In 2007, Ruger introduced the SR9. In addition to being Ruger’s first striker-fired handgun, compared to the firm’s other chunky autos the SR9 looked like a Ferrari. It was sleek, it was modern, it was affordable, it was made in America, and it was reliable. I helped out on a torture test in which we shot 7,000 rounds through an SR9 in one afternoon, and it never jammed once. Our hands ended up in worse shape than the gun.

In the eyes of many gun owners, however, Ruger made one huge blunder with the SR9: The company chambered it in 9mm.

There are many who believe the search for a handgun cartridge suitable for self-defense begins and ends with the .45 ACP. I know how they feel; I used to be a member of that congregation myself. I still believe the .45 ACP is the handgun cartridge against which all others should be judged when it comes to self-defense, and for everyone who thinks the same way, you now have a new pistol to put on your wish list: the Ruger SR45.

Ruger had no desire to mess with success, and so the looks and proportions of the SR45 appear to be identical to the SR9 and SR40. From a distance, the only way to tell the difference seems to be the “SR45” etched on the slide. And in fact the gun comes with an SR9 instruction manual, with an insert for the newest model that reads, “With the exception of its caliber, the Ruger SR45 pistol has the same basic operational characteristics as all other SR-Series pistols.” It has just been super-sized, so to speak.

The SR45 sports a 4.5-inch barrel and is eight inches in length and 5.75 inches tall. Maximum width, at the safety, is 1.3 inches, but the bulk of the gun is less than 1.2 inches in thickness. Empty weight is 30.2 ounces. That makes it less than half an inch longer and taller than the SR9, and only four ounces heavier. It is rated for +P loads.

The SR45’s frame is constructed of the same fiberglass-filled nylon as the previous SR models, and it has functional fine checkering on all the gripping surfaces. The front of the frame has a low-profile tactical rail for mounting weapon lights or lasers, a must in today’s marketplace.

The slide on the two-tone version I was sent is stainless steel; an all-black version with a black nitride-coated alloy slide is also available.

Sights are the same as on previous models. They’re made out of steel, as all serious sights should be. The front sight is dovetailed into the slide and sports a big white dot.

The rear sight is also dovetailed, and it can be drifted for windage and adjustable for elevation via a screw as well. The rear features white dots on either side of the notch smaller than that of the one on the front sight, and that size difference is visible when obtaining a sight picture.

Capacity on the SR45 is 10+1. I’m sure Ruger did this for several reasons—first and foremost being that when you start trying to stuff more than 10 rounds of fat .45s into a magazine, the grip of the pistol tends to get a bit beefy. The frame of the SR45 feels almost narrow in my hand, even more so because of the slightly narrower contoured section of grip on the front of the frame around which your fingers will wrap.

At its thickest point the grip is 1.2 inches thick (the same as the SR9/40), and the narrow front of the frame is a mere one-inch thick. By contrast, the frame of a Glock 17 is about 1.18 inches thick all over. Ruger provides two matte black 10-round magazines with the pistol, equipped with easily removable polymer base pads. They have marked index holes on each side: 5, 7, and 9 on the left; 4, 6, 8, and 10 on the right.

Ruger could have stuffed one or two more rounds into the design without adding noticeable girth, considering the steel SR45 magazine is actually narrower than a Glock 17 magazine, but the gun was designed so it could be sold in every state (this was before New York passed draconian new magazine-capacity restrictions).

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The SR45 features an ambidextrous thumb safety and a safety lever on the pivoting trigger.

The rear sight can be drifted in its dovetail for windage; elevation is controlled by a small screw. The loaded-chamber indicator is visible atop the slide.

The contours of the SR45 give it a retro-futuristic look, and the frame features the obligatory accessory rail.

The frame of the SR45 sports a slightly narrower contoured section where your fingers wrap around it. The mag release is ambidextrous.

The grip can be changed from flat to arched backstrap simply by driving out a small pin and reversing the removable backstrap.

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Ruger SR45 Review

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Just like its predecessors, the SR45 does not have interchangeable grip inserts but rather a reversible backstrap. The backstrap is rubber and provides a little extra grip while shooting. I’ve got small hands, and I prefer both the look and the feel of the backstrap in its flat, rather than arched, position.

Reversing the backstrap requires only the removal of one small pin, and when I did it I was too lazy to go get a proper punch from my tool box and instead used an unfolded paper clip. That’s how simple it is to reverse the backstrap. Between the flat backstrap and the narrow on the grip, which is shaped to cup the shooter’s fingers, the gun feels really good.

Measuring the trigger pull on a pivoting trigger can be tricky because the closer to the tip you get, the lighter the pull weight. The trigger pull on my specimen was between six and 6.5 pounds, which is right in line with most of the striker-fired guns on the market.

The magazine release on the SR45 is ambidextrous, as is the manual safety at the top rear of the frame. The safety cannot be engaged unless the striker is cocked, and there is an internal firing pin block safety as well. The SR45 has a magazine disconnect safety, so it can’t be fired with the magazine removed.

One note on the manual safety: It’s not large enough to get bumped up accidentally, but it’s also not large enough to ride, like you would the thumb safety on a 1911.

Some people just aren’t comfortable with a pistol that doesn’t have some sort of safety they can engage. My only word of advice is to practice flipping it off if you plan to carry the gun with the safety on. Pulling the trigger and having nothing happen can ruin your whole day.

While there was a little play between the slide and frame, the barrel locked up solidly with the slide. If there was ever one way to predict if a pistol will be accurate, that’s it. The end of the barrel is slightly flared for a tighter lockup, and it has an integral feed ramp. The SR45 sports a captured recoil spring assembly with a flat wire spring. The base of the guide rod is steel, but the recoil spring guide rod itself is made out of polymer.

When it comes to disassembling the SR45, like the SR9 it has a pivoting ejector that needs to be pushed down before removing the slide—and then pulled back up to get the gun back into operating condition. Full details on how to field-strip the pistol are in the instruction manual. Yes, I know instruction manuals are just another man’s opinion, but considering we’re talking about a firearm and not a cordless drill, we’re all better off if you take a few minutes to read your owner’s manual—or at least look at the pictures.

If you’ve never looked at or held one of the SR pistols, to me they seem to have a retro-futuristic appearance, like what someone from the 1950s would think a sci-fi pistol should look like. They are very streamlined, and the rounded front of my SR45, with its stainless slide, reminded me a bit of an Airstream trailer. That’s not a negative to me, just an observation.

Like most striker-fired pistols, the SRs have bores that sit low in the hand, reducing felt recoil and muzzle rise, and the SR45 has a low bore as well. And the combination of .45 ACP, low bore and tight barrel lockup produce an extremely accurate and shootable big bore pistol—or at least that was what I was hoping for when I headed to the range.

When I first loaded the SR45’s magazines, the springs were so strong I could barely get 10 rounds into them, and fully loaded they weren’t exactly easy to seat into the gun. That is not a complaint, just an observation. Strong magazine springs make for reliable guns. They also keep the magazines reliable longer.

At the range the Ruger was reliable and accurate. I had no jams, but the pistol was so tight that the slide hesitated for the first few rounds. After a brief break-in period, the recoil cycle smoothed out. Felt recoil was about equivalent to a 1911. While the SR45 weighs a mite less than a 1911, between the different grip shape and material, not to mention the rubber backstrap, it soaked up a little more recoil than a steel-frame gun would have.

While I wouldn’t be surprised if an SR45c (compact) is in the works at Ruger, I know I’m not alone in preferring full-size guns. They are easier and more enjoyable to shoot, and I actually find them more comfortable to carry. I know that makes no sense, but short guns angle differently on my hip and poke me in the rear when I move.

No firearms design survives first contact with the public, and the SR9 was no different. In the five years since the design made its debut, the trigger shoe-type safety on the original design was replaced with a lever inside the trigger, and the sharp corner on the front of the loaded chamber indicator was rounded off, and there were a few internal modifications. The SR45 has benefited from all of these tweaks.

In the Ruger SR45, we’ve got a slender, striker-fired 10+1 .45 ACP made in America, with a suggested retail of only $529. My only question is whether or not Ruger will be able to make them fast enough to keep up with demand.

From l.: Blackhawk Serpa injection molded, Bladetech Kydex with faux carbon fiber finish, Safariland paddle (leather over plastic) and a much-abused Kramer horsehide Vertical Scabbard.

If you’re in the market for a belt holster for concealed carry, there are a few basic questions you need to ask yourself to help narrow down your choices, because the holster market has never been more crowded. First, what material do you want it to be made out of, and second, what kind of attachment method will work better for you?

While there are custom holsters out there made of everything from sharkskin to alligator, most belt holsters are made of either nylon, animal hide or plastic (Kydex, injection-molded polymer and similar constructions).

I would generally consider most nylon holsters to be entry level. They aren’t tightly molded to specific firearms but rather to firearm models.

For example, a nylon holster for a 1911 will generally fit every manufacturer’s 1911, whether it has a frame rail or oversize sights. Because nylon stretches, most nylon belt holsters use some sort of retention (thumb-break strap) device.

Why are nylon holsters still popular? They are inexpensive. Further, because so many holsters now are so tightly molded to individual guns, the fact that nylon holsters can fit whole families of guns is a good thing.

Most animal-hide belt holsters are made of leather. While less of the work has to be done by hand these days, treating leather takes time and effort, and leather holsters are not as inexpensive as you might think. As far as I’m concerned, there is no holster that looks as nice or authentic as a leather holster.

Leather is stiffer than nylon. Many manufacturers put a reinforcement around the mouth of their leather holsters so the user can re-holster with one hand or without looking at the holster.

Leather is not without its faults, however. Leather holsters tend to be molded to specific firearms and can be tight when new.

If you strap on a holster only once a week or so, your holster will give you years of trouble-free service. If, on the other hand, you wear a gun all day every day, you will find that after a few months the leather begins to stretch and wear—and in time may not provide as snug and secure a fit as it once did.

Sweat will stain a leather holster, and they can be scratched. I sat on my holsters in a car all day, five to six days a week for more years than I care to remember, and they stopped being pretty long before they stopped being usable.

For a number of years I wore a 1911 in a horsehide holster. Horsehide seems to be the best of both worlds: It looks like leather and wears like plastic (almost). It is much stiffer than leather and stays that way longer.

The downside? Cost. Apparently horsehide is even tougher to work (or perhaps more expensive to get) than leather. Galco’s Royal Deluxe Belt Holster in horsehead runs $179, and the Kramer Vertical Scabbard I wore for years currently retails for $138.

When a number of companies are offering nylon or injection-molded plastic holsters for under $30, it’s hard to justify spending that much on a holster. But you get what you pay for.

Plastic holsters are the most recent segment of the market. There are several different types of plastics and methods of manufacture. Injection-molded holsters—produced, as the name suggests, by injecting liquid plastic into a mold—are the least expensive of the breed. They used to be cheap compromises, but with advances in modern manufacturing, that is no longer the case. Blackhawk’s excellent Serpa holsters, for instance, are injection-molded.

Some of the first “plastic” holsters were made from Kydex, which is a thermoplastic material that is molded around the shape of a gun. It is thick and durable, but the extra hand work means Kydex holsters are more expensive than injection-molded holsters.

Plastic holsters have really taken over the market, for several reasons. First, they are less expensive than leather. Second, they can be made to fit specific types of firearms very closely, and security features (such as the Serpa lock) can be engineered into the holsters. Unless you actually break the holster, it won’t stretch or wear out and will lock your gun up tight all day every day.

The downside to plastic holsters? They have no soul. They are generally ugly and are simply tools. I know old shooters who simply love their battered leather holsters almost as much as they love the guns in them, and you just won’t find that feeling when it comes to a plastic holster.

Some plastic holsters are now offered with different finishes to sex them up a bit (camo patterns, carbon fiber finishes, etc) but there’s only so much you can do.

A few companies are now making leather holsters with plastic inserts, or plastic holsters wrapped in leather, in order to get the look of leather with the performance of polymer. This to me is the best of both worlds, but for some reason these holsters aren’t as popular as I’d expect them to be.

Loop or Paddle?
When it comes to methods of attachment, there are generally two: the standard belt loop and the paddle. I prefer belt loops because they are more secure and tend to lock up the holster more tightly, but a belt-loop attachment requires something a paddle does not—a belt.

I’m not sure when the paddle holster was invented, but I remember seeing them at least as far back as 1989. Paddle holsters feature a large, rounded curving surface designed to fit between the holster and the wearer’s body and help mount the gun.

While they can be used over belts and usually have hooks on the underside to hold onto the belt, a belt is not necessary. The paddle can be shoved between the pants and the wearer, and I’ve seen a detective wearing one over his sweatpants.

The other main advantage of paddle holsters is that they can be pulled right off without having to undo your belt. What they lack in mounted rigidity, when compared to a belt loop, they make up for in convenience.

Several manufacturers, including Blackhawk and Safariland, now include both belt loops and paddles with their holsters. This is a great idea, especially if you’re not sure which you’re going to like better or you like to change your method of holster attachment depending on your dress.

I’ve worn a belt holster every day for the last 15 years, and I’ve learned a few important lessons. The first is that a quality belt is as important as a quality holster. The belt needs to hold the holster tightly to the body and keep it in the same place. The stiffer the belt, the better.

The second is that life isn’t fair. Pistols on the strong-side hip, outside of the belt, are the easiest and quickest to draw, but they are also the hardest to conceal. If you are short and fat, it is going to be that much harder for you to conceal any type of pistol on your hip.

Be aware of your limitations. You may have to dress around your gun, carry a smaller or slimmer gun, or both.

Mini red dot sights such as the Trijicon RMR are rugged optics that place a sighting dot on the same plane as the target, eliminating the need for aligning front and rear sights with the target.

Thanks to modern technology, I have been able to talk about several weapon lights (such as the Crimson Trace Lightguard) that are small enough that they can fit on concealed-carry handguns. The same thing can be said about red dot sights.

Mini red dot sights have been around for well over a decade, and there are now so many of them out there it’s hard to keep track. Just off the top of my head I can think of the Burris FastFire, the Docter, Bushnell First Strike, JP Rifles’ JPoint, Insight Technologies’ MRDS, Leupold DeltaPoint and the Trijicon RMR.

Competitive shooters have been using red dot sights on handguns for 20 years, and it was in part the competitive abuses of larger red dot sighs such as the Aimpoint and EOTech that resulted in them getting tough enough to get approved for military use. Mini red dot sights are a more recent phenomenon, but they are not delicate little toys anymore.

Mini red dot sights are popular with the current 3-Gun crowd as secondary sighting systems for their AR-15s, faster to use than traditional iron sights—especially in close-range engagements. Trijicon has been selling its popular 4X ACOG riflescope with a mini red dot perched atop it for years for just this sort of situation.

As durable as they were, however, it has only been the past few years that the idea of putting mini red dots on carry guns has taken off. In large part this has to do with the introduction of the Trijicon RMR (Ruggedized Miniature Reflex). Trijicon is not known for making delicate, maintenance-intensive products, and when it not just introduced a mini red dot but recommended mounting them on pistols, many tactical types sat up and finally took notice.

Gabe Suarez, a well-known tactical trainer who has taught at Gunsite, is now advocating (and selling) Glocks, SIGs and Smith & Wesson M&Ps with slide-mounted Trijicon RMRs. I’ve tested a lot of these mini red dots, and while most of them are very well made and durable, I haven’t seen one that can compete with the “pound a nail into wood” durability of the Trijicon RMR.

The fact that Smith & Wesson is introducing a series of pistols that have removable plates on their slides for built-in mounting of mini red dots should tell you these optics are here to stay. The technology will only improve. I predict we’ll see true holographic (screen- and tube-less) red dot sights within 20 years.

There are two advantages to a red dot sight. The first is that they are easier to see if you have less than youthful eyes. I know plenty of shooters who just can’t see the front sight anymore beyond a blur. A red dot is on the same focal plane as the target, and as long as you can see the target, the dot will be in focus as well.

The second advantage is perhaps the least important: They are faster to use. Instead of lining up the front sight with the rear sight with the target, a shooter has only to place the dot on the target and pull the trigger.

How could speed be less important than visibility? Several reasons. First, while red dot sights are inherently quicker to use than iron sights, that speed difference will only really be noticed in the competition world where you’re firing dozens of shots at multiple targets.

An experienced competition shooter will be hundredths of a second faster from shot to shot using a red dot, and that time can add up over the length of a match. In an actual self-defense shooting situation, it really is a non-factor.

Second, if you haven’t practiced enough with your red dot-sighted pistol, it may actually be slower to use than one with traditional iron sights. Grab about any pistol and look down the slide. Sights or not, you’ve got a pretty good idea where it’s pointed.

The body of a red dot sight tends to obscure the slide, and I’ve seen plenty of shooters new to their red-dots wiggling them around in their hands, trying to find the dot in the little window.

When you fire that little dot jumps up and you completely lose it in the window. Finding it again as the pistol comes down out of recoil can take some time if you’re not used to doing it.

The best solution is a red dot-sighted pistol equipped with iron sights tall enough to be used through the window of the red dot. The eye sees the iron sights as you bring the pistol up on target, and as they more or less line up the red dot is right there. They tend to draw the eyes to the dot, giving you the best of both worlds.

That is exactly the reason the iron sights supplied on the FNX-45 Tactical are so tall. These tall sights were originally designed to be used with suppressors, but they work great with mini red dots as well.

If you’re having a hard time seeing the sights, or want to try something completely new, look into a slide-mounted mini  red dot sight for your pistol.

Mini red dot sights such as the Trijicon RMR are rugged optics that place a sighting dot on the same plane as the target, eliminating the need for aligning front and rear sights with the target.

For a few years now, enterprising shooters who happened to own both Glock G36s and G30s have been mixing and matching, mating their G36 slides to their G30 frames. Their goal was to create a more compact .45 ACP without sacrificing magazine capacity. Most of the resulting pistols worked just fine, but their owners were left with a slim G36 slide parked on a portly G30 frame. And short of being able to buy just the parts (not possible through Glock itself) or scoring salvaged parts from one source or another, there was no way to finish with just one completed, desired pistol—much less a gun with matching serial numbers.

Then, a year or so ago, I started hearing rumors of such a gun being requested by an unnamed police department. Well, unlike many of the other rumors concerning Glocks, this one actually turned out to be true. The company has just come out with the G30S: a G36 slide parked on top of a G30SF frame.

In short, the company has found a way to make lemonade out of black polymer lemons. The G30, while useful, was perhaps not well thought-out, with its porky G21-size slide. And the G36 was never the single-stack Glock many had hoped for. But by teaming that lighter G36 slide to the just-big-enough G30SF (SF is short for Short Frame) frame, I think Glock has a very attractive carry gun on its hands.

Notice the company decided to utilize the G30SF frame, not the G30 frame. The SF Glocks were an attempt to make the oversize, big-butt Glocks something that was more normal in use and function. While a minimal decrease, it has been enough for many shooters. For example, the previously too-big G20 and G21 models have become useable by many more shooters with the adoption of the SF versions.

The new G30S is chambered in .45 ACP, and it uses magazines compatible with the older G30 and the original G21. Magazine capacity for the 30S is 10 rounds, and the frame is relieved to handle the oversize base plate of the standard magazine. (Yes, you could rebuild the magazine with a flush base plate and reduce capacity to nine, which would produce an even more concealable gun. However, I think the G30 series is already compact enough to carry easily—and also difficult enough to shoot that you wouldn’t want to make it smaller and decrease capacity.)

All the rest of the G30S is normal Glock. It has the same polymer sights, Gen 3 frame with light rail, safeties external and internal, all operating the same way. Internally, the ejector block is not the regular one that you’d find on the G30 but rather an SF version.

While the G30 is now offered in both the Gen 3 and Gen 4 versions, Glock has not yet gotten around to making the G30S in a Gen 4 version. Hey, it just started making the G30S, and it is busy switching the various other models over to Gen 4, so give the company some time.

Overall, the G30S differs so slightly from the G30 that if you did not look at the model designation on the slide when you picked it up, I’m not sure you could tell there was anything different about it.

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The frame on the G30S is relieved for the large base pad on the standard 10-round mag, allowing the author to just get a three-finger grip.

The switch to a Short Frame version for the G30S eliminated a lot of the bulk that came with the original G30 frame.

The 30S, with the slimmer, trimmer slide borrowed from the G36, puts a lot of firepower in a concealable package. As a Gen 3, it sports an accessory rail on the frame.

You don’t get something for nothing. The G30S is a snappy pistol, for sure, but that’s part and parcel with any small and light .45 ACP.

The G30S accepts G21 mags. That extra capacity can come in handy, especially if using the G30S as a backup for a G21.

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Glock G30S Review

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I went to the range with a supply of .45 ACP ammunition and gave it a go. I ran a good cross-section of ammunition through it and in the process reminded myself how much I dislike lightweight, big-bore, fat little pistols.

The G30S weighs 20.3 ounces sans magazine, and any .45 ACP pistol that weighs just under a pound and a half will be work to shoot, regardless of who made it. When the frame is fat and short, there will be lots of sight movement, frame squirming and a need for a weasel-throttling grip to keep it all under control.

While generating chronograph data and shooting for accuracy, I remembered the peculiarity I have with compact Glocks: They smack my trigger finger. And this one did so with a great amount of gusto. I suspect it has something to do with the geometry of my hand and the particular grip and grip force I use. But the G30S made me pay.

However, the payment was actually worth it. I figured the G30S barrel, being a fraction over 3.25 inches long, would be a slow one. After all, you make a barrel that short and even a .45 ACP starts to suffer.

What I found was that the G30S didn’t suffer nearly as much as I expected, especially considering the cold. It finally managed to struggle up past 20 degrees on the day I generated the chrono data, so having the G30S come as close as it did to the speeds posted by pistols with longer barrels was impressive.

The accuracy was better than I had expected as well. I’ve had people gush over the accuracy of their Glocks for years, but I have not really been all that impressed. I guess it stems in part from having spent entirely too much time with custom-built 1911s, where you fully expect a pistol that costs as much as six months of house payments to deliver Bullseye accuracy.

Well, the G30S is no PPC or Bullseye pistol, but for a subcompact it certainly delivers the goods. Is it worth all the anticipation and hype? Surprisingly, yes. I have a full-size G21 that has been subjected to a frame reduction, and the frame on my G21 is still smaller in size than the SF frame of the G30S. But the G21 is a full-size pistol. It is a duty gun or a “loaded for bear” carry gun.

The G30S is a much more compact pistol, and while you might regret having “only” 10 rounds in a magazine, you can always use G21 magazines as reloads. There, you’ll get the extra three rounds that a G21 magazine provides—more if your magazines have +2 or larger base pads.

Is the lighter slide of any great import? Good question. While I didn’t have a G30 or 30SF to compare it to, by my calculations the G30S slide could be as much as 5.5 ounces less than the aforementioned models.

That weight loss would go a long way to explaining the snappy recoil I experienced and is something you might want to be aware of if you are considering the G30S as your main carry gun. Now, as a backup to a G21, it would be smashing. You could use the same magazines and be good to go. But G30S’s recoil will make you pay.

As for accuracy, I suspect the accuracy experienced by most shooters will be more influenced by the recoil than by the inherent accuracy of any given G30S. Make no mistake; it comes back at you. Despite the recoil, I was able to post par times on various drills and get a decent percentage of hits on the 100-yard gongs, despite the below-freezing temps.

As a main carry gun, the G30S is going to fulfill all the desires of any Glock aficionado in that it will be nearly indestructible and utterly reliable. As long as you feed it jacketed ammunition, it will continue to work and shoot accurately.

If you use factory ammo and something goes wrong, Glock will take care of you (if you feed it reloads, though, you’re on your own). And if you ever feel the need to have it looked at, service is as close as the nearest GSSF match, where a Glock factory armorer will overhaul it if needed.

Would I buy one? It is no great secret that when it comes to Glocks I’m not king of the Kool-Aid drinkers. In fact, it takes large amounts of caffeine ingestion in order for me to show much enthusiasm at all for polymer-framed pistols of any stripe. However, at the next GSSF match, where I fully intend to win even more free Glocks (okay, at least I fully intend to try), I’m certainly going to have a G30S on the list of “Got to order one this time” models.

The G30S demonstrated good accuracy for a pistol of its size. Further, it posted impressive velocities despite its short barrel.

Is the ubiquitous .38 Special revolver passé in today’s semi-auto world? Not by a long shot, says Sweeney.

When the .38 Special was offered to the shooting public back in 1898, smokeless powder was less than a generation old. And for a long time it was a caliber rather well thought of. Then, sometime in the 1960s, when so many other things changed, the .38 Special cartridge became something to look down upon, mock and even disrespect. Why? I guess in time all things traditional and functional become old hat and have to be tossed aside—later reevaluated and then reconsidered. But the .38 Special?

Hornady FTX (l.) delivers mild recoil, expansion and penetration. In +P form (r.) the FTX delivers more expansion and penetration—but at the cost of more recoil.

My thoughts on this came from testing the Hornady Critical Defense ammo in a .38 snubbie. It was an all-stainless S&W Model 60, a police trade-in backup gun. The recorded velocities were quite a bit under the ones listed on the box, which came as no surprise. But their tested terminal performance was interesting.

The 110-grain standard-pressure loads ran just under 1,000 fps, and the +P loads ran just over that mark. Before you snort in derision, that’s from a barrel just shy of two inches long. The standard-pressure FTX expanded and penetrated, although not to FBI satisfaction. The +P load expanded more and penetrated more. If you can handle the extra hassle of the muzzle blast, the performance bonus is worth it.

Let’s compare those to other compact carry guns—some .380s and some really short-barreled 9mms. First off, no .380 load in existence uses a bullet of 110 grains. The heaviest is 100, and you won’t find those 100-grainers leaving the muzzle over 800 fps. To break 800 fps and approach 850 in a compact .380, you have to settle for 95 grains of bullet weight.

A 9mm will match the 100-grain weight, even best it, with 115-grain bullets. However, a quick flip through my chrono logbook shows me that 115 is not a laser beam bullet out of a compact 9mm that you’d expect. Out of a three-inch barreled 9mm, 115s typically go the same speed that 110s do out of a snubbie revolver: just over 1,000 fps.

On a recent test with a three-inch 9mm, I tested seven different 115-grain bullet loads, only one of which exceeded 1,100 fps. One 115-grain load—a 115-grain +P+—topped 1,200 fps but that was absolutely no fun to shoot.

An ultra-compact 9mm pistol with skimpy grips is not easy to shoot. Yes, a flat and small 9mm hides well and carries easier than a two-inch revolver, but the revolver gives you more to hold on to.

Curious about this, I tried some other loads as well in the Model 60. The next step up in weight was Black Hills Blue, reloads using 125-grain JHPs. This is practice ammo, but some might use the load as carry ammo. The velocity was modest and recoil was likewise.

For someone who is recoil sensitive, this would still be fun to shoot. However, the velocity loss means marginal expansion at best, and while the nose shows some signs of starting to open, it isn’t the classic mushroom shape. But no expansion means extra penetration. The Black Hills load exceeds the FBI minimum and risks exiting a block of gelatin.

The next step up in weight was Speer Gold Dots, 135 grains and +P pressure. Noticeably more robust in recoil but still far short of obnoxious, they expanded and penetrated. While the .38 Special Gold Dots would fail the FBI barrier tests—and I do not know of any .38 Special load that passes those—it exceeds the FBI minimum 12 inches in bare gel.

Entering the top end of bullet weight, we enter the no-expansion realm out of a snubnose .38. I shot Cor-Bon 147-grain full metal jacket, Blazer 158-grain lead round nose and Hornady 158-grain XTP. None expanded, nor would I expect them to.

Actually, none has ever expanded, and it was notable to recover neither the Blazer nor the Cor-Bons. Even at the modest velocities they muster, they will consistently exit the back of a gelatin block, even an 18-inch rifle block. I have used the Cor-Bon in competition, where its modest recoil and excellent accuracy serve me well.

Now, the lack of expansion and the modest velocity of the heavyweights may be of concern to some. Just remember we can’t get something for nothing. Yes, we could ask for more, but at what cost? By the time you accelerate a 158-grain bullet to expansion velocities, we’ve used up all the easy-to-carry goodwill that a compact handgun provides. It is no fun to shoot, regardless of caliber.

And if you think center-punching a miscreant through the sternum with a 158-grain lead round nose is an inconsequential wound, you’ve been watching too many vampire movies.

So far I’ve been considering the performance of the .38 Special in ultra-compact carry guns. The lightest, such as the Smith & Wesson Model 442, weighs 15 ounces. A Ruger LCR weighs 13 ounces while the Model 60 is a relative heavyweight at 19 ounces.

What if we move up? There are a lot of .38 Special revolvers that are now considered “too big” to carry, despite having been carried in decades past. A .38 with a barrel of four inches or longer can serve well as a house gun. Smith & Wesson made a bazillion .38 Special Model 10s, most with tapered five-inch barrels. The K-frame grip is one many shooters find comfortable, and every grip maker who makes grips for revolvers makes them for the K frame. Rugers are legion, and the medium-size wheelguns are in the mid-30s when you tote up the ounces. Soft recoil is the main menu item here.

Four-, five- and six-inch barrels are going to boost velocities an appreciable amount. These longer barrels, driving their bullets faster, will generate more expansion and do so with less muzzle blast and recoil. That’s a combination difficult to dislike for a house gun.

Further, the grips of the medium-frame guns are easy to hold and shoot. As a house gun or a nightstand gun, a “too big to carry” .38 can be a useful tool and a comforting one, too.

Click to enlarge.

I can see some doubters in the crowd. While the performance of the .38 measures up to our 9mm expectations, the hue and cry goes up: “It doesn’t hold enough ammo.” I guess that depends on how much missing you plan to do.

If you walk into a gun shop and its sells ammo, it will have .38 Special ammo of some kind on the shelf. And as a final bonus, when it comes to reloading, the .38 Special is king. There are more available components, more powders that work, than any other caliber. When it comes to the categories of no-drama and easy-to-reload, there is no caliber that even pretends to contend with the .38 Special.

With all that going for it, will someone please explain to me why we fell out of love with this cartridge?

If you think any retention holster is completely secure against a gun grab, think again: If you can draw the gun, so can someone else. Retention devices just buy you time.

Concealed handguns and crowds are not a good mix, as there are more opportunities for someone to discern you are armed. Assuming you are legally armed with no restrictions, having someone know you are armed is not in and of itself life threatening. That can change quickly, however, if a knucklehead learns and decides it would be “fun” to take your gun away from you.

Avoiding such crowds, particularly densely packed ones, is the obvious best course of action, but life doesn’t always cooperate. Anyone can be caught up in a sudden mob—such as a public transit accident or any circumstance that causes a large number of people to pack together.

The grab itself is done in a manner similar to how some react to finding a $100 bill lying on the ground. A quick glance, a quicker swoop down and an even quicker exit from the area. The only difference, if you are fortunate, is the would-be gun grabber may announce his intent. This pre-attack warning is good and bad, as it does give you some time in which to react, but it also now makes you the center of attention, which limits your reactions.

The worst case, of course, is someone who sees you having a gun as his lucky day for simply being in the right place at the right time. He sees that, with relatively little effort and also little chance of being caught, he gets a gun for use or sale.

There is no one answer to how to protect your handgun in crowds other than not having one or having a gun small enough it’s not able to be seen as a gun or felt as a gun. At the very least, keep your gun arm at your side and, if you are carrying the gun at waist level, hold your arm over the gun, keeping constant contact with it while it is pressed against your body.

This does work, but if you’re in a crowd sometimes one or both hands are occupied carrying things—holding the hand of a child or two and/or your spouse, or using your arms and hands to maintain your space just to move in the crowd. You want to avoid this if at all possible.

One thing you definitely should not do is link your arm with someone else. Arm in arm is romantic and, depending on the focus of the group (for example, a spontaneous demonstration), arm linking does emphasize solidarity, conviction or intent.

I had one such attempt back in the day when I was dumb enough (once) to lock arms with folks on either side of me—and with my suit coat unbuttoned as well. A short lurch of the linked line of people pulled me in such a way that my coat was wide open, fully exposing my heretofore-concealed S&W 4-inch Model 19 revolver.

I carried it strong-side, outside my waistband in a holster that had two vertical restraining straps snapped above the hammer (state-of-the-art retention back then). In about a nanosecond after my flashing the crowd, the man closest to me grabbed for my gun. Since both of my arms were interlocked, I kicked him. He fell. Our line moved as I broke free. I didn’t stop to ask him why he did it.

As noted earlier, you should keep your gun-side arm free to protect your gun (when you’re wearing it at waist level) by both covering and pressing inward on the gun. The downside is you are now moving awkwardly and perhaps drawing attention to yourself. Be aware of this at all times.

A security holster is a good choice, but only if you practice with the safety features until your draw is reflexive. However, don’t depend on those features completely, because there’s simply no one “best” security holster, for a few reasons.

Hand size, arm length, mobility of your limbs and manual dexterity vary. The actions needed to release the single or multiple retention devices are more “natural” for some than are others.

The overall holster design and material—be it leather, polymer or a combination of the two—may not be to your liking or particular needs. Some handguns are not good fits for some retention systems.

Modes of dress can cause changes in concealment needs. Entire books have been written on holster selection and their applications. This surplus of choice is in part why many of us have a box or two of different holsters sitting around.

No holster system provides absolute security, and no holster makes such a claim, for if you can draw the gun, so can someone else. A security holster simply buys time for you to respond as required.

The primary gun retention defense is keeping it concealed. In crowds, you also need to step up your game. Some easy-to-do steps include buttoning or zipping up your outer garment. Pulling your shirt out and over your gun also helps if your first concealment efforts have been disrupted for whatever reason. I’ve done this two ways: Just pull my shirt out enough to cover an IWB-carried gun or pull the entire shirt.

The two choices are, of course, based on the size of the gun and if the holster is inside or outside the waistband. I go with whatever appears to look more natural. Should I look slightly sloppy with only part of my shirt pulled out or all of it out? The cut of the shirt often dictates this. This works well with an inside-the-pants holster and is a quick, standalone concealing action if you have to—or want to—remove your coat.

Gun handling in such circumstances isn’t recommended because in so doing you’re exposing your handgun—exactly what you’re trying to avoid. Also, since such handling is likely a stopgap, last-minute action, gun muzzle and finger discipline can suffer. It’s something else to practice rigorously.

There’s no one good answer to how to protect your gun in a crowd, other than not being there. The foregoing are some suggestions that have worked for me and others whom I respect. I think anyone legally armed has a moral if not legal responsibility to make every effort to prevent a gun grab.

However, I am specifically not suggesting any formal method or technique for defeating a gun grab. What I do suggest is getting formal training from a certified instructor whose curriculum covers the concealment needs of non-sworn citizens. That is, without a doubt, the best answer as to how to protect your handgun in a crowd.

Pistol or revolver? 9mm or .45-caliber? Isosceles or Weaver? These topics have long been the subject of heated debate in the shooting world. While there are die-hard proponents of each methodology, in truth there is no one-size-fits–all solution. What works well for one person may not work at all for another.

The same can be said of the inside-the-waistband (IWB) versus outside-the-waistband (OWB) concealed-carry debate. Understanding the pros and cons of each technique will help you make a more informed decision and might even save you from wasting money on pants, belts and holsters.

One of the big selling points to OWB carry is that it’s easier to get a proper grip at the beginning of the draw stroke, a crucial step in the draw process.

Whether using a full-size pistol or a snub-nose revolver, you need to give careful consideration as to whether to carry IWB or OWB. There are a multitude of factors that come into play, including weather conditions, the types of activities you frequently engage in, your physicality, and of course, personal preference.

OWB is by far the most popular concealed-carry option. OWB holsters usually contain at least two slots for looping a belt through. Some contain additional loops so the wearer can adjust the cant of the gun to suit a particular need. For instance, when wearing a cross-draw holster, having the grip of your gun canted toward your dominant side facilitates a much more efficient draw than if the grip were oriented vertically.

Another style of OWB holster is secured to the belt by a paddle that is contoured to the shape of the hip. The paddle portion is inserted inside the pants. There are typically hooks that lodge under the interior waistband of your pants. These hooks lock the holster in place and prevent it from adhering to the gun during the draw stroke.

Paddle holsters are convenient for training or plinking because they can be mounted and un-mounted without having to remove your belt, but since they can easily become dislodged during a disarm attempt, they are less than ideal for concealed carry.

When using an OWB holster, there is inherently a gap between the grip of your handgun and your torso. Since your gun is not pressed against your skin, OWB carry is generally considered more comfortable than IWB carry. Also, your gun is less susceptible to corrosion using OWB carry because your body’s natural oils are not in direct contact with the gun.

Comfort isn’t the only advantage of OWB carry. Since OWB carry positions the gun slightly away from your body, there is plenty of room to obtain a proper shooting grip prior to drawing the gun from the holster. This is a tremendous advantage when you consider that during high-stress incident, immediately establishing a proper grip on your gun puts you ahead of the curve—or at least not as far behind.

While it’s true that no one’s ever won a gunfight by racing back to the holster, there are times when being able to holster quickly is extremely beneficial, as would be the case if an armed criminal were to suddenly lose his weapon but continue his assault. With regard to holstering under stress, the edge goes to OWB carry.

OWB holsters often have some type of securing mechanism such as a snap or button that must be manipulated in order to draw the gun. While a simple snap design doesn’t offer much in the way of retention against a disarm attempt, it would at least help keep the gun in place while you were running, climbing over an object, or engaging in other types of physical activity associated with a potential deadly force encounter.

OWB holsters such as the Blackhawk Serpa offer an automatic locking feature that is engaged by simply holstering the gun. This important safety measure makes it much more difficult for a bad guy to remove your gun from the holster while at the same time allowing an easy draw on your part once you’ve practiced defeating the safety mechanism.

In a gunfight, you may be injured and forced to draw, shoot, reload and clear malfunctions with one hand. In such a case, you’re going to need all the help you can get. An OWB holster is easier to draw from with your off hand than an IWB holster. There’s also more room for inserting a magazine into the magazine well while the gun is holstered during a one-handed reload. And an OWB holster provides a more convenient surface for hooking on the rear sight or a corner of the ejection port to cycle the slide during one-handed operation.

By now, you may be sold on the OWB mode of carry, but before you run out and drop your hard-earned cash on such a holster, you need to be aware of the potential drawbacks to OWB carry.

One deterrent for many would-be OWB adherents is that while these holsters tend to be more comfortable than their IWB counterparts, they are also more difficult to conceal. And since the holster extends below the belt line, you’re going to need to wear a longer over-garment to conceal your gun and holster. As such, OWB holsters are better suited for colder climates because wearing a jacket or vest helps mask the silhouette of your gun and holster.

The fact that the OWB holsters make your gun more accessible to you means they are also more accessible to a bad guy who attempts to disarm you. Whether he sees your gun thanks to a “wardrobe malfunction” or feels it during a fight at contact distance, if your adversary realizes you’re armed, he may very well go for your gun.

I’ve long been a fan of IWB carry. When I first became a police officer, my off-duty ensemble was a Glock 27 and a Galco IWB holster, worn in the appendix carry position. To me, this was a comfortable and practical way to conceal a handgun on a daily basis. Over time, I have experimented with many handgun and holster options, but IWB really seems to work for me.

IWB holsters keep your gun tighter to your body, enabling you to remain discretely armed. IWB holsters are generally worn just forward or rearward of the hip so the body’s natural contour aids in concealment.

Most nylon and some leather holsters feature a simple plastic clip that, when the holster is tucked into the pants, slides along the outside of the belt. The clip has a hook at the bottom that’s designed to snag on the bottom of your belt—keeping the holster in place as you draw the gun.

While they haven’t been around as long as their OWB predecessors, IWB holsters have surged in popularity in recent years in direct proportion to the success of the concealed-carry movement.

The advantage of IWB carry is the gun is carried more closely to the body, which makes it easier to conceal (l.). However, that fact also means it’s more difficult to get a proper firing grip (r.) at the beginning of the draw.

Leather IWB holsters often use two narrow straps with snap fasteners, although some models use a single wide strap. The straps are laced between the belt and your pants when the holster is tucked into position. They are then looped over the belt and snapped to secure the holster in place.

When your gun is worn behind the hip, most jeans have a perfectly placed belt loop that you can secure a strap on either side of to prevent the holster from sliding along your belt.

The fact that IWB holsters don’t usually contain a retention device is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, many people prefer not having to contend with such devices when drawing a gun from concealment. Remember, ensuring your gun remains concealed is your primary retention technique. If the bad guy doesn’t know you’re armed, your gun is safe.

Some IWB holsters are “tuckable,” designed to allow the wearer to tuck his or her shirt into their pants, over the gun. All that would be visible are the two relatively inconspicuous clips that secure the holster to the belt.

Of course, drawing would be slower, since the shirt would first have to be untucked, but tuckables can eliminate the need for an additional over-garment. However, even with this style I prefer to conceal it with a traditional over-garment for faster access.

IWB carry may require some wardrobe changes. As a general rule, you will want pants that are about two inches larger in the waist than you normally wear to accommodate your holstered gun. The same goes for your belt: Swallow your pride and buy one big enough to account for the “gun girth.”

While you’re at the department store buying clothes that are too big for you, you might want to pick up some T-shirts as well. You’ll probably be much more comfortable wearing an undershirt to prevent your gun from rubbing against your bare skin. A shirt will also offer a degree of protection for your firearm from sweat, which could lead to corrosion.

So what’s it going to be, OWB or IWB? Only you can decide which concealed-carry method works best for you. As for me, I’m willing to sacrifice a little comfort and endure a slightly more challenging draw stroke in order to reap the benefit of added concealment afforded by IWB carry.

Regardless of the type of holster you employ for concealed carry, it’s important to become intimately familiar with the appropriate draw stroke. This familiarity is achieved only through diligent and consistent practice.

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Bianchi Kenda Lenseigne Signature Series

This year, Bianchi Cowboy rolls out its brand new western series of holsters, the Kenda Lenseigne Signature Series. Available in four models, each holster is designed for record-breaking shooting performance with a handsome leather exterior.

Price: $105-125

Blackhawk! Epoch

Blackhawk! introduced its brand new duty holster at SHOT Show—the Blackhawk! Epoch. This Level 3 retention holster, designed with law enforcement in mind, allows users to holster their sidearms with almost any tactical light mounted. The Epoch also features a thumb release rather than a trigger finger release, and comes in a matte black or basket weave finish.

Price: Matte Finish, $107.99; Basketweave Finish, $124.99; Plain Finish, $124.99

Blackhawk! GripBreak

Putting the importance of a quick, smooth draw at the forefront, Blackhawk! will roll out its brand new GripBreak holster in 2013. With a patented automatic locking system, the GripBreak features a secure locking system, and a simple thumb release allows the shooter to maintain a master grip while drawing.

Price: Nylon, $39.99; Leather, $76.99

Deep Conceal Visor Holster

Deep Conceal’s Visor Holster allows drivers to carry their firearm in a place they may not have thought of before—the sun visors. Compatible for guns 2.5 to 5.5 inches in overall length, the holster is positioned out of sight for anyone peeking inside your car, and features a quick release retention strap for quick and easy access. The holster fits all visors and can be easily swapped in between cars.

Price: $9.95

DeSantis Dual Carry II

Which route should you go: IWB or OWB? How about both? DeSantis Gunhide will roll out its brand new Dual Carry II in 2013, which features the company’s Tuckable 360 C-Clip for vertical positioning for inside-the-waistband carry, but it also comes with an outer belt loop, making it a great outside-the-waistband option.

Price: $32.99

DeSantis Hide and Chic

With a growing number of female shooters, DeSantis Gunhide has provided women with a stylish way to carry with the Hide and Chic. This purse holster features a hidden handgun compartment accessible from either end of the purse, plus room for keys, phone, makeup and other belongings.

Price: $229.99

DeSantis Tap Out

With law enforcement in mind, DeSantis Gunhide introduced the brand new Tap Out holster at the 2013 SHOT Show. This one-of-a-kind, ambidextrous holster features two carry options, plain clothes and on-duty. The plain clothes option allows users to fit the holster with a concealment slide or paddle—both adjustable for cant—and features two Level 4 finger breaks, though the Tap Out will also be available by custom order with one finger break on the body side. The on-duty option transforms the holster into what DeSantis calls "a high-security level duty holster," fitting the holster body with a "mode adapter" that allows the plain clothes mode to be transformed without tools. The Tap Out will be available April 20.

Price: TBD

Galco Cop Ankle Band

New for 2013, Galco introduced its Cop Ankle Band at SHOT Show. With a high-grade elastic band, the CAB is lined with suede behind the holster area with a Velcro closure. The holster features thumb break release for semi-auto pistols, as well as a conventional release for revolvers. Both right- and left-handed models will be available.

Price: $53.95

Galco Carry Safe

Perfect for carrying inside purses, messenger bags, bug-out bags and more, Galco’s brand new Carry Safe holster is a nylon holster that attaches securely with Velcro to a leather backing plate, which includes an adjustable metal clip to alter ride height and ease of access. A reinforced thumb break retention strap offers great security, as well as a fast draw.

Price: $29.95

Safariland Model 22 Wallet Profile Holster

New for 2013, Safariland introduced its brand new Model 22 Wallet Profile Holster. Designed to give the "print" impression of a wallet, the Model 22 features a hinged design that allows the backing to swing away from the holster, allowing the user to get a firm grip on the weapon for a smooth draw. After opening, the Model 22 will stay open; shooters simply drop the handgun into the pocket to re-holster.

Price: $37

Safariland Range Series Holsters

Safariland introduced its brand new Range Series at the 2013 SHOT Show, which includes two models—the Model 5195 Low Ride and Model 5197 Open Top Mid Ride (pictured). The Model 5195, designed for female shooters, features an offset belt loop—which allows for a smooth, straight draw for shooters whose hips are bigger than their waists—as well as a modular offset adaptor for Safariland belt accessories. The updated Model 5197 features a belt loop that can be adjusted for cant while eliminating belt bulging. Both holsters feature low cut sides and a detent in the trigger guard, adding increased security.

Price: $37

Uncle Mike's Reflex

In the heat of danger, the human mind may forget how to operate a holster’s release mechanism. For that reason, Uncle Mike’s introduced its Reflex holster, which uses no levers or buttons to operate—just grip, squeeze and rotate clockwise, and pull in a smooth draw. Easy as that. With a polymer construction, the Reflex includes pancake style belt loop up to 1 ¾ inches, as well as a paddle attachment.

Price: $36.95

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SHOT Show: New Holsters for 2013

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The larger the police department, says Ian O’Donnell, sales manager for Smith & Wesson’s Law Enforcement and Defense Group, the better the odds the handgun selection process will be more structured.

For example, many of the big departments he’s worked with have a 10-criterion evaluation scale: ergonomics; access to controls (slide lock lever, etc.); user friendliness; trigger reach; trigger pull; recoil controllability; function/performance; accuracy; versatility (grip, ambidextrous capability, etc.); and ease of disassembly/assembly.

“They try to get a large diverse array of people from around the department of various physical statures, ranks and years of experience to do the actual evaluations,” O’Donnell explains. “Then they take the top two or three pistols and put lots and lots of rounds through the guns. Then they’ll beat the pistol up, throw it on the ground, dunk it in water, do no cleaning, things like that, to try to simulate real-world situations, while also seeing what the pistol can do.”

Several years ago, for example, the law enforcement section of the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division decided to replace its wardens’ handguns. There were no real problems with its Beretta 96Gs, but many were more than 10 years old.

“We started asking everyone what they wanted in a new pistol and asked other state law enforcement agencies what they were carrying,” said Sgt. Matt Weathers, a 15-year game warden and one of the agency’s firearms trainers.

Weathers’ coworkers were fine with the .40 S&W chambering of the Beretta, but they wanted a lighter handgun and one that didn’t turn into an ice cube in cold weather and freeze their hips since they often worked outdoors in cold weather. That led to a focus on .40-caliber semi-automatics with polymer frames, which in addition to being lighter don’t transfer cold as efficiently as metal.

They selected five models and took them to the range for bench and offhand accuracy testing, which in the end wasn’t much help because they couldn’t find any real differences in the guns.

The next most important criterion was the ability of a handgun to function in the field, in all sorts of weather. A warden’s handgun can get wet and very dirty. Guns can get accidentally dropped—into the bottom of boats, in the woods, in a swamp, wherever a warden might have to respond to a call.

“It’s common to have three or four of our wardens riding ATVs in a line over dusty trails, all day long,” Weathers adds. “By the time they get done, their pistols are just orange from the dust we have here. It gets into everything.”

Once they’d broken in the handguns, firing at least 500 rounds through them, Weathers and his fellow firearms trainers subjected the handguns to the “dirt test.”

“With the slide closed and loaded, we dropped it on the ground, covered it up with dirt, packed it down, then pulled it out of the dirt, shook it off and used it. Did it work?”

For a number of the finalist handguns, the answer was no. They were fine when clean but couldn’t function following the dirt test. The exception was the Glock 35. No matter how much dirt, mud, water, and grime they subjected the pistol to, Weathers says the Glock 35 worked like a charm, and that’s why, today, the 200 officers all carry Glock 35s.

Costs and budgets can be a big factor in deciding on new firearms, too. A few years back, the Vermont State Police determined it was either going to have to perform some pretty costly maintenance on its handguns or buy new ones. When officials made it known they were looking, Smith & Wesson made them an offer: a one-for-one trade of their handguns for new M&P 40s. S&W also threw in new holsters, laser engraving the agency’s badge logo on the slide and training all the agency’s firearms instructors as armorers.

“That was all huge for us,” says Sgt. John Young, firearms tactics and training coordinator for the Vermont State Police. “No one else would even come close to that deal—and we asked around—so we took a very hard look at the M&Ps right off the bat.”

The M&Ps passed accuracy and torture tests with flying colors, including the “snow test,” important in wintry Vermont: firing an M&P until it was very hot, then dropping it onto the ground and covering it with a thick layer of snow, packing it down, and then digging out the pistol, racking back the slide and seeing if it would operate normally.

“We tried to get them to malfunction, and we could not get them to do it,” says Young.

The M&Ps also came with replaceable palm swells to fit a wide variety of hand sizes—an important consideration in an outfit with nearly 400 officers ranging in size from petite women to pro football-size guys.

Costs asserted themselves in another way, too. The state police’s previous handguns were chambered in .40 S&W. Early in the selection process, consideration was given to switching to a .45 ACP handgun.

“To me, the .45 actually shoots a little better, not so much of a snappy recoil as the .40,” Young says. “But then you get into the costs and logistics switching to a new round.”

Young’s agency already had more than 80,000 rounds of .40 caliber handgun on hand. Plus, .45 ACP costs about 20 percent more than .40 S&W.

Given the dollars saved, and the performance of the M&Ps, adopting the S&Ws made the most sense for the state police.

“Our qualifications scores are up with the M&Ps, we gained nine additional carry rounds, and a year into it and we’ve had no maintenance issues,” says Young. “We saved taxpayers a ton of money, too.”

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CZ 75 Compact SDP

While other offerings in CZ-USA's Custom Shop, the new CZ 75 Compact SDP is a carry gun. It’s a P-01 variant with a competition hammer, polished and tuned trigger (3.5 to four pounds single action, 7.5 to 8.2 pounds double action), and comes with tritium sights that include a Heinie Slant Pro rear.

Price: $1,379

CZ P-09 Duty

Whether you’re already a CZ fan or aren’t familiar with this Czech Republic manufacturer’s offerings, the new P-09 Duty certainly has to top your list of new guns to investigate. It’s essentially a full-size version of the P-07 Duty, and after shooting a prototype a while back, I have to say it is one of the nicest-pointing 9mms I have ever handled (it’s also available in .40). Plus, it’s got impressive firepower: 19+1 capacity with a flush-fit magazine in 9mm.

The gun also features CZ’s excellent DA/SA Omega trigger system. It comes with decockers installed, but you can convert it to a manual safety with the supplied parts. The P-09 is also supplied with three interchangeable backstraps.

Price: 9mm, $514; .40, $528

FNH FNX-45

I’m a fan of the FNP platform, which I’ve always found a nice-handling DA/SA, so I’m looking forward to shooting FNH USA's new FNX-45—a major upgrade of the FNP-45 with improved ergonomics and a full complement of ambi controls: manual safety/decocker, slide stop and magazine release. Slide and 4.5-inch barrel are stainless steel, the former in either matte black or matte silver finish. The checkered polymer frame (available in either black or flat dark earth) takes interchangeable backstraps with lanyard eyelets, and it features a MIL-STD 1913 rail up front. Capacity choices are 10 or 15 rounds. There’s also a Tactical version with 5.3-inch barrel and night sights (15-round capacity only).

$824; Tactical version, $1,399

Glock 30S

Glock is bringing out the new Glock 30S, a concealed-carry hybrid that incorporates a G36 slide on a G30 frame. It’s chambered in .45 ACP and has a 10-round capacity. It features a 3.78-inch barrel and has an overall length just shy of seven inches. Width is 1.28 inches, and height with magazine installed is 4.8 inches. The 30S weighs 2.47 pounds with magazine.

Price: $637

Kahr CW380

Kahr has found success with its CW and CM series of concealed-carry handguns, which feature many of the features found on the company’s famous P series but at a much lower cost. For 2013, the company continues that strategy with a CW380, an economical companion to the firm’s P380. It’s a 6+1 DAO .380 ACP with a 2.6-inch conventional barrel (as opposed to the P series’ polygonal-rifled Lothar Walther barrel).

It’s ever so slightly larger than the P380, but we’re talking hundredths of an inch with an overall length of five inches, and it’s also tenths of an ounce heavier. Aside from the barrel, the cost savings come from a pinned polymer front sight instead of steel, and it ships with just one magazine instead of two.

Price: $419

Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 AE

While it’s not brand new, the Magnum Research Desert Eagle .50 Action Express with 10-inch barrel is new enough to mention. Of the Desert Eagle chamberings, the .50 AE is my favorite and frankly the one that makes the most sense to me—“sense” being a relative term because I don’t need a Desert Eagle as much as I really want one. This new barrel length makes the OAL a whopping 14.75 inches and increases the weight to four pounds 12 ounces—not quite half a pound heavier than the model with the six-inch barrel. And it’s pure Desert Eagle: rotating-head bolt single-action semiauto with fixed combat-type sights. Which means it’s pure fun to shoot.

Price: $1,683

Remington R1 Carry

Remington’s latest 1911 offering, the R1 Carry, features a 5-inch barrel along with an ultra smooth trigger and checkered walnut grips. Chambered in .45 Auto, the R1 Carry includes seven- and eight-round magazines.

Price: $1,299

Rock Island Armory .22 TCM Mid-Size Standard

If you haven’t heard of the .22 TCM round yet, you’re probably not alone. It’s a 9mm Luger necked down to accept .22 caliber bullets that generates 1,900 fps at the muzzle, and it made its debut in the Rock Island Armory Micro Mag—a full-size 1911 that permits switching back and forth between 9mm and .22 TCM.

Now comes the .22 TCM Mid-Size Standard, a Commander-length 1911. Unlike the Micro Mag, this is a dedicated .22 TCM and doesn’t come with a 9mm conversion kit. It has 8+1 capacity and weighs just shy of 4.5 pounds. The slide is Parkerized, and the grips are polymer. Sights are low-profile and snag-free.

Price: TBD

Rock Island Armory Tactical VZ 2011

Talk about your yin and yang: Rock Island Armory’s other new pistols are a pair of 10mms: the Tactical II and the Tactical VZ 2011. They’re both 1911s with 8+1 capacity, five-inch barrels, Parkerized slides, VZ grips and an empty weight of 2.5 pounds. Sights on both include a fiber-optic front and an adjustable, low-profile rear. The only difference is the Tactical VZ 2011 features an accessory rail.

Price: TBD

Ruger LC380

Ruger’s latest concealed carry offering, the LC380, is built off the company’s LC9 and features a light recoil spring which allows the slide to be easily manipulated, making it one of the lightest recoiling pistol in the Ruger family. The LC380 is also dovetailed with a 3-dot sight system, plus a loaded chamber indicator just in front of the rear sights.

Price: $449

Ruger SR45

Based on Ruger’s popular SR9 series, the brand new Ruger SR45 is chambered in .45 ACP and comes with two 10-round magazines. The SR45 features an ambidextrous manual safety and mag release, along with interchangeable backstraps and adjustable 3-dot sights for windage and elevation. The SR45 also features a Picatinny-style rail for mounting tactical lights or lasers. Available in either a stainless steel, brushed finish slide or an alloy, black nitrite slide.

Price: $529

SIG Sauer P227

New from SIG Sauer is the SIG P227, a double-stack .45 ACP. Its dimensions are similar to the P226 (7.7-inch OAL with 4.4-inch barrel, 5.5-inch height, 1.5-inch width, 34-ounce weight) but gives you 10+1 capacity in the flush-fit magazine and a whopping 14+1 in an extended duty mag. As a bonus, it will accept any P220 slide assembly, which means by swapping top ends you can turn your regular-size P227 into a Carry, SAS, Stainless or Super Match. The P227 has a Nitron-finished slide that’s machined from stainless bar stock; the frame is lightweight alloy.

Price: $993, $1,085 with Night Sights

Smith & Wesson M&P C.O.R.E.

“Optics-ready” describes a new addition to the Smith & WessonM&P line, the C.O.R.E. (Competition Optics Ready Equipment) series. These models make it easy to add six popular styles of competition-based optics: Trijicon RMR, C-More STS, Leupold DeltaPoint, Docter, Insight MRDS and JPoint courtesy of a mounting platform on the slide. Available in 9mm and .40 with either 4.25 or five-inch barrels, they retain the basic M&P design—polymer frame, stainless steel slide and barrel, ambi controls and Melonite finish—but their backstraps have a new, more aggressive texture and come with three palm swell grips to accommodate different hand sizes.

The M&P C.O.R.E.s incorporate a Performance Center sear for a 4.5-pound pull and shorter reset; higher sights that you can use with an optic mounted; and a new muzzle crown.

Price: $729

Smith & Wesson Performance Center Model 41

Smith & Wesson is bringing its Performance Center front and center with new guns that are essentially “production custom” models.

One new one is an update of the classic Model 41 rimfire, a competition favorite. The Performance Center M41 comes with an integral Picatinny rail for mounting optics, making it ready for any competitive course of fire. Performance Center gunsmiths have also tuned the action. But for those who prefer to shoot irons, the M41 has a removable front sight and an adjustable rear sight.

Other than that, the pistol’s configuration remains unchanged: carbon steel frame, 5.5-inch barrel and 10-round magazine.

Price: $1,579

Smith & Wesson Performance Center SW1911 Round Butt

We covered the new Performance Center SW1911 in the February/March issue of Handguns. Well, hot on the heels of that introduction comes a round-butt version built on a scandium alloy, Commander-length frame. Thanks to that construction, the Performance Center SW1911 Round Butt will weigh just 29.6 ounces and be much more suitable for concealed carry (with the round butt configuration also helping to reduce printing).

It has the same slide cuts as the full-size gun, but the G10 grips on the Round Butt are two-tone orange/black.

Price: $1,539

Springfield XD-S 9mm

Springfield Armory introduced its XD-S semi-auto pistol in 2012, and the compact, single-stack .45 was a quick hit. Now, Springfield is at it again, bringing the XD-S back in a single-stack 9mm version. The XD-S 9mm features a seven-round capacity—a nine-round extended mag is also available—and even lighter shooting than the original XD-S.

Price: TBD

Taurus Millennium G2

The new Taurus Millennium G2 is part of the company’s Carry On series of, you guessed it, concealed-carry pistols. It’s a true lightweight at just 22 ounces and features a thin profile and a 6.2-inch overall length. It’s a DA/SA pistol that’s available in two compact models, both incorporating textured polymer grips, carry melt and high-profile sights. The PT111 is a 9mm, and the PT140 is a .40.

Price: $350

Thompson 1911 Custom Stainless

Auto-Ordnance—the company that makes a semi-auto version of the famous Thompson submachine gun—also makes handguns, which may come as news to many shooters. A relatively new one is a stainless steel 1911, the 1911 Custom Stainless. It’s a Government model built with a 420 stainless steel cast frame and machined stainless slide. It has low-profile sights and checkered laminate grips with the Thompson bullet logo. Both the mainspring housing and frontstrap are checkered at 20 lpi, and it features an adjustable trigger and extended magazine release and beavertail grip safety. It ships with one seven-round magazine.

Price: $813

Uberti 1873 Cattleman Series

Uberti is expanding its popular Cattleman series of single-action revolvers with three new .22s. Unlike the Stallion, which is a scaled-down revolver, the new Cattlemans are full-size guns. There are three models, all with 4.75-inch barrels, 2.3-pound weights, case-hardened frames, walnut grips and blued barrels. The two six-shot versions offer the choice of either brass or steel backstrap and trigger guard. The brass version sells for $489 and the steel version for $509. There’s also a 12-shot model; it features a steel backstrap and trigger guard and sells for $519.

Walther PPK/S .22

If you feel like sipping a “shaken, not stirred” martini after your day at the range, Walther is offering the PPK/S .22 for James Bond aficionados and those searching for a good-looking German-built rimfire as a fun gun.

It’s compact at just over six inches overall and weighs in at 23 ounces. It features an interchangeable sight and a manual hammer-dropping safety. Magazine capacity is 10 rounds.

Price: Black, $400; Stainless, $430

Walther PPQ M2 5-Inch

For 2013, Walther is bringing out the PPQ M2, a striker-fired polymer-frame gun with the company’s Quick Defense Trigger—a pre-cocked trigger that breaks at 5.6 pounds. With an overall length of 7.1 inches and a weight of just 21 ounces, the four-inch barrel version should prove to be a great carry gun; a five-inch barrel is also available. Interchangeable backstraps and a button magazine release where American shooters expect it (as opposed to the trigger-guard paddle of the P99) round out the package. It’s available in 9mm (15 rounds) and .40 (11 rounds).

Price: $600-700

Walther PPX

Also new from Walther is the PPX, a hammer-fired gun with a pre-cocked trigger pull with a 6.5-pound pull, which is a good for a DAO. It features a four-inch barrel with adjustable three-dot steel sights, and the button magazine release is reversible. Weight is 1.7 pounds; overall length is 7.3 inches.

Up front it’s got a MIL-STD 1913 rail, and there’s a threaded-barrel version for suppressor use.

Price: $449-499

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New Handguns for 2013

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STI International of Georgetown, Texas, first made a name for itself in the world of 1911 pistols during the 1990s with the development of what is today its extensive 2011 series of high-capacity modular-frame guns, which utilize a fiber-reinforced polymer lower grip and trigger guard as a separate component from the metal upper portion of the frame that comprises the dust cover and frame rails.

It was not long, however, before the continuing (and growing) demand for classic-format single-stack 1911s led the company to expand its offerings in that market as well, and today STI’s list of single-stack 1911 models is even longer (21 items) than its catalog of 2011 items (15 items).

Among the newest of STI’s single-stack Model 1911s is the Lawman series, available in five-inch full-size, 4.25-inch Commander size, and 3.25-inch Officer’s size—all in either .45 ACP or 9mm chamberings.

STI has long been well-known in the world of M1911 IPSC/USPSA competition shooting due to the high-capacity advantages of the 2011 series and competition-oriented semi-custom packages, but it is not as familiar to single-stack Model 1911 owners in general, and some confusion exists due to the company’s history. So some background is in order.

Around 1980, Texas gunsmith and machinist Virgil Tripp got into building custom 1911 pistols for USPSA/IPSC competition. Dissatisfied with the quality of many of the accessory M1911 parts then available, he began designing his own—most notably hammers and sears that he manufactured by electrical discharge machining and a polymer/titanium match trigger. Most of these Tripp Research, Inc. parts were marketed and sold through Chip McCormick Corp. and quickly established themselves among shooters and other custom pistolsmiths due to McCormick’s stature as one of the leading national championship competitors of that era.

In the early 1990s, Tripp linked up with a Texas engineer and computer-aided design specialist named Sandy Strayer, and together they developed and patented the modular high-capacity 1911 frame—the foundation for today’s 2011 series—under the name Strayer-Tripp Inc. or STI.

This was a big deal for the USPSA/IPSC world. Para Ordnance’s all-steel high-capacity 1911 frame was already on the market, but STI’s polymer/steel modular system weighed less than half of an all-steel gun. Shooters also liked the STI design because it felt smaller in the hands due to the fact the grips were molded in instead of screwed on. The new system took USPSA Open division by storm.

But success breeds its own complications. In 1994, Strayer left STI, and with Strayer’s departure Tripp partnered with Texas USPSA/IPSC enthusiast and businessman Dave Skinner. In 1997, Skinner and his wife Shirley bought STI outright from Tripp and renamed the company STI International. Eight years after that, the Skinners sold STI to its employees, making it the first employee-owned company in the firearms industry.

The “International” that Skinner added to the STI name in 1997 is significant. At that time, the Clinton-era high-cap magazine ban was in full effect, effectively killing domestic sales of STI’s signature 2011 guns. So Skinner decided to focus on exports, and by 2007 STI International was the third largest exporter of pistols in America after Smith & Wesson and SIG Sauer.

At the same time, he decided to focus on the growing personal defense and concealed-carry market in the U.S. by moving strongly into the traditional 1911 single-stack market for complete guns as well as custom accessory parts. And this brings us to the new STI Lawman series.

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The 9mm versions of the 4.0 (l.) and 3.0 offer magazine capacities of nine and eight rounds, respectively, making these excellent choices for concealed carry for people who favor single actions.

STI’s thin grip panels (l.) are available at no charge on all Lawman versions. They reduce grip width by 0.12 inch.

All the Lawmen feature RecoilMaster full-length guide rods. The 3.0 employs a bull barrel while the other two have bushing setups.

STI’s proprietary aluminum Long Curve trigger features overtravel adjustment and comes standard on all Lawman versions. Pulls on all three sample guns were crisp and in the three- to 3.5-pound range.

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STI Lawman Series Review

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All three sizes of the .45 ACP and 9mm STI International Lawman pistols are traditional 1911s built to modern standards to provide exceptional duty and personal-defense tools. The three versions are designated as the Lawman 5.0, Lawman 4.0 and Lawman 3.0, although their actual barrel lengths are 5.11, 4.26, and 3.24 inches, respectively.

The Lawman 5.0 and 4.0 guns are built on forged steel, standard width, Government- and Commander-length frames, respectively, with finely checkered frontstraps and backstraps, and steel flat mainspring housings. The Lawman 3.0 pistols are built with forged aluminum frames with similar checkering and aluminum flat mainspring housings.

The controls on all versions in both calibers are STI International’s single-sided thumb safety positioned for right-handers and STI’s high-rise beavertail grip safety with hammer cup and palm hump. The beavertail tip on the Lawman 3.0 is slightly bobbed for increased concealability.

The carbon-steel slides on all Lawman versions feature traditional round-top 1911 style with lowered and flared ejection port and front and rear cocking serrations. All Lawman barrels are fully supported and ramped.

Lawman 5.0 and Lawman 4.0 models feature a barrel bushing; the Lawman 3.0 features a bushing-free, cone-fit bull barrel. The Lawman 5.0 has a full-length guide rod. The Lawman 4.0 and Lawman 3.0 pistols are equipped with STI’s RecoilMaster guide rods. All Lawman pistols come standard with an STI International Commander-style hammer with weight-reducing side cutouts.

The triggers on all Lawman 1911s are STI’s patented aluminum Long Curve design with adjustable overtravel screw. Measured trigger pull weights on our three review sample pistols were very crisp, from three to 3.5 pounds. All Lawman versions are fitted with STI’s G10 Micarta grip panels featuring aggressive proprietary checkering design and engraved STI logo. Thin-grip versions with the same checkering pattern are available at no extra charge for increased concealability or for smaller hands. Thin grips reduce width by only 0.12 inch but make a significant difference in how they fit your hand.

Standard finish on the Lawman pistols is matte blue with polished slide sides. Optional polymer finishes include OD green frame with black KG-coated slide, or brown slide over coyote tan frame, both offered at no extra charge. Grip panels are offered to match finish in black, olive drab or tan. A hard chrome finish (available only for the slide) adds $300 to the price. Base retail price for all versions in all calibers is the same: $1,433.

Lawman 5.0 .45 ACP pistols come with an eight-round STI-branded magazine with oversize polymer base pad. All other versions come with flat-metal base plate magazines with the following capacities: Lawman 5.0 9mm, 9+1 rounds; Lawman 4.0 .45 ACP, 7+1; Lawman 4.0 .9mm, 9+1; Lawman 3.0 .45 ACP, 6+1; and Lawman 3.0 9mm, 8+1. The base plates on the flat-bottom magazines are drilled to accept screws to attach aftermarket base pads if desired.

All versions are equipped with STI’s Tactical Adjustable Sight, which allows full screw adjustment of both windage and elevation. This is particularly important for the shorter-barrel guns because ammunition variation can have a marked effect on point of impact, depending greatly on how each individual shooter controls the pistol during its recoil cycle.

The TAS sights are extremely low-profile, no larger than most of the fixed low-profile combat sights on the market. The sight blade on all versions is the STI ramped front with a width of 0.120 inch, dovetailed for additional lateral adjustment or replaceable for different height in case of extreme ammunition variation. I regard this combination as one of the best sight systems for a personal defense or concealed-duty handgun on the market.

Regardless of their refined components, exquisite trigger pulls and precision fitting, the STI Lawman 1911s are no-frills, no-fancies packages, designed specifically for all-your-chips-on-the-table, life-threatening situations. As such, their absolute criteria must be absolute reliability and absolute shootability.

We received three Lawman versions for review: a .45 ACP Lawman 5.0, and a Lawman 4.0 and Lawman 3.0 in 9mm. I’ve grown increasingly fond of the 1911 in 9mm over the past couple of years, particularly when working with shooters new to the concealed-carry world who have decided to adopt the 1911 platform.

I’ve solved many a capability problem with a new 1911 shooter who shows up on the range with a Commander- or Officer’s-size .45 ACP, simply by putting a 9mm version in his or her hands. And many of them decide to stick with the 9mm, even though they are slightly heavier due to their additional barrel mass.

I put all three review STI Lawman pistols through a reliability and performance session with five varieties each of commercial defense-type ammunition at 25 yards (for the Lawman 5.0 and Lawman 4.0) and 50 feet (for the Lawman 3.0). I use 50 feet for three-inch defense pistols in general, as a rule of practicality. The results are on the accompanying chart.

First comment: There were zero malfunctions or stoppages with any of the loads in any of the guns. Nor did I expect any. Second comment: I’m embarrassed that the average group sizes are not smaller. These days, as a retirement-age shooter, firing any iron-sight pistol, no matter how good the sights themselves, I’m torn between being able to focus on the front sight with the target a blur when wearing my reading glasses, or being able to focus on the target with the sights a blur when not.

Results are about the same either way: not as good as they used to be. Average 2.5- to three-inch groups are about as good as it gets for me these days, no matter how good the gun. And no, I’m not going to use a Ransom rest. I want to know how well I can shoot these guns, not how well a machine can shoot them.

But consider this: Both at the 25-yard and 50-foot distances, all my groups from all guns with all loads could easily be covered with a coffee cup. These pistols are designed for defense. And I’ll take that onto a mean street any day or night of the week.

The Lawman series is offered in both .45 and 9mm, and this view of the muzzles shows you why 9mm 1911s often outweigh their .45 counterparts: The 9mm barrels are thicker.

To buy a handgun in Michigan, after filling out federal Form 4473 you have to drop off a registration card at your local police department. That card is then forwarded to the Michigan State Police, which handles the statewide reporting to the BATFE. I received a phone call from a confused MSP trooper not too long ago who was having trouble with the make of a gun I’d picked up.

“It’s a Caracal,” I told him.

“I thought that was a typo,” he admitted. “It’s not in our system.”

“It will be,” I assured him.

The slide stop proved a bit problematic; the slide wouldn't lock back on an empty magazine because Tarr's thumb hit it during firing.

The Caracal is produced in an unlikely location: the United Arab Emirates. While it was officially designed in 2005, it has not been available in this country until recently. The Caracal is now the service pistol of the U.A.E. and, more impressively, it was submitted and passed the grueling German Federal Police Standard and the German Federal Armed Forces Technical Purchasing requirements.

If it looks vaguely familiar to you, the polymer-framed Caracal pistol was designed by a team led by Austrian Wilhelm Bubits, who designed the Steyr M pistol and was on the original Glock design team. And in case you’re wondering about the name, a caracal is a desert lynx.

Right now the Caracal is offered in two models—the full-size F and the compact C—and I obtained the Caracal F for testing. While it can be compared to a Glock 17 in size, the Caracal F is shorter in length and height, although it is slightly wider and a few ounces heavier.

The pistol looks and feels like it was designed and made somewhere within shouting distance of the Rhine; the parts all appeared well-made, and the slide-to-frame fit was very nice for a polymer-framed pistol.

The metal finish looks like standard bluing but is actually a proprietary finish called Plasox. This is a plasma-based nitriding surface treatment supposed to be resistant to aggressive environmental conditions. The pistol actually looks much nicer in person than it does in photos. My only complaint with the finish is that it is too slick; trying to rack the slide using anything but the slide serrations is a non-starter.

The Caracal does not have replaceable or interchangeable backstraps, as many polymer pistols now do. As the Caracal’s grip is just not that big I don’t think this is a deal breaker. Its grip angle is actually just a hair more than a Glock.

The front and back of the grip frame are checkered but not very aggressively. Magazines hold 18 rounds of 9mm and seem very well-made. The magazine release on the pistol is ambidextrous.

The rear sight of the Caracal is part of the firing pin unit. The entire rear of this unit, including the sight, is serrated. There is a large white dot on the dovetailed steel front sight of the Caracal F, and one just below the notch of the rear sight in a figure 8 setup (also available in traditional three-dot and a proprietary Quick Acquisition Sight System that places the rear sight in front of the ejection port).

The advertised and measured trigger pull for the Caracal is 4.8 pounds, which is excellent. The Caracal also has a low bore axis, and the combination of that and the light trigger makes this one very comfortable pistol to shoot.

The serrated figure 8 rear sight is part of the firing pin unit. If you can see the striker in the square hole, the gun is cocked.

My only concern before taking the pistol to the range was the position and shape of the slide stop lever. While slightly rounded, it is basically a horizontal triangle of steel that sticks out of the gun right about where my thumb sits.

I shoot everything with a thumb-high hold, and while I didn’t have any problems with accidentally kicking up the slide stop with my thumb, my thumb is long enough to ride the slide stop. That means the Caracal is just one more pistol whose slide won’t lock back for me. However, the Caracal’s slide stop actually sticks out enough that a user can drop the slide with a thumb.

Some manufacturers are already making holsters for the Caracal (including the Blackhawk! Serpa), and I determined that the Caracal F will fit into just about every leather holster designed for the Glock 20/21 or four-inch Springfield XD. Kydex/polymer holsters are less forgiving when it comes to fit, but as more Caracals are sold, more manufacturers will start to make holsters to fit them.

I am a fan of striker-fired pistols, and liked the Caracal. As a brand-new design I think there are a few things they could and maybe will improve. The pistol begs for rougher finish on the slide or forward cocking serrations, and the slide stop seems oddly shaped, but this pistol is a shooter. I think the Caracal will be around for a while.

Due to its low bore axis and light trigger, the pistol proved very shootable and was accurate from a rest as well.