Pistols

Since February 2013 we have tested four subcompact 380 ACP pistols with factory-fitted laser sights - S&W Bodyguard, Ruger LCP-LM, SIG Sauer P238, and the Walther PK380. All received good ratings, but there were features that testers liked and didnt. At a readers request, we tested another Ruger LCP, this one with a Crimson Trace laser sight. In this pistol, we think Ruger created a good combination of sidearm and laser sight.The Ruger LCP in various configurations has been reviewed by our test teams, and without a laser sight, the LCP generally gets good to excellent grades (A- to B+). With laser sights, particularly the Laser Max, the LCP received a B+. We ruled out the laser sight being a gadget early on in the testing, and the LCP with the Crimson Trace is no exception. Generally, we ask if the addition of a laser sight changes our mind about the pistol? Does the laser bulk up a pocket pistol? Is the laser an asset to the pistol?

We compared two 1911 handguns from companies not known for those pistols in the May 2012 issue. After a very long wait the staff acquired one of the Remington Model 1911 R1 Enhanced 45 ACPs ($940 MSRP). The GT team wanted a similar-priced gun to compare it to, so they went to another company not commonly known for producing 1911s, Taurus. The test Taurus PT 1911 ($900 MSRP) was stainless. Here is what we found.

Kahr’s new CT40 and CT45 are the company’s first value-priced full-frame firearm offerings. Kahr’s larger-frame CT Series is new for 2014 and shipments will be available beginning February 2014.

The newest 1911 offering from Magnum Research — the $946 MSRP DE1911U Undercover model — addresses consumer demand for smaller ultra-light concealed carry firearms chambered in .45 ACP. The DE1911U is slated to ship beginning in January 2014.

Gun Tests Magazine has named the Kimber Pro Custom Defense Package II 45 ACP as the publication’s “Best in Class Pistol” for 2013.

We mixed apples and oranges, that is, pistols and revolvers, in the July 2012 issue to see which design worked best for self-protection at close range. The three test guns were the $747 9mm Kimber Solo Carry, the $299 9mm SCCY Industries CPX-2, and the $523 Taurus 40 S&W M405 stainless-steel revolver. Heres an excerpt of that test.

We tested Glock and Springfield Armory compact polymer 45s in a January 2013 head-to-head test. Here's an excerpt of that test.

For only the third time in more than 100 years, the NRA National Smallbore Rifle Championships will not be held at Camp Perry, OH. Instead, the 2014 championships will move three hours west to the Chief Wa-Ke-De Range in Bristol, IN.

The National Rifle Association recently sold its one millionth copy of the NRA Guide to the Basics of Pistol Shooting. Known as the Basic Pistol handbook, the guide is a comprehensive resource on responsible pistol use and is the foundation of NRA’s popular Basic Pistol and FIRST Steps Pistol Orientation courses.

The UZI PRO semi-auto pistol designed for the American consumer market is now available. The $1100 UZI PRO UPP9S semi-auto pistol is based on the UZI sub-machine gun (SMG), designed and patented by Uziel Gal, who gave the production rights to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. IWI US, Inc., a subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), imports the firearm domestically.

Gun Tests’ South Carolina test team recently obtained a trio of self-defense handguns in the popular Commander-size 1911 frame size to test: the 4.25-inch-barrel SIG Sauer Carry Stainless 1911CA-45-SSS 45 ACP, $1142; and the new Ruger SR1911CMD No. 6702 45 ACP, $829. The third gun was a 4-inch-barrel aluminum-frame Kimber Pro CDP.

BrassFetcher.com has done an eye-opening comparison of the terminal effectiveness of FMJ vs JHP bullet designs from handguns chambered in 22 LR, 25 ACP, 32 ACP, 380 ACP, 9mm Makarov, 9mm Police, 38 Special, 9mm Luger, and 45 ACP.