December 06, 2011
By J. Scott Rupp
Any one of these items would make a great gift for the handgunner in your family!
IWI Classic Desert Eagle Own a piece of Hollywood! Or at least one of the most recognized pistols in cinema, the
Desert Eagle . And now you can get one of a limited run of guns from the original manufacturer, IWI. Chambered only in .44 Magnum and .50 Action Express, IWI guns feature the original two-piece barrel design, claw-type safety levers and hard plastic grips. They will also sport modern touches such as the Picatinny rail on top. Black finish only. [imo-slideshow gallery=7],563.
LaserLyte Side-Mount Laser Novice and expert shooters alike can benefit from a laser aiming device, and they make even more sense on small defensive pistols. Now you can add laser aiming to your Ruger LCP or Kel-Tec .380 and .32 just by knocking out the frame pins and attaching
LaserLyte's side-mounted laser with the supplied two screws — and it'll still fit in a standard holster. The activation button is easily reached, although it's right-side only. $100.
Blue Stone Safety Undercover Got a cop in your life? They'll love this new ankle holster from
Blue Stone Safety for their backup pistol. The Undercover is backed with vegetable-tanned sheepskin for comfort and has a leather thumb break retention strap that can be adjusted via hook-and-loop fastener to fit subcompact pistols and revolvers. $37.
Surefire Charlie Folder The editor wants this knife from
Surefire in his stocking. We know this for a fact because we've hacked into his email and see he's sent this link to his wife every day since Thanksgiving. The Charlie folding utility knife features a modified spear-point stainless steel 4.1-inch blade and a dual-composition grip: One side is bead-blasted titanium with integral frame lock; the other is sculpted 7075 aluminum with hard-anodized black finish. Length closed, five inches. Weight is 5.4 ounces. Stainless steel pocket clip. $295.
Kimber PepperBlaster II There may be no more perfect gift for people you care about. The
Kimber PepperBlaster II holds two blasts of OC solution; a single hit can incapacitate an assailant instantly — for up to 45 minutes. Range is 13 feet, with a 90 mph delivery that reduces blowback or drift. The unit weighs a mere 14 ounces, just right for pocket or purse. This must-have defensive tool is new and improved with a pistol grip configuration and sights for better control and accuracy. $40.
SIG Sauer Extreme Series Any
SIG fan's eyes would light up when he or she unwraps one of the new Extreme series pistols. The double-action P226 (shown) and single-action P238 Extremes have cool new Hogue Extreme Series black/gray G10 grips. The improvements aren't just functional either. These pistols now come with Nitron-coated machined stainless steel slides and hard-coat anodize aluminum frames, Siglite night sights, front cocking serrations and reversible mag catch. And maybe best of all from a shooting standpoint, they feature SIG's short-reset trigger. The 226 is chambered in 9mm, .357 SIG and .40 S&W. The P238 is chambered in .380. [imo-slideshow gallery=7],146 (P226), $752 (P238).
Butler Creek Baby UpLULA The perfect stocking stuffer for owners of small-caliber pistols that take single-stack magazines. Our editor just got one of these from
Butler Creek to play with, and he loves it. Makes quick work of loading magazines so you can spend less time loading and more time shooting. Great for younger shooters, too; no more tired thumbs. Made of reinforced polymer, the loader is small and lightweight and fits Walther, Ruger, Beretta, SIG and other guns chambered for .22 LR to.380 Auto. $42.
Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer People who prefer pocket carry have a problem. Since you're not supposed have anything in the pocket with the gun, what do you do with all your stuff? Put it in
Maxpedition's pocket organizer, a small (3.5x5.5x1 inches), inexpensive ($13) pouch made of Teflon-coated, 800-denier nylon with internal plastic loop organizers. Place keys, change, etc. in the organizer and stick it in a separate pocket.
Federal Guard Dog Who wouldn't want to unwrap a box of ammo on Christmas morning? It's the gift that keeps on giving, and this new ammo from
Federal is developed specifically for home defense semiauto pistols, with an FMJ-like bullet that won't over-penetrate walls but will still deliver a serious blow to any bad guy. Another plus? Low recoil. Current loads include 9mm (105 grain), .40 S&W (135) and .45 ACP (165).
Galco Combat Master If the handgunner in your family owns a Springfield XD, Smith & Wesson M&P or four-inch N-frame S&W revolver, they'd be thrilled to carry it in this premium saddle-leather open-top holster from
Galco . The Combat Master features a hand-molded fit for secure retention but still allows a swift draw. It has a butt-forward cant for concealment of even large guns and an open muzzle. Fits belts up to 1.75 inches. $80.
