Pistols

I recently tested the Ruger LCP and later discovered it had some problems I hadn't addressed. My associate Joe Syczylo found that the Ruger's spent cases all had a tear in the rim. He also learned the cases were being ejected some twenty feet or more, straight back.

SIG Sauer's next-generation P290 RS 9mm microcompact pistol includes several new features added because of consumer feedback. The next-gen P290 RS is shipping to dealers now.

Gun Tests Magazine recently tested a 9mm 1911-type pistol in the SW1911 Pro Series (No. 178017, $1683).

Smith & Wesson’s new M&P Shield is a slim, concealable, lightweight, striker-fired polymer pistol. Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, the new M&P Shield has an easily concealed 1-inch profile and an optimized 18-degree grip angle.

In any case, the available calibers are not the only things I like about the EMP from Springfield, Inc. It's no larger than a compact 9mm. It's a Series-70 M1911A1, so it's not cluttered internally with a collection of additional parts dreamed up to put a firing-pin block in a pistol that can't fire unless it is gripped firmly in the hand. As this is written, the EMP is being produced in 9mm using a hard-coat aluminum-alloy frame. When it comes out in .40 S&W and .45 GAP, the frame will be of steel. Those initials behind the ".45" stand for Glock Automatic Pistol, a round developed in cooperation between the Austrian pistol maker and Speer.

The market for 22s that feel like big-bore guns continues to grow as shooters seek to cut ammo cuts but maintain proficiency. One of the guns in this segment is a triple-named semiauto listed in Featured Auction #10989722 by “JacktheDog.”

The AF2011-A1 Double Barrel Pistol is the first industrial double-barrel semiautomatic pistol that the GunReports.com staff can recall. The original idea came to Swiss armourer Vivian Mueller about ten years back, who at the time cut and welded together multiple parts of the famous Sig P210. The result was a long slide, double barrel 9mm, highly decorated collector piece, which indeed shot very well.

Gun Tests Contributing Editor Roger Eckstine gets a rundown on new pistol models available from CZ this year.

A poster on the Gun Tests Facebook page asked: 'Does Gun Tests have prior articles regarding holsters for CCW carry of a full size 1911 style pistol? I think a number of your readers are willing to accept the bulk in exchange for the benefits of a carrying a full-size .45 (such as the ability to shoot it more accurately under stress.)' The Gun Tests page architecture doesn't support a forum-like discussion, so we created this open thread for GunReporters to jump in and comment. Carry On!

Gun Tests recently shot three double-action-only pistols designed for duty or personal self defense. Medium to large in size, they carry few levers, and this snag-free characteristic also made them attractive for concealed carry. The $599 Glock G17, arguably the gun that started the polymer DAO revolution, relies on the preparation and release of a striker to impact the primer.

Glock, Inc. has announced its highest bidder for the “Glock Statue of Liberty Gun,” the one-of-a-kind, hand-engraved Glock 22, which served as the official Handgun for the 2012 SHOT Show Auction. The gun sold to Alexander Wilson for $15,025, which will benefit programs to further America’s hunting and shooting sports heritage.

Ruger has announced that Hoffman's Gun Center & Indoor Shooting Range of Newington, CT has been named the 2011 Ruger Retailer of the Year. Owner Scott Hoffman received an engraved Mark III pistol to recognize his support for Ruger and his success in the retail firearms industry.