Table of contents for March/April 2021 in Combat Handguns

Don’t believe the talk around the cracker barrel (or on the Internet, which is much the same) suggesting that all looters should be shot. That’s simply not what the law says. If we took a word association test and the proctor said “Riot,” most of us would probably answer “Looting and arson.” True enough, but those are entirely different things that warrant entirely different responses. Looting and arson are both serious felonies. Arson itself breaks down into two categories. Simple “arson” is burning down something in a way that does not immediately endanger human life. “Arson of an occupied building,” however, is a large cut above that in seriousness. Because of its great and obvious threat to innocent human life, arson of occupied places is categorized as a “heinous felony…

AR pistols with arm braces have a lot going for them, especially if they’re chambered in 9mm. That’s because they’re short, light, handy, easy to shoot accurately and more concealable than a rifle. They also don’t emit a blinding fireball or sound like a stun grenade on steroids when fired indoors. In addition, 9mm ARs extend the useful range of the 9mm cartridge to at least 100 yards. Add the fact that contemporary 9mm ammunition has better terminal ballistics than ever, and a person could do a lot worse than add a 9mm AR pistol with an arm brace to his or her gun safe. GUN DETAILS The pistol I received for testing was a Rock River SBX-K Arm Brace with a 10.5-inch barrel. I asked for this model because…

Gun owners know the importance of training on a regular basis. We also know how expensive our hobby gets. Ammo costs money and recently has become about as hard to find as that needle in the proverbial haystack. For us everyday-carry types, we are faced with a huge dilemma in these crazy times. Do we hold on to all the ammo we can possibly get our hands on and not train, or do we continue training and shed a tear every time we send a round down range? I was faced with this exact dilemma, which sent me looking for alternatives to live-fire training. I played around with laser systems, which were pretty cool but it gets kind of old having to constantly rack the slide on my pistol to…

People hem and haw when I recommend cycling out their carry ammo every six months, usually citing the cost. Sure, defensive rounds cost more than basic FMJ ammunition, but performance is so critical that there simply isn’t a valid reason not to keep what’s in your magazines fresh. While on the topic of actually using your defensive ammo, it’s important to remember that firing some is the only way to get used to the increased recoil and recovery time between shots. Federal is always up on today’s shooting trends and training practices, and thus has released the company’s new Punch line of ammunition designed specifically for civilian carry. This new line of ammo is affordable enough to practice with, or at least cycle out twice a year without crying. BEHIND…

How many pistols do you own? Of those pistols how many do you actually utilize? I’m not talking about the occasional exposure to the light of day that happens when friends come over. I’m talking about shooting, training and carrying. This begs another question: How many pistols do you need? How many are feasible and manageable? These are questions that often come up in my head as I peruse my pistol inventory. For me, this platform has moved almost solely into the “useful tool” category. I need it to do work and accomplish goals, and have little patience for it just sitting there looking pretty (although I really appreciate great aesthetics on any firearm) in my safe. As I continue to mature in my pistol execution and habits, I find…

Arizona is rich with resources. At one time this state provided the country with more than 60 percent of its copper demand. A rich silver vein helped establish Tombstone in the 1880s, and the nearby grasslands of Sonoita were and are home to many cattle herds. The Grand Canyon is another of Arizona’s scenic wonders, and the state’s riches are vast and diverse. But my favorite resource is Gunsite Academy located just outside of Prescott and just a four-hour drive from my home in Tucson. Founded in 1976 by retired Marine Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper, it is one of the oldest and largest private ly-owned training facilities dedicated to teaching gun-handling skills to civilians. Boasting nearly 2,000 acres with more than 15 ranges and three live-fire shoot houses, Gunsite is…

It took me quite a while to warm up to the .40 S&W cartridge when it was introduced. I basically ignored it until I was issued a .40 pistol by my agency. As an experienced shooter, I wasn’t intimidated by the added recoil and muzzle flip that it displayed compared to the 9mm, but that didn’t hold true for everyone. Lots of qualification scores went down, and remedial training went up. One officer who couldn’t qualify became an ex-officer. As bullet technology improved, performance differences between the .40 and the 9mm narrowed, and many agencies, beginning with the FBI, moved back to the 9mm. Does that make the .40 S&W a bad cartridge? No, but it’s not for everyone. Given its decline in law enforcement (LE) use and overall popularity,…

This past September saw Athlon Outdoors host its fourth annual Rendezvous in Driggs, Idaho, near the Grand Tetons. For three days, dozens of gun manufacturers unveiled their latest and greatest wares—many still under wraps—to Athlon editors and content creators, giving us plenty of trigger time to create more content for our various print magazines and websites in the coming months. But this amazing event wouldn’t have been possible without several key sponsors donating goods for every participant. Here we’d like to show our support and fill you in on the great gear that made for another awesome Rendezvous. 1 5.11 TACTICAL RUSH LBD MIKE 56 L What kind of shooting-range Rendezvous would be complete without a bag for toting clothes and gear? Embroidered with our Athlon Outdoors logo, 5.11’s Rush…

As I was finishing this article, I received two new Norma loads from Norma’s parent company Ruag and tested them for function in my Glock 43 and the SBX-K. These new loads are a 108-grain MHP (monolithic hollow point) with petals that rapidly expand to an average 0.8 inches. This new bullet penetrates about 9.5 inches of 10-percent ballistic gelatin and is designed to be a homeand urban-defense load with controlled tissue and barrier penetration to help prevent collateral damage. The second load is the 124-grain FMJ Envy. It penetrates deeply. I made an extra trip to the range to chronograph both loads in the SBX-K and also shoot two five-shot groups with each load at 100 yards. Velocities and energies were 1,258 fps and 380 fpe for the MHP…

Just a few days before writing this, I helped teach a Women on Target program at my local gun club. In talking with some of the participants after the event, the single complaint was that the pistol section (I taught long-range rifle) used the same paper target for all 35 shooters. They complained that they could not tell if they were hitting or missing the target. The solution I suggested for next year was a steel target: No matter how many times it’s been hit previously, you get instant feedback. When the steel rings, indicating a hit, people smile. When it doesn’t, indicating a miss, they try harder. Even for us graybeards who have been shooting a long time, there’s nothing like the instant gratification of ringing steel targets. The…

Knowing your bullet’s speed is a critical piece of the puzzle when considering which ammo to carry. Numbers on the box usually correlate to a very specific barrel length. By reducing barrel length you also reduce velocity, and if you pass a breaking point the projectile might no longer expand. The Caldwell G2 Chronograph assisted in this piece in a big way. First, it clocked speeds from each of the five types of ammo fired. After gathering the velocity, it instantly computes averages as well as standard deviations, giving a numerical value for each cartridge’s consistency in the given firearm. Setup is simple, as the kit includes the pictured tripod and contains an onboard rechargeable battery. Best of all, the G2 is built with its own light system in case…

Admittedly, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool wheelgun man. I get excited when a new revolver is introduced, and to me this new Taurus is something to get worked up about. In my opinion, which is backed up by numerous gun tests over the years, Taurus does a fine job of building revolvers that are comparable to anyone’s. This new gun is built on the Taurus equivalent of the L-frame, which makes it a medium-frame +P and allows room for a seven-round cylinder. This “multi-caliber” revolver comes with a .357 Magnum cylinder installed and a second cylinder/crane assembly in 9mm. So, you can use .357, .38 Special +P or standard pressure loads, .38 Long or .38 Short, plus 9mm. With the cylinder open for loading, a push button on the right side of…

CH: Between the COVID lockdowns and the riots, there have been record gun sales this year and there are more first-time gun buyers. What advice do you give these new gun owners? Ken Campbell: Jeff Cooper, our founder, was a wise man and a renaissance man in many ways. He once said, “Just because you own a piano does not make you a pianist.” These new gun owners need to do their due diligence and get good training. Don’t just look on the internet, watch some videos and think, ‘I shall rise to the occasion.’ You will not—you’ll default to your level of training. When bad things happen to you, you’ll need to have that default level set to something that will save you and your loved ones’ lives. Do…

I could not be more excited with this issue’s featured pro, Tim Herron. Not only is Herron a professional shooter for Federal Premium Ammunition, he also shoots professionally for Nighthawk Custom. Federal Ammunition has been leading the way since 1922 by staying on the cusp of technology and pioneering new products with great ingenuity. Their name is synonymous with reliability and remains one of the most trusted names today in the ammunition industry. Nighthawk Custom is well known for the custom craftsmanship that goes hand in hand with their own unique philosophy of, “One Gun, One Gunsmith.” Each gun produced by Nighthawk Custom is crafted from start to finish by the hands of one gunsmith, alone. Maintaining this philosophy reinforces the character of Nighthawk and the pride they pour into…

Bill Wilson has been in the firearms business for some 45 years, starting in retail sporting goods sales, then in 1977 evolving into Wilson Combat, making custom 1911 pistols. He has since expanded into upgrades for pistols like the Beretta Model 92G; Glock 17, 19 and 45; plus AR-platform pistols and lines of custom AR-10s, AR-15s and Model 870 shotguns. Wilson’s products are all first-rate and he has as customers all branches of the U.S. military, DHS, Border Patrol, Marshal Service, Texas Rangers and many other elite LE agencies worldwide. Add to this top shooting competitors of various disciplines, plus legally armed citizens who want a high-end firearm for personal- and home-defense. Wilson Combat firearms don’t fit the “every-man” budget, but recently Wilson has started building a 1911 pistol using…

If you have a new target, you need a new gun to use on it, right? I think that’s an unwritten rule that we must obey. I’ve been banging and clanging on this steel target with a Wilson Combat X-Tac Elite Compact handgun. This mid-size 1911 is designed for carry and hard, high-round-count training. It’s available in .45, .38 Super and 9mm. While I prefer a .45 for carry, I like a 9mm for training and shooting. Ammo is less expensive, and the lower recoil is easier on old, battered hands and wrists. The compact gun uses eight-round 9mm magazines. This handgun has a carbon steel frame with black Armor-Tuff finish. The frontstrap and mainspring housing have the Wilson Combat X-Tac pattern gripping surface. It’s very effective under any condition…

Most savvy gun folks know that Glock didn’t invent polymer-framed pistols, but Glock was the company that made them mainstream. With the introduction of the G17, the gun world has never been the same. Nearly every major pistol manufacturer has since introduced its own version of a modern polymer-frame, striker-fired pistol. Surprisingly, even Mossberg jumped into the fray just a couple of years ago with its own iteration, the MC1sc subcompact, after nearly a century of not producing handguns. Just recently, Mossberg offered up its latest model, the MC2c, which has as its closest competitor the Glock G48. In this edition, we pit the two against each other to compare strengths and weaknesses, and to find out if Mossberg can out-Glock the Glock. GLOCK 48 MOS It’s only fitting that…

There is no doubt that we are living in the “age of the semi-auto.” If you visit your local newsstand or the magazine rack at a big-box retail store, chances are that those firearm magazines on display that do not have AR-15s on their covers have some type of high-tech, self-shucking pistol. Those readers who are familiar with my ramblings know that while much of my literary endeavors concern semi-auto pistols, down deep I am a fan of the roundgun. I cut my handgunning teeth with a .22 revolver; the first handgun I took a whitetail with was a long-barreled .357; one of my regular carry guns is a .38 snubbie, as is my wife’s car gun; and I have shot many an Action Pistol match with a roundgun. My…

When we think of firearms training, we almost never imagine it occurring in urban or suburban areas like, say, Long Island, New York. But that’s exactly where Top Shot alum Frank Melloni set his sights in 2012, and today, his company—Renaissance Firearms Instruction—is responsible for training nearly 2,000 students a year in a multitude of skills. We caught up with Frank and spent a day with him on the range so we could ask a few of the deeper questions regarding how he turned 15 minutes of fame into not only a career but also an outlet for the passions of nearly a dozen of the most brilliant instructors in the firearms industry. EARLY DAYS In order to understand Renaissance Firearms Instruction (RFI), we needed to understand the progression of…