“Tag: semi automatic”

About the time of the 1911’s 100th birthday, we were solidly in the age of the polymer pistol. A decade later, subcompact polymer-pistols chambered in 9 mm have become the most popular handguns for self-defense.

While word of a new pistol from Kimber started circulating some time back, the company managed to play its cards pretty close to its vest about what that pistol was going to be. Before I knew what it was myself, it was interesting to hear the speculations of friends who had a finger on the pulse of the handgun market.

The Ruger LCP was a tiny terror when launched in 2008. It disrupted the market by creating demand for small, reliable pistols in .380 ACP and provoked everyone from holster makers to ammunition manufacturers into delivering new products.

Zev Technologies has steadily increased its footprint in the firearm industry. Best known for placing its unique design spins on components for the most popular Glock and SIG Sauer pistols, this Centralia, WA-based company is also in the AR market.

The Turkish firearm-manufacturing industry has been around for a long time, dating back to when the Ottoman Empire was a superpower. In recent years, it seems like the Turkish gun industry is on a bit of a come-up, exporting hundreds of thousands of guns each year to the United States, especially the Canik TP9 line of pistols.

Taurus has been on fire as of late, and the company’s latest offering is the GX4, a micro-9 mm, double-stack pistol.

In retrospect, Smith & Wesson had nobody to blame for the situation but themselves. The company didn’t invent the subcompact, lightweight, single-stack nine, of course. Walther and Beretta had preceded the original Shield to market by a few years with the PPS and the Nano, respectively, and Kahr had more or less created the niche back in the 1990s.

I remember well when the .40 S&W was the rage and everybody in the industry was clamoring to get a gun chambered for that round on the market.

When it comes to personal defense, which is better: a pump or semi-auto shotgun?