David Higginbotham

Last year GLOCK was downsizing. The .380 GLOCK 42 is a force to contend with, but it doesn’t compare to the new GLOCK 40. If you are think bigger is better (and we’re talking much bigger) check out this behemoth from SHOT Show 2015.

Tac-Con made a big spalsh with the 3MR, an AR trigger that runs almost as fast as full-auto. Now they’re adding to that trigger and taking on the AK platform, too. Drop in triggers for AKs and the Saiga 12? That’s just half of the news. The 3MR is evolving too. Now the lightning fast trigger has a third position–a two-stage trigger with a one pound break. Speed and accuracy from one trigger–and the price is coming down.

As AR pistols get smaller and smaller, they loose power. And the blast is hard to handle. The pistol caliber carbines have been slow to catch on, but that’s about to change. CZ’s new 9mm powerhouse, the Scorpion, is epic. It is exceptionally well built, and the price is going to knock you over.

If you own a pistol with a SIG Brace, or the like, you need to read this. The BATFE has just issued an open letter to all of us that says we can no longer shoulder our arm-brace-equipped pistols unless we register them as short barreled rifles. This is the single biggest industry news of 2015, and is going to make a lot of folks really angry.

Some high-end 1911s are exceptionally well-built works of art that don’t seem to be designed for daily carry. They’re pretty. Not this one. The Christensen 1911 Commander is one of the most complex versions of the old Browning single-action I’ve ever seen. This titanium framed .45 ACP is built for several lifetimes of daily carry.

Fans of the Ruger 10/22, listen up. The Charger, Ruger’s big .22 pistol based on the 10/22, is back. There are two new versions, and both come packed with features that I hope will be standard on every new Ruger. These fun guns look good, too–read our review.

Just in time for SHOT 2015, FN America has released a compact version of their FNS. The new FNS-9C is a solid pistol–it shoots well, has great controls, and is ideal for concealed carry. And the best part may be the price tag.

Getting a gun safe is the first step in protecting your guns. But you can’t always stay with your safe, and no safe is 100% immune to theft or fire. Liberty Safes has an innovative solution. Their SafElert system allows for text and email alerts, and real-time monitoring of the safe. And it isn’t going to break the bank, either.

With the upcoming Modular Handgun System trials looming, Beretta has made a surprise addition to their M9 family. The M9A3 is an overhauled M9, and it looks like a solid gun. I had the chance to talk to Beretta’s Vice President of Military Marketing and Sales about the new M9A3, and the role Beretta intends for the new gun, and it has nothing to do with the upcoming trials. But the M9A3 just might shake things up.