Glock Generation 4

Making a Good Thing Better.................

Glock 17

Improvements over Gen 3:

• Sights-Front sight is now held in place with a hex-head screw coming in from the underside of the slide and up through the sight body.

• Recoil Spring/Guide Rod-Gen 4 has incorporated 2 recoil springs, and a telescoping steel guide rod for a longer-lasting recoil spring, and for  greater reliability with accessory rail items, such as lights.

• Trigger Mechanism-Recontoured trigger-bar for increased trigger spring longevity

• Magazine Release Button-Increased by 3 times in size, for greater accessibility in high stress situations. Reversible for left-handed shooters

• Magazine-Mag-catch cutout on either side to accommodate the reversible slide release button.

• Grip Frame and Backstrap-Interchangeable backstrap pieces to fit smaller, average, and larger hands. Rough Texture Frame treatment, for improved grip.

H&K P30

$1,005

"..... the P30 is a modern police and security pistol that combines function and safety. Ergonomic features include a special grip frame with interchangeable backstrap inserts and lateral plates, allowing the pistol to be individually adapted to any user. Ambidextrous controls include dual slide releases, magazine release levers. Variants with a conventional double-action/single action trigger have a serrated decocking button located on the rear of the frame." Heckler & Koch USA

• .40 caliber or 9mm
• Accessory Rail
• Loaded Chamber Indicator
• Double Action/ Single Action
• Decocking Lever
• Firing Pin Block Safety
• Corrosion proof fiber-reinforced polymer frame
• Polygonal bore profile for increased velocity, easier cleaning, and longer barrel life
• Multiple trigger firing modes
• Patented HK recoil reduction system
• One piece machined slide made from nitro-carburized steel
• Corrosion resistant “hostile environment” blued finish
• Ambidextrous magazine release levers and slide release
• Patented lock-out safety device
• Ambidextrous safety lever (P30S)

Deep Thoughts: I like the thought of owning this pistol in .40 caliber. Gun reviews showed the P30 to be extraordinarily accurate and reliable, with excellent ergonomics, and extremely quick in the "action test", where it took about 1/10 of a second to get off the first double-action shot accurately.

There is the P30 and the P30S, which is the ambidextrous safety model.

Here is an impressive video review I found:

Baby Desert Eagle "Fast Action"

$699

"This is the first striker-fire design from Magnum Research. The Fast Action comes in 9mm or .40S&W and features fully adjustable rear sight, adjustable palm swells for various shooting styles and hand sizes, interchangeable front sights for various shooting styles and bullet weights, hammer forged barrel, full Picatinny rail, ergonomic polymer grip frame and four separate safety devices." Magnum Research

First Impressions: At first glance it looks like Magnum Research has adopted the Walther P-99 frame and engineered it to their own specs, including a new type of trigger system that incorporates the best features of both striker fired pistols like the Glocks, with the double action/single action characteristics of revolvers and certain models of exposed-hammer auto pistols.

Specs:

• Caliber: 9mm, .40 S&W
• Capacity: 10 and 15 (9mm), 10, 11 Round (.40 Cal)
• Length: 7.13"
• Barrel Length: 4", 6 Groove, 1:10 RH Twist
• Width: 4.28"
• Height: 5.3"
• Weight: 24.8 oz.
• Steel Slide w/Polymer Frame and Integral Rail
• Grips: Polymer w/ Replaceable Palm Swells
• Sights: white three-dot, rear adjustable for windage, 3 different height front site blades

Notables:

• Light Weight Polymer Frame
• Light but long double action trigger pull for the first shot, followed by lighter, single action stroke
• Decocker feature, like exposed-hammer automatics
• Internal striker-drop plunger and trigger safety
• Cocking indicator 
• Loaded chamber indicator
• Oversized trigger guard - for gloved hands
• Ambidextrous paddle-shaped mag. release at rear of trigger guard
• "Very good ergonomics and recoil control"
• Accurate to within 2.3" at 50 feet
• Can be safely carried uncocked with a round in the chamber

Gripes:

• Wimpy slide serrations
• Slippery slide finish

Kimber Desert Warrior

$1,458.00
If I win the Powerball lottery, this will be on my buy list for week one.

Listed under the "Custom II" class of guns in the Kimber catalog.

..."Arriving with two stainless-steel 8-round magazines as well as a blued-steel 7-rounder, the Desert Warrior was consistent and reliable. The grip panels were ceramic and provided a cool, comfortable grip."

Specs:

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Height: 5.25"
• Width: 1.28"
• Weight Empty: 39 Ounces
• Length: 8.7"
• Magazine Capacity: 7
• Thumb Safety: Ambidextrous
• Recoil Spring: 16 lbs
• Guide Rod: Standard Military Length
• Frame: Steel
• Kimpro II Frame Finish
• 1913 Picatinny Rail
• Slide: Steel
• Barrel Length: 5"
• Barrel Material: Match Grade Steel
• Stainless Steel Match Grade Bushing
• Sights: Fixed Tritium Night Sights 6.8" Radius (Meprolight Night Sights)
• Grips: Kimber G-10 Tactical
• Trigger: Solid Aluminum Match Grade, 4-5 lbs

Notables:

• "Khaki" colored frame and slide
• Durable and distinctive finish
• Creative use of contrasting black finish on smaller external parts
• Easy to clean, yet grippy, non-slip finish, even when coated with oil
• Grip panels easily interchangeable for custom fit
• Standard 1911 style field-stripping
• Both 8-round magazines have oversized base-pads
• Actually not type II pistol, even though listed here (This pistol does not require compression of the grip safety to release the firing pin safety)
• Capable of 1.10 inch groups at 25 yards

Gripes:

• Non-checkered front-strap

9mm State of the Art

STI GP6-C

$827.00

Check out the GP6-C's unique lines in this less than great photo from STI International

Specs:

• Caliber 9mm
• Capacity: 17 Rounds
• Frame: 30 RC, Chrome Moly Steel w/ Integral Tactical Rail
• Grip: Textured Polymer
• Slide: 4.15" Tri-Top w/ Front & Rear Cocking Serrations
• Trigger: DA/SA
• Barrel: 4.25"
• Safety: Ambi Thumb Safeties, Internal, Passive Firing Pin Block
• Guide Rod: One Piece
•  Sites: Fiber Optic Front, Adjustable Rear
• Overall Length: 7.9" 
• Weight Empty: 23.8 oz. 
• Blue
• Competition Approved: USPSA (Production Division), IPSC, IDPA

Gun Reviews:

• Built for Combat, or Competition Shooting 
• Ergonomically-Designed Grips
• Accurate for a Combat Pistol: 2" and Less Groups at 25 Yards
• Super-Fast Firing Capabilities
• "Smooth Trigger" 4 lbs SA/8 lbs DA
• "A Great Handgun", Shooting Illustrated
• "Borrows From Many of the Best Handgun Concepts, Old and New"
• Known in Europe as the K-100
• Highly Proven in European Competition Shooting
• Rotating Barrel Action
• Rated for 100,000+ rounds of ammunition 
• Simple and Easy to Field-Strip
• Traditional Double Action/Single Action
• Comes with 17 and 20 Round Magazines
• "Utterly Reliable"
• Can be Carried "Cocked and Locked"
• Totally Ambidextrous
• "Fairly Long Double-Action Trigger Pull"
• No Magazine Safety
• Second Strike Capability (Pull the trigger again to fire an unfired round)

Gripes:

• No Loaded Chamber Indicator
• Cheesy, El Cheapo Case Included
• Sharp Rear-Site Blade
• Slight Rearward Torque During Recoil
• Safety Levers Somewhat Inaccessible
• Brisk Magazine Insertion Sometimes Caused the Slide to Chamber a Round
• Plastic Guide Rod

Pocket Powerhouse!

Gun magazines have given favorable reviews for the Diamondback DB380 micro-compact .380 auto-pistol:
*Update January 2011: Okay, reviews have not been very favorable as of late. Read on.........

$350-$400

"A micro-compact .380 automatic pistol made entirely in the USA. Designed with safety in mind, the DB380 features a "ZERO-Energy" striker firing system (patent pending) with a mechanical firing pin block, a steel magazine catch to secure a sheet metal magazine and real windage-adjustable sights, all in a lightweight pistol."

"A steel trigger with dual connecting bars allows for a crisp smooth, five-pound DAO trigger pull. The DB380 features a FEA (Finite Element Analysis) designed slide and barrel that is stronger than any comparable firearm, resulting in durability with less felt recoil, and the absence of removable pins or tools makes field stripping easier than ever. The slide, barrel, and internal parts are coated to resist corrosion, making this pistol a lifetime investment." Diamondback Firearms 

I thought this gun was best described as a "Baby Glock" by my local dealer, where I went to check it out recently. The gun is shockingly tiny, but somehow manages to have ample grip space. The trigger pull can best be described as "smooth and short", sort of a cross between double-action and single action. Build-quality at first-impression struck me as being exceptional.

Specs:

• Caliber: .380
• Capacity: 6 + 1 in the chamber
• Weight: 8.8 ounces(!)
• Width: .750"
• Barrel Length: 2.80"
• Firing Pin: "Striker Fire"
• Trigger: Double Action Only-5 lbs.

The gun is also offered in other slide configurations, such as:

• Nickel plated,  
• EXO, which they claim never needs lubrication 
• Machined sights, which I believe means that the sights are machined into the slide.

The company also offers three types concealment holsters-ankle, pocket, and belt, and extra magazines, with both standard and with finger-extension versions.

Gun Reviews:

• Smooth trigger pull at 5.5 lbs
• Under 2" accuracy at 7 yard combat ranges
• Quality Construction
• Reliable, "especially likes Winchester Silver Tip self-defense round"

Gun Reviews January 2011: The gun is cute, but reliability sucks. Here's the official review from a reputable gun-testing magazine:

• A "Handsome little pistol"
• Fairly difficult magazine release, and the magazine had to be pulled out.
• Breakdown was a bitch, due to snag-free slide and powerful recoil spring
• Accurate from the bench, with good ergonomics
• Several failure to feed, fire, and trigger reset problems during testing earned the piece a poor review.

Gun Forums:

• Gun forum opinions were mixed. Recent posts included "jam-o-matic p.o.s." to "dependable but fussy with regards to bullet choice." Search keywords: "DB380","db380","Diamondback Arms"

The company address is in Cocoa, Florida, coincidentally in the same town as the established Kel-Tec firearms company, another maker of small polymer handguns.