It’s already been a wild open to a new year. While there are line extensions to guns that have done well, there’s revisiting the classic semi auto pistol of the early 20th Century – and likewise a revisit of an eminently practical round-gun. Add a new competitor to light snub revolvers, more outreach to “lesser abled” users, and more
In a continuation of a trend that began in the 1990s (look it up), the “double-stack 1911-ish” pistols continue to proliferate.
Staccato, an outfit built around the concept, refined and solidified their take on the “2011” form. It wasn’t long ago that they configured a double-stack 1911 to take GLOCK compatible magazines – a tip of the hat to one of the more reliable magazine formats for 9mm firearms. This year they increased their stake on that program with the Staccato HD C4X; with “ambidextrous controls, a 15-round capacity, Glock-pattern magazine compatibility, and Staccato’s HD HOST optic-mounting system,” it’s the gun to beat for a “compact” big-butt 1911 9mm. Pricing starts at $3,499.
Meanwhile, the “crossover” auto pistol phase hasn’t ended – it’s extended. See the Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0FC. You know, the “F” is for full-size and the “C” is for compact. Like others before them, the attractive nature of the compact upper over the full-size (full capacity) lower shows some appeal.
For whom? Julie Golob, for one, who noted the advantages of the FC in her Springfield Armory posts and video. I’m a fan of the concept too; the shorter barrel and slide show an advantage in clearing the holster just a bit faster, pointing better (for some), with quicker target-to-target transitions. It’s an advantage for duty wear as the user of the gun literally has more to hold onto than an attacker who is trying to take it away.
Classic 1911s (including some in 45) haven’t gone away. Springfield Armory has announced the release of their Lipsey’s collaboration with 10-8 Performance (Hilton Yam) with the Master Class 1911 pistol. Available in 9mm and 45 Auto, the pistols have forged carbon steel frames and slides, stainless bull barrels and has 10-8 Performance parts.
These include flat trigger, extended mag release button, 10-8 G-10 stocks from VZ Grips, a “specialized slide stop,” and a reverse recoil spring plug. Add the squared trigger guard, 20 line-per-inch front strap checkering, a two-piece extended magwell and three magazines and you have a premium, updated version of the “world’s finest CQB weapon.”
You may find that a lot of 9mm carry-type pistols are just a bit out of reach due to cost. Maybe some of the lower-cost options made you uneasy as to reliability or, perhaps, they were tough to use due to slide-racking resistance or hard-to-load magazines.
FN has addressed those issues with their just-announced FN 309 MRD. At 22.5 ounces, with a 3.8-inch barrel and a 16- to 20-round capacity, along with optics mounting accessibility, it’s a hammer-fired single-action pistol. It’s available with a manual safety – or without, for those who believe they’re too feeble to operate a manual safety.
The magazine release button is reversible; if you have arthritis in the proximal thumb joint, moving that button to the other side allows access with the index finger, which shouldn’t be on the trigger during a reload anyway.
The release says that there’s 25% less slide resistance compared to the FN 509 Tactical pistol, something that will be of use to many users. The slide is optics-ready, compatible with DeltaPoint Pro and Shield RMS footprints, available in common pistol optics. The gun does have polymer sights, green fiber-optic in front and “white accent” U-notch in the rear.
Replacement sights for the FN 509 will fit the slide dovetails on the FN 309 – if I’m reading them correctly.
The magazines are polymer and the release notes that they have “40% lower spring force compared to other firearms in its class,” making them easier to load.
A good many pistol designs that began as polymer-frame guns now feature metal frames – see Smith & Wesson, for example. Shadow Systems this week announced the AXIO – featuring a pretensioned striker and a metal “chassis” design over a polymer “grip.”
Like round guns that are good for deep concealment – but you’d like to carry six rounds in a lightweight, 38 Special +P-capable package? Diamondback Firearms recently announced their SDR-A, a six-shot, alloy-frame, concealed hammer revolver. Weighing just under a pound, with a non-stacking DA trigger, the gun has an orange fiber-optic front sight and a low-profile green fiber-optic rear sight.
The new snub has a 2” stainless barrel, stainless cylinder and a push-button cylinder latch. The stocks are from Hogue, black rubber with the Diamondback logo. Suggested retail is $614.
If a bit larger concealment revolver is your appetite, check out the revisit of the Night Guard revolvers from S&W and Lipsey’s. A “Limited Release” (sadly), the models are the Lipsey’s Exclusive Model 386 and Model 396 Night Guards.
Reminiscent of the Night Guards originally released in 2008 (only four years after the federal gun and magazine ban sunset), they only ran up to 2012. The new Night Guard revolvers are three-inch L-frame guns, the 7-shot 386 in 357 Magnum and the five-shot M396 in 44 Special.
Both feature a no-lock scandium frame, adjustable sights, the “Endurance Package” and an XS Sights tritium front sight. The stocks are Hogue Rubber Bantam stocks, my favorite for round butt K-and-L frame revolvers.
At the risk of being verbose, no discussion of handgun trends is complete without discussing optics. Aimpoint announced this week that their COA optic – and the optic cut – will be available from a range of gun manufacturers this year. Aimpoint’s release also noted that the COA optic would also go out for sale without being mounted to a gun. Before, the only way to get it was to order the COA-mounted pistols from GLOCK.
In keeping with the 50th Anniversary of Gunsite, a 50th Anniversary special pistol will be made –
The Ruger RXM COA will be one of the 50th Anniversary guns commemorating Gunsite’s Fiftieth. Davidson’s will distribute it and it will be a couple months before these begin to ship. This one in the image is a sample and not the finished/final version; to have this in time for the press conference at SHOT Show, Dave Fink had to machine the slide and Cerakote it.
That’s just a thumbnail of all the new products being displayed this week at SHOT Show. Stay with us for more information from the year’s biggest industry show.
– Rich Grassi