Handguns

The DBX57 compact, lightweight, and offers plenty of firepower to escape a self-defense situation. It’s also reliable, durable, and well-designed. If you’re looking for a PDW, you can’t do much better than Diamondback’s new pistol.

Last year, Beretta introduced the 21A Bobcat Covert with a threaded barrel. The 21A is a very user-friendly pistol with a number of great features.

If you love America, 1911’s, and think plastic pistols should be melted into Tupperware, then the Kimber Micro 9 Rapide Black Ice just might be the EDC you’ve been dreaming of. It’s small, thin, light, smooth, and absolutely gorgeous.

The new Spectre series from SIG, in a nutshell, is the proven P320 platform and the P365XL sent to the SIG Custom Shop for some ZEVish style custom work.

About a decade ago, give or take, the baseline for what made a great polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun was changed overnight when Walther introduced us to the PPQ. Its ergonomics were all the rage, as was its performance and accuracy – but it was that trigger that knocked the industry on its butt. The light, crisp trigger of the PPQ with its very short and tactile reset had every IDPA shooter in the country taking those make-up shots without adding time to their scores. It is hard to overstate the revolution that was started by that pistol.

Hammer-fired handguns look beautiful, they’re incredibly easy to shoot but something in me seems to believe they’re becoming dated platforms. I know many people are going to stop reading right now but hear me out.

Those who have followed my writing over the years will, no doubt, remember that I am a self-avowed Smith J-frame addict. That being said, more than one friend has encouraged me to take a serious look at Ruger’s little LCR. This assignment was just the nudge I needed.

The 856 Defender isn’t a perfect revolver, but like many Taurus products, it lives in a nice middle ground between bargain bin and custom Gucci. It’s light (but not too light), well-built, reliable, reasonably priced, and accurate enough to get the job done. It’s the everyman’s revolver, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to carry it.

I find the standard Government 1911 too heavy for concealed carry; I prefer to carry a 1911 that is lighter, while just as accurate and reliable as it’s bigger cousins. I found one in the Springfield Armory’s new Ronin Operator 4.25”.