Dan Wesson
The Classic Bobtail has proven so popular--due to its concealable profile--that Dan Wesson designed something even more concealable: the Concealed Carry Officer. This model is built with a Commander slide on top of an Officer-size frame, providing control and reliability.

Dan Wesson bobbed the back of the mainspring housing, built the frame and mainspring housing from anodized aluminum, and undercut the trigger guard. The frontstrap and mainspring housing feature a chain-link pattern for a superior gripping surface. Dual colored tritium lamps allow fast low-light target acquisition.

Kimber
The Tactical Entry line has two new members joining its family: the Tactical Entry II and the Tactical Custom HD II. They are unique to Kimber's tactical line in that both have stainless steel rather than aluminum frames. Identical in every aspect other than the rail on the Tactical Entry II, both pistols feature match-grade .45 ACP barrels, night sights, extended magazine wells and 30 lines-per-inch checkering on the frontstrap.

The exotic Raptor family also has a pair of new siblings, both in .45 ACP. The Stainless Ultra Raptor II features an aluminum frame topped with a stainless slide housing a three-inch barrel. The Stainless Pro Raptor II is all-stainless and sports a four-inch barrel.

Common to both are night sights, ambidextrous safety and zebra-wood grips. Both models are built in Kimber's custom shop.

Last but not least, the highly accurate Team Match II pistol is available in 9mm caliber this year, and the Aegis family has changed from bobbed hammers to spur hammers.

Para USA
Aside from the company's move to Charlotte, North Carolina, the first big news from Para is the introduction of the GI Expert, an entry-level 1911 pistol that's basic in design but has some really nice features.

The barrel is stainless, the fixed sights are dovetailed into the slide and are eminently usable.

The ejection port is lowered and flared, the magazine well is beveled, and the hammer is a skeletonized spur. The package is finished in Covert Black Para Kote, and has checkered polymer grips.

FNH-USA
A new configuration of the autoloading Five-SeveN pistol includes a fixed C-More combat sight. Firing the high velocity 5.7x28 cartridge, the Five-SeveN sports a hammer-forged and hard-chrome-lined barrel for enhanced accuracy and extended service life.

It is available in matte black, olive drab or flat dark earth frames and can also be purchased with an adjustable three-dot target sight.

Legacy Arms
Based on the gun that cowboy character Josh Randall carried in the 1950s television series by the same name, the Puma Bounty Hunter Model 92 has a 12-inch barrel, loop lever and is legally considered a handgun.

Manufactured in Italy by Chiappa Firearms, it's available in .45 Colt, .44-40 and .44 Magnum. Capacity is six rounds.

Ed Brown
A new severe-use coating gives the new Special Forces Carry pistol improved wear resistance and rust protection. The engineering, precision manufacturing and hand-fitting the Brown family is famous for makes the handgun a prime candidate for those anticipating the need for performance when conditions get down and dirty.

The frontstrap has a chain-link pattern machined into it to provide a secure grip. The slide houses a 4.25-inch barrel, and the Commander-size frame features Brown's bobtail design. Available in both stainless and blued configurations. Weight: 35 ounces.

In the same family and sporting the same high-performance features, the Special Forces Light Rail is a full-size, 40-ounce 1911 with an integral light rail. A test sample of this gun is winging its way to Patrick Sweeney; look for his review in an upcoming issue.