Semi-Autos

  I must confess that sometimes I am a bit of a gun snob, especially as it relates to rifles. I don’t have any full custom second mortgage guns, but I generally look well above the price point of the M&P 10 that came in for review this week. As a retired military sniper and [...]

First and foremost, because it is small. Beyond small – it’s tiny. The LC9s Pro is what I would categorize as a micro-9. Its dimensions are literally just enough to handle the size of the cartridge and pressures created and nothing more. This makes the pistol incredibly concealable.

Review of the Canik TP9 SFx pistol.  The TP9 SFx was ready to go right out of the box for Production Division or Carry Optics Division with the addition of a red dot optic.    In the future, if I decide to switch divisions, or stop competing in USPSA matches, the TP9 SFx could fill a home defense role. 

The Germans produced vast quantities of indigenous handguns, but they had to reach out to their occupied territories to meet the ever-growing demand. Early in the war most all of the pistols used by Germany were well built and effective. By the end around-the-clock strategic bombing had taken its toll. Even domestically produced versions became crude and rough. Those guns made by slave labor in the occupied territories were at times unsafe. Here is a brief roundup of the many-splendored handguns used by the Wehrmacht, Waffen SS, Luftwaffe, and Kriegsmarine during World War 2.

Remington has had some mild successes on the handgun front, and several debacles. I know all about those debacles, I came off the top rope over the RP9, and I stand by that decision. Big Green and I might’ve had a difference of opinion over that, but they didn’t hold a grudge. And I am glad, because this week we are taking a look at something that is an unmitigated success.

SIG Sauer is best known for military-style hardware, ranging from submachine guns and sniper rifles, to the new Army M17 pistol. It is easy to forget they also make 1911 pistols, some of the best around. The first time I shot a Sig 1911 over a decade ago, it was hard to miss the value of the included high-end features. This year, SIG released a special edition “ We the People” model, a sure win for collectors.

Mechanical systems evolve over time. The earliest German Messerschmitt Bf 109 A fighter plane first flew in 1937. That remarkable aircraft sported a Jumo 210A 600-horsepower engine driving a fixed-pitch two-bladed propeller. Seven years later the Bf 109 G-6 carried a Daimler-Benz DB 605A-1 powerplant producing 1,455 hp turning a constant-speed variable-pitch paddle-geometry three-bladed prop. The G-6 was easily twice as capable as the earlier A model. The Nazis ultimately produced 33, 984 copies of the plane. Operational pressures exerted by full-bore combat on three fronts drove the Bf 109 to evolve over time.

Bond Arms has been making quality products for a very long time, most notably derringers that are standard by which all others are judged. Made in Texas, by Texans. Let us not forget that either. This year, however, they have stepped out into magazine fed arena. And the product should have other CCW specialty companies worried.

Among the unicorns of handguns, perhaps only the Bren Ten surpasses the .44 Auto Mag in the world of “ Guns that should have made it.” The Auto Mag has a long and storied history, with less than 9,000 total guns produced. It could easily be described as a great idea, poorly executed, with some bad business plans tossed in the mix. It is estimated that the original Auto Mag cost the company $1,000 in losses for each gun that went out the door. The last of the original Auto Mag chambered in .44 AMP was assembled in 1982. In 2015, a new company formed the Auto Mag LTD. Corp.purchased all the rights to the bring it back to the market.