Handguns

Toward the end of each year, I survey the work R.K. Campbell, Robert Sadowski, Tracey Taylor, and Joe Woolley have done in Gun Tests, with an eye toward selecting guns, accessories, and ammunition the magazine’s testers have endorsed. From these evaluations I pick the best from a full year’s worth of tests and distill recommendations for readers, who often use them as shopping guides. These choices are a mixture of our original tests and other information I’ve compiled during the year. After we roll high-rated test products into long-term testing, I keep tabs on how those guns do, and if the firearms and accessories continue performing well, then I have confidence including these firearms in this wrap-up. 

A wide selection of 1911 handguns with a rail for mounting combat lights are considered thoroughly modern and useful by many shooters. Those who would like to own a gun with a rail often find a mix of rail types and very expensive handguns. In this test we shoot two affordable handguns with rails and find things we like about both. In common with many other inexpensive 1911 handguns, each could benefit from judicious upgrading, but whether that’s worth it is up to you. Here’s what we found when we fired a Global Defense Thunderbolt, $740, side by side with a Tisas Raider, $630.

Back in March 2023, we reviewed the Hellcat Pro and gave it a solid A grade and a Best Buy rating. In this match up, we pit two Hellcat Pro pistols against each other. They are virtually the same except the recently introduced Hellcat Pro Comp OSP has a ported barrel, while the Hellcat Pro OSP has a standard barrel. We also changed it up by reviewing two Hellcats equipped with either a Shield RMSc or SMSc red dot. That refers to the OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) acronym in the model names. The Hellcat Pro Comp is about $70 more than the standard Hellcat Pro.

Back in March 2023, we reviewed the Hellcat Pro and gave it a solid A grade and a Best Buy rating. In this match up, we pit two Hellcat Pro pistols against each other. They are virtually the same except the recently introduced Hellcat Pro Comp OSP has a ported barrel, while the Hellcat Pro OSP has a standard barrel. We also changed it up by reviewing two Hellcats equipped with either a Shield RMSc or SMSc red dot. That refers to the OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) acronym in the model names. The Hellcat Pro Comp is about $70 more than the standard Hellcat Pro.

Back in the late 1980s when the U.S. military retired the 1911 for the Beretta M9, the Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), or MEUSOC, decided to stick with the 45 Auto 1911 platform because it was the only pistol at the time that could stand up to the use the MEUSOC teams doled out. The MEUSOC guys detailed the new features and specifications they wanted on their modernized version of the 1911, and the armorers at Quantico built the guns. Most of these guns were built on original, used M1911A1 G.I. frames. The remaining parts for the builds were a precise list that transformed the G.I. 1911s into modern combat handguns. MEUSOC operators provided feedback to the armorers on the guns, and there were four variations of these guns built. Some of the parts used in the builds reads like a who’s who of custom gun-builder pieces. Parts included Clark or Wilson Combat beavertail grip safeties, Pachmayr Gripper grips, MGW commander hammers, Videcki steel triggers, Bar-Sto barrels, Springfield Armory slides, Ed Brown safeties, Caspian mainspring housings, and more, all the way down to the smaller pins, the sear, and other parts. Common to all MEUSOC pistols were fixed sights, long triggers, G.I.-style muzzle bushings, and flat mainspring housings. 

Back in the late 1980s when the U.S. military retired the 1911 for the Beretta M9, the Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), or MEUSOC, decided to stick with the 45 Auto 1911 platform because it was the only pistol at the time that could stand up to the use the MEUSOC teams doled out. The MEUSOC guys detailed the new features and specifications they wanted on their modernized version of the 1911, and the armorers at Quantico built the guns. Most of these guns were built on original, used M1911A1 G.I. frames. The remaining parts for the builds were a precise list that transformed the G.I. 1911s into modern combat handguns. MEUSOC operators provided feedback to the armorers on the guns, and there were four variations of these guns built. Some of the parts used in the builds reads like a who’s who of custom gun-builder pieces. Parts included Clark or Wilson Combat beavertail grip safeties, Pachmayr Gripper grips, MGW commander hammers, Videcki steel triggers, Bar-Sto barrels, Springfield Armory slides, Ed Brown safeties, Caspian mainspring housings, and more, all the way down to the smaller pins, the sear, and other parts. Common to all MEUSOC pistols were fixed sights, long triggers, G.I.-style muzzle bushings, and flat mainspring housings.