Combat Handguns November - December 2023

As sizzling summer ’23 winds down, CH content creators are putting on the afterburners. We are covering the gamut of firepower for everyday concealed carry, LE duty, sporting purposes, and everything in between. Headlining the issue is a pair of winners from two of America’s most trusted and relied-upon makers. First is Springfield Armory, with its just-released Echelon series 9mm duty pistol. Garrett Lucas and his evaluation team ran the “modular to the max” handgun and experienced upper Echelon results. Next, FN America clearly has no plans of being left out of the micro-compact, EDC market mania. Welcome to the Great Reflex! Comfort, reliability, 15+1 capacity, red-dot ready and a sub $700 price point… What’s not to love about this FN gun? Be sure to watch the companion video by…

THE PROBLEM:unauthorized people getting their hands on other people’s loaded guns that were kept originally for self-defense. The solution: more complicated than the problem. Case One: Virginia, 2023. The mother of a very troubled and violent 6-year-old boy leaves her Taurus 9mm pistol where the child can reach it. The boy takes it to school and shoots his teacher, wounding her seriously. The mother is facing criminal charges at this writing. The charges are “‘felony child neglect and misdemeanor recklessly leaving a loaded firearm as to endanger a child.” Cases Two and Three: CNN reported in 2023, “‘A woman in Pennsylvania and a man in North Carolina were charged this week after a six-year-old in each case brought a gun to school.” One solution is “Keep those guns securely under lock…

The term “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) is something that should not be thrown around randomly. While this is something I believe in general sports, it is even more true in the firearms realm. The internet is awash with sponsored jersey shooters posting for the Gram, yet one name causes heads to turn and hats to come off—Rob Leatham. Rob has been competing and winning in the sport of Action Pistol Shooting, conducting law enforcement and military firearms training, and instructing aspiring competitors and firearms instructors for more than 40 years. Currently sitting as a 24-time USPSA National champion and seven-time International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Champion, Rob Leatham is, indeed, the GOAT. GENESIS As Rob says, he goes “way back to the early days of competitive shooting.” He…

Not only is Rob Leatham one of the most successful shooting competitors in history, but he has also been deeply involved in gun design. This was the case with Springfield’s new Echelon pistol. The process of developing the gun took over three years, and Rob was heavily involved. I was fortunate to spend a day on the range with Rob and have a behind-the-scenes conversation about the gun’s design and development. “I was involved from day one when we sat in a room with a whiteboard and was asked what I would want in a new striker-fired gun,” Rob said. The Echelon is truly a completely new handgun from Springfield. So different, Rob believes, “The only thing that carries over from any of the previous guns is the rear sight…

5.11 TACTICAL SKYWEIGHT PACK SERIES If you are going to be out and about, keep all your needed gear close at hand with the Skyweight series of backpacks and chest packs. Designed for lightweight modularity and custom fitting, this gear will be at home on any outdoor adventure. Coming in either 24- or 36-liter sizes, the Skyweight Pack gives all-day comfort with its padded back panels with airflow channels, load lifters, lumbar pads and padded shoulder harnesses with adjustable sternum straps The Skyweight Utility Chest Pack and Survival Chest Pack offer additional load-bearing options with easy access while mounted to the chest. The unique design of the chest packs features removable chest harnesses and rear pass-through ports to allow for hip carry as well. The harnesses are adjustable and breathable, delivering…

In 1985, I received an exotic, modified 6-inch S&W K-38 revolver from the Phillips and Rodgers Company in Texas. What was different about the gun was its special smooth, round cylinder, still in the white with no flutes, but that wasn’t all. This gun’s cylinder would accept virtually every 9mm and .38-caliber handgun cartridge in the world. The list included .38 S&W, .38 Short Colt, .38 Long Colt, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .380, 9x19, 9mm Ultra, 9mm Bayard Long, 9mm Styer, 9x23 Winchester, .356 TSW, .38 Super. .38 TJ, 9mm Winchester Magnum and more. How is this possible? The chambers of this revolver were like no other. I described the drawing as three chambers within a chamber with all six chambers able to be loaded with any of the above,…