GunsAmerica Product Reviews – Pistols

The Kimber .380 is a tight little gun. Like the Solo, it is exceptionally well finished. The Micro Carry makes the Mustangs look rather pedestrian. And that’s Kimber’s niche. If you are looking for a single action pistol with custom features, Kimber is the place to start the search. The Micros will be available in stainless, all black and Kimber’s signature two-tone style (which often adds a third tone with the wooden grips). Once the initial demand recedes, they should settle out around $600.

When Springfield designed the RO 45 Range Officer, the objective was to produce a finely matched 1911 that could be used in competition but wouldn’t cost thousands of dollars. It’s made from close tolerance, match-grade components without all the fancy extras that you may or may not need. The company evidently hit the nail on the head because its selling ROs as fast as they can build them. The newest member of the Range Officer line is the RO 9 in 9mm, introduced a couple of weeks before the 2014 SHOT Show. It has the same dimensions, match grade parts and shooting accuracy, only in the softer recoiling, and less expensive, 9mm cartridge. Springfield also had the new XDs 4.0 to show us. The original XDs had a 3.3” barrel. Extending the barrel to 4” makes for a better balanced pistol with a longer sight radius. Should be easier pointing and more accurate for the average shooter. MSRP starts at $599.

Walther Arms https://www.waltherarms.com/ If you haven’t ever picked up a Walther PPQ M2, you need to. The compact pistol fits in the hand like few other stock pistols model on the market. While it isn’t much to look at, the PPQ defines utilitarian ergonomics. From the aggressive serrations on the slide to the exaggerated curves [...]

Generally speaking, a company introducing a new 1911 wouldn’t make much of a stir. That’s not the case with the EAA 1911. This is the first polymer frame 1911 made by any company, and that’s got a lot of people talking. If you’re thinking, Whoa! Wait a minute. A plastic 1911? Isn’t that an oxymoron? From what we saw, no. Polymer actually works quite well with this platform. First of all, only the frame is polymer. The slide rides on a pair of steel rail systems. Second, all the accessories for the 1911 fit this gun as well. So you can use your favorite grip panels, laser grips, sights, and so forth.

Turnbull Manufacturing https://www.turnbullmfg.com/ Turnbull Manufacturing, located in the bucolic community of Bloomfield, NY, in the Finger Lakes region, is known far and wide for their exquisite restorations. The company does museum restorations as well as jobs for individuals who had a favorite gun damaged in a fire or bought a rare find suffering from the [...]

Looking for a new carry piece? Wait until you see the Bondhus CL380. This collapsible pocket rocket is about the size of a credit card and as thick as a cellphone in a case. The clockwork-like action looks more complex than it actually is. Simply fold open the wings, rock up the trigger mechanism, secure the whole contraption between your fingers, and you’ll have two barrels of .380 ACP and a laser ready to roll.

Glock is rocking the show with two new pistols. The first is their all-new G42. This is a sub-compact .380 auto – slim, compact, and super concealable. In fact, it’s the smallest Glock ever introduced. They’ve combined the small size of the .380 auto platform with Glock dependability to give you a gun you can count on when the chips are down. You can see the new G42 here. The other new Glock is their G41 Gen 4 — what they call their “practical/tactical.” This is in essence G21 internals and dimensions with a G41 slide. The longer barrel and slide help reduce muzzle flip while providing a longer sight radius for more accurate shot placement. The combination delivers an improvement in weight distribution, resulting in a well-balanced .45 ACP pistol for competition, self defense or duty carry. With a 13-round magazine, you can be sure of bringing plenty of fire power with you. Weight is a respectable 27 ounces empty. The trigger weight is a typical Glock trigger weight of 5.5 pounds. In all it is a very nice configuration for a lighter, better balanced, full size .45.

Taurus has their new concealed carry revolver here at SHOT show, and it is turning heads. This new little pistol is called The View and it’s easy to see why. A substantial section of the gun’s frame is made of clear Lexan. The rest of the frame is aluminum alloy. But don’t worry about the strength of frame. The titanium cylinder and stainless steel lined titanium barrel are going to take most of the punishment.

Sig Sauer, long known for its innovative firearms designs, is moving into an entirely new arena and doing it in a big way. The Sig P320 is striker-fired pistol. That alone would be news enough for a company that has a dedicated following of shooters who like exposed hammers. But no. Sig is upping the ante. The Sig P320 is modular. One gun can be changed up to various frame sizes, or slide lengths, or calibers.