Pistols

The Heckler & Koch USP Compact Tactical USP45CT 45 ACP was a sexy gun tested in the January 2008 issue of Gun Tests, but it was also expensive—$1235 MSRP. Part of that was due to the gun’s extras: The Compact Tactical USP45CT arrived in a ballistic nylon attaché case with tool kit and cleaning kit and two magazines. The gun’s price also included a longer barrel threaded for a suppressor. The Gun Tests’s team thought the package was professional and businesslike.

Collection of pistols made and sold in 2008.

Quantities of the long-awaited Px4 Storm pistol have begun appearing in retail stores. The Px4 Storm is a 13+1 9mm compact w/Picatinny rail and matte-black finish. It has a locked breech with rotating barrel system, technopolymer-reinforced fiberglass frame, weighs 26.1 oz.

The United States Practical Shooting Association will hold its National Handgun Championships at the U.S. Shooting Academy on Sept. 6-13 in Tulsa, Okla.

FFL dealers should advise their customers of two manufacturer recalls from Ruger and Smith & Wesson:

Lawyers who won the historic Second Amendment gun rights case in the Supreme Court — District of Columbia v. Heller (07-290) — on Monday asked a federal judge to award them more than $3.5 million for attorneys' fees, plus $13,215.30 for expenses and court costs. In a motion and memorandum filed with U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan, the attorneys said that they had achieved 'one of the most profound and important victories available under…

As a Federal firearms licensee (FFL), it is your duty and obligation to account for the acquisition and disposition of firearms, and it is essential to ensure that firearms are not diverted to the criminal element whether by theft or pilferage. ATF is dedicated to your success in fulfilling your duties and preventing the unlawful diversion of firearms. The following guidance on required and recommended security measures is intended to assist you in accomplishing these goals.

WILSONVILLE, OR -- Crimson Trace Corp. has secured an order to supply the Alameda County Sheriff Office with 1,200 Lasergrips for their Sig Sauer duty weapons. Deputy sheriffs from Alameda County will use the Lasergrip-equipped Sig Sauer side-arm as their primary duty weapon.

BEIJING, China —The U.S. Olympic Team for Shooting turned out an outstanding performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China earning six medals to double the medal count from Athens four years ago. Arguably, the most successful showing for the U.S. in the history of the Olympic shooting competition, the U.S. Shooting team brought home two gold, two silver and two bronze medals and set a total of five new Olympic records.

The Houston Chronicle has reported that Harris County District Attorney Ken Magidson has asked for a legal opinion from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to see if assistant DAs can be prevented from taking handguns into courtrooms.

Gun Tests magazine recognized this in the January 2007 issue, when the magazine staff wrote that the 45 ACP was a Best Buy. “Ten rounds of big bullet with a full-size grip highlight this low-priced street fighter. A thumb safety and Heinie sights are plusses in our book.” A recent check of www.Gunbroker.com showed a couple of choices for the gun, both of which were substantially below the MSRP quoted in that issue—$421.

Dick Heller walked out of D.C. police headquarters Monday, clutching a yellow firearms registration certificate stamped 'approved.' He gave the thumbs-up sign, grinned and said, 'Victory!'