Innholdsfortegnelse for April/May 2022 i Personal Defense World

To quote Robert A. Heinlein, “An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.” Many Americans own guns for the same reasons they have spare tires in their cars, fire extinguishers in their kitchens and first-aid kits scattered throughout their homes. I own guns because they help keep me and my family safe. Of course, buying a gun doesn’t automatically make you ready and prepared for a violent encounter. You have to take classes from certified experts, start observing people to build up your situational awareness, play out “what if” scenarios with your loved ones, formulate an emergency plan, have a backup plan and create another solution in case those plans fail. As you can see, this…

With SHOT Show 2021 being cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event was much anticipated by industry folks across the world. While compact pistols are not new, the demand for these smaller stature handguns has spurred gun manufacturers to release a bevy of new compact models. Here we round up the ones that caught everyone’s eye. KEL-TEC P15 If there was ever a pistol that needed to eat a cheeseburger, it’s the P15. At just 0.875 inches in thickness, Kel-Tec claims it to be the thinnest double-stack on the market. Boasting a 15+1 capacity, it certainly isn’t short on firepower and it’s not too shy in the features department either. Those features include a combo tritium/fiber-optic front sight, a fully adjustable rear sight and an accessory rail for a…

It may seem obvious to most, but the importance of quality education and training when it comes to firearms ownership and operation is absolutely paramount. For those who are just joining this tribe as firearms owners, particularly those who consider making everyday carry a part of their lifestyle, it can present quite the daunting new journey with a wide array of questions and considerations. When it comes to providing quality, thorough, thoughtful and well-designed training content to serve firearms owners across the full spectrum of experience, no single platform has truly hit the mark. This is where Ernest and Aimee Lang-don, president and vice president of the renowned firearms customization outfit Langdon Tactical Technology (LTT), enter the scene with designs to change the game. BACKSTORY Ernest’s background includes 12 years…

Concealed carry to the untrained eye seems like just grabbing a gun, throwing it in a holster and strapping it to your body. I have had people that don’t carry a gun tell me how easy it is to carry a gun, and anyone could do it if they wanted without any preparation or training. If you carry a gun, you know that this is far from the truth. If you don’t carry a gun yet, you may want to really listen closely to the hidden truths of carry a gun that unfortunately, many instructors don’t seem to cover very well in their classes—if at all. Much more goes on behind the scenes when you make that choice to carry daily. THINGS TO CONSIDER Obviously, the first part of this…

IF you would have told me a decade ago that a Taurus handgun would become my daily carry, I would have laughed in your face. But here I am, with a Taurus GX4 T.O.R.O. (Taurus Optic Ready Option) holstered inside my waistband. It all started with me evaluating the Taurus GX4 and finding it a reliable all-day carry gun. Most who have shot one have been impressed, especially me. When Taurus came out with their GX4 T.O.R.O., I jumped at the chance to try it out. Spoiler alert, I like it and it has replaced the original GX4 as my daily carry. GUN DETAILS When you pick the GX4 T.O.R.O. up in your hands, it feels solid, and the aggressive stippling is a very nice touch. Overall, the pistol has…

Typically, when it comes to clothing and footwear, women reign supreme. The number of colors, fabrics, patterns and sizes that make up our everyday wardrobe is endless. There is one area that the finer of the sexes doesn’t have an upper hand on, though, and that is the world of "range wear." The clothing options made available to women typically fall under one of two categories: those options that scream, “I am woman hear me roar,” with an obscene amount of sparkle and feminine splashes of color or those that are quite unflattering due to sizing and construction issues. Luckily, times are changing, and we are seeing some amazing options hit the shelves. Move over men, time to share the shelf space. MORE CHOICES Unless you have been living under…

Mini and micro red-dots are pretty much taking over the firearms industry right now. It seems about every company out there makes their own red-dot. All of them claim to be the next best thing but let’s be real, all of them are really much the same overall. Some have better components, nicer designs and clearer glass. While some are more budget friendly than some of the others, it is really turning into a personal preference market for red-dots because of how similar they really are. It is a dot that projects onto glass. How the hell do you significantly redesign that? A small Michigan company called Grace Optics said, “Hold my beer and watch this.” OPTIC DETAILS Grace Optics is a new optics company with a big goal. They…

DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS, the folks at Canik Arms have been churning out a steady stream of affordable pistols that offer a level of performance and features well above their price point. Every so often, the company tweaks their designs with a few refinements, and it didn’t take long for its pistols to be in the top of the pack with regard to features and performance. In fact, Canik’s TP9 Elite SC won our sister publication’s Ballistic’s Best of 2020 award for the compact pistols category. For 2021, Canik took out all the stops and made a huge leap forward that’s more of a new revolution than the next evolution. The new METE line of pistols combines the best of the older TP9 series with an impressive suite of…

A brisk November morning, a sip of coffee from my thermos, and my daughter sitting next to me. It’s a “see your breath and hear everything” kind of morning; a stillness and calm best explained by experiencing it. A morning where squirrels are at a big disadvantage, as they possess no ability to be stealthy. We’ll be able to hear their chatter and scurry through the leaves long before we see them. Both of us have guns at the ready, laying across our laps, hers a Beretta .410 and mine a Remington model 62 pump .22 caliber. It is picture perfect because this isn’t about hunting squirrels as much as it is a trip down memory lane, 33 years to be exact, when I was sitting next to my dad…

NO ONE knows 1911s the way Bill Wilson does. No one! And no one has been more successful in building a selling custom 1911s, accessories and parts. The jeweler-turned-gunsmith was around when the sport of IPSC was just getting off the ground and started competing in the mid-1970s and winning. A lot! Lack of quality parts and knowledgeable pistol-smiths was the impetus for Wilson to begin the manufacture of his own parts. BACK IN THE DAY In those early days there were just two manufacturers of 1911s—Colt and Springfield Armory. If you wanted to compete in the sport of IPSC, you’d have to drop your gun off with a custom smith for the installation of new sights, beavertail grip safety and extended thumb safety. A good trigger job was also…

The self-reliant community in the United States have become “EDC” or Every Day Carry centric. Rare is the day that we don’t see a pocket dump on social media or a conversation about the plethora of things that people carry for personal defense. While this is interesting, there are certain areas around the country where people simply aren’t allowed to carry a firearm or even much of a defensive knife. In these cases, many of the personal defense-centric people add a very special item to their pocket dump, an item that at first glance looks benign. To the trained eye, though, you quickly realize they are carrying one of the best hand-to-hand weapons ever made—a tactical pen. While there are many flavors of these pens, one of my favorites is…

Walther Arms has been pretty BU-S-Y! The PPQ lineup has been nothing short of amazing thus far. Walther has released a PPQ in 4 inches, 4.6 inches, 5 inches and now a sub-compact with a 3.5-inch barrel. They also offer the PPQ (full-size) in 9mm, .45 ACP and .22LR. For those wondering, PPQ stand for “PolizeiPistole Quick Defence” (Police Pistol Quick Defense). Walther is really making an impact on the market with such a diverse selection of pistols. The ergonomics make them feel great in the hand. The PPQ family has probably one of the best, if not the best, factory triggers on the market for plastic, striker-fired pistols. Just a few dry fires in the store will tell you that. More on that in a bit. If the vast…

The Pineworld biometric gun safe is as rugged as Margaret Thatcher’s corset and as smart as the trunk monkey. This robust, reasonably priced device allows instant access to your firearm under even the most arduous of circumstances while also ensuring that little inquisitive fingers are kept well clear. In world full of stuff we want, this is actually something we need. I am forever amazed at what little kids will eat. When my own children were toddlers, I had to hustle to keep them from eating Play-Doh, Legos, spiders and dirt. That is likely some kind of survival behavior. If caught out in the boonies alone, I guess if a kid eats enough random stuff some of it might actually be nutritious. That’s presumably the theory. An unfortunate consequence is…

THERE’S NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN, and I met him at the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous last October. Shot Show 2021 and NRA 2021 shows were cancelled since Covid hit us, and I’d like to cite that as the cause for SAR USA’s product line slipping under my radar. This is an embarrassment because they are exceptionally good. The guns are made by Sarsilmaz, which is to Turkey what Fabrique National is to Belgium, HK is to Germany and Sig is to Switzerland. Sarsilmaz has been making military arms for more than a century, and their SAR9 is currently the full-sized service pistol of the Turkish military forces. In a 90,000-round test trial, the SAR9 was selected over offerings from Sig, FN, Walther, Glock and Smith & Wesson. Was it a case…

While the conversation in New York is short and to the point, the firearms laws are not quite as such. While it’s not uncommon to encounter a gun owner who is unknowingly in violation of one law or another, it is equally common to find someone who isn’t aware of the full extent of their rights. Nothing illustrates this better than the topic of concealed carry. Most of the country (and many New York residents) are under the impression that concealed carry permits aren’t issued in this state, but that is quite the contrary. At the time of this writing, there are more than 1.2 million “pistol permit” holders in the state with some level of concealed carry built in. To put it into perspective that is more than twice…

“The DVG-1RD is really in a bit of a size class by itself as well. It is not quite a full-size, yet it is not a micro pistol either.” The ABSOLUTE BEST GUN you can have in an emergency is the one you are carrying. For many, though, the idea of carrying a full-size pistol is simply a deal-breaker. From the guns being too big for a person’s frame to an unwillingness to make clothing changes to conceal the gun, the challenges are real. In cases like this, I steer shooters towards a smaller-framed pistol that still has decent firepower but also has a smaller footprint than full-sized pistols. This market, however, is flooded with options, and it can be tough for the uninitiated to navigate it. Another factor that…

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MOMENTS IN MY LIFE that have taught me to appreciate high-quality craftsmanship and works of art. I believe that there is no greater vessel of the human experience than for someone to devote their time, effort and visions of beauty to create things of grandeur. That is exactly why I am so proud to bring forth a review of the Nighthawk Agent 2 Commander 1911. Based in Arkansas, the firearms company has been handcrafting top-of-the-line, fully customized 1911s for two decades. Nighthawk is most known for their high level of design, attention to detail and their custom-fitting “one gun, one gunsmith” philosophy. My Nighthawk was chambered in 9mm, but .45 ACP is available as well. The semi-auto weighs 38.6 ounces empty and has a 4.25-inch match-grade…

Smith & Wesson made their reputation on quality revolvers, and their smooth double-action trigger pulls are legendary. That’s why their various J-frame snubnose revolvers still dominate the wheelgun segment of the concealed carry market and, with few exceptions, command higher retail prices than competing brands. When S&W introduced the first new polymer, aluminum alloy and stainless steel Bodyguard 38 in 2010 with its integral laser sight, they also launched a completely new pistol design that maintained their famed shootability but greatly reduced production cost. Laser sights have come down in price a lot since then, but they are still about a $100 upgrade. Realizing concealed carry consumers wanted a less-costly Bodyguard 38, Smith and Wesson began offering the pistol with iron sights. At $444 it’s MSRP is about $119 less…

It’s not often discussed, but the Second Amendment community has a hard time finding clothes that fit our lifestyle and tastes. I know that line is uttered in every piece of ad material out there, but after getting to try on some Viktos gear it started to make sense to me. Typically, I find myself dressed in one of two styles: clothing that does not express who I am or what I like, or threads that more or less scream that I’m carrying a gun. It’s tough picking out clothes in the morning because I don’t want to always look like I’m about to go to the range (AKA the Tactical Tool-bag look) but, at the same time, I want to reflect my tastes. Moreover, there is something unexplainable about…

Hearing protection has always been just that, protection. It wasn’t capable of doing anything else. However, recent technological advances in hearing protection over the last few years have brought a whole new light to the capabilities of your boring old earmuffs. Bluetooth technology has made it possible to listen to music while at the range. Yes, shooting range playlists have become a thing, and I personally love training with some tunes playing in my ears. I am a big fan of all genres of music and am the person that normally ends up singing in my head while shooting anyway so I welcome this new technology with open ears. I have tried many different models of Bluetoothcapable hearing protection—from earmuffs to ear buds and everything in between. They all worked…