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Before there was a Sig P226 or a Beretta M92 there was a the Browning High Power. It was made by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium, and was designed by John Moses Browning like like the Colt 1911. But unlike the 1911, the High Power has always stayed under the Browning name and it is still manufactured today by Miroku in Japan. The major departure from the 1911 on the High Power is the feature that brings the 226 and M92 into the same family of guns. It is a double action/single action, method of firing. On the first shot, the trigger both pulls back the hammer and releases it, like a revolver. Once the first round is fired, the hammer stays back from being cocked by the recoil of the first shot, then the second shot fires single action. The tangent sight marks this as a military contract High Power. It is among the more desirable models from a collector standpoint.
The tangent sight marks this as a military contract High Power. It is among the more desirable models from a collector standpoint.
This double action/single action design evolved into an entire class of pistols, that eventually came with hammer decockers and safety decockers, but the original High Power had neither of those. It can be carried with the simple manual safety engaged, hammer back in single action (holstered of course), or without the safety engaged in double action mode. There have been several copies of the Browning FN high power over the years, but the original High Power is still made today for Browning by Miroku in Japan. Examples of the Belgian made High Powers are thought to be the original classic guns, and are sought by both collectors and shooters today.

The Smith & Wesson M&P pistol needs no introduction at this point. Since its introduction the M&P has been one of the best striker fired guns in the market. An oddity about the gun is one of few complaints that you hear from competitors who shoot the M&P in matches. It is that two part rocking trigger. Apex Tactical makes a line of improved triggers for many of the most popular pistols in the world, and they recented added the Smith and Wesson M&P handgun to the list with the Polymer Forward Set Sear Kit. The replacement trigger is completely redesigned and looks more like other factory triggers than the hinged trigger offered on the stock S&W platform. The polymer kit, introduced about 6 months ago, keeps the cost down without degrading function, while improving usability. The factory trigger is one of the pistols biggest criticisms from trainers and end users compared to the aluminum kit. The name of the trigger defines the function of the kit. It moves the sear forward allowing the shot to break earlier in the squeeze of the shot, the uniquely shaped trigger provides a built-in over travel stop, giving the shooter a short crisp shot that gives positive reset for faster follow-up shots.

Ladies, have you ever been advised to “just use a revolver” because you have trouble racking the slide on a semi-automatic handgun? Men, ever feel frustrated that you can’t grip the slide as firmly as you once did? Ladies in particular have often been advised away from the semi-auto handgun because they have trouble gripping and racking the slide. But before you men snicker too much – I personally know some gentlemen that have lost hand strength in their golden years and have difficulty with semi-autos. Many men also lose grip strength due to illness or injury. I know young athletic men that have experienced an injury that temporarily leaves them unable to rack a semi-auto. Luckily for us all, there is a pretty slick little product available that addresses this problem for everyone – the Handi-Racker.

The Walther P 38, caliber 9mm, was one of the most important handguns of World War II and became among the most influential pistols of the twentieth century. It earned a reputation for accuracy superior to most service pistols, and the P 38’s takedown lever made field maintenance and cleaning simple compared to any other service pistol. The 9mm cartridge does not have the smash of our own .45 ACP cartridge, but the 9mm shoots flat over a distance and penetrates web gear in a superior fashion. The P 38 is reliable, a great shooter and a good recreational handgun. The postwar P 38 and the slightly modified P 1 use an aluminum frame. These handguns are well made with good material, lighter than the steel frame P 38, and reliable. Parts from the original generally interchange with the P 1.

Carrying a gun as a woman is nothing like carrying a gun as a man. Men can get away with wearing the same thing almost every day, and loose and comfortable men’s clothes naturally lend themselves to belt or front pocket carry of a firearm. Even men’s shorts generally have numerous deep pockets and a belt. A woman who wants to carry a gun every day has to navigate pants, shorts, skirts, dresses, and enough different types of tops to make your head spin. Very few of them have the cut and support to hide a firearm. Most women’s clothes are form fitting by design, and unless a woman wears bluejeans every day, there is no guarantee that any garment is going to have any waist support at all. We found an interesting company called “The Well Armed Woman” owned and run by Carrie Lightfoot, an active NRA certified trainer who works with women. Facing frustration with the male holster world, Carrie has found, modified and even created a whole bunch of products made just for the concealed carry needs of a woman. Female wardrobes being what they are, there is no way that a woman can just buy and use one option for concealed carry. CCW for a woman also requires a “wardrobe” of sorts. The holster you use for jogging isn’t going to work at the office, and the holster you use at the office isn’t going to work out on the town. We tried a number of options, including the belly band, a thigh holster, a camisole with holster built in, and even the famed inside the bra holster. Every option has its place, but on a limited budget you’ll have to choose a couple that fit most situations.

Great guns are always the most difficult to review. After all, a gun is just a fairly simple mechanical device that is made to withstand a bunch of force and direct its energy in a particular direction, one that you are aiming at. What made the original XD-S such an amazing great gun when it was first introduced was that it did this in a big caliber, without a lot of wear and tear on the shooter. Shooting.the tiny, pocketable XD-S 45ACP without a disabling recoil or muzzle flip is pretty amazing when you try it in person. You won’t believe how different the gun shoots unless you try it. The newest XD-S, in 9mm, is the same size as the original 45, brought to market this year in response to overwhelming demand for the smaller caliber. It shoots even lighter than the original, holds two more rounds, and side by side with every other “micro-9” in the market, flips a lot less. The XD-S is a full featured pistol, with a loaded round indicator, last round hold open, and the new 9mm comes with two 7 round magazines, an outside the waistband holster, and a dual magazine holster. It it also has an grip insert for smaller hands and extra fiber optic sight inserts in two colors. The street price of the XD-S 9mm should be around $550-$600. Nobody was surprised that Springfield came out with a 9mm XD-S, and we await the .40S&W version, but until you shoot the gun it is difficult to understand just how much the XD-S, in both the original .45ACP and now 9mm, outclasses the competition. If you remember our original review of the XD-S .45ACP back in June of last year, we correctly predicted that this gun would be a game changer for the market. The 9mm version is more of the same, for those who want a couple more rounds in the mag and an even lighter shooting pocket pistol. They should be at your local gun dealers this week.

It was a huge surprise when, on March 1st, right at the top of the high cap mag crisis, I got an email from the Sportsman’s Guide for “100 Round AR-15 Magazines.” Excuse me? What do you live in a cave? Who isn’t sold out on any and all AR-15 mags for six months at this point? But sure enough, the sale was real, and while people were still buying 30 round P-Mags on the auction sites for almost 100 bucks each, I got two of what appear to be exact copies of the Beta C-Mag for $179 each (after I joined their stupid club, otherwise they are $199). Initially I thought that it was kind of a dumb move. They were probably a cheap Chinese copy and probably didn’t work well, but since I could write about them for you guys, and “the company” could pay for them, I figured I’d give them a try. Bad reviews are as well received as positive reviews here, and if they were anything like the other after high cap mags I have bought at gun shows over the years, they would end up in the garbage after my scathing review.

Walk down the ammunition aisle in any sporting goods store and sticker shock will set in, if the shelves aren’t totally bare, that is. With prices continuing to soar and meager supplies being gobbled up faster than drumsticks on Thanksgiving, how can shooters stay on top of their game? LaserLyte has come up with an answer in its LTS ReactionTyme targets, and unlike many other systems, it employs your personal-defense firearm so you can train from the comfort of home—where you may actually need to use that gun.

Taurus has always been renowned for its top-notch warranty. Basically, the gun is guaranteed for life, and the warranty goes with the gun from owner to owner.

This year, instead of heading off in some radical new direction, Taurus refined an old favorite. The PT111 has long been known for its small size and respectable firepower, so Taurus decided to push the envelope by reworking its striker-fired PT111 9 mm into the PT111 Millennium G2, part of its “Carry On” series for the concealed carry (CCW) market. The PT140 was also reworked into a similar PT140 Millennium G2 in .40 S&W. If you take a look at the gun pictures, it is head and shoulders better looking than the original Millennium guns, and we hope to get one in to test in hand. Taurus seems to have a new focus on making fewer different guns better, and this gun could be a pleasant surprise at an affordable price.