Handguns

Colt finally gave the Python its polished blue skin back, and the 3-inch version might be the sweet spot of the whole line. It looks like a safe queen, carries like a serious belt gun, and shoots well enough to make you forgive a few snake-like quirks.

In the last year or two, I’ve leaned into snub nose revolvers and have been lucky enough to test a variety of calibers and have come to adore both the LCR in 9mm and the S&W 940.

The Ruger LCP Max takes the old pocket .380 formula and finally makes it feel modern. For California buyers especially, this little pistol delivers real sights, real capacity, real concealability, and a price tag that makes it awfully hard to dismiss.

Uintah’s UP-10 blends AR ergonomics with bolt-action precision, staying compact, quiet, and flat-out useful with both subsonics and supersonics.

Smith & Wesson’s M&P22X brings full-size ergonomics, a crisp 3.5 pound trigger, 20+1 capacity, and suppressor ready convenience to the .22 LR lane. We ran it with irons, a red dot, and a can to see if this rimfire really shoots laser flat and stays reliable.

If you live in the Golden State, you’re aware that there are significant limitations on which firearms you’re legally allowed to possess. That means Californians interested in exercising their Second Amendment rights must pick and choose from a CA-compliant roster of handguns

Sig jumps into the 2011 game with the P211 GTO and it flat-out rips. We ran plates and a match to see if this ROMEOX-equipped 9mm really stays glued to target.

The Beretta 92 series absolutely dominated action movies in the late 80s and early 90s. It made appearances in Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Kuffs, and more than I care to list.

The Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo feels like a compact 9mm built with a mission, not a marketing meeting. We ran it suppressed and compensated, and it stayed smooth, flat, and stubbornly reliable.