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.

Hat Tip: Say Uncle

Results of the third poll.

The rest of the poll results are here.

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.

Full sized photo can be seen at Guns Holsters and Gear

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.

“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.

709B model

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

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!

UPDATE: Holster compatibility:

* Blackhawk Inside Pocket – Size 4
* Black Hawk Inside Pant – Size 0
* Fobus TA85 (Standard)
* Fobus RU101 (Evolution)
* Uncle Mike’s Inside Pant – Size 0

UPDATE: The Ruger LCR will be available 1st March 2009

UPDATE: A video

The press release is after the jump.
The full press release

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) is pleased to announce the new Ruger Lightweight Compact Revolver (LCR), an evolution in revolver design. The 13.5 ounce, small frame, 5-shot LCR has three main components: a polymer fire control housing, an aircraft quality aluminum monolithic frame, and an extensively fluted stainless steel cylinder. The Ruger LCR represents one of the most significant new revolver designs in over a century, with three patent applications pending.

The LCR’s lightweight, chemical-resistant polymer fire control housing contains the entire fire control mechanism. Because the fire control components are located within this single housing, their dimensional relationship can be held much more closely than if divided between traditional grip frames and cylinder frames. The end result is that the fire control components are assembled with no hand fitting, resulting in a highly consistent product at an affordable price.

The long-fiber, glass-filled polymer fire control housing provides a reduction in perceived recoil. The fire control housing’s grip peg allows for a variety of grips to be installed, and the LCR’s standard Hogue® Tamer™ grip with Sorbothane® insert reduces perceived recoil even further. A joint effort with Hogue, the LCR’s standard grip was designed using US military anthropomorphic data on hand shape, so the LCR can be comfortably held by a broad spectrum of hand sizes. An available Crimson Trace® Lasergrip® offers the advantages of a laser sighting system.

The LCR’s monolithic frame is an aerospace grade, 7000 series aluminum forging treated with a black synergistic hard coat that is applied after machining. Successfully tested with over 30 different aggressive chemicals, this synergistic hard coat exceeds mil-spec salt spray tests, and offers performance considerably greater than hard coat anodizing. The monolithic frame provides sturdy, rigid support for the cylinder and the barrel. The 1-7/8″ long barrel, with a 1:16 twist, is made of 17-4 PH aerospace grade stainless steel, chosen for its strength and dimensional stability during machining and heat treatment.

The extensively fluted 400 series stainless steel cylinder is lightweight and compact, measuring only 1.283″ in diameter in the chamber area. Treated to an advanced form of Ruger’s Target Grey® finish, this stainless steel cylinder is strong, durable and designed to handle .38 Special +P loads. The Ruger LCR’s patent pending cylinder front latching system uses titanium components, optimized spring tension, and enhanced lockup geometry to ensure that the LCR’s cylinder stays locked in place during firing.

The LCR’s double-action-only trigger pull is uniquely engineered to minimize friction between the fire control components. This friction-reducing cam fire control system results in a non-stacking, smooth trigger pull. The LCR’s trigger pull force builds more gradually, and peaks later in the trigger stroke, resulting in a trigger pull that feels much lighter than it actually is, while still providing positive ignition of all primers. This results in more controllable shooting, even among those with smaller, weaker hands who find traditional DAO triggers difficult to operate.

The sights are replaceable ramp front, and a fixed U-notch rear. An internal lock, unobtrusively hidden under the grip, does not interfere with the fire control mechanism in any way when disengaged.

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

It is retailing at the Magnum Research website for $535.

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

Along with the fairly new Ruger LCP, competition in the .380 compact carry niche is really heating up.

The P380 features a DAO trigger, 6+1 capacity and is obviously chambered in .380 ACP. Much the same specs as the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT.

Click to expand all images.

Kel-Tec P3AT vs. Kahr P380

Some photos of the pistol:

Specs:

Caliber .380
Capacity 6+1
Barrel 2.5″, polygonal rifling
Length O/A 4.9″
Height 3.9″
Slide Width .75″
Weight Pistol 9.97 ounces (w/o magazine)
Grips Textured polymer
Sights Drift adjustable, white bar-dot combat sights
Finish Black polymer frame, matte stainless steel slide
Magazines 2 – 6 rd, Stainless

More at Kahr Arms.

More pics from glocktalk:

Hat Tip: Suburban’s Domain

Read it here.

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.