Semi-Auto Handguns

Stippling is essentially the process of melting a polymer surface and reshaping the texture into what you desire in look and feel. While the term...

I’ve always liked the auto-pistol designs of the late Gary Wilhelm. The one I consider the most beautiful was done for Gabilondo y Compania of Vitoria,...

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...

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...

For dedicated handgunners the workbench is more than a place to develop the latest handload recipe or to clean firearms to within an inch of their lives....

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.

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

North American Arms, the company that revolutionized the mini-revolver, also makes a handy-sized pocket pistol called the Guardian. Available in two sizes,...

SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the release of the enhanced MPX Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC), redesigned and upgraded for performance shooting...

I’m not saying the folks at Ruger have big ears, but they sure seem to be listening to their customers. (Maybe there’s a lesson there, eh?) One of the...

The folks at Springfield Armory (SA) never cease to amaze me — they keep releasing very seductive shooters for our well being. Their TRP 1911’s, Polymer...

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...

If you were to mention competitive handgun shooting many years ago, no one had to ask if you meant USPSA, IDPA, PPC, cowboy action, metallic silhouette, NRA...

Ed Brown Product's new KC9 is a beauty. I'll let you absorb all the good info in the press release (below), including the $1,895 MSRP, but I also want...

These days a handgunner interested in competition shooting is likely to be attracted to the action/practical shooting sports. Such sports are dynamic,...

I’m old enough to remember when Gaston Glock released his radically new striker-fired, polymer-framed funny looking gun. Causing quit the stir; it...

Taurus took a bold approach to gun design in introducing the Curve .380 ACP pistol. Featuring a melted and contoured shape designed to hug the curvature of...

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...

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...

There is a reason for the proliferation of striker-fired handguns in the law enforcement and military communities: capacity As its name suggests, the Glock...

I’ve touted the virtues of this gun before and I’m going to do it again. You will literally have a blast shooting this gun. The ball of fire produced by...

The R&D folks at Springfield Armory have been busier than Santa’s elves in mid-December. Both are cranking out toys for all of us good boys and girls. I...

We feel ripped off whenever manufacturers reduce their products. I’ve watched toilet paper magically shrink every time I perform a hot tactical reload....

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...

There’s no question about it, we are an electronically obsessed society who love being entertained by battery operated gizmos and gadgets. Batteries bring...

Having a penchant for Ruger pistols, revolvers and rifles, I cherish them as much as the crazy “cat lady” down the street loves her 83 furry kids …...

No doubt about it, carrying a compact-sized cannon is a lot easier to conceal and more comfortable to wear. Give it a 10+1 capacity of .45 ACP ammo and we...

You really can’t eat at the cool kids’ table these days if your tactical handgun doesn’t sport a sound suppressor, a tactical light, and some kind of...

For over 50 years, Heckler & Koch (HK) has been a leading designer of small arms and weapons for law enforcement, military forces and civilians worldwide....

The call went something like this: “Hey Roy, can you break free for a quick two-dayer to S&W for a new gun launch?” —

While at S&W I also got to shoot their new tiny 9mm Pro Series 1911 during this casual match we shot.

As one who was never bitten by the MSR bug, I suddenly find myself fascinated by the latest iteration of the MSR platform from Springfield Armory.

Polyanathema, the “hate for polymer,” is rapidly declining among gun enthusiasts. In fact, many are now realizing the benefits polymer-framed pistols...

Being as how we’re around the centennial of America’s involvement in World War I, his Editorship Roy gave me the go ahead to cover some combat handguns...

Say what you want about compact pistols, their greatest asset is size — or lack of it. Packing these pistols is surely easier than carrying a full-size...

Fans of the 911 pistol from Springfield Armory will be happy to hear that the tiny pistol is now available with a black nitride finish. For those unfamiliar...

When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, the standard sidearm for the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps was the Model 1911 .45 Auto. The...

You remember the fine folks of FMK — For My Kountry? They’re the gun manufacturer ornery enough to base its headquarters in the hostile “anti-gun”...

In 1777, George Washington ordered the creation of Springfield Armory for the storage of ammunition and gun carriages for the American Revolutionary War.

I’m guilty! I admit it: I love my Rugers! My first issued police revolver was a Ruger 4" Service-Six, .38 Special. I still shoot it and consider it a...

What gun would you carry with enough firepower to keep your family and yourself safe from a menagerie of threats?

The “bigger is better” theme seems to be the American way of life. Cars, calibers, houses and dogs are all case in point. However, when it comes to...

“If you want something done right, you gotta’ do it yourself” is just as true now as it was when the words were first uttered through someone’s...

The Springfield Armory Custom Shop Professional Model 1911 has a rich and storied history, having been developed and produced for a pistol contract with the...

Let’s face it — some of us just can’t keep our hands in our pockets while thinking about our guns. We’re obsessed with tinkering, tuning or tearing...

We really like sharing thoughts and conversations with Handgunner readers. Editor Roy suggested a column in response to this comment he got:

We all know when the fan gets hit there will be no screeching police cruisers, fast-roping hostage rescue teams, or hard charging cavalry showing up just in...

In 1859, the Italian village of Isola was under attack by two-dozen soldiers. Torching, raping and terrorizing ensued until a young Catholic seminary...

As a cop, we were always told to train with the same intensity as we would respond with on the street. “You wanna live, dontcha?” we were asked over and...

From Smith & Wesson is the M&P 380 Shield EZ, a compact .380 ACP pistol that splits the difference between micro-compacts and larger handguns.

Good things come in small packages, right? Especially when they’re small enough to be comfortably carried all day and are chambered in something packing...

I’ve always been a fan of Western movies, good Western movies that is, and one of the best ever is The Wild Bunch. When I first saw it back in 1969, it...

People seem always to be looking for the “secret,” the magical easy shortcut to shooting skill.

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...

What does the name “Harpers Ferry” mean to you? For gun fans and history buffs, it’s tied to a proud tradition of gun making. Fast forward to the 21st...

So you understand everything there is to know about semi autos, right? You get all the ins and outs of your tilting-barrel locked 1911, GLOCK or CZ-75?...

Ruger was fashionably late to the 1911 party. The right time was 2011, the 100th anniversary of the advent of what is still the best semi-auto design ever...

The pistol next to my keyboard is an aluminum-framed 1911 with a fluted match grade barrel measuring 3.8" from back of hood to the deeply crowned muzzle....

One of the most talked-about things at the NRA’s 2017 Annual Meeting in Atlanta was Springfield Armory’s introduction of their XD-E, a traditional...

Have you ever wondered where firearms manufacturers come up with the names for their handguns? Holding focus groups, maybe even holding a contest among...

The Mustang, a derivative of the .380 Government Model, is a locked-breech, single-action pistol also originally available in a lightweight “Pocketlite”...

I stood in Armand Swenson’s garage looking at the stacks of boxed 1911’s lining all three walls people had sent to him for custom builds.

His Editorship always encourages we writers to “think outside the box.” How’s this then: some thoughts about carbines firing handgun cartridges? There...

A classic since its introduction in the year 1935, it’s known in Europe as the GP for Grande Puissance and in the USA by the English translation, High...

Magnesium, chemical symbol Mg, is in Group 2 in the Periodic Table of the Elements and has an atomic number of 12. It’s the ninth most abundant element in...

The original Taurus PTlll and PT140, introduced way back in 1998, were excellent pistols. So why, now, these “Generation 2.0” versions? Actually, having...

The new Excel Industries MP-22 Accelerator Pistol chambered in .22 WMR is also available in 5.7x28mm — the famous FNH round. My test pistol tipped the...

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...

Recently I was scrutinizing my hunting handguns and I noticed a void in some of the T/C Encore line-up I had. I hadn’t heard much from T/C in some time.

It’s not difficult to notice the 10mm Auto continues to gain popularity and I’ll confess we’re doing what we can to help out! It’s an amazingly...

Within every legendary handgun company there are individual product lines, generally centered around a specific application, or in modern Tacti-Speak, a...

My dreams — good or bad — are vivid. Late in 2015 I had to undergo open heart surgery. Still under the effects of anesthesia a night or two after the...

Most people who follow the custom pistol world — especially the XD world — are likely aware of Powder River Precision. Founded by pistolsmith Daniel...

I was at the Brownells Gunsmith Fair a few years ago talking to a polite young gent in a tie. We were in line for lunch and I had struck up a conversation...

Once upon a time in America every handgun was made from steel. Oh sure some few had bits of brass here or there and of course all had stocks (today called...

For those of us who lived through them, the 1970’s were heady days. Star Wars left movie theaters awash in the copious drool of countless enraptured...

"Having a gun” is, indeed, a good idea if you need one. People who carry guns for defense (or even sometimes because they have to, like cops), often...

A few years ago I got the idea I needed a full-sized 1911 chambered in 9mm. I thought it would be easy to find one but how wrong I was. By this time...

I think you’re there, Dusty. I think you can do it.” I was talking to my dear friend, Dustin Housel, “Dusty” to everyone, about a year ago. We were...

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...

Usually when manufacturers bring out something new and improved it’s anything but, so it’s a very special occasion when it’s actually accomplished....

Due to an act of overt, shameless kindness on the part of J.J. Reich and staffers at Vista Outdoors I was able to scrape up a nice assortment of various .22...

American cops today carry mostly striker-fired duty pistols or hammer-fired SIG or HK double actions, and unless they’ve been customized they always seem...

I had fun shooting some old battle-weary Colt 1911’s — tossing in a Rock Island Armory basic mil-spec 1911 too — a few issues ago (Insider, July/Aug...

His Editorship, Roy, has some funny ideas. One is we writers should earn our remuneration. I had to look that word up in the dictionary. Another is we...

Springfield Armory is one of the top producers of semi-automatics on the 1911 pattern, and the arrival of the Range Officer was greeted enthusiastically....

My life has been full of handguns — to the tune of several hundred. These have been both personally owned, or sent on consignment from their manufacturers...

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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....

I’m lookin’ for a word here and can’t find it. What’s the right word to describe something really cool; something with terrific potential — but...

John Browning designed this iconic pistol for the .45 ACP, and the .45 ACP emerged from Frankford (Philadelphia, Penn.) Arsenal for the 1911.

Sometimes smaller guns make the Concealed Carry Favorites list because even though they’re more difficult to shoot, they’re at least small and easy to...

Kahr’s new CW380, while small, would be too small to hold and shoot well and, therefore, less than ideal for use as a concealed carry pistol. At least,...

For the concealed carry of a handgun I generally regard plastic holsters as those to be used when I need to put a holster on or off quickly and more than...

Near the top of my list of Unsung Handgun Heroes resides a Taurus PT 1911 AL-R, a great house gun or car gun with a long list of standard features and,...

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...

Long before I had much in the way of expendable income for buying sixguns I enjoyed looking at the works of such past gunsmiths as O’Meara, Houchins,...