Weapons of Choice: Ruger Redhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP Revolver

For 30 years, the Ruger Redhawk revolver has been in production since its introduction in 1979.

In 2007, after success of the 4.2-inch 44 Magnum Redhawk, Ruger produced a wheel gun chambered for 45 Colt. In 2014, Ruger introduced a Redhawk with a 2.75-inch barrel with a round-butt grip (TALO).

Three grip styles for Ruger Redhawk

This year, the newest Redhawk has the round-butt grip with a 4.2-inch barrel in .45 Colt caliber, but also affords the shooter the opportunity of using the .45 ACP ammunition through the use of moon clips. The grips are quality wood that is checkered for a good grip. Those that prefer rubber grips can install a Hogue grip. The rear sight is adjustable for windage and elevation, and the front sight is black with a red insert.

Specs: The Redhawk .45 Colt/.45 ACP revolver weighs 44.8 ounces with a 4.16-inch barrel. Trigger pull is a crisp 7 pounds in single action and 9.9 pounds in double action. Barrel/Cylinder gap is 0.006. The MSRP is $1,029. 

It's a new product in a familiar platform.

Weapons of Choice: Desert Eagle - Magnum Semi-Auto

DE .50 caliber in stainless steel

This gas operated, rotating bolt semi-auto pistol has become famous thanks to Hollywood and Magnum Research quality manufacturing.
The Desert Eagle series of pistols offers calibers from .50 caliber through the magnum line and even the .357 Mag.
Unlike the Coonan 1911 chambered for .357 Magnum, the Desert Eagle will not cycle .38 Special ammunition nor does it offer a recoil spring to do so. Magazine capacity is nine rounds. You can purchase replacement and upgrade parts directly from Magnum Research, including spare mags.

Weapons of Choice: Coonan M1911 Chambered in .357 Magnum

That's right, you read the title correctly - a .357 Mag semi-auto magazine fed pistol.
Revolvers chambered for .357 Magnum has been a favorite of those who cherish "wheel" guns, and get a bonus of being able to fire .38 Special ammunition, which is cheaper at the range.

Classic 5" barrel in stainless steel

Weapons of Choice: Ruger LC380(CA)

Ruger has reintroduced a conceal-carry handgun that was originally manufactured as the LC9 pistol chambered for 9mm, but has been changed to sell to California and Massachusetts buyers as LC380CA. It is chambered for .380 Auto ammunition with a capacity of 7+1 and a compact 3.5-inch barrel.

Weapons of Choice: Beretta PX4 Storm

Kate Beckinsale (Underworld) with a pair of Berettas

Anyone who knows me is aware that of all European firearm manufacturers, I favor Beretta, Uberti, and Sig Sauer, in that order. As far as quality is concerned, Glock stands among those names of quality manufacturers; but not my personal preference because of its design and feel. Scuttlebutt is that the US Army may ditch the Beretta in favor of something else, possibly replacing it with Glock.

After Action Report, 2015 SHOT Show: Glock Generation 4 Series with MOS

Glock 41 with MOS [Modular Optic System]

I am liking the new Glock “G” Models: G34 (9mm), G35 (.40 Cal), G41 (.45 ACP), and G40 (10mm Auto). It has the lines of a classic semi-auto and the quality of a Glock. The only thing I have had against Glock and similar “boxy” pistols was its shape. 

Beretta M9A3: US Army Rejects Evaluation of Service Pistol Replacement

M9A3

The US Army has declined to evaluate the new Beretta M9A3 as part of a contract of US military service pistols. The US Army has been using the Beretta M9 since 1985, but the service pistols are starting to show their age from such long service. Despite accepting an updated M9 to replace worn out pistols and the cost of maintenance has made the Army and the Pentagon to look for something more modern and more affordable. However, in the meantime, the Army has an open contract with Beretta to stock armories as necessary. Beretta wanted the contract to be extended and continued, so it developed the M9A3, which has several features the Army was looking for at a lower price per unit than the current contract.

Weapons of Choice: Beretta Pico and Nano Semi-Automatic

The Beretta Pico, introduced in October 2014, is a new line of firearms the prestigious company offers that is the smallest conceal carry semi-automatic on the market, so far. It is only 18mm wide and is chambered for the .380 semi-auto cartridge. It has adjustable sights, a low-recoil mechanism and a tough finish that will last for decades with proper care. It weighs only 11.5 oz unloaded and is a double-action only pistol. Stainless steel and polymer constructed, it is easy to maintain and sweat resistant. 

Weapons of Choice: Sig Sauer P320 - Another Addition to the Sig Sauer Line

SIG P320C

The Sig Sauer P320 is a no-nonsense striker-fired pistol that law officers have come to appreciate; even those who like the M1911 and Beretta 92-FS/92-G. Its features include:

• Striker Safety.

• Disconnect Safety.

• 3-point Take Down Safety System.

• Take-down cannot take place without removing the magazine.

• System prohibits take-down without slide locked to the rear.

• Rotation of take-down lever allows disassembly without tools or trigger manipulation.

Revolver or Semiautomatic?

The age-old argument between those who like revolvers and those who do not is probably just left alone. 

S&W MP .357 Magnum (can use .38 Special ammo)

However, I just wrote an article about bug-out bag systems and recommended the revolver; so I thought I would list the advantage revolvers have over the popular semiautomatic pistols …

While semiautomatic pistols are easier to reload and carry more ammunition at one time, revolvers allow more flexibility when it comes to ammunition; for example, .38 Special ammo will fire safely in .357 Magnum chambered revolvers. The cheaper .38 Special caliber is good for range target practice and the .357 caliber load can be kept in gun for home defense and in bug out situations.

Note: never fire .357 ammo in a handgun chambered for .38 Special!

Drop-In Aftermarket Parts and Kits for Semiauto Pistols

Drop-in custom parts for firearms has become popular, as one can see browsing the collection of YouTube videos concerning the subject.

The majority of the custom parts available are easy to fit, while some require fitting, which reputable dealers will say so in their literature.

Texas Rangers: Samuel Hamilton Walker and His Famous Pistol

In the Hall of Fame Memorial of Texas Rangers are 30 Texas Rangers who died in the line of duty or made significant contributions of service.

Captain Samuel H. Walker

Among them was Samuel Hamilton Walker, who folks called “Sam”, who lived from 1815 to 1847. Captain Samuel Walker became immortal because of a revolver produced by Samuel Colt in his honor. He was not just a Texas Ranger, but a military officer of the Republic of Texas, serving in several armed conflicts that included the American Indian Wars and the Mexican-American wars.

Born on February 24, 1815 at Toaping Castle in Maryland, he was the fifth of seven children.

Walker arrived in Texas in 1842 and took part in the defense against the Mexican invasion led by General Adrian Woll. Later he joined the Texas Rangers in 1844 under the command of Captain John Coffee Hays. 

Smith and Wesson: M&P-22 Compact Semiautomatic

Despite .22 caliber ammunition being in short supply, Smith & Wesson has launched their newest rimfire pistol, a semiautomatic streamlined for concealed carry.

The new pistol weights under one pound, 15.3 ounces, and is a polymer pistol that Glock has made popular. The dimensions remain similar to the M&P 9 and M&P 40 compacts, just a minute smaller in overall length. It is a way of providing a compact firearm that is cheaper to practice with than the larger one and directed towards women who want to conceal carry without the big kick of higher caliber firearms. Only drawback is that .22 ammunition is on back order, for the most part, but S&W has thought about that.

Springfield Armory Range Officer: Great M1911 Platform Available in Compact

SA Range Officer - M1911

Springfield Armory is an historical American firearm manufacturer, one of the oldest, serving the public and United States armed forces. For decades, Springfield has provided quality M1911 handguns from the standard GI model to top-end competition sports models.

The tried-and-proven Range Officer model is now available in a compact platform available in 9mm Luger. The RO is what professional shooters demand for the range or concealed carry out of the box.

Trigger Control and Pistol Review by Fate of Destinee

Fate of Destinee has provided a YouTube instructional video that provides help in techniques in developing better marksmanship and shooting habits and skills. She is a leading firearm proficiency expert and has been beneficial in introducing new firearm owners with helpful information, especially the female gender.

Weapons of Choice: Colt Peacemaker - "The Gun That Won The West"

175th Anniversary Colt .45 Caliber Peacemaker

The Colt Peacemaker, Model 1873, is a single-action revolver that is designed to fire metallic centerfire cartridges and was adopted as the standard military service revolver from 1873 to 1892.

Since production, the Colt SAA has been offered in over 30 different calibers and various barrel lengths.

Weapons of Choice: Remington Model 1858 and 1875

The Remington Model 1858 was a secondary firearm issued by the United States Army of the Union until the Colt Manufacturing Company factory fire of 1864. While it is called Model 1858 for the year it was patented, it was not produced in full scale production until 1861. [Remington: America's Oldest Gunmaker, Roy Marcot Bequette, Primedia 1998]

Collectors Pick: Smith and Wesson Victory Revolver

[Click photo to enlarge]

The Smith & Wesson Victory revolver in .38-caliber was produced for use in World War II.

S&W produced 571,629 Victory revolvers for allied countries, while less than 40,000 were made for use by US troops. The first production was the M&P style revolver chambered in the British .38/200 cartridge as part of the Lend Lease Program and sent to England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. By the time the United States entered the war after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7^th, 1941; S&W added a “V” for victory in front of the serial number. Thus, it became known as the Victory model S&W. 

Finally a Semi-Auto, Self-Loading Rifle in .17-HMR That Works

When manufacturers decided there needed to be ammunition between .22 WMR and .223 caliber, the .17 HMR was born. The .22 WMR was produced since 1959 and magnums became more popular than the old standby .22LR because it fired at a higher pressure and its bullet was jacketed instead of soft lead. However, even the .22 WMR was a pain to load into auto-loading, magazine fed rifles, so Hornady produced the .17 HMR.

Weapons of Choice: SIG Sauer M11 and Other SIG Firearms

Most everyone is aware that the official US military handgun was changed from Colt M1911 (in service for more than 100 years) to the M9 manufactured by Beretta. In the civilian world, both firearms are popular, but Glock has upstaged them both. In competition against Glock, most popular caliber being the .40 caliber. Springfield Armory produced an excellent handgun in 9mm and .45 ACP.

One excellent pistol that does not seem to get the attention it deserves is the SIG Sauer P-series that was established in the 1970s. It is a firearm manufacturer where J.P. Sauer & Sohn of Germany combined with Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft (SIG) of Switzerland. Two nations that produce quality manufactured products; matching Italian companies like Beretta, Uberti, and Benelli.

Colt would have retained its contract that has lasted many decades if it would have developed a double-action chambered for 9mm, which is the NATO standard ammunition for handguns.