Pistol

A .22 LR handgun is easy to dismiss until you carry one all day, shoot it well, and watch it punch deeper than expected. For hunters, trappers, and everyday carriers in the woods, the humble rimfire sidearm still has teeth.

The plain SIG P365 still earns its place as a daily carry pistol because it balances concealability, capacity, shootability, and trust better than almost anything in the micro-compact 9mm world.

Sturm, Ruger & Co. just introduced something a little different for the pocket-pistol crowd: a battery-free micro reflex sight designed specifically for the Ruger LCP MAX.

As of May 2025, the CMP has officially doubled the lifetime purchase limit on surplus M1911 and M1911A1 pistols from two guns to four.

Springfield Armory is officially doubling down on closed-emitter pistol optics.

The Smith & Wesson M&P Shield X is not just a stretched Shield with a fresh label slapped on the box. It shoots flatter, carries easier than a thicker compact, and makes a very strong case for being the smarter slimline 9mm for everyday carry.

The Safariland Incog XS takes the proven Incog idea and strips it down into a faster, cleaner, easier-to-live-with IWB rig. After running it from concealment with a Glock 19 pattern setup, the big surprise was not just how comfortable it was, but how quickly it got out of the way.

The HK VP9CC brings the VP9 bloodline into a true micro-compact 9mm carry pistol, complete with German engineering, an ultra-low optic cut, and the kind of price tag that makes expectations very serious. After 800 trouble-free rounds, this little HK has plenty to brag about, even if a few sharp edges bite back.

The Rock Island Armory GI Standard 1911 looks like a no-frills throwback, but this budget .45 turned out to be far more shootable and drama-free than its price tag suggests. After 300 rounds and zero malfunctions, the question is not whether it is cheap. It is whether this plain GI-style pistol might be the smartest low-dollar entry into the 1911 platform.