Pistols

This test group lives near the Texas Gulf Coast, where most of the year, describing the temperature as hot and humid is a ludicrous understatement.

This SAR9cx reminds us of a Glock 19. Arguably one of the most successful mid-size pistols, the G19 is worthy competition, and we think SAR USA engineers did their homework well. Length of the 9cx is almost exactly as long as the G19, as is the height.

Beyond this model’s optics cut and striker mechanism mentioned above, SCCY has made a number of other changes as well. The steel slide now sports curved grasping grooves at the front and the rear.

The Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 was, slightly, the more accurate of the two 10mms tested. Though a very subjective thing, we felt the S&W had the lighter recoil impulse, and the shooting results testified to that.

Springfield Armory has a wonderful reputation of modernizing venerable weapons, thereby making them suitable for the latest production methods and the latest shooters. The company also works with some of the most current types of firearms.

One of the used pistols, an FN FNS-40, performed well, but as we were researching aftermarket sights and backstrap modules for it, we came across an important FN Service Bulletin issued in 2021. It didn’t look good. Under certain conditions, the FNS could delay fire. According to the Service Bulletin:

We paid $431 for the 30 Super Carry pistol. Many paid more than $500 for the first few to hit dealer shelves. This pistol seems identical to the 9mm EZ in every dimension.

On average, the 9mm EZ guns are more expensive than the 380 ACP pistol. The 9mm Shield EZ is slightly larger and heavier than the 380 ACP version.

Recoil is a concern for some shooters, so this Smith & Wesson Shield EZ is a 380 ACP pistol large enough to be a joy to fire.

We started this project with the help of a gun owner who wanted to build his own Roland Special. The base gun cost $700, so the upgrades are obviously multiples of the retail price of a Glock 19.

You only thought Roland Specials were only full or compact guns? Think again. The Hellcat RDP is subcompact version direct from the factory.

The MSRP of a base-model STR-9 pistol (31720) has recently been $329. The STR-9S Combat’s MSRP is $599.