesson: Red Hot 9mm’s

To those of us still clinging to the sanctity of the 1911 and the beloved .45 ACP cartridge, technology has chipped away at our core assumptions leaving us...

Behind the Scenes: The...

Ruger’s cool new SR1911 Competition Pistol is our cover gun for the July/Aug 2019 issue of Handgunner. All well and good, and frankly, I’m looking...

Ed Brown EVO-KC9

Ed Brown Products arguably make one of the finest 1911’s on the market. Don’t think so? Then you’ve probably never had the privilege of shooting one!...

5.11 Small Kit Tool Bag

While you’re creating an all-around survival kit list, I'll bet it numbers more than 10 items. Probably at least 20. So think of what you’ll put all...

Hot SHOT Show Products

In the movie “Amadeus” the king accuses Mozart’s music of having “Too many notes!” and wants him to “…cut some out.” We feel Mozart’s pain...

The Air-Powered Fun Zone

We can’t always get to the range to shoot our fire and brimstone guns, and frontyard ranges tend to upset the neighbors — at least some neighbors.

A New Direction

It’s amazing how far you can end up from where you began. From the unintended discovery of penicillin to the creation of Superglue during the development...

NAA's Ranger II

After many years of making their beautiful little updated version of the solid-frame spur-trigger revolver, they decided to try something different.

S&W Model 460XVR

There’s no doubt, most Americans like things big — really big. We like big trucks with big tires and big motors. Big boats, big homes, big farms, you...

Taurus Officer & Commander

Both my Grandfathers wore overalls to work seven days a week. Farmers, they were the salt of the earth, hardworking, honest men. Far from being city-slicker...

The Knocabout Revisited:

I was casting about at a garage sale some years ago and my eye caught what I first thought was an air pistol of some sort. When I picked it up, I realized...

Ed Brown EVO-KC9

Ed Brown Products arguably make one of the finest 1911’s on the market. Don’t think so? Then you’ve probably never had the privilege of shooting one!...

Watch the Flying Case!

As long as I can remember, shooting sports aficionados have always had a fascination with the empty case flying from auto-loading firearm as it fires....

Dan Wesson: Red Hot 9mm’s

To those of us still clinging to the sanctity of the 1911 and the beloved .45 ACP cartridge, technology has chipped away at our core assumptions leaving us...

FN 509 Mid-Size Prize...

In a world brimming of poly-framed, striker-fired 9mm pistols, the mere thought of yet another release will surely torque traditionalists’ tempers....

Living Archive: The 9mm Myth

If you prefer a flat handgun that is easier to conceal and carries more rounds than a revolver, you have only to take your pick from the large array of 9mm...

What I Carry: A...

I’ve almost always been the guy who carries a full-size handgun for CCW. I was willing to forego comfort for capability, wanting to make sure I had a gun...

Performance Center S&W 442...

Who doesn’t love a J-Frame? Not doing so is as un-American as skipping over a John Wayne movie while channel surfing.

The Virtually Unsnubbable...

Smith & Wesson’s J-frame -- what many consider the quintessential snub-nose revolver -- is virtually unsnubbable. That is, you can’t fault it for...

Speedloading Handguns...

Thumbing (electronically) through the July/August 1982 issue of American Handgunner, the editor's note at the end of the "Speedloading Handguns Takes Skill"...

Taurus Tracker 692…

Whether you need the raw power of a .357 magnum for your heavy-handed chores, or desire something a little more subtle, for light-duty paper punching, like...

Ruger’s Blued SP-101

Ruger’s been at it yet again and it’s why we love them so much! Using their SP-101 platform this time, they released a powerful-punching wheelgun using...

Performance Center S&W 45...

The mere words “Performance Center” blended with the moniker S&W, brings a wry smile across the lips of those who know a thing or two about guns.

"Plastic Pistol" (from the...

Here's the media's latest cause celebre, the next awful thing the gun manufacturers have propagated to endanger us. It's the plastic gun, the one that can...

Ruger’s Wrangler

When word trickled out about Ruger’s new Wrangler, the Internet was abuzz as naysayers were gearing up with ludicrous Ned Ludd worries. Turns out these...

Behind the Scenes — My...

I’ve become quite enamored with the new MC1sc pistol from Mossberg and have made it my primary pocket carry gun since I picked one up earlier this...

Naroh Arms N1

The Naroh Arms N1 is a sub-compact, single-stack, 7+1, DAO hammer-fired, polymer-framed 9mm pistol that was years in the making. I could stop here, but then...

Dan Wesson Turns 50

Dan Wesson, great-grandson of the original Daniel B. Wesson, had a different idea. Not only was he part of the original Wesson family he also served many...

NAA's Ranger II

After many years of making their beautiful little updated version of the solid-frame spur-trigger revolver, they decided to try something different.

Budget-Friendly Handguns

Over the last 10 years, firearms manufacturing has not only improved in terms of quality and efficiency, it’s resulted in more and better handguns.

Muzzle Velocity VS. Barrel...

Just how much muzzle velocity is lost as we shorten a barrel? Most shooters respond with 50 fps per inch. Is this actually true? When working on an article...

The Air-Powered Fun Zone

We can’t always get to the range to shoot our fire and brimstone guns, and frontyard ranges tend to upset the neighbors — at least some neighbors.

Robar's Revolver Rehab

As a pistol instructor and range safety officer, I see a lot of new shooters signing up for basic pistol classes. This surge in students is due partly to my...

Cross-Dominant Eye Shooting

As an aviator from age 22 on, I was subjected to eye exams every year. For many years, the results of those exams revealed 20/20 vision in my right eye and...

Retro Trigger Time With...

The hulking psychopathic cyborg from the future walked into the local gun shop, his preternaturally square jaw locked in a menacing scowl and his glowing...

Dan Wesson ECO 9mm

What is it about the 1911 which keeps it so adored and desired by so many shooters? Surely more modern designs featuring higher capacity and new materials...

Church Insecurity

In the beginning, there appeared a mentally ill homeless person and an angry man (possibly on some drugs) at the church of a friend. Afterward, the Elders...

Springfield Armory CUSTOM...

Webster’s defines the term “Art” as “The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as...

Rock Island's MAPP MS

While looking through the Rock Island Armory catalog, I saw what I believed to be an Italian made CZ-75 Clone, manufactured by Tanfoglio and sold in the...

Big Bore Meets Big Block

First, let’s get this out of the way here. This sublime Les Baer Boss model 1911 in .45 ACP costs exactly $2,560 according to their website. And as much...

Keeping Your Family Safe

They’re just tools, keep this in mind. Tools to keep your family safe, just the same as the fire extinguishers you have placed around (right?),...

Honor Defense Honor Guard

I know we have plenty of fun here, but today, I’m going to get a tiny bit more serious and talk about a good gun.

Old Guns New Generations?

At the age of 34, I don’t consider myself particularly young anymore, but to the best of my knowledge it does make me one of the younger contributors...

Competition And Defense

We have two sides of the same stone here, if you will. Both come from the excellent Italian maker Tanfoglio (say it like this: Tan-foe-glio), residing in...

Champagne Taste On A Beer...

Whether we fancy ourselves collectors, shooters, hunters or any combination of these, our typical answer to “How many guns do you need?” is “Just one...

Something Old, Something New

I dare say anyone who’s experienced the pleasure of popping primers has some sorta’ semblance of a rootin’, tootin’, shootin’ “cowboy” in...

S&W’s Performance Center

If there’s anything handier for setting up housekeeping than a good .22 I don’t know what it is. The first gun I ever shot was a Harrington & Richardson...

In Hog Heaven

When His Editorship asked me if I wanted to test a Nighthawk Custom pistol, it only took me a second to respond. Did he really think I was going to pass up...

SCCY Pistols .380 ACP 9mm

Among today’s polymer-frame compact 9mm pistols, there are a few we really like, and it’s a short list. One of them is the CPX from SCCY. A few years...

Volquartsen's LLV-4...

The Volquartsens are, as a company and as people — sterling. Scott Volquartsen is young enough to have plenty of energy, but seasoned enough to read the...

SIG's P320 X-Five

The SIG P320, introduced in 2014–2015 has proven to be a solid success, most notably its acceptance by the U.S. military. It’s also becoming popular as...

Ruger Security-9

The Ruger Security-9 is arguably the best value in a domestically produced defensive handgun today. This new Ruger pistol sports plenty of whiz-bang...

Rock Island Tac-Ultra FS...

Who doesn’t love an all-steel pistol? Admiring its heft as it’s cradled perfectly in your hand — it feels just right! Build one on JMB’s preeminent...

New Handguns

Looking for something new? A different spin on an old tradition? A race gun that’ll have you up and running? What happens when two elite gun makers come...

Tyler Gun Works = Fun...

An old barn sits in the northern panhandle of Texas, near the small town of Friona, the cheeseburger capital of the Lone Star state. Today, 18-wheelers and...

S&W’s Model 360 J-Frame...

Compared to many concealed carry guns in today’s market, Smith & Wesson’s Model 360 carries half as many rounds — 5 — and costs almost twice as...

Handguns What's New...

Just when you thought it’d all been done we discover nope, there’s more to come! Here’s just a few to tease, tempt and otherwise give you the...

Laser Rifles Are Coming!

At high power, lasers are deadly light sources. Truck-mounted, airborne and ship-based lasers with ten to more than a thousand horsepower have shot down...