Semi-Auto Handguns

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...

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

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.

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

Believe it or not, Thomas Alva Edison was a hero of mine. Yeah, that Edison. As a young kid, I wanted to be a scientist.

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...

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...

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...

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

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?

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

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.

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

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,...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

Some think the 1911 is outdated — too “old school” to be effective today.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

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?

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

I’ve never been what I would consider a gun collector but rather a gun accumulator. The collector normally focuses intently on one particular type of firearm.

For a very large part of my life a Ruger Super Blackhawk in .44 mag is what followed me around. It’s the only gun I’ve had to point at lowlife to get...

With the AR platform being the most popular sporting/self-defense/duty rifle, it only makes sense it’s becoming our favorite pistol platform also. Built...

Deep River Customs offers a wide variety of custom gunsmith services for 1911- and 2011-style pistols, as well as pistolsmithing courses for shooters.

Every time I hear the name, Republic Forge, thoughts of the United States of America, a Constitutional Republic, is reinforced, stating the type of...

If you’re like me, you’re constantly sneaking down to your gunroom or safe for a quick visit. You might even free a few of your friends to hold, fondle...

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

I “get” this gun, I really do. It’s a .22 looking, feeling and working like a medium-sized centerfire competition or carry gun. Training and...

Concealed carriers are the most responsible citizens in society. The folks at Diamondback Firearms know this, and have something to offer fiscally...

It’s always fun to introduce people to shooting — and it’s especially enjoyable when they’re such nice people, honestly interested in learning.

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...

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...

For about a decade Samuel Colt was quiet as far as introducing new revolver models. Obviously they were using all their factory’s production capacity just...

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

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...

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...

In 2003 a core group of experienced master trainers including six-time shootout survivor and founder Ed Nowicki, formed the International Law Enforcement...

As early as 1848 Samuel Colt realized the military market was going to be finite. After all, the U.S. Army was a relatively small organization and those...

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

The Colt Single Action Army revolver has to be the most famous, most recognizable handgun in the world. But it didn’t spring from the drawing boards in...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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,...

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 Langdon.

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

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...

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...

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 —

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...

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 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...