The Firearm Blog

These were all confiscated off Mexican criminals. Click to expand the images.

I have never seen such an ornate AK-47 before.
I would be embarrassed to go to the range with it.


AR-15 / M16 SBR


I think the bling on this one is fake


I am sure the saints do not protect gangsters.

Hat Tip: Dragunov at MexicoDefense

I wish I had though of this. Gungrips.net (website currently offline) offer personalized gun grips that can be ordered online. They can turn any sketch into a laser engraved design.

Ed’s initials can been seen at the bottom.

Ed Friedman has reviewed the service.

DoubleStar has issued a press release announcing their “first-ever handgun”. From the press release (emphasis mine):

Accuracy, reliability and American pride. They are qualities DoubleStar builds into each of its many AR-15 offerings. Now, the Kentucky-based manufacturer is bringing those same attributes down to size by building them into its first-ever handgun.

The new DoubleStar 1911

All very well and good except this is not the first DoubleStar handgun. The pistol below is on listed at BudsGunShop.com as a “Doublestar 1911 5″ Govt 45acp made in Winchester Ky.”. THe DoubleStar logo is clearly visible on the slide. Searching Google for “doublestar 1911″ comes up with many forum postings mentioning the DoubleStar 1911 Government model pistol since at least 2006.

Innocent break down in communication between management and PR? Rewriting history? Outright deception? I don’t know.

Anyway, the specs for the new pistol are:

Caliber: .45 ACP
Finish: Parkerized
Weight (unloaded): 38 oz.
Length: 8”
Barrel Length: 5”
Sights: Novak white Dot
Capacity: 8 + 1 rounds
Grips: Buyer’s choice (Ergo, Stryder, walnut, other woods)

It features 1913 rail, National Match stainless barrel, Greider trigger, Ed Brown’s Memory Grip Safety and choice of a square or round trigger guard. It will retail for under $1200.

Reader tehmino emailed me photos of his new Para-Ordnance GI Expert pistol. The GI Expert is a new entry level 1911 from Para USA. Click to expand the photos. UPDATE: tehmino has modded his pistol, which I should have realized (It was a late night), I have added a couple of photos of a non-modded below (Thanks Todd and Caleb, for the correction).

From GunBroker with a “buy now” of $529.

Photos of newly released gun “in the wild” are also better than those marketing photos. If you are the proud owner of a gun launched in the past 6 months, please email me some high-res photos for the blog.

Many thanks to tehmino for the photos.

Wilson Combat have developed a new 9mm polymer 1911 pistol. At the moment it is called the “Wilson Combat Polymer Pistol”.

Specs:

Caliber: 9mm
Magazine Capacity: 16 rounds
Barrel Length: 4.4″
Overall Length: 7.9″
Sight Radius: 6.2″
Weight Empty / loaded: 29.6 oz / 36.7 oz.

Wilson are looking for a name and running a competition to find it:

So from now until the 1st day in June, 2009 you have the opportunity to name the next Wilson Combat® Custom Polymer pistol. The best news of all, the lucky individual that submits the winning name will receive one to add to their collection. Please pick your very best as it will be limited to one submission per person.

You can submit your name here.

Click to expand

This beautiful .38 Super chambered 1911 pistol from Colt is a special edition honoring Vincente Guerrero, the 2nd president of Mexico. The gun features:

Colt factory gold plated barrel bushing and spur hammer and strut. Old style factory roll marks. High polished stainless steel slide flats embellished in 24 kt gold with “La Patria”, the Rampant Colt Logo, and Vincente Guerrero with his dates

The pistol is being distributed by TALO Inc.

In 2007 Sig Sauer came out with a Blackwater branded Sig P226. This year they have partnered with Blackwater to produce a 1911. It features picatinny rail, custom wood grips with blackwater logo, Nitron coated stainless steel slide and SIGLITE night sights.

Specs:
Caliber: .45 ACP
Mag Capacity: 8 rounds
Action Type: Single Action
Trigger Pull SA: 5 lbs
Barrel Length: 5″
Weight w/Mag: 41.6 oz
Options : Checkered front strap, Blackwater logo engraved on top of slide

The MSRP is $1290.

More info here.

From Chris @ American Tactical Imports:

I can say that it feels just like holding an actual 1911, will come with a 10 round magazine and will be of fine German engineering. We have an expected MSRP of $369.00 on it but that is subject to change once we receive final importation clearance and see all the manufacturing costs. Check back with us later in the year on tat.

More about the pistol here.

STI International are the latest addition to brethren-of-ar-15-manufactures, joining fellow 1911 pistol makers such as Wilson Combat and Para Ordnance (the Para TTR is based on the AR platform).

The Bane holding the new STI Tactical AR-15. Video is here.

Two models will be available. The Tactical / sporting model features:

Chambered in 5.56mm NATO, the 16-in. 410 SS barrel features a 1:8 twist with a mid-length gas system. Featuring a Nordic Tactical Compensator and JP Trigger group, this rifle also includes a custom STI Valkyrie hand guard and gas block.

Specs:

Trigger: JP Trigger group
Barrel: 16″, 410 stainless steel, 1 in 8 twist, 1/2″ x 28 thread for the compensator
Compensator: Nordic Components Tactical Compensator
Gas Block: Custom STI Valkyrie Gas Block
Handguard: Custom STI Valkyrie Hand Guard
Sights : none
Overall Length : 36″
Weight: Competition: 6 lbs., 10 oz. Tactical: 6 lbs., 7.8 oz.
Finish: Black Teflon Coating over hard anodize
Competition Approvals: USPSA

STI Tactical model.

The competition model features:

The STI Valkyrie Competition hand guard has all the same great features as the Tactical model, with a 12″ OA length for increased stability for the competitive Shooter. The STI Valkyrie Competition Gas Block is light weight and concealed under the hand guard. The entire rifle has an anodized finish with black Teflon coating.

STI Tactical Competition model.

I am not sure what the pricing on the competition model will be.

More info at STI.

Dr. StrangeGun has taken a bunch of photos showing how to detail strip a 1911 pistol.

Dr. StrangeGun’s 1911 based Space Gun (MechTech CCU 1911 carbine)

Read it here.

Canadian pistol manufacturer Para Ordnance are moving their headquarters and manufacturing to Charlotte NC. Charlotte Business Journal reports:

The company leased a Pineville facility and estimates 35 to 40 jobs will be filled, mostly in manufacturing and machining.

Para Chief Executive Thanos Polyzos says the company wanted to establish a U.S. headquarters to be eligible for more military and law-enforcement contracts.

How much of its manufacturing, if any, will remain in Canada is not clear.

UPDATE: JR @ Keyboard and a .45 has just point out that this also allows them to get round any import restrictions, now or in the future.

Hat Tip: I can’t remember where I saw this link! If it was your blog let me know

GSG, our favorite German manufacturer of 22-caliber-firearms-pattered-after-other-firearms-and-endoresed-by-Kalashnikov-himself, have developed a .22 1911 pistol.

Click to expand.

American Tactical Imports will be importing the GSG 1911. Like the GSG AK and the GSG MP5 this pistol will probably not be a 1911 .22 conversion but a new design build specifically for the .22 LR cartridge.

I have emailed ATI asking about specs, availability and pricing. Hopefully they will take the time to get back to me.

UPDATE: coctailer took some photos at shot:

Thanks to Fred for the link.

UPDATE:

From Chris at ATI:

I can say that it feels just like holding an actual 1911, will come with a 10 round magazine and will be of fine German engineering. We have an expected MSRP of $369.00 on it but that is subject to change once we receive final importation clearence and see all the manufacturing costs. Check back with us later in the year on tat.

Rumors of the Sig P238 have been floating around the ‘net for a while now. They have turned out to be true. Sig Sauer P238 is a remake of the single action Colt Mustang which was discontinued just over a decade ago.

Sig Sauer P238 .380 ACP. Two tone. Click to expand image.


Colt Mustang .380 ACP. Photo by HiVelSword.

It is a single action pistol with an aluminum frame and a steel slide. From the press release:

With an overall length of just 5.5 inches a height of 3.96 inches, and weighing just under a pound, the SIG SAUER P238 is the ultimate firepower in an all metal frame concealed pistol. The P238 is built on an anodized alloy beavertail style frame with fluted aluminum grips for comfort and a secure hold during rapid-fire usage. The stainless steel slide features the popular SIG SAUER slide serrations and improves overall performance and accuracy.

It will come in two finishes, Black Nitron and Two Tone. Two sights will be available: contrast sights or SIGLITE Sights. This makes a total of four models. Pricing is below:

238-380-B MSRP $ 515.00
Black Nitron finish, Contrast Sights

238-380-BSS MSRP $ 558.00
Black Nitron finish, SIGLITE Sights

238-380-T MSRP $ 529.00
Two Tone, Contrast Sights

238-380-TSS MSRP $ 572.00
Two Tone, SIGLITE Sights

1200773 – Extra 6 round magazines MSRP $ 44.00

This should really appeal to 1911 fans, especially Colt Mustang fans. Time will tell if it is enough to compete with the plethora of sub-compact .380 pistols out there.

I will update this post as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: High quality photo from Ken.

Photo Copyright Ken Lunde. Used with permission.

UPDATE: The specs from the press release:

Frame Material: Aluminum
Frame Finish: Black Hard Coat Anodize
Slide Material: Stainless Steel
Slide Finish: Nitron or Natural Stainless
Length Overall: 5.5”
Height Overall: 3.9”
Width Overall: 1.1”
Barrel Length: 2.7”
Sights: Post & Dot Contrast, SIGLIGHT Night Sights
Sight Radius: 3.8”
Weight w/out mag: 15.2 oz.
Mag capacity: 6 rounds.

Reacting to many requests from the marketplace for a subcompact SIG SAUER pistol, engineers designed the new P238 as a smart looking, small handgun built with the same accuracy and reliability as large frame SIG SAUER pistols. With an overall length of just 5.5 inches a height of 3.96 inches, and weighing just under a pound, the SIG SAUER P238 is the ultimate firepower in an all metal frame concealed pistol. The P238 is built on an anodized alloy beavertail style frame with fluted aluminum grips for comfort and a secure hold during rapid-fire usage. The stainless steel slide features the popular SIG SAUER slide serrations and improves overall performance and accuracy. Additionally, the contrast or SIGLITE® Night Sights are removable and adjustable for windage. The sear and trigger return spring are redesigned to prevent spring over-ride of the ejector during assembly. Two finishes are available; Two-tone and corrosion resistant Nitron®. The new SIG SAUER P238 is shipped in a lockable hard case with one 6 round magazine at an MSRP starting at $515.00 for the Nitron® with contrasting sights. For more information, log on to www.sigsauer.com.

Press release photo

Hat Tip: 1911Forum, SigForum and GHG

The GI Expert is a new entry level .45 1911 pistol from Para USA.

A 1911 for the 21st Century – it feels like an old friend, the one that the company armorer worked over for you to earn your Expert Marksman’s badge. Using new millennium technology Para has built you a production .45 that is silky smooth with a crisp, clean trigger that makes you the best shot you can be.

Caliber: .45 ACP
Barrel: 5 inches, stainless steel
Twist: 1 in 16 inches, left-hand
Action: Single-action, Semi-automatic
Sights: Dovetail Fixed, 3-White Dot
Receiver: Carbon Steel
Trigger: Medium length
Hammer: Skeletonized Spur
Magazine: 8-round with removable base pad
Weight: 39 ounces
Finish: Covert Black Para Kote™
Stocks: Checkered Polymer
Safeties: Slide Lock, Internal Firing Block, Grip
Additional Features: Lowered and flared ejection port, beveled magazine well, flat mainspring housing, grip safety contoured for spur hammer

The introductory MSRP is $599.

More info here.