David Higginbotham

Size matters. With mouse guns, everyone is racing to the bottom. How do you combine power and performance, while taking away weight and size? Beretta has done it. The Pico shoots like a bigger gun. What you give up in ease of control, you make up for in performance.

Last week, I offered up my top 5 list of compact 9mms. Some of you took issue with my choices. That’s cool. I get it. So I’m trying it again. This time, I’m looking at 10 of the best single-stacks ideal for concealed carry.

Now that James Bond has an iron clad set of balls, it’s time he upgraded his arsenal. While there’s nothing uniquely gadget-like about the Primary Weapons Systems MK107P, it does come in a briefcase. Q would be a bit jealous. And a tuxedoed 007 would look sharp carrying the Kenneth Cole case, but to hell with Bond. The novelty of the briefcase evaporates when you pull the trigger. This AR pistol is a surgical tool–it’s better than Bond–the PWS MK107P is exactly what’s right about America.

After I blew a hose while checking game cams deep in the Arkansas woods, I had the unexpected opportunity to use some of the contents of the Henry Survival Kit. Obviously I made it back to write this review. Here’s what I found.

When I think of the Henry brand, I don’t typically think about survival rifles. The company is much more well known for their lever-action powerhouses. But Henry makes other things, too, and the U.S. Survival Rifle, or AR-7, is a winner. It is compact, practical, and the AR-7’s accuracy will make you think twice about your go-to rimfire rifle.

A couple of weeks ago, we ran a Top 5 Compact .45 ACP article that stirred up a lot of controversy. That isn’t surprising. A lot of you have already formed your own opinions. I expect this list will be just as contentious, if not more. The list of compact .45s is limited, as there aren’t that many out there. 9mm is a different story. There are a lot of compact 9mms–choosing the best five requires a lot more thought. But we’re up top the task.

The .308 battle rifle is making a comeback. Ruger released their SR762 to high praise. Colt’s modular 901 can accept uppers in .308 and .223. The AR10 is still alive and kicking, and rocking throwbacks, like Springfield Armory’s MiA line, manage to be both nostalgic and innovative. What is it about the hard-hitting 7.62 x 51 that makes it so appealing? Wasn’t the high-pitched crack of the AR-15 sound the death knell of oversized, overweight, overkill? Apparently not. There’s more staying power in the old-school battle rifle than the slew of 5.56 rifles would have us believe. None of this is news to the fans of the H&K G3. Yet import restrictions make the G3, and the H&K 91 (the civilian version of the G3) hard to come by stateside. Don’t give up hope. At the upcoming SHOT show in January 2014, PTR will launch a new version of the Classic Wood 91, the KR. The K is for Kurz, which refers to the 16-inch barrel. The R denotes a welded rail. With a shorter barrel and a rail, the new iteration will appeal to those who respect the classic look of an old G3. It will also speak to those who want a hard-hitting CQB rifle with manageable length and the option to more easily add optics. If you are looking for heavyweight precision, with just a hint of German engineering, take a good long look at the PTR 91. These American-made 91s are taking the iconic H&K design to new levels of precision and reliability.

Parallax Tactical is gaining momentum with the black rifle crowd. I found them the old fashioned way, by discovering I needed something, and then searching out the solution. Regular readers may have heard me bitch about my simian build. I’m tall. Not freakishly so, but 6’4″. Those of you who can sympathize will know what a pain in the ass it can be. I don’t fit in foreign cars. Flying is a grotesque comedy, and carbine length AR-15s too often feel like toys. I have long monkey arms, and need a long length of pull. While Parallax hasn’t solved the LOP issue, they do make a great forend that is changing the way I think about the AR.

Most coverage of concealed carry guns focuses on thin, polymer framed autos that try to pack increasingly larger rounds into smaller packages. Revolvers are treated as antiquated. But Smith & Wesson hasn’t given up on the wheel gun, and the new M&P Bodyguard with an even more effective Crimson Trace laser is making a compelling case for the old-school five shot.