The Vltor Fortis is a updated clone of the Bren Ten 10mm Auto pistol (Which itself was a CZ 75 clone). It was announced last year at SHOT. This year a final production model has been on display. It will be available in both 10mm AUTO and .45 ACP. It should be on sale later this year (2009).
Pre-production Vltor Fortis frames.
You can follow the progress of the pistol at the Fortis blog.
Click to expand. Scanned in by MrMojoRising
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.
[ This article was written by Sven Ortmann of Personal Defence Weapons Central, an excellent small arms resource. ]
by Sven Ortmann, lastdingo@gmx.de, 2008-01-05
There are too many misleading anecdotes and rumors about military rifle calibers floating in the air (and in the WWW). This short article is meant to help readers with a presentation of the results of my secondary source research on the rifle caliber discussion and terminal (wound) ballistics.
Caliber: 9×19 mm and .45ACP (= 11.43×23mm)
This is the standard NATO caliber for pistols and a popular caliber for submachineguns. The only ones who seem to have a strong dislike for this caliber seem to be those U.S. Americans who continue to compare it with .45ACP.
The U.S. American problems with the 9×19mm caliber seem to include a mix of emotions (a Colt M1911 in .45ACP feels much more powerful) and poor quality of the U.S. standard issue 9mm pistols. The latter is as far as I know more a magazine production quality problem than a pistol design problem. The origin of .45ACP is said to lie in combat experience around 1900 in the Philippines where determined Philippinos weren’t stopped reliably by smaller revolver calibers. Tests on live animals in 1904 showed better effects for heavier bullets, but little improvement with velocity. Bullet design has improved a lot since then, and hollowpoint bullets that flatten their nose in soft tissue to increase their diameter are much more effective than simple soft lead bullets. A good 9mm bullet enjoys a similar advantage over a .45ACP soft lead bullet than the latter over a 9mm soft lead bullet. There’s a fundamental problem, though: There’s not much difference in effect on the target if you hit the wrong places and the permanent cavities of pistol bullets are all relatively small. Many body parts are simply not essential enough – their destruction doesn’t stop a determined opponent immediately; no matter whether you hit with .45ACP or 9×19mm.
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S&W will be selling a sub compact 1911 pistol called the “Model SW1911 .45ACP Sub Compact – Pro Series”. It features an Oversized External Extractor, 3-Hole Curved Trigger with Overtravel Stop and a Full Length Guide Rod.
Model SW1911 .45ACP Sub Compact – Pro Series
Specs:
Caliber: .45ACP
Frame Size: Sub Compact
Capacity: 7+1 Rounds
Action: Single Action
Barrel Length: 3″
Front Sight: Dovetail White Dot
Rear Sight: Fixed White 2-Dot
Overall Length: 6 7/8″
Weight Empty: 24 oz.
Grip: Fully Stippled Synthetic
Frame Material: Scandium Alloy
Slide Material: Carbon Steel
Barrel Material: Stainless Steel
Finish: Matte Black
MSRP: $1,264
Hat Tip: The High Road and Guns Holsters and Gear
You were warned … This is the Frankenstein’s monster of early 20th Century American arms:
An M103 Springfield in an SBR (Short Barrel Rifle) configuration presumably converted to .45 ACP with a 1911 pistol grip being used as the magazine well.
It is hideous. Something only its mother could love!
Hat Tip: Хроники безумного Макса
Reader Beau emailed me this video. It shows a RC Helicopter firing a Springfield 1911 .45 ACP pistol.
I am impressed by the accuracy. The recoil does not seem to be much and at first I wondered if the video was a hoax. But it looks like it is a big RC helicopter, which has a lot of forward thrust which would counter some of the recoil.
What does legendary gun smith Bill WIlson carry? The “Bill Wilson Carry Pistol”.
From Wilson Combat:
After the Television appearances by the boss (Bill Wilson), we received so many calls to find out which pistol Bill carries on a daily basis. Well here it is!! The “Bill Wilson Carry Pistol” is the pistol Bill carries every day.
He gave me the complete list of his favorite touches and how a carry gun should be outfitted. Take a Wilson Combat CQB Compact, add the new “Round Butt” treatment, shorten the slide stop pin and counter sink the frame (giving you the option to use the Crimson Trace laser grips), slide top serrations, our new “Carry Cuts”, and finally this wonderful pistol is fitted with Bill’s favorite thumb-safety.
This “Carry pistol” is outfitted exactly as Bill would want it, wearing a set of Wilson Combat Starburst G10 grips with a black slide over a grey frame custom built to exacting standard by some of the best pistolsmiths in the world today. If you are looking for the perfect carry pistol and you were never sure how exactly it should be, here it is with all the features handpicked to match the gun that Bill carries daily.
Price: 2,850.00
Charter Arms have issued a press release heralding their “revolutionary new rimless revolver” the Charter Arms Rimless Revolver (CARR), that will go on sale Q1 2009.
Problem: The major drawback to rimless semi-auto cartridges in revolvers is they require specially made revolvers. These low-production, somewhat scarce and, highly-specialized revolvers are limited to sometimes fragile and expensive moon/half moon ammunition clips. Generally, only revolver aficionados and collectors bother with (.45ACP and 9mm Parabellum) rimless revolvers. While they may sometimes be fired without the specialized moon clips, generally the ejector rod will not eject the free-floating fired cases (got a pencil?).
Solution: Charter Arms has come up with an affordable revolver that chambers rimless semi-auto rounds in the same manner as a standard rimmed-cartridge revolver.
The first caliber on offer will be .40 S&W which will be followed by .45 ACP 3-4 months later and 9mm Parabellum (that will also be able to chamber .380 ACP) 3-4 months after that. All will be able to handle +P ammunition.
Initially only snubnosed models will be produced (2″ barrel for 9mm and 2.2″ barrel for .40 and .45ACP).
The MSRPs are:
9mm: $399
.40 S&W: $449
.45 ACP: $449
Although revolvers that fire rimless cartridges are not new, I am sure these will sell well. I think quite a few auto pistol owners but may balk at the thought of having to stock up on revolver caliber ammunition, but would be tempted by a revolver that chambers their favorite pistol cartridge.
Hat Tip: Ammoland
Reader Joe kindly sent through photos of his .45 cal Philadelphia derringer made from a kit I blogged about some time ago.
It looks great!
Here are four pics of the derringer I built in 1978 at age 19. I colored the wood by staining with a Minwax walnut and then handrubbing linseed oil over it. I did not cold blue the barrel. For some reason I inlaid the side brass pieces where the pin comes through the barrel and stock.
Thanks Joe.
If anyone else has unique, custom, interesting or a firearm with a good story. Please send pictures through!
Guncrafter Industries are selling a .50 GI conversion kit for the the Glock 20/21.
Click to expand the image
The .50 GI round should not be compared to the Desert Eagle’s .50 Action Express or the .500 S&W. It is slightly more powerful than the .45 ACP.
Wikipedia information on the .50 GI:
| .50 GI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Handgun | |
| Place of origin |   United States |
|
| Production history | ||
| Designer | Vic Tibbets / Alex Zimmermann | |
| Designed | 2004 | |
| Manufacturer | Guncrafter Industries | |
| Specifications | ||
| Case type | Rebated, straight | |
| Bullet diameter | .515 in (13.1 mm) | |
| Neck diameter | .526 in (13.4 mm) | |
| Base diameter | .526 in (13.4 mm) | |
| Rim diameter | .480 in (12.2 mm) | |
| Case length | .899 in (22.8 mm) | |
| Overall length | 1.221 in (31.0 mm) | |
| Ballistic performance | ||
| Bullet weight/type | Velocity | Energy |
| 275 gr (17.8 g) JHP | 900 ft/s (270 m/s) | 492 ft·lbf (667 J) |
| 300 gr (19 g) JHP | 860 ft/s (260 m/s) | 493 ft·lbf (668 J) |
The kit will retail for $595.
Hat Tip: Foodpounds
Th Box O’ Truth have published a two part article on the building and shooting of a 1970’s blackpowder .45 cal Philadelphia Derringer kit.
Uberti will be selling the Cattleman single-action army revolver in a matching .45 Colt two gun set. They will also be offering a uniquely engraved Cattleman in .45 Colt.
1873 Cattleman Charcoal OM (not the revolver mentioned above)
Press releases below:
Special Interest Arms are selling a new .45 Enfield kits. Richard at SIA send me an email about the new kit:
I have been busy getting my Enfield .45 conversion kits designed, manufactured, and ready to sell. Today I achieved that goal, I now have kits in stock for immediate delivery. They are vastly improved over the defunct “Rhineland” kits!
The magazine adaptors fit the receiver without having to force them in, the magazine latch locates the magazine properly, it no longer sticks through the gun when inserted with the bolt open. The magazine latch is a lever, it points toward the bottom of the adaptor, no more having to cut your trigger guard or wood!
I incorporate an actual ejector, so the converted rifle actually ejects the spent round.
I use Montana Rifleman® match grade barrels. Barrels may be ordered in 16.5″-18.0″ length, they may be ordered pre-threaded for a suppressor or flash hider.
Several units will be shipped next week, I look forward to the buyers feed-back as I am positive they will be pleased.
(Click to expand images)
If this is not cool, I don’t know what is. Complete with AR-15 stock and pistol grip.
The current .45 adaptor, greatly improved over the defunct Rhineland version.
They look great and I am sure will sell well.
More info available at Special Interest Arms.
Atlantic firearms are getting in some semi automatic Thompsons.
Details are sparse. There are two models, one with a push button detachable stock, one with a normal stock.
All the classic details of the time honored original are reproduced in today’s semi-auto Thompson. The frame and receiver are machined from solid steel. The wood is genuine American walnut. This .45 caliber carbine features a 16 1/2″ finned barrel, compensator and is available with a blued steel receiver. This configuration is our most popular.
They are apparently “coming soon” and no price is listed.
Hi, welcome to my gun blog! This blog is dedicated to all things firearms related. If you are into AR-15 and AK rifles, skeet shotguns, self defense pistols or hunting arms there will be something here for you. I hope you enjoy it.
I want this blog to appeal to a worldwide audience and so I will be focusing on firearms and shooting rather than country specific politics. There are already many great blogs defending your rights!
- Steve
