Table of contents for March - April 2024 in Combat Handguns

Regular Combat Handguns readers know that at least one time per year, we feature revolvers on our cover. It can be a tricky deal because semi-autos, not revolvers, tend to rule the firearms roost these days as far as modern innovations are concerned. That said, every now and again wheelguns like the fan-favorite Taurus Judge get upgraded to degrees that flip our triggers. At Athlon Outdoors’ recent Rendezvous event, where 30-some gun and gear companies give our editors and content creators three full days on the range getting sneak peeks at guns that are soon to hit gun stores nationwide, the Taurus crew let us wring out their new Judge T.O.R.O. and Home Defender .410/.45 LC beasts. We believe that after reading Fred Mastison’s report that starts on page 32,…

Val Trompia is an expansive river valley in northern Italy in the province of Brescia. People have mined iron ore there since the days of the Roman Empire. Starting around 1500 A.D., Bartolomeo Beretta began operating a forge to process the local iron deposits. His first military contract was dated October 3, 1526, and had him manufacture 185 arquebus barrels for the Republic of Venice. He was paid 296 ducats for his trouble. Thus was birthed the longest-lived arms manufacturer in human history. Not only is Beretta the oldest gun company in the world, but it is also one of the world’s oldest companies. There are certainly some older ones. However, even today, more than half a millennium later, Beretta still produces some of the most respected firearms on the…

There have been a few guns over the years that had people looking sideways when they the hit shelves. One of the best examples that is of the Taurus Judge. This unique shoots both revolver .410 shotgun shells as well as .45 Colt rounds. For the rule nerds out there, even though Taurus deliberately designed the Judge to fire shotshells, it does not qualify as a “short-barreled shotgun” under the National Fire-arms Act, as its rifled barrel makes it a regular handgun. That is unless you live in California where it is prohibited. California truly is the thief of joy and God-given, inalienable rights. It is said that it got its name, “The Judge,” in 2006 when Bob Morrison, executive vice president, learned that judges in high-crime areas of Miami,…

Red-dot optics are all the rage these days, but one weakness most of them have is that the emitter that projects the dot can be blocked by a foreign object like dirt or water. That’s an especially troublesome weakness in the backcountry where traveling trails, crossing streams and climbing hills can introduce all types of matter like mud, snow, dust and organic debris. Trijicon has recently introduced a near-perfect solution with its new RCR, an enclosed-emitter red-dot that can stand up to the elements and just about everything else you can throw at it. The RCR is a gas-purged optic that is submersible to 65 feet, and it will mount to existing RMR plates via its Capstan locking screws that are adjusted from the side rather than from the top.…

The facts support our concerns about gun-free zones. The Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) recently finished updating a list of mass public shootings worldwide. FACT: Over the course of 18 years, 1998 to 2015, the CPRC found 2,354 attacks and at least 4,880 shooters outside the U.S. and 53 attacks and 57 shooters within this country. The study found the U.S. makes up 1.49 percent of the murders worldwide, 2.20 percent of the attacks, and less than 1.15 percent of the mass public shooters. FACT: Most gunmen are smart enough to know that they can kill more people if they attack places where victims can’t can't defend themselves; 98 percent of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in places where citizens are banned from having guns. In Europe, every…

This writer is one of the many in the self-defense training world who recommend a brief statement be made at the shooting scene by “Good Guys” who’ve had to draw on or even shoot “Bad Guys.” I teach a five-point checklist on the Wilson Combat YouTube channel (youtube.com/watch?v=zIJ4wLP_0UM&t=27s). That video runs 13.5 minutes. Here it is in shorthand: 1) Explain what the attacker did to make you resort to the gun. 2) Assure police you’ll testify against him later, or words to that effect. 3) Point out evidence (and describe any attackers who’ve fled the scene, and their direction of travel.) 4) Point out witnesses before they disappear. 5) At that point, invoke your right to counsel and silence. Some claim, “Every defense lawyer would say to never talk to…

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”—Winston Churchill Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy. While some will admire and respect you, chances are you’ll make some serious enemies. I found this out the hard way. When a government agency invited me to become part of an investigation that they claimed would put a dangerous cartel out of business, I felt like it was my patriotic duty to help. I did so diligently. Initially, I was told my involvement would last just a couple of weeks. This operation and subsequent additional investigations lasted for more than three years. But here’s a shocker for you; it turns out the government never really cared about putting a cartel out of business. “You know,…

IF YOU’RE A FAN OF 1911s, you’ve undoubtedly already heard about the Tisas pistols being imported from Turkey by SDS Imports. If you haven’t, now is the time to do some research and save some money. I first came across their guns at the SHOT Show four years ago. I remember telling a colleague that if the guns they imported were as nice as the samples on display, SDS Imports would be hugely successful with the line. And they were! I’ve probably reviewed seven or eight guns in the time since I first saw them. I continue to be impressed with their overall quality in terms of materials and fitting. Each has been extremely accurate, and I have yet to have a misfeed or stoppage with the thousands of rounds I…

Say the name Walther in the firearms community and images of quality and performance come to mind. Walther Arms has been renowned throughout the world for its innovation since Carl Walther and his son, Fritz, created the first semi-automatic pistol in 1886. Today, the innovative spirit of its founders lives on as the company celebrates 125-plus years as one of the world’s leading premium manufacturers of sporting, defense and competition firearms. Today, the PPQ, P99 and PPS handguns continue to be trusted choices for law enforcement agencies around the globe. The Walther Arms lineup of competition target and specialty firearms also delivers quality and performance that is second to none. Using their popular PPQ as a base, Walther has launched three versions of the new gun with barrels of 4,…

For firearms training to make sense, it has to be realistic. However, if things get too real, somebody can get hurt. For this reason, all types of offbeat and homebrew teaching aids have found their way into instructors’ courses. While the adage of, “If it works, it works,” applies to many things, the last thing you want to do is build poor muscle memory into your weapons handling routines. Training 4 Engagement (T4E) believes that we can do better, and after looking at their lineup many years ago, I think they’re right. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, they specialize in making 1-to-1 replicas of the most common service firearms on the market. More than just “a dummy gun,” they fire non-lethal training projectiles using everyday 12-gram carbon dioxide…

+ Ultimate Steel Target Stand Just as Fiocchi and Smith & Wesson have made shooting 5.7 affordable, Caldwell has done the same with everybody’s favorite AR500 Targets. I used the full-sized and 66% IPSCs for this review and found them to provide reverb unmatched by any others on the market. Additionally, despite taking considerable abuse from the 5.7, which is known to ding AR500 of lesser quality, they shrugged these off without damage. Stand, which supported these plates on common 2x4 lumber. Besides being sturdy, my favorite feature might just be the built-in furring strip supports, which allowed me to use the same stand for my initial paper targets. I erected these targets using the company’s new Ultimate Steel Target For more information, visit caldwellshooting.com.…

I must admit that in my younger days, I was not a fan of Colt double-action (DA) revolvers. In my area, Smith & Wesson ruled the roost when it came to DA six-guns for law enforcement. So, when I began toting a badge, that was my natural inclination. I was issued a Colt Police Positive Special by a small department one time, but it ended up in a drawer at home, and an S&W stayed on my side. As the years went by, I acquired a few collectible Colt revolvers and began to appreciate the action and the feel of these guns in my hand. Nowadays, I’m a devoted fan, so I was really excited when Colt announced the King Cobra Target in .22 LR. The only DA Colt .22…