Pistol

Called the 1911 Black Army, these freshly minted 1911s are based on a 1918 version of the most iconic American military sidearm.

I was perfectly content with the standard P365, it has been my everyday carry since I purchased it to do my first P365 article, but then I tried the XL. So how do you make a great little gun even better?

Even though it’s been out of production for more than a decade now, strap on Heckler & Koch’s P7M8 and many gun people will know what it is.

The concealed carry market is crowded. Pocket guns are one of the fastest growing segments of the firearms industry, and there’s no sign of slowing down. (Even Mossberg – Mossberg! – offers a subcompact 9mm, for crying out loud.) In such a dense environment, Standard Manufacturing’s new S333 Thunderstruck stands out. For better or worse, the Thunderstruck isn’t a gun you’re likely to see every day, and I’ve had a blast putting it through its paces.

While the world continues to fill with new 1911 manufacturers due to the fantastic original design and readily available precision machining centers, Kimber continues to focus on meeting market demands for an Every Day Carry (EDC) 1911 with their Aegis Elite Pro.

True though that might be, we carry tiny guns specifically because they’re not Glock 19s, CZ 75s, Walther PPQs or Smith & Wesson M&Ps.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that the Taurus TX22 may have eclipsed all other budget-friendly training handguns in this category. Released earlier this year, the TX22 holds 16 rounds in each double-stacked magazine, is insanely comfortable to shoot, maintains reliability after hundreds of rounds, and has a great trigger, to boot.

Springfield’s Range Officer Elite Operator in 10mm is the latest model in their 1911 lineup. Offering all the premium features found in the RO Elite series, the Elite Operator in 10mm brings the power for those wanting magnum-like ballistics.

Over the course of my five-day testing period, the FN 509 Midsize was stored in a by-the-bed lockbox, inside my wife’s concealed-carry purse, and in a standard hip holster. Most pleasing, however, is the fact that you can bank on full-sized pistol performance in a midsize package.