Handguns

Kahr's P40 shot fast, and Sig's new Sig Pro 2340 worked, but Smith & Wesson's SW40SV required a strong trigger finger.

At only $461, we would buy the Taurus 851 SSUL ahead of the more expensive Smith & Wesson 638-3, $620. Reason: The Taurus has a nifty adjustable rear sight that adds versatility.

Glock's 36 is barely okay, in our estimation, and we had doubts about the Para Warthog's ability to shoot comfortably.

Ruger's Convertible may be worth the money, but we would pass on the fine Cimarron, whose ACP setup didn't work.

Also, we loved Colt's Gunsite CCO, but it had what we thought was a fatal flaw, and S&W's SW1911 Sc may not go bang.

The new Taurus 24/7 is a great combat gun, and we liked Ruger's P345, but the person shooting the Taurus PT 945 must have big hands to get the right shooting grip.

You can't go wrong with the sexy Italian $875 Beretta Cougar Inox or the all-American $940 S&W 4013TSW. But our first pick is the slightly larger $758 Beretta 96 Vertec.

We thought Ruger's New Vaquero had teething problems, but we liked Beretta's Stampede. In our estimation, Cabela's Millennium still sets the value standard for .45 LC handguns.

Though the $2,000 STI Target Master was Our Pick, it cost twice as much as the Springfield Long Slide 6-inch .45, which we rated as a Best Buy despite some hiccups.

The Five Seven pistol is lightweight and accurate, and we like it, though it shoots the small 5.7x28mm cartridge. For rifle-accuracy upgrades, check out Don Bower's handiwork.

The guns in this test — Smith & Wesson's .45 ACP 325PD and .357 Magnum 327, and the Taurus .41 Magnum 451 — all have problems that would make us think twice before buying them.