GunsAmerica Product Reviews – Pistols

Smith & Wesson has made a major improvement to what is already a formidable pistol. The Shield is now even better for concealed carry, and may make the .380s out there irrelevant.

I’ve had a lifelong fascination with oddball guns. The Marble’s Game Getter Gun, a storied gun with a long and troubled history, speaks to me. By today’s standards, the skeletal over-under is underpowered, and a bit slow. Yet the single-shot Game Getter Gun lives on in the survival-minded offerings of Springfield Armory, and Savage, and even Chiappa.

What’s most impressive about the new 9mm Springfield Armory Range Officer is that it’s a gun that’s just easy to shoot well. I was at the range doing some drills at 21 feet and asked a friend if he’d like to shoot it. He’s relatively new to shooting and had never shot a model 1911, but he was eager to give it a try. He took careful aim and put his first shot into the center of the bullseye. His comment? “I like this gun. I really like it!” That about sums it up for me too.

Heckler & Koch is about to begin shipping the VP9, its latest striker fired pistol, and the reports coming in could not be any more positive. From the adjustable grip panels to the trigger, the VP9 is taking a familiar platform and making some serious improvements and doing it at a competitive price.

Kahr’s latest line of pistols is something to see. The company’s taken all of the features of its premium pistols and shaved off the extras to leave behind an exceptionally functional pistol that sells for much less. It’s producing guns that can compete with anything on the market, and at a price point that spanks most of their competition. The CT45 and CT40 should be serious contenders for anyone looking for a concealed carry gun.

When Remington announced its intentions to begin remaking 1911s in the centennial year of the venerable platform, no one was terribly surprised. 2011 was arguably a better year for 1911s than the original model year. Everyone was making them. The surge brought new energy to the single action, and shooters were willing to test out the cocked-and-locked philosophy. Yet most of the new pistols on the market were oddly incomplete. If you wanted to carry one for defensive purposes, you needed to make some minor changes. The one stand-out for me, the one anniversary year 1911 that felt completely thought out, is the Remington R1 Carry.

Enter the EAA Witness Pavona, built in Italy by Tangfolio. Designed by and for women, this pistol is more than just a pretty face. The creative team included Sharon Lacy, who did extensive research on the needs of women shooters, including gathering direct feedback from women gun owners of all ages and experience levels. The Pavona semi-automatic pistol is specifically engineered with their issues in mind, and addresses many of the common problems women have with guns.

The name Mossberg instantly conjures images of “best in class” shotguns and a company moniker that has earned a place among the few elite firearms makers in the U.S., or even the world. If you’ve been paying attention over the past few years, you may also know that Mossberg has made a strong entry into the modern sporting rifle (AR-15, etc.) market. But when you open the box containing the 715P Duck Commander—even when you know what’s inside—your mouth will open just a little bit, and you may be heard muttering, “Cool!”

In early 2010, Florida-based Diamondback Firearms released its first pistol to the US market. That pistol was the Diamondback DB380 micro-compact 380 Auto. Over the last four years, there have been many additional variations of the DB380 released. Most of the variations featured colored grip frames, different sighting systems or additional finish treatments on the slide. The latest model, the DB380SL, can be considered the second generation of the DB380 and includes several functional and aesthetic improvements to the original design.