Table of contents for September - October 2023 in Combat Handguns

Philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s catchy, and so is Churchill’s statement, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” That gets me thinking about how statist politicians, along with their state-run media, law firms and big-tech partners in crime, are actively trying to strip away our 2A rights. Their goal is to take us legally armed citizens back to a time when the Crown’s Redcoats (circa 1774) were conducting warrantless searches and seizures in patriots’ homes, confiscating arms and ammo by the directive of King George III. We all know what happened next. Need historical proof of what happens when tyrants disarm the people and those people ignored history and millions paid with their…

Any serious shooting competitor should take a hard look at the new double-stack BDS9 from Nighthawk Customs. The 9mm pistol is the epitome of speed, performance and reliability. Heavy angle cuts and slide lightening ports produce a slide that cycles faster for faster follow-up shots. The Interchangeable Optics System allows shooters to quickly switch between a red-dot and iron sights, giving you a pistol that can be used in multiple divisions while holding zero. With a capacity of 17+1 rounds, the BDS9 features a 5-inch, crowned barrel and a full-length rail for added weight for better muzzle control. Both the slide and frame are finished with a silver DLC coating and contrast well with the black controls, barrel and grips for one sweet-looking rig. The pistol comes with two slide…

IN the world of firearms, “iconic” is a word usually reserved for guns that have had an extremely long INthe history; examples like the 1873 Colt Peacemaker, which is celebrating it is 150th anniversary this year; the Browning Hi-Power, introduced in 1935; the Colt Model 1911; or Walther PPK, introduced in 1930 and still in production 93 years later. It is the Walther name, however, that brings us to the subject at hand—celebrating a gun that has not been around all that long, a mere 28 years, but has nevertheless become iconic—the Walther P99. The Walther P99 debuted at the 1995 IWA Show in Germany and introduced radical changes, not only to how Walther built its semi-auto pistols but for the future design of semi-auto handguns. To this day, the…

IF you look at the history of the 1911, you’ll realize that early pistols were machined on belt-driven equipment. There were no computers or automated production lines and every gun produced involved the human element. And, while they were able to control tolerances unbelievably well over a century ago with relatively primitive equipment, they certainly did not have the abilities of today with modern computer-controlled machinery. Unfortunately, the firearms industry has been a step behind to institute more effective means in manufacture due to the “We’ve always done it this way” mentality. One who fortunately does not suffer from this attitude is Paul Parrott, CEO of Vudoo Gun Works. You may know of Vudoo because of their ultra-precise V-22 bolt-action rifles designed for NRL Precision 22 and PRS 22 competition.…

As the story goes, the nickname “Old Reliable” came about around the time Colt’s came out with its first double-action/single-action models in 1877 and 1878, causing some consternation among cowboys about relying on the newfangled double-action trigger pull, which in turn led to calling original Colt Single Actions an “Old Reliable.” And, 150 years later, that still seems to ring true! With only that brief period between World War II and 1956 when the Peacemaker was temporarily discontinued, it has been built by Colt longer than any other revolver manufactured anywhere in the world and remains to this day the indisputable icon of the American West.…

Established in 1991 by George Kellgren, KelTec CNC Industries Inc. has been an innovator in the firearms industry for more than 30 years. A year or so after Bill Clinton’s Federal Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 that limited firearms magazines to 10 cartridges, KelTec introduced the P11. This was one of the first compact 9mm pistols and had a 10-round magazine. It was a hybrid with a steel slide, 3.1-inch barrel and magazine mated to polymer grip housing with an aluminum receiver pinned inside. As such, it had an empty weight of just 17.1 ounces. Its DAO mechanism had no manual safety, as the 9-pound-plus trigger pull, firing pin spring and low-mass hammer prevented accidental discharge if the pistol was dropped. A feature that endeared it to some law enforcement…

Much of the general public—which, never forget, consti-tutes your jury pool—has been conditioned to believe that anytime an unarmed man is shot with a gun, it must be cow-ardly murder or at the least, excessive force. On the contrary, the history of the law in this country is that disparity of force favoring the opponent is the equivalent of a deadly weapon. That is, if the ostensibly unarmed person’s violent attack continues, it is likely within the totality of the circumstances to cause death or grave bodily harm (crippling injury). Disparity of force can take the form of a much larger and/or stronger attacker, multiple attackers, often male attacking a female, an otherwise insurmountable position of advantage (such as he has you down in a “ground and pound” martial arts…

In the previous issue of Combat Handguns magazine, Dan Wesson’s full-size DWX went under the “Backyard Dads” microscope and took centerstage on the cover. If you didn’t catch that issue, please visit outdoorgroupstore.com to pick up your copy (print or digital). Just prior to this issue going to press, CH editors learned of the DWX getting a little brother. The DWX Compactincorporates the same premium features as the full-sized DWX but in a smaller, more concealable package. Its lightweight aluminum frame and shorter barrel make it ideal for everyday carry, while its design delivers improved ergonomics. We’ll be doing a full test and evaluation in sister publication PDW Concealed Carry Handguns’ ’ August/September 2023 issue. In the meantime, here’s some intel to keep in mind. The 9mm DWX Compact utilizes the…

I constantly hear the age-old arguments that the .45 ACP round is dead and obsolete. “It doesn’t hold enough ammo.” “It has too much recoil.” “Rounds are too expensive.” “It’s too big and heavy.” “It is not for modern handguns.” I am sure you have heard them all if you are like me and still have a soft spot in your heart for the old .45 ACP. Yes, a 9mm holds more rounds in the same space than a .45. Yes, a 9mm round has more velocity than a .45 ACP. However, the caliber helped win a damn world war with one of the most iconic pistols of all time—the 1911. Most people immediately think of a 1911 when they think about the .45 ACP round, and many younger shooters…

As we cheer about the 150th anniversary of the most famous single-action revolver in American history, it might seem a bit surprising that we also owe a debt of gratitude to Smith & Wesson for the Peacemaker’s creation. But we do. Without S&W’s bold actions in 1870 to obtain government contracts with its innovative, top-break, .44 S&W-caliber Model Number 3 revolver, the Colt Single Action Army might not have come along when it did, and its storied history might be a different tale than we tell today! CAVALRY’S DILEMMA In 1870, while Colt’s was consumed by its need to build cartridge conversions from its massive inventory of Civil War-era percussion revolver parts, Horace Smith and Daniel B. Wesson (who held the White patent for the bored through, breech-loading cylinder until…

The Bisley Colt was named after the international shooting contests held in Bisley, England. Although the Peacemaker had proven exceptionally accurate in the hands of soldiers and lawmen on the frontier, professional shootists needed a heavier single-action revolver with a grip specially designed for carefully held long-distance target shooting. Colt’s responded in 1894 with the first SAA target models named for the British competition. The Bisley frame and barrel were the same as the standard Colt’s Single Action, but the grip strap was of a new “humpback” contour with a large, deeply curved frontstrap. The hammer was laid back lower and flatter, making it easier to cock and allowing a straighter forward drive of its weight with less disturbance of the aim. The trigger was set further back in a…

Although the Zev doesn’t portray the Glock grip angle, it still takes standard Glock magazines. This review originally started behind enemy lines, so I contacted Magpul to set me up with a pair of 10-round magazines. These fed and ejected better than any OEM Glock mags I have ever used with no issues when filled to maximum capacity. Now that I live in America, I’ll be stocking up on standard capacity units and some of the company’s 27-rounders as well. For more information, visit magpul.com.…

In 1904, Norway began looking for a new military pistol to replace their aging Russian 7.5mm Model 1893 Nagant revolver. The Norwegians were impressed with the Colt Model 1902 in .38 Colt Automatic caliber. This gun was one of Colt’s and John Browning’s family of early semi-automatic pistols consisting of Model 1900, 1901, 1902 (and 1902 Military) and 1903, all chambered for the Colt Automatic cartridge, but not the Colt .38 Super cartridge that came years later. Although the two will accept both cartridges, the above pistols are far too weak to handle the .38 Super, which was made for the M1911 in .38 Super. TESTING & PROCUREMENT The largest member of the family was the Model 1905, which fired an early, slower version of the .45 ACP cartridge. It…

Guns like the OZ9 were built to be run hard and fast. Doing so on paper is boring, and you just don’t get the same sense of satisfaction as knocking around steel. The Champion Center Mass AR 500 line offers an array of affordable steel targets in shapes and sizes that competitors and casual shooters desire. I used a 100% and a 66% target in this test, and the only complaint I had was how many rounds I went through because it was that much fun! The bright orange paint job is easy to see, and the dual holes allow for a variety of hanging options. For more information, visit championtarget.com.…

In the mid-1980s, striker-fired, polymer-framed handguns became synonymous with what we expect from semi-automatic handguns. From a manufacturer’s perspective, polymer striker-framed handguns are less expensive to produce and require less hand-fitting to reach impressive reliability standards. The relatively quick adoption of striker-fired weapons for LE use bears out this truth. HAMMER-FIRED HISTORY While not doubting the popularity and staying power of polymer striker-fired weapons, hammer-fired single-action “cocked and locked” handguns have not faded quietly into the sunset. In fact, the case can be made that the popularity of this format is flourishing. Why? The mystique of a well-put-together, single-action, semi-automatic handgun is hard to deny in our current age. A trigger that arrives (or can be tuned) with minimal to no creep, limited travel/reset and breaks like the proverbial “glass…

Colt introduced one of the most popular double-action (DA) revolvers in 1955—the Python. It was the second “snake gun” after the snub-nosed .38 Cobra that debuted in 1950. The Python was a .357 Magnum six-gun built on the new Colt I-Frame, which was basically the medium E-Frame but with an internal firing pin. It was a substantial change in design from Colt’s typical DA wheelguns, as it had a ventilated rib atop the barrel and a full-length ejector-rod shroud below the barrel. Added to this were a ramp front sight, fully adjustable rear sight, a large spoon-shaped hammer spur, and an action that was hand-fitted and smooth as butter. It came with either a polished Royal Blue or nickel-plated finish and checkered, target-style walnut stocks. Original barrel lengths were 4…