San Diego Reader has published a very well written article about open carry in California, which is legal as long as the gun is unloaded. The author, Rosa Jurjevics, who had never fired a gun let alone carried openly, met up with a few open carry enthusiast at a boardwalk at Pacific Beach. After giving her a lesson on the legalities of OC and how to deal with the police, they handed her a Ruger Single Six.
Kudos to the Rosa for writing an article that did not portray those who open carry as extremists or agitators, but simply as a group of people who choose to exercise their legal right to carry openly, and who hope that their constitutional right to carry will be recognized in the future.
PoliceOne.com did some online polling last year on their website. I have no doubt its results are about as accurate as any other web poll, but the results are nonetheless interesting.
Taurus has unveiled their new Taurus TCP pistol. This is another additional the increasingly wide range of .380 ACP sub-compact pistols. The TCP stands for “Taurus Compact Pistol”.
The pistol is DOA (Double Action only) and has a 6+1 capacity with a standard magazine and a 8+1 capacity with an extended magazine.
Three models will be available: an ultra light titanium side version weighting only 8.5 ounces, a blued steel slide model and a stainless model. Both steel models weigh 10.2 ounces.
The pistol features:
* Ambidextrous magazine release.
* Fish scale slide pattern.
* Large trigger guard.
* Low profile sights.
It is quite a sexy looking pistol. Most .380 ultra-compact carry pistol look “functional” at best … and I say this as a Glock fanboy!
GHG says it will retail for around $300 for the standard version and an extra $100 for the titanium slide.
The 709 “Slim” is a new single action only sub-compact 9mm from Taurus.
“SLIM” is the name of this suave new entry into the Taurus line. Elegant in Blue and Stainless this small, single-action-only could be found under a cummerbund or a pair of bibs. It’s what you have been asking for! No revealing lumps or lines makes concealed carry easier than that larger capacity gun you already have. Cool, neat and ready to go-the Taurus Slim will be your companion for a long time to come.
709SS model. Click to expand. Photo by Critter210.
Specs:
Caliber: 9 mm Capacity: 7+1 Barrel Length: 3″ Weight: 19 oz Length: 6″
Two models will be available. A Two Tone stainless steel slide model (709SS) and a blued slide version (709B).
The MSRP is $452 and I believe it will be shipping shortly.
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.
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.
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.
Following on from the success of the Ruger LCP, Ruger have unveiled the Ruger LCR (Light Weight Compact Revolver). What sets it apart from other compact revolvers is that polymers have been used as much as possible. The Ruger LCR will be available 1st March 2009
Ruger LCR. Click to expand.
The revolver features:
* Double Action
* Polymer fire-control housing
* Aluminum frame with black “synergistic” hard coating
* Fluted stainless steel cylinder, lightweight and compact.
* 5 Rounds in the cylinder
* Replaceable front sight.U-notch rear sight.
* The fire control system has been designed with a friction reducing cam that allows a very smooth trigger pull.
* The internal lock has been designed so it will not interfere with the fire control components.
The Specs:
Caliber: .38 SPL+P Capacity: 5 Rounds Finish: Matte Black/Target Grey Grip: Hogue Tamer w/ Sorborthane Insert Barrel Length: 1.875″ Groove: 6 Twist: 1:16″ RH Overall Length: 6.50″ Weight: 13.5 oz. Front Sight(s): Replaceable, Pinned Ramp Front Rear Sight(s): Integral U-Notch
The standard model has a recommended retail price of $525.
Ruger are also simultaneously releasing a model with Crimson Trace Lasergrips. It has MSRP of $792.
Ruger LCR-LG. Click to expand
GunBlast have already reviewed the LCR and were impressed (thanks to cmblake6 for the link):
The trigger pull on the LCR is very smooth, and very light for a pocket revolver. Many pocket revolvers have dreadful trigger pulls, and I get a lot of email from readers who buy a gun for defense, and have a very hard time pulling the trigger. If the production LCRs are like the one that I shot, the trigger pull problem is solved. That gun had what could be called a perfect trigger pull for a pocket revolver; a smooth and light double action. I do not know the pull weight of the LCR, but will measure such things when a production gun arrives.
I will update this post as more information arrives.
UPDATE: More info from Ruger
Friction Reducing Cam. Patent pending.
Fire Control Housing. Patent Pending.
There are a total of three new pending patents. Not bad for a wheel gun!
I missed the announcement for the Micro Desert Eagle, but I think it came out in mid November.
Ad for the Micro Eagle
Magnum Research are claiming this is a new pistol but CZF (@ THR) identified it as a the Kevin pistol manufactured by Czech company ZVI. The Kevin itself is fairly new and was introduced in 2007.
ZVI Kevin
This Micro Eagle is an interesting pistol that does differentiate itself from other .380 Auto sub compact pistols. It features what Magnum Research call “gas assisted blowback” and what ZVI call “reverse gas withdrawal”. From ZVI:
The pistol has a dynamic breech, DAO trigger mechanism, and fixed sight. The pistol does not require any safety lever due do the DAO system. Its frame is made of a high strength aluminium alloy, the barrel and slide of steel. A comfortable and precise fire is secured by the use of a reverse gas withdrawal to slow down the slide (patented).
Specs:
Caliber: .380 Auto Length: 4.52″ / 116 mm Length of the Barrel: 2.22″ / 57 mm Height: 3.71″ / 95 mm Width: 0.90″ / 23 mm Finish: Nickel Teflon Weight: Empty 14 oz / 400 grams Magazine Capacity: 6 Rounds Trigger Mechanism: DAO Safety: DAO (which I think means none) Sights: Fixed/Non-Adjustable
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.
The most memorable Valentine’s Day gift I ever received was a black nylon fanny pack designed to hold a gun. For my live-in, gun-nut boyfriend, it was a grand romantic gesture and an encore, of sorts, to his Christmas present, a .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol. I had hoped for the new “lady friendly” hammerless Smith & Wesson .38 revolver, but the fanny pack would have to do.
It definitely topped his gifts from years past: a can of pepper spray and a tactical pocketknife. And the timing was perfect. I had just qualified for a concealed-handgun permit under a recently passed state law-the state, of course, being Texas.
Great to see positive firearm articles in mainstream magazines.
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!
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.