Table of contents for November - December 2018 in Combat Handguns

HOGUE COMPOSITE LE GRIPS Hogue’s popular Laser Enhanced (LE) 1911 grips are now available with precision-cut G10 or checkered wood laminate materials. In addition, each variation is available for both Government and Officer’s Model 1911s. These LE Grips offer three operating modes—steady, flashing and “stealth target”—and four user-selectable brightness levels. Two common CR2032 batteries hidden under the grip on the non-laser side power the unit. (hogueinc.com) SIG SAUER MATCH ELITE AMMO Sig Sauer has introduced a new line of Match Elite competition ammo. This 147-grain 9mm JHP load uses coated nickel cases and fast, clean-burning powder for exceptional performance and shootability when you’re on the clock. In other words, it’s designed to be light on recoil. Depending on the pistol used, velocity figures range from 860 to 900 fps with…

I bet all Combat Handguns readers have the best intentions to practice and train with their handguns. But quality training and practice can take second place to life’s demands, such as family and work. For many people, range access is limited and thus impacts opportunities to self-train or, more importantly, attend a course. If there were only one piece of advice I could give readers, it is to receive professional firearms training. One of the quickest and simplest ways to increase your proficiency is to attend a structured course by a reputable trainer. Another option is visiting a range on your own with a concise action plan to avoid mindless blasting. The Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC) located outside of Winchester, Virginia, is a great place for both of these…

Though the earliest official documentation on hand is a contract for 185 arquebus barrels dated October 3, 1526, it is believed the Beretta operation began around the year 1500, making it the oldest firearms manufacturing concern in the world. In no other company can the transformation of the firearms industry and technology be better observed over the course of history than with Beretta. And one of its latest entries into the market, the APX Compact, highlights the company’s ability to move with the industry and remain relevant after all this time. A SMALLER APX Those familiar with current firearms on the market probably already have some knowledge about the Beretta APX. It is a polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol in 9mm that was designed to compete in the U.S. Army’s Modular Handgun…

Sheriff Pat Garrett ended the crime spree of Billy the Kid with a world-famous “shot in the dark.” However, the good sheriff actually fired two shots at Billy, and the second missed completely. In today’s crowded world, the last thing you want to do is miss, so many of us have installed night sights on our pistols. Recently, XS Sight Systems introduced its new, state-of-the-art F8 night sights, which have a number of features to enhance your accuracy in low light and promote fast slide manipulations. GETTING ON TARGET The new F8 sights have two tritium lamps placed in a “straight-eight” configuration similar to that developed by Heinie. F8s are also taller than other night sights. These two features will help you get on target quickly. The straight-eight pattern is…

It’s easy to see that Damascus steel is more beautiful and elegant than most other mainstream materials today. You’ll generally find Damascus steel used in high-end knives. A beautiful knife blade with exposed lines from the layers within the Damascus steel is something unlike anything else out there. Just looking at it, you can imagine a blacksmith working over a hot piece of metal, hammering mercilessly until layer after layer has been folded into the next. For those of you who have never seen something made from Damascus steel, the best way to describe it is to say that, instead of the uniform grain found on a normal block of steel, random layers are exposed and highlighted. I work for Lone Wolf Distributors, and we produce just about anything you…

If you were paying attention back in the 1990s, when the proliferation of “shall issue” carry permits took off like a Saturn V rocket to the moon, you could not possibly have missed the “Bigger Is Not Always Better” phenomenon that developed in the years since. With shiny new permits in hand, thousands of people from all levels of experience rushed to gun shops across the nation to buy a firearm for protection while out and about in daily life. Serious calibers in serious guns. Everybody knew a .45 ACP could knock an assailant down with one shot, every counter salesperson worth his or her salt was heavily pushing the hot .40 S&W zappers that all the cops were switching to, and everybody under the age of 30 had to…

Since the APX Compact is so new, there aren’t many holster options currently. Luckily for me, the Bare Arms shooting range opened in my town of Ashland, Kentucky, in 2016, and it is home to the Bare Arms Custom Holsters operation. After speaking with General Manager Mike Crawford about what I was looking for, his folks got right to work and turned out three different holsters for testing with the APX Compact. The first one they provided was their IWB model in red Kydex with a 1.5-inch, polymer, fold-over clip. The second holster was their Ultimate Hybrid IWB model in Distressed White Kydex. Finally, they also built an OWB model with a shield logo and their 1.5-inch Infinity belt loops. As to Bare Arms’ workmanship and quality, according to my…

Despite its age, the 1911’s popularity is greater now than at any time in its history. Over a dozen gun-makers in this country and overseas continue to produce it, and it has earned a reputation that ensures its position as one of the greatest combat handguns of all time. It is still the choice many armed professionals and competitive shooters around the world. Some of its more ardent supporters claim that the .45-caliber 1911 is the “perfect” combat pistol and brand anyone who disagrees a fool, if not a traitorous dog. Note that I said, “.45-caliber 1911,” because what I am about to say may give some ardent supporters a case of the vapors. But just about every 1911 manufacturer now offers a version in 9mm. WHY THE NINE? I…

PISTOL-CALIBER CARBINES (PCCs) are nothing new. During World War II, for example, the British-designed De Lisle was based on a Lee-Enfield Mk III bolt action but used an 8.25-inch, .45 ACP barrel from a Thompson submachine gun. The action was further modified to accept a Colt 1911 magazine, giving it a magazine capacity of seven rounds. However, what made the De Lisle so effective was its integral suppressor, making it ideal for covert raids and assassinations. For several decades, PCCs seemed to fall out of grace, but they’ve experienced a tremendous comeback in recent years. One of the companies that is taking advantage of this market is CZ-USA, especially with its Scorpion EVO 3 series. These weapons are descendants of the infamous Skorpion vz. 61 that was designed in the…

From the mid-1800s to about the mid-1900s, .32-caliber handgun cartridges were pretty popular for target shooting, self-defense and even law enforcement. The primary reason probably had to do with the small handguns produced to take cartridges like the .32 S&W, .32 Long and .32 ACP. Attitudes towards what kind of calibers were truly effective man-stoppers began to change, however, and today these mostly obsolete cartridges and the guns that shoot them have been thrown into the “mouse gun” category. One of the .32 cartridges that challenged this classification was the .32-20 Winchester, a rifle/handgun round that packed a pretty good punch. Another try was the .32 H&R Magnum that came along over 30 years ago but has fallen into virtual obscurity. Federal pioneered the newest .32—the .327 Federal Magnum—and it’s…

If you’ve ever been hunting, you know how hard it can be to bag game. Using a handgun only makes the task more challenging, but that’s what we’re all about. You have to earn your food. At the same time, you might need protection in the backwoods from other predators of the two- and four-legged variety. Thankfully, the firearms industry has plenty of options to cover every need, and we’ve rounded up some of the best revolvers and semi-autos hitting the market with the power to stop animals, big and small, in their tracks. BROWNING BUCK MARK PLUS CAMPER UFX SUPPRESSOR READY This new rimfire pistol from Browning is a great option for small-game hunting with a sound suppressor, as the 6-inch bull barrel comes with 1/2x28-tpi threading as well…

Like many, the .38 Special was the first centerfire cartridge I ever tried out. I still can remember the day. I had just received my new Smith & Wesson Model 19 Combat Magnum and was anxious to shoot it. Prior to that I had purchased a set of Lyman dies, a few boxes of .38 Special brass, Bullseye powder and a box of Speer’s 146-grain hollow points. I “rolled my own” rounds with 4.5 grains of Bullseye and fired them off at a few tin cans in the backwoods. New to centerfire cartridges, my hand trembled as I squeezed the trigger. But the .38 Special turned out to be mild on recoil, and once I got over the shock of what I thought the round might deliver, I knew it…

If you spend a significant amount of time at the gym, running or even hiking, you’ve undoubtedly discovered that the lightweight nylon gear you wear makes it nearly impossible to conceal a weapon. The pocket of my running shorts won’t even support the weight of my tiny Walther TPH I sometimes carry during my dog walks. In the semi-rural desert area where I live, the coyote population is out of control. It’s not unusual for me and my dogs to see several during our early morning walks. Usually they’ll just glare at us as we walk by, but I’d like to have an added bit of insurance in the event we run across some aggressive coyotes. We’ve seen other wildlife, too—javelinas, bobcats and even a cougar—so having a defensive gun…

When Steve Jobs and Apple introduced the iPod to the world, it was an instant success. Yes, it could hold most people’s entire music libraries, and it was very hip looking. But there was one factor that truly beat out all others in contributing to the MP3 player’s meteoric rise—simplicity. The user interface was a simple click wheel, and an individual could pick up a new iPod and intuitively use it without ever having to read the instructions. In the world of firearms, the revolver is the equivalent of the iPod. They are intuitive, simple to load and operate (even for novices), and are very reliable. There are no safeties to fumble with, magazines to seat properly, decocking levers to learn how to use, or magazine disconnects to worry about…

Over the past few years, there has been a deluge of striker-fired pistols hitting the market. Whether they are completely new models or updates of existing lines, there seems to be no limit to the number of striker-fired pistols available for carry. They are all the rage right now, and it’s hard to argue their merits. However, there are times when I get a bit nostalgic and break out a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pistol for concealed-carry purposes. They are what I teethed on when I first got into shooting, and they have their own merits as well. They haven’t gotten a lot of love from manufacturers lately, other than companies maintaining existing product lines, but Springfield Armory helped pick up the slack with the introduction of its new XD-E line of…

Proper magazine management will ensure that you have a working magazine where you need it and when you need it. This encompasses how you test, label, carry and utilize your weapon’s magazines. Most instructors state that spare magazines should be oriented in the carrier with the bullets facing forward. That was my unbroken mantra as well until I met a shooter who carried spare magazines with the bullets facing backward, and he was able to consistently reload very quickly. Now I believe bullets can face whatever direction that you prefer. However, regardless of which direction they face, spare magazines must always be carried in the same direction. When your life depends on a fast reload, you don’t want to have to slow down to look at your magazine to figure…

The Titan Operator is Atlas Gun Works’ first foray into defensive handguns. The company originally built its reputation by crafting race guns for IDPA and IPSC competitors. Atlas Gun Works was born out of the owner’s frustration with his competition guns breaking repeatedly. Adam Nilson started shooting in USPSA matches in 2009 with a Sig and then moved to a Glock. Not long after that he switched to a used STI Edge that he purchased from a classified ad. When that pistol started having problems after a couple of months, Adam replaced it with another used gun. He made his way to the Nationals, but that gun developed problems during the competition. So, Adam decided that he needed a new pistol. He discussed the long wait required to have one…