Innholdsfortegnelse for #229 Concealed Carry Handguns i Personal Defense World

Editors and readers of magazines have an interesting long-range relationship that many people never consider. It’s a give and take that, when correctly executed, is a win-win for both parties. An editor can sleep well at night knowing he has given his readers a quality product they greatly enjoy. Personal interaction between the two, however, is somewhat difficult due to sheer logistics and the extremely busy lives we all lead these days. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t get to know each other better. In a nutshell, the staff here at Personal Defense World is quite a lot like you. We’re proud Americans working hard to raise our families, make a better life in the greatest country on the planet and do the things we love to do in our…

THERE seem to be two main camps for custom pistols these days: polymer-framed and 1911s. The Kimber I recently customized bucks the trend by being an all-metal pistol with an operating mechanism harkening back to the 1911, but with just a few key differences. The controls and feel of the pistol are similar to the 1911, just on a smaller scale. The Kimber Micro 9 allows users to get a pistol smaller than previously was possible with a traditional 1911. This style of pistol is becoming more popular with guns like the Sig P938 and the Springfield Armory 911 filling up gun shop displays across the country. The Kimber Micro series offers a great overall size for concealed carry. The single-action trigger, frame-mounted safety, magazine release and slide release will…

I’m a fan of a good 1911. If you are as well, you surely know that Nighthawk Custom makes some of the absolute best on the market. Nighthawk’s tag line is “One Gun, One Gunsmith,” and if you have ever handled one of their guns you know what that feels like. Nighthawk Custom guns just have a feel to them that screams quality—the kind of quality only a handbuilt gun from a single set of hands could possibly have. Nighthawk guns are built with love and purpose, not just to make as many guns as possible. If you are lucky enough to pull the trigger of one of these guns, it doesn’t just break like a normal 1911 trigger. Nighthawk triggers break with a different sound than most triggers. It…

Choosing a handgun is a very personal matter. Regardless of what might be cool or trending, the gun must fit the individual in a variety of ways. First off, it needs to feel good in the hands. Second, it needs to have a natural point of aim. And third, it needs to meet the potential buyer’s specific needs for personal defense. While many guns can meet one or more of these criteria, there is a new gun on the market that I believe will check all the boxes for a huge number of people: the Mossberg MC2 Compact, or MC2c. Last year Mossberg caused the firearms world do a double take with the release of its new handgun, the MC1sc. It was an immediate hit and has continued to perform…

Choosing a concealed-carry pistol involves thought, and often some discussion. After working out which caliber and brand you want, the design is typically the next consideration. Size is generally next on the list, and every major brand offers the same handgun in different sizes—it’s become all but obligatory. Introduce a full-sized handgun, and it’s all but required to add at least two more, what I call medium and small. Honestly, a “large” handgun is not all that large these days, but given a full-sized duty pistol, most makers will also produce a model that is more compact (medium) and the most compact (small). This is really a concept popularized in the late 1980s. Compacts (medium) were slightly shorter at the grip and barrel but would accept full-sized magazines. Designed for…

SIZE – No, bigger is not always better. A tactical flashlight must fit your hand comfortably, without having excess length or girth. Why? Because otherwise the likelihood of you carrying it regularly would be slim, and that makes having it practically useless. POWER – If the flashlight doesn’t even make your assailant blink or close his eyes, then it’s definitely not powerful enough. The recommendation is to use a flashlight with a minimum output of 120 lumens. My personal recommendation? Go brighter, just to be sure. EASE OF ACTIVATION – Complicated twists or pushbutton combinations will only get you hurt or killed. Find a flashlight that offers easy, one-push activation positioned where your thumb would normally rest when holding the unit. This makes turning it on an almost instinctive response,…

Love it or hate it, when it comes to self-defense, the 1911 is still a solid choice. The 1911 platform has stood the test of time and remains iconic, and is still among the most popular choices for daily carry, competition and other shooting sports. Right now, 1911 enthusiasts are probably shouting “Two world wars!” And those who aren’t fans of the platform are likely mumbling the words “Fudd” or “Boomer.” Regardless of your opinion, facts are facts, and I am ready to serve them up with a side of my own educated, hands-on experience. I believe there is a huge misconception and lack of education when it comes to the 1911 platform, especially among newer shooters. Two things I hear often are that it’s an unreliable gun and that…

I had the pleasure of meeting Milt Sparks at the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) founding conference in Columbia, Missouri, in 1976. I was familiar with his holsters, having first learned of them through Elmer Keith’s review of a Sparks hip holster for his favorite Smith & Wesson .44 Mag revolver. Milt had been a leathercrafter for other holster companies. In 1969 he decided to start his own business and founded Milt Sparks Holsters. Now, the company is celebrating 50 years as a legend in the business. SPEED RIGS I obtained a catalog from Sparks and was very interested in a full race rig he made, designed by legendary fast gun Thell Reed and available for either single-action revolvers or Colt 1911 .45 pistols. At the IPSC founding conference, many…

PEOPLE always ask me: “What’s the most interesting gun you saw this year?” I’m sure most of them expect to hear about some black gun, an AR or other tactical wonder weapon. No, I’m old school—give me blued steel and wood. My pick from 2020 is a wheelgun. Nope, not the new Colt Python. That was given a preview at Gunsite in November 2019 and announced just after midnight on January 1. Yes, I do love the new Python, but the wheelgun I’m talking about (the Cobra) was tucked away in a corner of the Colt booth. I spied it out of my peripheral vision when I walked in and caught sight of a dark metal-and-wood handgun. When I turned to take a closer look, here was a revolver that…

IN 1930, the first Walther PPK pistols were hitting the market, which makes 2020 the iconic handgun’s 90th birthday. PPK is the German abbreviation of Polizeipistole Kriminalmodell (“police pistol detective model”). The gun was a more compact version of the PP introduced in 1929, but with a shorter slide and grip, and wraparound plastic grip panels forming its backstrap to save weight. Mechanically, their operation was the same. Though they shared a groundbreaking and efficient new design, neither the PP nor the PPK made much of an impression on American shooters for the next 30 years. Even as war souvenirs coming home in the duffel bags of GIs returning after World War II, they were rather underappreciated here. If you weren’t bringing home a P08 Luger, your captured sidearm was…

THE POWER IS NOT IN THE VOLTS – Don’t be fooled by outrageous claims when it comes to stun gun advertising. Companies promote that their product delivers 30 million, 60 million or even 100 million volts to the poor sap who tries to attack you. But in reality, it’s not the voltage but the charge itself that delivers the punch. The voltage only gives it the potential to move the more important “charge.” THE TABLES COULD BE TURNED – Unlike utilizing a tactical flashlight alone, a stun gun combo offers your attacker the means to take you out of the conflict easily and effortlessly using your own weapon against you. If you are inexperienced with self-defense techniques, underestimate your foe or are just plain clumsy, you could be the one…

For eons we just had to choose. Anybody could pack a comfortable concealed-carry handgun that fired an anemic round and carried about a half dozen onboard. By contrast, if you wanted something truly effective in a fight that would carry you over until the cavalry arrived, that thing was going to induce a wicked case of lower back pain and print worse than a dyslexic first grader. Then the weirdest thing happened. I have no idea how they did it, but Springfield Armory and Sig Sauer started cramming a dozen or more 9mm rounds into the same volume that had previously managed only half that. It really is strange. The Browning Hi-Power is an undeniably awesome handgun, but it is a full-sized combat pistol. Now the Springfield Armory Hellcat and…

Most shooters are familiar with Century Arms for their affordable AK-47s and other variants. However, fewer people know their feature-rich line of polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols that are easy on the wallet. These Canik pistols entered the American market about five years ago and were well received by both range aficionados and competitive shooters. They rivaled many of the more expensive offerings in nearly every aspect, and left their fan base wondering when they were going to make a subcompact model. Well, in late 2019 that wait was over, as Canik introduced an optics-ready carry pistol, dubbed the TP9 Elite SC. At the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, I had my first opportunity to run some rounds through one, and needless to say, I was impressed. After hearing that the TP9 Elite SC…

About a year ago Taurus revamped the company with a move to Georgia and a few new products to add to its lineup. One of those products is a budget-friendly pistol that took the good from the G2 line and also fixed the bad as well. The new pistol was designated the G3. I think Taurus could have done a better job with the name, but I guess it does get the job done. The G3 was Taurus’ answer to the industry, featuring an enhanced grip design with a sandpaper-like stippling for comfort. The G3 features a much better trigger and a safety that actually sits flush with the shoe, improved sights and good fit and finish—all for a very affordable price. Taurus definitely aimed to please everyone with a…