Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2022 i Personal Defense World

IT WAS 23 YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED IN THE FIREARM INDUSTRY. Truly, I didn’t know what to expect. My assumption was that everyone would be stand-offish, maybe a bit pretentious. Much to my surprise, I found an industry that was extraordinarily welcoming and extremely friendly. Like all industries, there are a few expectations to the rule, but they are few and far between. Even manufacturing competitors are friendly and actually want, for the most part, for their competition to do well. In fact, it’s not uncommon for some manufacturers to help each other out. I know that I can reach out to the editors at competitive publishing houses with any questions I might have, and they can do the same. Don’t get me wrong, we don’t share any company…

Not long ago, HS Produkt made a splash felt across the Atlantic with the world’s highest-capacity micro-compact H11 pistol, which was sold in the United States as the Springfield Armory Hellcat. But the company’s impact on the U.S. market goes back to the HS 2000, known in the U.S. as the Springfield XD series of pistols. Twenty years later, the line has expanded to 17 different variants, which includes the match-grade XD-M line with eight variants and, more recently, the updated XD-M Elite line with eight more models. The XD-M Elite line brought slight tweaks to the popular XD-M line with the addition of an ambidextrous slide release, a more aggressive grip safety, removable mag well and a new trigger Springfield is calling the META (Match Enhanced Trigger Assembly). Though…

■ On a bright and clear April morning, I made the one-hour drive from Tucson to Sonoita where there’s a piece of BLM land I like to shoot on. Normally, I make this trip alone, but this day my ex-wife, Kim, came along. She was in town to celebrate our grandson’s first birthday and told me she’d like to go shooting while here. We stopped and spent some time exploring the historic homestead at Empire Ranch. It’s been restored to show what cowboy life was like in the 1880s. During this time, Apache raids were still very much a threat. Johnny Ringo’s death site is not far away, and both Tombstone and the Mexican border at No-gales are only 20-minute drives. The rolling hills and grasslands are still home to…

When one is determining what gear they are going to carry for personal protection, the first things that typically come to mind are pepper spray or the latest sub-compact pistol to hit the market. While those two options are excellent, one should also explore knives as yet another option to add to their kit. Now, we’re not talking about any cheap knife you can find for a few bucks at your local department store. Knives are a dime a dozen nowadays, but as with anything of quality in the world of personal protection, there is a wealth of thought and craftsmanship that goes into these carefully designed products. QUICK START Enter stage-right: veteran-owned and operated company Skallywag Tactical. Around 10 years ago, these fine folks were just starting off, primarily…

THERE ARE two schools of thought regarding self-defense handguns: revolver or semi-auto. While the topics of capacity and reliability are beaten to death, there is always one point that the revolver crowd makes that shuts the semi-auto guys right down—racking the slide. Shooters with dexterity issues often struggle with this essential operation, and if they cannot perform it under stress, it will be to their detriment. With these gun owners as its inspiration, Smith & Wesson created its Shield EZ, an easy-to-rack semi-auto that sacrifices nothing. For 2022, the Massachusetts-based manufacturer hung an exclamation point on the end of the "semi's have higher capacity" point by releasing a new chambering of this hit pistol in 30 Super Carry. For those who aren't aware, 30 Super Carry is Federal's newest self-defense…

■ AT FIRST, I was surprised to hear that leather giant DeSantis warmly embraced Kydex technology. However, after stepping back and realizing that as far back as 1972, DeSantis (the man) was determined to incorporate revolutionary new features into the holster market, things started to click. The Pegasus Veiled Partner that I used in this article featured unique flexible polymer belt loops that worked in conjunction with the holster's curve to keep it as tight to my body as possible. This is a terrific OWB option, particularly if you like to wear an unbuttoned shirt as a cover garment. As the 30 Super Carry shares the same exterior dimensions as the 9mm EZ, these were ready to go before the gun hit the market and even available for lefties. (desantisholster.…

DURING the drive to the range, an old memory came back to me sparked by the two new guns from Bond Arms sitting in my passenger seat. The Stingers, one chambered in 9mm and the other in .380 ACP, are over/under derringers with an Old West flavor but built with modern materials, technology and safety upgrades. Forty-some years ago, I had an experience with another not-so-great derringer. Sometime around 1980, I was in a gun shop in Tucson, Arizona, when a chromed copy of the Remington Double Derringer Model 95 caught my eye. Chambered for .38 Special, it had a die-cast frame and ivory-colored plastic grips and, if I recall correctly, was manufactured in Italy and imported by a now-defunct company in Florida. It was really thin and light, and…

COLT Continuing the tradition of snake guns, Colt now offers a “baby” snake with the King Cobra Target .22 LR Revolver. Packing 10 rounds of .22 LR fun, the pistol is perfect for plinking, competition and small-game hunting. The revolver features U.S. forged stainless steel construction along with a stainless steel barrel that is topped with a fiber-optic sight and paired with an adjustable target rear sight. Hogue overmolded grips provide a sure grip. The revolver is available with either a 4-inch or 6-inch barrel, both with a 1-in-16 twist. (colt.com) ELITE SURVIVAL SYSTEMS The fanny pack is back! Elite Survival Systems updates its Modern Tactical collection of concealed carry fanny packs. These inconspicuous packs can be worn around the waist or sling-style across the body. There are two holster…

■ With this pistol came the opportunity to try Springfield’s HEX Dragonfly red-dot. Certified to operate from -40 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit and featuring a 16-hour auto-off sounds like the makings of a great carry optic. Turn it on in the morning and know that your dot will be ready until you get home. The rugged design features a sole button that serves as on/off and selection through eight brightness settings. The dot’s 3.5-MOA size is easy enough to spot without being so large that it obscures vision. At a time when it seems every new red-dot released has its own special footprint, it’s refreshing to see that the Dragonfly uses the older industry norm started by Doctor and echoed by the Vortex Venom and Burris Fastfire. As a result,…

THERE IS A REASON WHY CLASSIC FIREARMS HOLD A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR PSYCHE. This is because firearms labeled as classics have heralded a transition in form and/or function. For example, in the mid-1980s, striker-fired polymer-framed handguns became synonymous with what we expect from a semi-automatic service handgun. There was another just-as-heralded handgun that preceded it 40 years prior; this pistol represented just as much a step forward in handgun design in its time. This firearm was the Sig P210, which entered Swiss service in 1949. The recently introduced Sig Sauer P210 Carry chambered in 9mm is the latest descendent of the P210. The P210 Carry is considered a Sig Sauer production handgun even though its performance is more like a custom offering. This is a common theme during the…

■ ARE YOU TIRED of gun reviews featuring a blacked-out mall ninja pressing the trigger? Yeah, so am I. I love a good Hawaiian shirt, and if it sneaks in a little bit of 2A, all the better. Retro Rifle crafts some of the finest shirts, pants and hats on the market to let you carry in style. Although louder than an unsuppressed firearm, busy designs break up outlines far better than solid colors and reduce your chance of printing. So, there is actually a great deal of tactical functionality to this dress style. Aside from that, they are stupid comfortable to wear as they are cut from a material that affords a bit of stretch.(retro-rifle.com) —Frank Melloni…

Unfortunately, there are times that we cannot legally carry a handgun for self-defense. Some have chosen the route of carrying pepper spray, but there are concerns with that. A strong gust of wind might blow the spray back into your own face, rain might prevent the spray from reaching your attacker and most sprays barely reach 6 feet. Kimber’s PepperBlaster II doesn’t have any of these concerns, and best of all, it is small and discreet. WHAT IS IT? The PepperBlaster II resembles a small derringer. I can get one finger around the grip and the trigger finger easily reaches the double-action trigger. The trigger is protected from accidentally being pulled by a swing-away plastic thingamajig (that’s my technical term for it) in the triggerguard. There are basic sights on…

IT’Sa great time to be exposed to the firearms market, especially if you’re interested in concealed carry. There’s been a seismic shift in the market with regard to the deluge of high-capacity, micro-compact 9mm pistols that have landed at local gun shops. While there are some fantastic options available like the Ruger MAX 9, they don’t address every specific need for some consumers. Some customers are still looking for something even smaller and lighter—with that higher capacity—and they want something with a little less recoil than the 9mm round in such a small form factor. Those folks can rest easy now because Ruger has just introduced the LCP MAX, and it handily marries the best of both worlds. MAX GAIN One of Ruger’s hottest selling pistols over the past few…

Selecting a proper holster for concealed carry can be a challenge. No matter what style or material it’s made of, the holster should be secure, allow for a smooth draw stroke and give the user the ability for a one-hand return. A quality often not found with some popular designs is that it must help hide the gun. What works under a winter parka may very well give you up when worn with a light covering garment. Lastly, a holster has to be comfortable. More than once, I felt that I was on to something only to find out in fairly short order that my new holster caused unbearable discomfort. QUEST FOR THE BEST Like many people, I have more than one holster for each of my carry handguns. Depending…

I CARRY A CONCEALED WEAPON EVERY DAY FOR WORK AND EVERY DAY I’M OFF BECAUSE I REFUSE TO BE A VICTIM. After doing this for more than 20 years, I’ve learned one size does not fit all. I can remember going to the beach in Florida with my wife and kids and realizing there was no way to carry my gun on my person and I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of leaving it in a backpack, cooler or under a towel. Even my scandium J-frame five-shot revolver seemed too big. SIZE & DETAILS I’m pretty sure that was the same line of thought that led to the creation of the Switch-Gun by Standard Manufacturing in New Britain, Connecticut. First, they chose a very small caliber—the .22 WMR (Winchester Magnum…

THE UNITED STATES IS A GREAT COUNTRY, without a doubt. We have freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms and the freedom of choice for what we want to do, where we want to go or how we want to live. However, America also has a prominent and unfortunate trend that few other countries mirror, and that’s school shootings. Whether it’s elementary, middle, high school or college, the news is often plagued with stories of both teens and adults who, for a variety of reasons, enter a place of learning and decide to inflict the most injuries and death on the unexpected and innocent youth. Unfortunately, in most cases, the motives of the shooter are varied, and what exactly goes on within their twisted minds cannot be determined prior to…

I have been carrying a 1911 for more than three decades, whether on duty as an officer, off duty, in SWAT gear or as a concealed carry holder. Given my familiarity, it remains my favorite carry pistol. Most were all steel, some in .45 ACP with the majority in 10mm. There's nothing wrong with the .45 ACP, but the 10mm performed so much better through media (cars, walls, doors, glass) while shooting flat at range and hitting hard. My goto pistol for places where range may be an issue, such as large public areas like malls, theatres or outside events is a Custom Delta Elite. Its heavy though, and lightweight 10mm pistols (1911 or otherwise) are few and far between. A few were made, and fewer with alloy frames. I…