Concealed Carry

First Look Video: Four Affordable 9mm Carry Handguns

If you're looking for an affordable 9mm pistol that's easy to carry, you should check out the June 2021 issue of Gun Tests magazine.Hi,...

First Look: Four Affordable 9mm Carry Handguns

If you're looking for an affordable 9mm pistol that's easy to carry, you should check out the June 2021 issue of Gun Tests magazine.Hi,...

First Look Video: Smith & Wesson 351PD 22 Magnum Revolver

In the April 2021 issue of Gun Tests Magazine, Contributing Editor Robert Sadowski compared three snubnose revolvers for possible concealed-carry use. To see how three...

Gun Tests Ammunition Comparisons

Here's a compilation of head-to-head ammunition testing conducted by Gun Tests magazine.

The 5 Best 380 ACP Pistols

What many concealed carry consumers do is use Gun Tests grades and write-ups to identify problems and things to look for when purchasing a firearm. But the final decision has to be made by the buyer, because a gun should fit the shooter like a pair of well-worn shoes. That requires very personal decision-making for the CCW licensee. With that said, here are five handguns I believe stand out above the others if you're looking for a handgun with modest recoil.

NYC Gun Law to Face Supreme Court Test

Currently, New York City law unconstitutionally limits its residents' ability to transport their guns outside of their homes. NYC residents can carry a licensed, locked and unloaded handgun to one of seven shooting ranges within city limits, but nowhere else, including homes or shooting ranges outside of the city.

S&W’s New M&P380 Shield EZ Pistol Is Supposedly Easy to Use

Smith & Wesson's new M&P380 Shield EZ pistol is a personal-protection and everyday-carry sidearm which is being marketed as easy to use (EZ), a test consideration that Gun Tests Magazine's concealed-carry readers ask about all the time.

Tips on How to Dress for Concealment

Gun Tests reviews tactical and concealed-carry-weapons (CCW) clothing from time to time, but there are also some general aspects of CCW clothing to consider, which Armscor has recently promoted on its blog. We pass along these tips for your consideration, along with links to stories Gun Tests has covered in terms of clothing, firearms, holsters, and other equipment suitable for CCW wear.

Senator Wants Out-of-State CCW Holders in Jersey to Go to Jail

New Jersey has some of the most stringent CCW gun laws in the country. Its state troopers are known to pull over drivers and question them on whether they are carrying concealed firearms.

Smith & Wesson 638 Bodyguard .38 Special +P

The name Bodyguard has to be one of the all-time classic names for a self-defense gun. Certainly this Smith & Wesson design has been with us a long time, and in many ways it should be considered an unsung hero among the latest super-light firearms, mainly because it did so much so well.

Bersa Firestorm .380 ACP, $307

Back in April 2006 Gun Tests magazine tested three .380 ACP pistols, one of which was the Walther PPK, as made here in the U.S. under license by Smith & Wesson. They loved the well-built little PPK, even though it had to go back for rework before they gave it a clean bill of health. It had failed in DA shooting, but a stiffer spring gave it the equivalent of their Grade A appraisal. They recently found a gun that looked a lot like the PPK, the FireStorm by Bersa ($307 MSRP), from Argentina. Here's what they found.

Kimber Eclipse Target II 45 ACP, $1393

We compared two full-size 1911 handguns in the June 2013 issue to see which model offered the most bang for the buck. This Personal Defense test pitted two pistols of disparate price points to see if the less expensive model offered enough to consider it versus a fully equipped modern handgun. Tested were the Rock Island Armory Standard GI No. 51421 45 ACP, $410; and the Kimber Eclipse Target II 45 ACP, $1393. Here's an excerpt of that test.

Rebellion In The Lower Courts

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act in January 2023, and it is among the nation’s worst gun-control laws. It bans...