Handguns

S&W’s Performance Center Bodyguard 2.0 Carry Comp is a tiny .380 that shoots flatter than it should, carries easier than most, and only needed one fix at the sights.

The Altor 9mm is crude, awkward, and about as far from a refined carry gun as you can get. That’s exactly why this odd little single-shot pistol makes such a provocative modern echo of the FP45 Liberator, and why its implications reach way beyond the range.

Springfield Armory and Aimpoint did not just bolt a red dot onto an Echelon and call it innovation. The 4.0FC COA feels like a factory-built optic pistol that actually starts where most plate-mounted guns stop, with a lower, cleaner, tougher setup that makes a whole lot of sense the moment you pick it up.

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