Less expensive guns are usually cheap, meaning they are unreliable and of low quality, so when an inexpensive gun comes along that won't break before it is broken in and works correctly every time the trigger is pulled, it is noteworthy. When it comes in a major caliber and doesn't bite the shooter's hand when fired, it is even more so. I think Cobra Enterprises may have just such a noteworthy handgun.

The Cobra Patriot .45 ACP is an economically priced polymer-framed handgun with stainless steel slide and barrel. Given its size, the author would call it a compact. It is a simple gun with few controls.

The Patriot that I received for testing is a double-action-only, striker-fired, polymer-framed pistol with a stainless steel slide and barrel and a seven-round, single-stack magazine. Six- and 10-round magazines are also available. Made entirely in the U.S., it is a simple gun with no external controls except the magazine release. The rear sight is a blued notch in a dovetail that is adjustable for windage, and the front is a stainless steel ramp machined into the slide.

The slide rides on polymer rails, not on metal inserts, which are common on many polymer-framed handguns. Although the expected life of the gun is unknown, Cobra reports firing more than 30,000 rounds through one of its test guns and it is still in use.

The polymer grips are heavily checkered, offering a good non-slip surface, and the magazine release is a square button located on the left side of the gun just aft of the triggerguard in the customary American style. The blued-steel magazine has witness holes, a metal follower and a polymer baseplate.

SPECIFICATIONS Cobra Patriot .45 ACP
MANUFACTURER:	Cobra Enterprises
CALIBERS:	.45 ACP
BARREL LENGTH:	3 inches
OVERALL LENGTH:	6 inches
WEIGHT:	20 ounces
CAPACITY:	6, 7 or 10+1
ACTION TYPE:	Recoil-operated with double action only trigger
TRIGGER:	14 1/2 pounds
GRIPS:	Integral polymer
FINISH:	Matte Stainless
SIGHTS:	Notch and post
PRICE:	$357

The gun weighs 20 ounces unloaded and is 4 3/4 inches high and one inch wide. The slide is machined from a casting and has a matte, natural finish with no sharp edges. The serrated trigger broke at 14 1/2 pounds after a fairly long pull and considerable stacking.

The three-inch barrel has an integral feed ramp, a fully supported chamber and a slotted underlug that rides on the takedown pin. The gun is equipped with a captive full-length recoil spring and guide.

The Patriot has a fairly conventional recoil operation with a cam/ dropping barrel-locking system. There is no slide catch that would increase the price of the gun, so when the last round is fired, the slide does not lock back.

Takedown is typical of a modified Browning design. First make sure the gun is unloaded. While holding the slide to line up the takedown notch with the takedown pin, the pin is pushed from right to left and then removed from the gun.

As the trigger is pressed, the slide and barrel assembly are allowed to move forward until they clear the frame. The recoil-spring assembly is then lifted from the underside of the barrel-slide assembly, after which the slide and barrel can be separated. Assembly is in reverse order.