There’s no argument that some improvements can be made to the GI-pattern guns to make them more shootable. Beavertail grip safeties, Commander-style hammers and better sights all come to mind as desirable features. But somewhere along the road, modern 1911s started coming out of the factory with unnecessary forward cocking serrations, full-length guide rods and other random modifications.

In 2010, Colt invited a group of gunwriters to Gunsite to shoot some of its new 1911s. At that meeting, executives from Colt asked the writers what they wanted to see in a 1911. The writers, by and large, wanted a simple, shootable gun with modern touches. All of the stuff you need—none of the nonsense you don’t.

Fast forward to 2012, when Colt introduced its new 1911 Concealed Carry Government (CCG) as a limited edition for TALO Distributors. The 1911 CCG is a 5-inch, Government Model 1911 build on the Colt Series 80 system. The gun’s features are exactly what you need to have a shootable 1911 right out of the box.

What the CCG lacks in flair in makes up for in practicality. The pistol has everything you need, and nothing you don't.

On the top, standard sights are gone, replaced by a fiber-optic front sight and blacked-out, extra-wide Novak rear sight. The gun doesn’t have forward cocking serrations, and it uses a Commander-style hammer instead of the standard spur. The thumb safety is an extended, single-side variant, which is simple and reliable. The grip safety is a beavertail model, allowing for a higher grip on the pistol. From the factory, the gun ships with thin, attractive wood grips and two, eight-round magazines. No frills, no nonsense.

I performed my initial tests on the Colt CCG at Gunsite. Two days of hard use by gunwriters in the Arizona desert put the CCG through its paces. It digested at least 500 rounds over those two days, and I experienced no malfunctions with it during that time. Since then, the gun has fired another 1,500+ rounds of various ammunition and has yet to experience a failure to complete its normal cycle of operation.

There are a lot of good things to say about the CCG, starting with its accuracy. While 1911s are generally well regarded for their accuracy potential, the truth is barrel-to-slide-to-frame fit is tremendously important to wring that capability out of the pistol. The Colt 1911 CCG was tested with five brands of ammo for accuracy, including some 185-grain JHP match ammo from PNW Arms. At 25 yards from a rest, this load shot the best five-shot group of anything tested, with an impressive .93-inch group. Average velocity was 852 fps, which would produce a USPSA power factor of right around 157.

Other ammo tested included Federal American Eagle 230-grain FMJ, Hornady Steel Match 230-grain HAP, Tula 230-grain steel-cased FMJ, several brands of defensive hollow points and Atlanta Arms and Ammo 230-grain FMJ. The Colt fed everything without complaint, even the steel-case ammo. In fact, contrary to what you may read on gun forums, shooting steel-case ammo out of the Colt CCG did not cause the gun’s extractor to explode into a giant fireball, incinerating everything within 100 feet.

Shootability tests went just as well. The trigger pull weight on the Colt is right at 5 pounds with a short take-up, crisp break and positive reset. Those features, combined with the excellent sights, meant that on the Dot Torture drill, the gun was able to shoot an excellent score of 50/50 at 5 yards. Speed drills went just as well—after all, the gun is an all steel, 5-inch 1911. We all know it’s an easy gun to shoot well thanks to its superior ergonomics. Bill Drills (six shots at a USPSA A-zone) averaged right around 2.2 seconds, which is about as fast as I can reliably run any gun without spending a significant amount of time training on the platform.

The author added Techwell grips to the CCG for enhanced purchase and an enlarged magazine well to facilitate faster reloads.

My only real criticism of the Colt CCG would be in the stocks—they’re too slim for larger hands, and the overall result is the gun isn’t quite “grippy” enough for competition shooting or self-defense applications. That’s an easy fix, however, as aftermarket options abound. I modified the test sample with Techwell Grips, which also incorporate a magazine funnel for faster reloads. These grips are aggressively textured, and adding them to the gun made it stick quite nicely during rapid fire drills. If aluminum grips aren’t your speed, the choices from VZ Grips come highly recommended by 1911 aficionados. Like the Techwell, they give the proper balance of purchase without making the gun abrasive on your hands.

Colt has added the CCG to its main catalog for 2013, and the pistol’s features and price point make it an incredibly attractive gun for someone looking for a 1911. Retail price is right around $1,000 for the CCG, and you’re not getting some off-brand gun. For that price you’re getting a Colt 1911—one that’s been well built, set up correctly and is ready to go in your carry holster or to an IDPA match right out of the box. If you’re looking for a flashy 1911 with a full-length guide rod, miles of checking, forward cocking serrations, three rails and all sorts of other stuff, the CCG isn’t going to blow your skirt up. But if you’re the kind of guy who seasons his steak with a little salt and a little pepper, if you like hot dogs with mustard on them, if all you want is a reliable, accurate 1911 with good features then give the Colt CCG a look. It’s a classic Dodge Charger with a big V8; a simple gun for the shooter who prefers things straightforward.

Velocity measured in fps at the muzzle for 10 consecutive shots. Accuracy measured in inches for five consecutive, five-shot groups from a rest at 25 yards.

While that fantasy sales pitch is a bit over the top, it is true that ammo isn’t cheap, and it’s also true that to get better at shooting, you need to practice. Sometimes, it’s not even that serious—you just want to go to the range and pull some triggers and do a little recoil therapy, but you don’t really feel like shelling out the cash for several boxes of 9 mm. Enter the .22 conversion kit, in this case a great model from Tactical Solutions.

The industry leader in rimfire technology, Tac-Sol has been making .22 kits for 1911s, rifles and all manner of firearms for quite some time. It’s only logical that it would add a Glock kit to its lineup. The Glock kit allows for apples-to-apples training with your carry/service pistol at a much reduced cost, meaning more trigger time.

The Tac-Sol kit I used in testing was fitted on a G35 Gen 4 frame. A quick note about the Gen 4 Glocks—the TSG-22 kit will fit on Gen 4 guns, but there will be a gap at the front of slide/frame because of the slightly wider dust cover on the newest Glocks. It’s cosmetic only, and doesn’t affect the gun’s function at all.

It is available with either 10- or 15-round magazines, and the 15-round versions I used stick out of the butt of the gun just a little bit, giving it a bit of a racy-USPSA appearance. The mags feature a button to help depress the spring for loading. Push the button down, and the spring compresses, so you can drop .22 rounds in pretty easily. Like most .22 magazines, it can be a little finicky, but for the most part feeding was reliable.

The TSG-22 gives full-size Glocks a race-gun look, and provides a great platform for practice and plinking alike.

Speaking of reliability, it’s always one of those issues that crop up with any semi-automatic .22, and even more frequently with conversion kits. This particular kit is no exception—sort of. It required a pretty significant break-in period of about 500 rounds before it would run reliably. After the break-in period, however, the gun ran like a top, with zero problems whatsoever. It was a little crazy, actually. One magazine had three malfunctions, then the next mag after that had zero. It has continued to run like an ambulance chaser to a freeway accident since then, digesting another 2,000-plus rounds of CCI ammunition. One of the things I recommend with conversion kits is to stick to quality .22 ammo. The cheaper your rimfire ammo, the less likely the gun is going to run properly.

So, we’ve established that the TSG-22 runs well, but a better question is “what’s it for?” The best answer, of course, is fun, because if you don’t enjoy shooting a ton with a .22, you might want to check your pulse—you’re probably dead. Other than fun, there are two huge benefits to .22 LR kits. The first obvious benefit is for new shooters. Pop the slide off the G17 you have for home defense or concealed carry, pop this slide on, and you can instantly familiarize a new shooter with the same sights, trigger and controls they’d have on a full-size carry gun for a fraction of the cost and recoil.

For more advanced shooters, rimfire kits offer the same training benefit as repeated dry-fire practice, except without the massive boredom that usually accompanies that tedious-but-necessary regime. Sure, we all acknowledge dry practice is great for building skill and refining fundamentals, but at the end of the day standing around not shooting your gun for an hour is perilously close to being 8 years old again and running around yelling bang at stuff. A .22 kit for your main gun, like the TSG-22, allows you get a significantly higher number of training reps in at a fraction of the cost if you were shooting a centerfire gun.

It also creates an additional advantage, because you won’t fatigue as quickly as you would with a centerfire handgun. Say your main gun is a .40 S&W G35 and you practice with it regularly. A 300-round practice session with.40 S&W ammo can get pretty tiresome, especially at an indoor range in the winter months. With a .22 LR, you can work on refining your fundamentals, shoot more and go home not cursing your gun.

When you really get down to it, though, the best reason to buy a TSG-22 is because it’s fun. Shooting is a lot of fun, and shooting .22 is a blast no matter your level of experience. Look at the crop of “tactical” .22s popping up all over the place, from the M&P15-22 to the new STG-44 in .22. People want to get out and shoot, and they want to do it for a reasonable amount of money. If you already have a Glock, getting the TSG-22 to throw on it just makes good sense.

Whether it’s for serious training, introducing new shooters or just going to the range to turn ammo into smoke and noise for giggles, putting a .22 kit on your Glock is a great idea. You’re not going to find a better made kit than this, either—Tactical Solutions is the expert in .22 conversion kits for a reason.

This project started with an ordinary Gen3 Glock 34 that was originally purchased for competition shooting. After some small parts were replaced, the G34 flew off to Southpaw Custom in Arkansas to have the grip textured and a unique modification called the Sevigny Speedway installed. From the factory, Glock’s grip is too slick for many shooters’ tastes, and it is frequently upgraded with grip tape or stippling. The Southpaw Custom stippling job has a very aggressive texture, making the gun sit firmly in the hand regardless of sweat or wet weather. An extended beavertail is also added to prevent slide bite. The Sevigny Speedway removes the ledge in the back of the Glock’s magazine well and opens it up by about 20 percent, allowing for even faster reloads.

With the frame complete, it was time to add an optic. Many respected pistol instructors, including Bill Rogers, view red-dot sights mounted on pistols as the future of defensive handgunning. There are several custom shops that will mill a Glock’s slide to mount a Trijicon RMR, Burris FastFire, Leupold Deltapoint or other micro-dot sight. The project gun was fitted with a Burris FastFire II, mostly because there was one sitting around my office.

Brownells sells slides that are pre-cut to fit an optic—this way, you don’t have to make the commitment to cutting your slide in case you ever want to go back to an optic-free gun. Available for the common window style red-dot sights, the Brownells slide is a hassle-free way of adding a red-dot sight to your pistol. It’s also available with cuts to have both the red-dot and iron sights on the gun. Iron sights are recommended as a backup to the dot sight in the event it fails. For this gun, however, the choice was to skip irons and opt for an even cooler backup sight.

If the red dot fails on this gun, the backup sight system is Crimson Trace’s new Rail Master laser. The Rail Master represents the company’s first “one-size-fits-all” laser, and can be mounted on any firearm with an integral rail. The unit currently living on the project Glock has also been mounted on a Glock 21, Springfield XD(M) and an M4 carbine. It fits all of those guns and is a great solution for mounting a laser on your defensive pistol or home-defense gun. The only two drawbacks are that you’ll need a special holster made to fit the gun when it has the laser mounted, and unlike Crimson Trace’s traditional products, the Rail Master does not have the “instinctive activation” to which many shooters are accustomed. Instead, the paddle on either side of the laser is pressed to activate and deactivate the laser.

The test platform kept the original Glock 34 barrel for maximum velocity for 9 mm rounds…and because it just looks cool. The eventual plan is to have the Glock barrel threaded for a suppressor, which will complete the package and effectively make this the coolest gun at any range. But all that doesn’t matter if it doesn’t shoot well. Thankfully, it shoots just fine. Initially, after mounting the optic, my zero jumped around quite a bit, but eventually settled down after about 500 rounds so the gun shoots point-of-aim/point-of-impact (POA/POI) at 25 yards with Winchester 147-grain FMJ. The laser was sighted in for POA/POI at 25 yards as well—if using the laser and dot simultaneously at distances inside of 25 yards, they will appear in separate locations on the target. Additionally, unlike pistols with iron sights, the height-over-bore of the sight will come into play if shooting at ranges less than 5 yards.

Getting hits with the pistol is so easy, it’s like cheating. Once the Super Glock was sighted in, repeatedly drilling an 8-inch plate at 25 yards was as easy as “put the dot on the plate and press the trigger.” Now, as far as mechanical accuracy goes, the Glock was shot for groups at 15 yards using a variety of ammo. The best group produced was with Federal 147-grain HST JHP, with four shots landing in .96 inch, and the fifth shot opening the group up to 1.22 inches. Winchester 147-grain FMJ printed a group just larger than 2 inches at 15 yards…from a standing position. It’s difficult to state in words just how easy it is to be accurate with a red-dot sight mounted on your pistol.

However, there are some drawbacks to the platform. Unlike a $3,000 USPSA Open Division gun, the optic moves with every shot. This means that during recoil, even a competent shooter will lose the dot, unlike a front sight, which can (and should) be tracked through its entire arc of movement during recoil. This particular drawback will affect split times (the time between shots) initially, but can be eliminated with practice and repetition. Good recoil control and a strong body index on the target will cause the dot to return near the area of its original resting place almost every time.

Shootability and ease of use aren’t the biggest advantages to mounting a red dot on a pistol. No, that comes in the form of what your eyes now get to do when using a dot or laser—stay focused entirely on the target. Instead of coming off the target to focus on the front sight, your focal plane in a defensive situation can stay exactly where you want it to stay, which is focused entirely on the person or thing trying to do you harm. They’re also easy to see for people who have aging vision or other eye conditions. One of the testers of the pistol has an astigmatism in his left eye that prevents him from focusing on the front sight with both eyes open, but when using a pistol with a red-dot sight, he can easily keep both eyes open and focused on the target while achieving rapid hits.

Twenty years ago, the gun you’re looking at wouldn’t have been possible. Tremendous advances in optics and lasers now allow us to make the generation of defensive firearms even more user friendly. As more and more shooters adopt red-dot sights for their pistols, the technology will continue to be refined and enhanced. It wouldn’t come as a shock if, in five years time, major police departments start equipping their officers with this technology.

For more information, contact:

Crimson Trace: http://www.crimsontrace.com/
Brownells: http://www.brownells.com/
Southpaw Custom: http://www.southpawcustom.com/

Enter the KRISS Vector SDP, the civilian-legal pistol version of the KRISS Vector submachine gun. In the eyes of the ATF, this gun is no different than a Glock 21 or Colt 1911 in .45 ACP.  It’s just that neither of those guns make me giggle like I’m 12 years old when I shoot them. But this is a gun review, so let’s get down to the serious business of the KRISS SDP.

First off, let’s talk about accuracy, because everyone cares about that, right? I didn’t shoot the Vector SDP for groups at 25 yards. Sure, I shot it at 25 yards, and I was quite able to keep all my shots in an 8-inch circle. So, it’s just as accurate as a Glock and more accurate than an M&P45.

Allright, got that out of the way. Next thing on the gunwriter’s checklist is function—the Vector SDP worked just fine. Next? Trigger pull…hmm, yep it’s got one of those too. Sights? Got ’em. Magazines?  It feeds from standard Glock 21 mags. Okay, that should cover the standard gun review stuff, so now I’m going to say something important: the KRISS Vector SDP is the most fun that’s come across my desk since I got this job.

I can’t stress how important it is to have fun with firearms. In our current climate, so much of the material written about the shooting sports is dedicated to serious training, self-defense or competition. I’m even guilty of it, to the point where I get so wrapped up in training, I forget that I’m supposed to be having fun. The Vector SDP makes all of that impossible, simply through its sheer awesome insanity.

You see, the KRISS Vector as a pistol makes no sense. In a tactical, law enforcement setting, the Vector as a submachine gun makes sense for teams that want .45 ACP entry guns; for civilians the carbine version is a fun, reliable plinker. But the pistol version—lacking a stock and with a short barrel—is just bonkers.

And I love it for that. It took me all of 20 minutes to figure out how to rig up a sling for the Vector SDP so I could shoot it pressed out against the sling, SAS-style. The next 20 minutes were filled me with slicing the pie all over my house, dry firing and generally making silly machine-gun noises. There’s something about the KRISS Vector SDP that makes my inner child smile in the same way a loud muscle car does. We know it’s not practical, we know it’s not really tactical and we just don’t care because it’s so much fun.

Every time I take the Vector SDP to the range, I get this silly grin on my face while shooting it. When you loan it to friends, they don’t want to give it back. Take it to a range, and it’ll be picked up and shot more than any traditional-looking firearm there. I take it with me to the range even if I’m not planning to shoot it, and sure enough, it ends up getting a couple of boxes of ammo put through it.

Let’s get serious here for a second. Say for a moment that “because I can” or “because it’s fun” isn’t enough of a reason to justify the $1,600 price tag of the KRISS Vector SDP. Is there a practical use for this pistol? Absolutely. It actually is quite easy to shoot well, and I think it could quite readily be used as a home-defense gun. In fact, when used with a sling, it becomes an excellent choice for home defense, especially if paired with a tactical light. Now, before you e-mail me and call me a mall ninja, let’s work through the benefits.

The Vector SDP offers plenty of firepower with a 30-round magazine full of .45 ACP, the proprietary recoil system makes it easier to shoot than a standard .45 ACP handgun and having it on a sling means that at a moment’s notice you can have two hands free to do important things like call 911. Because the Vector SDP can be suppressed (where legal) you can have a gun for home defense that won’t cause permanent hearing damage in the event you’re forced to use it indoors without hearing protection.

But all of that information is just a justification, because the bottom line on the KRISS Vector SDP is it’s just plain, old-fashioned fun. It’s like a Pagani Zonda—an insane, fast car that’s fast and insane for the sake of being fast and insane. The Vector SDP takes the unique mechanical design of the KRISS Vector submachine gun, plugs it into a pistol format, says “ta-da!” and presents the shooter with an experience unlike firing any other gun.

If you can get your hands on a KRISS Vector SDP, I recommend you do. Take it to the range, shoot it and see if you don’t have a big silly smile on your face when you’ve put a couple of magazines through it. Do crazy mag dumps with it, pretend you’re a special operations forces operator or a character in “Modern Warfare,” but I dare you to try and not have fun while shooting the pistol.

With so much time and ink spent on reviewing the latest tactical gizmos, with guns and gear running the gamut from old-school to practical, it’s nice to live in a world where we have things like the KRISS Vector SDP. It’s big, it’s silly, it’s fun—and it’s everything we loved as kids watching sci-fi and action movies.

Is a regular old Glock 21 a better choice for concealed carry? Yes. Is a shotgun or carbine a better choice for home defense? Probably, yes. But then again, a Volkswagen Beetle gets better gas mileage than my Dodge Charger, but I wouldn’t trade my Charger for 100 VW Beetles. Because of this, the KRISS Vector SDP uniquely embraces the American way—it exists not for any tactical or serious purpose, but simply because someone thought “Hey, this would be totally sweet.” It’s awesome just for the sake of being awesome.

I headed into the class as an IDPA Master-Class shooter in the Enhanced Service Revolver division, and my goal for the class was to help tune up my shooting to reach my goal of IDPA 5-gun master. The instructor for the class was John Holschen, whose professional bio could just read, “When Chuck Norris is scared; he calls John Holschen for help.” Holschen is a great instructor. With more than 20 years in Army Special Forces and Intelligence, his experience extends not just to firearms, but also to hand-to-hand and defensive-knife combat as well. The most important facet of a good instructor, though, is the ability to teach across different skill levels. The Intensive Handgun Skills class is an intermediate/advanced class, but there were a couple of shooters who were definitely not quite at that level. He was able to coach and help develop these shooters so that by the end of the class, they had seen substantial improvement in their skills despite coming from a less-advanced shooting background.

Day 1 of the class focuses on the fundamentals of marksmanship, with drills that bring the shooter into closer relationships with their sights and trigger control. I was shooting the class with Ruger’s new SR40, and in the first day I fired more than 500 rounds of .40 S&W ammo through various drills. The main principle of day 1 is sight tracking—watching your front sight lift and fall through recoil and being able to reset the trigger during recoil to achieve a faster follow-up shot. By doing this, most shooters should be able to shave split times down by the fraction of a second that could be the difference between winning and losing a match, or surviving a defensive encounter.

InSights Standards were introduced on the second day. This is a set of drills used to create performance benchmarks for a shooter. These were fired at the start of day 2, and again on day 3 to judge improvement over the course of the class. They aren’t complex drills, but rather simple tests of fundamental skills: drawing from the holster, transitions, multiple shots on a single target, etc. The class then focused on building those skills so the shooters would be able to show improvement from day 1 to day 3. For example, the simple drill 1-on-2: fire one shot at target one, transition and fire one shot at target two. On day 2, my best time was 0.62 seconds; by day 3 I shaved that down to 0.41 seconds. Over the course of a match, a 0.2 second transition can add up to 3 or 4 seconds of time saved.

While there are some people who don’t see the value of professional training, the bottom line is if you want to be a better shooter, taking a class is the fastest way to become one. If you’re a golfer and wanted to improve your game, you’d take lessons, right? That same rule applies to shooting—you can’t know what you’re doing wrong unless someone who knows better tells you. At InSights Training Center, the instructors all have the experience to help improve your shooting, whether it’s for competition or for self-defense. If you’re a Master Class shooter looking for a tune-up, a Sharpshooter wanting to make the bump to Expert and Master or just looking to gain more confidence in your defensive-shooting ability, check out InSights Intensive Handgun Skills.

The Problem

Shooters, especially action shooters, want to go faster. Major matches are often decided by tenths, if not hundredths, of a second. A .05-second difference in a shooter’s split times can make the difference between a championship trophy and second place. You’ll see the question posted on Internet gun forums all the time: “How can I go faster?” and I’ll guarantee at least one of the first five responses will be “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” That phrase has unfortunately lost its meaning. So let’s take a look at what “slow is smooth, smooth is fast” really means and how to apply it in a way that makes sense.

One of the keys to shooting faster is to maintain an economy of motion.

Slow is Smooth

It is all about economy of motion. The thought behind this saying is that by moving slow, you can teach yourself the most efficient way to move your hand to the gun on a draw or move the magazine to the magazine well on a reload. This is one of the greatest advantages of dry fire—to practice the perfect motion in a controlled environment. The goal of practicing “slow” is to perform the most economical draw stroke or reload, over and over. But, as you develop a consistent movement, you must add speed. Here’s where people start to hang up, because they forget that just going slow and having a really efficient movement won’t actually turn into speed unless you actually practice going fast.

Fast is Fast

As you’re practicing that efficient, smooth motion, you’ve got to add speed. Keep adding speed. Then, keep adding speed. Add speed to your motion until it totally comes apart. If you’re practicing shooting splits for example, start shooting until you’re shooting so fast you cannot shoot all A-zone or all “down zero” hits. That way, you can establish the upper-end for your speed—the point where your clean motions fall apart and you get rushed and sloppy. Once you establish that point, you can back off the speed a little.  Shoot at 80 to 90 percent of your max speed, gradually pushing for more speed as you go.  You can’t expect to shoot 1.2-second draws from the get-go, but if you’re shooting 1.5-second draws, you can certainly chase that number. Eventually, you’ll nail it.

By staying focused on in your practice, you can improve your speed by adding...speed, not by focusing on smooth fundamentals.

Stay Consistent

Stay focused with your practice. I don’t just practice pure speed, and I don’t just practice perfect motions. During a “speed” practice session, when I start to get too loose and shoot poor shots, I find it’s quite beneficial to back down and focus on economy of motion and “perfect” movements. As I do that, I’ll turn the wick up on the speed. By mixing my practice between good movements and speed, I can develop meaningful speed—match-winning speed; life-saving speed.

Just being smooth won’t make you fast, just like being fast and inaccurate won’t win you any matches or get you out of a sticky situation. Practice to develop your speed and your smoothness in tandem, and you’ll make much larger strides than you would by repeating old sayings. And the next time someone says “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” just smile and say: “No, fast is fast.”

What a great time at SHOT Show 2011. If you’re looking for a theme for this year, it was definitely “The Year of the Compact 9 mm,” with Ruger, Kimber, SIG Sauer and others releasing subcompact 9 mm pistols. With the avalanche of sales og super-small .380s, this only makes sense, as shooters are looking for more power in their carry guns without wanting to give up the size advantage of the compact pistol.

But there was a lot more to SHOT than just little carry guns. I’m a big fan of 1911s that “look” nice. While all of my guns are shooters, every now and then a 1911 comes along that makes me think “that’d be a nice BBQ gun,” something I can wear to public events with a nice set of cowboy boots. Kimber dropped exactly such a gun at SHOT, the Kimber Royal II. This has a deep-blued finish and faux-ivory stocks, which pop out from the frame and really grabbed my attention. It’s not anything special in terms of its performance or specs, but it is really nice to look at. This one is new for 2011, and would make a nice piece to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1911.

Speaking of 1911s, well-known 1911 maker Para USA had a neat rifle option for law enforcement officers or civilians wanting to add a little NFA spice to their collection. The TTR is Para USA’s AR-15-platform rifle, but it has a unique gas system, allowing the use of a folding stock. The Para SBR kit comes with a 10-inch upper and a folding stock to convert your existing rifle to a TTR configuration. Or if you’re so inclined, you could use the 10-inch TTR upper on a pistol lower without the stock, creating an AR pistol that doesn’t need to have the naked buffer tube extending from the back of the gun.  Just as a reminder though, if you stick this on your AR, you’re creating a Short Barreled Rifle, so make sure you’re in full compliance with all NFA laws and ATF regulations.

Over at the SIG Sauer booth, the company brought back the SP2022. This was a polymer-framed pistol with a double-action/single-action trigger system—think of it as a hybrid between a traditional SIG and a Glock frame. For a while, SIG stopped carrying this line, but it’s back for 2011 with some upgrades. Using what the company learned from the P250, the SP2022 will be available in three different frame sizes to fit different sized hands. My preference was the medium frame, but larger or smaller hands may prefer different sizes. I also spent a lot of time finally understanding the P250. When SIG first brought out the P250, I didn’t “get” it, because I didn’t realize that the only part of the gun actually considered a firearm is the trigger group. The frames and slides are just accessories. All of a sudden, the P250 makes a ton of sense to me, as I could buy frames and slides for all my competition and carry needs, and just swap the serialized part out between the guns.

One of the other great events that you may have missed at SHOT Show was the “Top Shot” reunion at the Crimson Trace booth. With Season 2 airing in just a few short weeks, 12 of the original 16 cast members were brought together by the winner, Iain Harrison (now with Crimson Trace) for a reunion. At the meeting, Harrison made good on his promise to buy each of the final four contestants the gun of their choice from the show—with only one in attendance, Harrison presented Chris Cerino with the Model ’73 Winchester Cerino shot in their final showdown. Also in attendance were members of the season 2 cast, top professional shooters and even actor Michael Rooker from movies such as “Days of Thunder,” “Tombstone” and “The Replacement Killers.”

SHOT 2011 is in the books. It was another record-breaking year for the show, with almost 3,000 professional media in attendance. With the industry embracing new technology represented by online media, it’s now easier than ever for the end users of SIG, Para USA and other companies’ products to follow the new developments seen at SHOT. Just bookmark ShootingIllustrated.com! 

Wednesday, Jan. 19

Here’s one that may have been glossed over in the run of coverage of ARs, revolvers and carry guns. This is the Rossi Trail Judge, and it’s a 100-percent legal short-barreled shotgun. Last year, Rossi introduced its new Ranch Hand line of rifles, inspired by the legendary Mare’s Leg “pistol” seen in classic Westerns and the more recent Firefly TV show. The Ranch Hand guns aren’t rifles at all, in fact they’re pistols, built from the ground up as pistols and considered as such in the eyes of the ATF. This year, Rossi is introducing the natural progression of that line by combining the .410-bore shotgun platform with the Ranch Hand to make the Trail Judge.

What makes this a really cool gun is that while the barrel is less than 18 inches long, the gun is not considered a short-barreled shotgun or an “AOW”  (Any Other Weapon) by BATFE. This is because the barrel is fully rifled, legally making this gun a pistol. However, the longer barrel will make it more effective when using shot and slugs than a Taurus Judge. I was immediately taken in by this gun when I saw it, just because the concept of a short-barreled, lever-action shotgun is something that appeals to me  It looks cool, it does something that nothing else on the market does and does it with style. I like that, and I can’t wait to see the Trail Judge in action.

Also in news today, Heckler & Koch announced its new sponsored shooting team. Team H&K will consist of Jason Koon and KC Eusebio, both established champions in USPSA and Steel Challenge. They’re going to be shooting the P30L and according to Jason, all they did was a spring change on the guns; other than that they’re leaving them stock  I can’t wait to see what the new Heckler & Koch team is going to come up with. And I wish them the best of luck in any upcoming competitions with their new guns. It’s great to see Heckler & Koch getting involved in supporting the shooting sports.

My last stop for the day was the Magpul booth. Obviously, Magpul has a tremendous fan base, which the company earned with the cool products it has brought to market. However, this year there wasn’t anything new at the Magpul booth. The rep I spoke to had a simple answer: “We not going to use SHOT as a launch for product any more. We don’t want to show you something at SHOT and then you not be able to buy it for 6 months. Now, when we have something new, you’ll be able to buy it online right away”. I think that’s a smart move for Magpul, and in fact the legendary Magpul iPhone case is actually available right now in its store to order. You can get it for the 3Gs or 4G, and let’s be honest – who wouldn’t want one?

With two more days left, there’s still plenty to see at SHOT 2011! Come back tomorrow for more great coverage on the stuff you missed at this year’s show.

Tuesday, Jan. 18

Every year at SHOT, there’s a tremendous rush to get pictures and content of THE latest and greatest products. However, each year a tremendous number of cool, unusual, useful, or otherwise interesting gear goes relatively unnoticed in the sea of chaos. This year seems to be the year of the compact 9 mm handgun, with everyone gaga over the new Ruger LC9, the Kimber Solo or the Sig P290. However, there are plenty of interesting guns on the SHOT Show floor this year that are not compact 9 mm carry guns but are just as interesting in their own right.

One of the cooler guns at this year’s SHOT Show is from Para USA, known for its 1911s.  Para recently relocated manufacturing to North Carolina, making it a 100-percent U.S. company. For 2011, Para is bringing several new guns to the market, but one of the neatest is the 14-45 Limited Longslide. The 14-45 is a 1911-style gun with a double-stack frame, holding 14 rounds of .45 ACP firepower. What sets this gun apart from others in Para’s lineup is it’s set up with a 6-inch slide. 1911s with 6-inch barrels are known for their ability to stay on target for follow-up shots, and I have no doubt that this will be a really easy shooting gun.

Para’s other big announcement at SHOT Show is its new sponsored shooter, Travis Tomasie. Travis is a veteran of the Army Marksmanship Unit and one of the top competitors in the Limited Division in USPSA shooting. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with Para.

Also new at SHOT this year are Taurus’ line of pistol-caliber carbines. These are based on carbines Taurus produced for international military units, and feature styling similar to the Heckler & Koch UMP. The 9 mm carbine will be available with a 34-round magazine. I have a personal soft spot for pistol-caliber carbines, so I’m interested to see how these carbines turn out. Taurus has a great track record for bringing new and innovative technology to the market. It might be a little late for a pistol-caliber carbine to catch on, but I’ve made the mistake of underestimating Taurus’ ability to sell guns in the past, and honestly I’m interested in the pistol carbine.

Another cool gun you may have missed in the all the SHOT hubbub is the newest 1911 from Colt…a dedicated .22 LR. Colt took the 1911 design and built a .22 LR version from the ground up. It’s not a conversion kit, it’s not something that someone else built and Colt just rebranded, it’s a legit Colt 1911 in .22 LR. It will be available in three models, a GI version, a Tactical version based on the Colt Rail Gun and a National Match version with adjustable sights. This is a good one, and the demand for .22 LR trainers is very high. This would be the first legitimate option for someone looking for a purpose-built .22 LR training gun to compliment a full-size 1911.

As usual, SHOT show had a lot of great products and people. With just one day under my belt, I’ve not even visited the the second floor of exhibits. Tomorrow we should have some good stuff from Heckler & Koch, Crimson Trace and a few others.

Photos by Shelley Rae – Gun Nuts Media

Leading the way in competition-grade polymer pistols is the father of the Wondernine, Glock. The company’s pistols are currently the most common on IDPA and USPSA Production Division firing lines. This represents a huge field of shooters, and Glock has created such support there is a cottage industry dedicated to aftermarket competition parts for its pistols. The obvious choices from Glock are the Glock 34 and 35—chambered in 9 mm and .40 S&W respectively. Glock’s competitive shooting team uses the Glock 34 for USPSA Production, IDPA Stock and Enhanced Service Pistol, Bianchi Cup Production, Steel Challenge and pretty much any other sport that calls for a soft-shooting, accurate 9 mm. But with Glock, your choices aren’t limited to “competition” guns. If something a little more practical is your flavor, the Glock 19 or Glock 17 (or 23 and 22 if you prefer .40 S&W) are excellent choices for competition. For .45-caliber fans, Glock offers the Glock 21 and G21SF, both great for IDPA’s Custom Defensive Pistol division.

If Glocks aren’t your cup of tea, have no fear. Rapidly gaining ground are Smith & Wesson’s M&P pistols. Used in competition by Smith & Wesson’s shooting team, the M&P has built an impressive record in USPSA Production and IDPA competition. There are two M&P pistols designed with competitive shooters in mind—the Pro Series M&P9 in 9 mm and the M&P9 JG, also in 9 mm. The Pro Series M&P9 features a 5-inch barrel. The longer sight radius makes the gun easier to shoot accurately and the resultant added heft reduces felt recoil. The JG in M&P9 JG stands for Julie Golob, the captain of Smith & Wesson’s shooting squad and designer of this special-edition pistol. For each JG pistol sold, the company donates a portion of the proceeds to help breast cancer research. The pistol comes from the factory with a 4.25-inch barrel, Warren Tactical rear sight and a competition trigger job.

Another popular choice for polymer competition guns is the Springfield Armory XD and XD(M), which, like the Glock, have spawned a small industry of custom shops dedicated to hot-rodding these carry guns into serious competition pistols. These are competition-ready pistols from the factory, with their match barrels and Heinie sights. The 4.5-inch barrel is great for action pistol competition, and the classic XD is available with a 5-inch barrel.

Glock, Smith & Wesson and Springfield are not the only players in the competition game when it comes to polymer pistols. While they certainly represent the “big three” in terms of market saturation, if none of their guns fit your niche, but you still want the advantages a polymer pistol has to offer, there are plenty of guns out there for you. Heckler & Koch’s P30L in 9 mm would make an excellent IDPA gun, offering HK’s legendary accuracy on an easy-shooting polymer frame. Possibly the best deals on the market right now are from FNH USA—the FNP, FNX and FNP-45 are top-quality pistols that don’t cost a ridiculous amount of money. Used by FNH USA’s competition shooting team in USPSA and 3-gun competition, these guns feature the ability to be carried cocked-and-locked or traditional double-action, with the first shot being DA and the rest being from a short, single-action pull. Also available is Ruger’s SR9, a 9 mm featuring adjustable sights and a thinner grip than found on a 1911, making it one of the easiest to shoot double-stack pistols on the market. The SR9 is a great buy for a new shooter as it has a 4-inch barrel that’s good both for competition and concealed carry.

Any one of these polymer pistols can be a great choice for competition, but the most important quality is your personal comfort with your handgun. All the technology in the world won’t help you win if you’re not at ease with the pistol. Thankfully, there are plenty of options and aftermarket modifications to ensure you find the right gun.

What is Action Shooting?

Action shooting is a generic term that encompasses a wide range of shooting games, but the most widely recognized flavors are USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Bianchi Cup and 3-Gun. Each sport has its differences, yet it’s more than possible for the average concealed-carry permit holder to buy one set of gear and compete in everything. If you carry a 1911, a Glock, an XD or any number of modern pistols in a service caliber and can get a good outside-the-waistband holster and several spare magazines, you’re ready to go. IDPA and USPSA are the most common, and their divisions are reflected in Steel Challenge as well. For 3-gun, just add your home-defense carbine and shotgun to the mix, and you’re ready to go. Here’s a look at the divisions in IDPA and USPSA.

IDPA – International Defensive Pistol Association

IDPA was founded in the early 1990s by competitive shooters with the intent to get back to the roots of practical shooting, namely to sharpen the shooter’s skills with realistic carry guns and gear. While in its nearly two decades of existence many things about it have changed, the insistence on no race guns, use of concealment gear and limiting the number of magazines to two (plus one in the gun) keeps IDPA grounded in its traditions of defensive shooting. IDPA has five competitive divisions, one for every gun you might be carrying:

• Custom Defensive Pistol: The flagship division of IDPA, this division is limited to pistols chambered in .45 ACP only. Originally intended for 1911-style pistols (as evidenced by the capacity limit of 8+1), today’s IDPA matches will find 1911s competing alongside Glock 21s, Smith & Wesson M&P45s and other polymer pistols chambered in the venerable .45 ACP.
• Enhanced Service Pistol (also known as “The Browning Hi Power Division”): While any pistol legal for Stock Service Pistol is also legal for Enhanced Service Pistol, the division rules have it set up for single-action pistols in 9 mm, .38 Super and .40 S&W. Your Glock 17 can certainly run here, but if IDPA had a race-gun division, it would be ESP. This is where you’ll find 1911s in 9 mm and .40 S&W set up to run as fast as possible. In an interesting rule interpretation, which has increased the popular of Enhanced Service Pistol, the Springfield Armory XD pistols are classified in this division by IDPA—meaning that your 9 mm XD will be at home right here, and just as competitive as the 1911s.
• Stock Service Pistol: Here are your stock guns. Glocks, SIGs, Berettas, M&Ps, Ruger SR9s—this is the division for the most popular carry guns on the planet.
• Enhanced Service Revolver: Not a lot of carry guns will fit in this category, unless you happen to carry a Smith & Wesson Model 625 revolver in .45 ACP.
• Stock Service Revolver: The most common carry gun in the galaxy before the Wondernine Revolution was the 6 shot, .38 Spl. revolver. These guns live and breathe in IDPA’s Stock Service Revolver division, which, with the exception of the dedicated revolver sports, is the most popular place for the wheelguns to play.

If you carry a 1911, a Smith & Wesson Model 10, or a Glock 19, IDPA has a place for your guns.

USPSA – United States Practical Shooting Association

USPSA is the American sanctioning body of the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC), originally founded by Col. Jeff Cooper to focus on teaching the fundamentals of defensive shooting. In the time since its founding, USPSA/IPSC has retained two divisions that are suitable for your every day carry gear.

• USPSA Single Stack: Not recognized by IPSC at the international level, USPSA absorbed Single Stack after it existed as an independent match for some time. This is the place to run your 1911. The division rules specify practical holsters and magazine pouches, and limit the modifications allowed. If you’re a fan of the 1911 and carry one, this is your division.
• Production: Here there be monsters! Production is one of USPSA’s most popular divisions owing to the fact that you can buy a stock Ruger SR9, a good holster and several extra magazines and have everything you need to compete. Because of the popularity of Production division, you’ll also see lots of the top professional shooters from Glock, Smith & Wesson, FNH-USA and other companies competing here. Modern double-stack handguns rule this division, and it’s the best place to bring your carry gear.

Additionally, USPSA has a third division good for carry guns called Limited-10. While it’s not used as such right now, it has tremendous potential to provide a competitive home for the world of Glocks and other defensive guns chambered in .40 S&W and .45 ACP that aren’t competitive in Production.  USPSA is different from IDPA in that it doesn’t require concealing garments and has higher round counts, but you can’t go wrong shooting either discipline. In fact, you should shoot both! The more trigger time you get, the better prepared you’ll be.

Everything Else

Steel Challenge has divisions that mirror each of IDPA’s and USPSA’s divisions, so your gear will compete across the board there. For example, if you have a Kimber 1911 you carry every day, five Blackhawk CQC Single Stack magazine pouches, an outside-the-waistband holster from Safariland and a good belt, you’re ready to compete in IDPA’s Custom Defensive Pistol and USPSA Single Stack. Carry a Glock 19? IDPA Stock Service Pistol and USPSA Production will be great places for you to practice and train. Whatever you carry, competitive shooting has a place for your guns and gear, and you’ll certainly benefit from the additional trigger time. Who knows, you might even have some fun!