2018 Holiday Gift Guide

November 06, 2018 By J. Scott Rupp

Remington R1 1911 Ultralight Executive

The R1 series has been a hit for Remington, and now the company is offering a version that should be a top choice for anyone looking to carry a 1911. Weighing in at a svelte 28 ounces thanks to an aluminum full-size frame, the gun sports a 3.5-inch stainless bull barrel and bobtail for an easily concealable pistol. Sights are tritium front and rear, and G10 grips pair with a checkered frontstrap for excellent control.

$1,250, remington.com

SIG 365 Elite Performance

SIG has come out with a line of ammo optimized for short-barrel guns—like the ammo’s namesake P365. These two new loads are optimized for everyday carry, with low-flash, clean-burning powder. The 115-grain 9mm full-metal-jacket training load has the same recoil and velocity (1,050 fps out of a 3.1-inch barrel) as the 115-grain V-Crown hollowpoint defense load, and importantly they both shoot to the same point of aim. The V-Crown load features nickel-plated cases; the FMJ load has brass cases.

SIGsauer.com

Ed Brown Lightweight CCO

For the discriminating 1911 buyer who wants to actually carry his favorite slabside, we give you the new Lightweight CCO. Its Officer’s frame is aluminum with a round butt, and the slide is Commander length—providing easy concealment and easy shooting. At just 29 ounces it’s the lightest 1911 the company has ever built, and it features a fixed black rear sight and red fiber-optic front. Both the slide and the frame have Ed Brown’s Snakeskin “checkering,” and the slide sports a heavy chamfer and carry cuts. More than 100 custom options are available. Chamberings are 9mm, .38 Super and .45.

$3,585, EdBrown.com

DeSantis Osprey

A trailing-slot inside-the-waistband/outside-the-waistband holster features an IWB strap that’s both cantable and easily removed without tools. The holster is designed for medium and large semiautomatics—20 total fitments from companies like Kimber, SIG, Ruger, Springfield, Smith & Wesson, Glock and more. It is built from premium tan saddle leather, and the belt slots fit belts up to 1.5 inches wide.

$70, DeSantisHolster.com

Hornady brings the same proven technology that makes Critical Defense an effective round to the .32 and .25 Auto rounds. Featuring the FTX bullet for sure expansion, nickel-plated cases and premium low-flash powders that deliver performance even out of short barrels (and short barrels are a given for these calibers), these rounds up the ante. The .32 features a 60-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps—and that’s out of a two-inch test barrel. Energy at the muzzle is 133 ft.-lbs. The .25’s 35-grain bullet is doing 900 fps, samel length test barrel, for 63 ft.-lbs.

Hornady.com

Springfield XD-S Mod.2

Small enough to carry all day but not lacking in power, the newest in the XD-S series of single-stack pistols passed a torture test of 25,000 rounds without a failure. Sporting a 3.3-inch barrel, the XD-S Mod.2 in 9mm is driven by a dual captive recoil spring with full-length guide rod and holds seven or nine rounds, depending on if you use the seven-round flush mag with pinkie extension or the extended nine-rounder. Only an inch wide, the pistol weighs 21.5 ounces and is just 4.3 inches tall with the seven-round mag. Sights are an Ameriglo tritium front paired with a rear “tactical rack” rear sight. Also available with fiber-optic sights or a Viridian laser.

$524–$586, depending on sights; springfield-armory.com

Smith & Wesson Model 19 Classic

Revolver fans rejoice. The Model 19, produced from 1955 to 1999, is back as part of Smith & Wesson’s Classic series. These guns mimic their historical counterparts in the looks department but are built with modern internals. With a 4.25-inch barrel, square butt custom walnut grips and a classy, polish-blued finish, it’s a .357 double-action/single-action weighing just over two pounds. Sights are a black-blade adjustable rear and a red-ramp front.

$826, smith-wesson.com

Federal Hydra-Shok Deep

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with the original Hydra-Shok bullet, if you can make it better, why wouldn’t you? The new Deep version has a more robust center post and core design that promise as much as 50 percent more penetration. Federal’s testing has found penetration depths of 15 inches in bare ballistic gel. The 135-grain load features a specially formulated propellant and, of course, Federal’s reliable primer. Velocity figures were not available at press time.

$28, FederalPremium.com

Streamlight Rechargeable MicroStream

This new version of the popular MicroStream is now USB-rechargeable. The light measures less than four inches long and weighs just a touch over an ounce. On high it delivers 250 lumens, with a run time of 1.5 hours; the 50-lumen low setting has a run time of 3.5 hours. Operates via a push-button tailcap, and you’ll find the micro USB charging port under a sliding sleeve. The lithium-ion battery will charge fully in four hours, and red or green lights indicate charging status.

$50, streamlight.com

Crimson Trace Shockwave Laser

Yes, this is Handguns’ website, but we know many of you visit here for self-defense information. Crimson Trace has produced a saddle-style laser for Mossberg’s shotgun-style firearm, the Shockwave. The red LS-250 laser (250G for green ) installs easily on the receiver, and it has three activation points—including one that can be operated by lefties. The unit also allows you to install an accessory rail at the top, and the batteries can be changed without removing the laser from the gun. It’s covered by a three-year warranty and also part of Crimson Trace’s Free Batteries for Life program. Our editor shot this laser at an event last summer and can vouch for how much more effective the laser makes the Shockwave in low-light situation.

$169 (red), $219 (green); CrimsonTrace.com

Guns & Ammo Guide to Concealed Carry

Everything you need to know about concealed carry from top firearms writers.

The Guns & Ammo Guide to Concealed Carry is packed with a wealth of valuable information compiled by the foremost firearms writers today. A vast range of topics is covered in these articles, including:

Defense of others
Gun control
The armed traveler
Fortifying your castle
Responding to an active shooter
Car fights
And much more!

Discover tried and true tips, tactics, and techniques from the pros along with guidance on buying gear and firearms from experts including Massad Ayoob, Jason Teague, Tom Beckstrand, and Richard Nance. The Guns & Ammo Guide to Concealed Carry has everything you could want to learn about personal defense firearms.

https://www.osgnewsstand.com/product/guide-CCarry