HK VP9

Introducing the Heckler & Koch VP9 striker-fired 9mm semi-auto handgun, building on the highly successful single action/double action hammer-fired P30, summarized here back in 2010, but the VP9 "breaks new ground with its integration of a unique striker firing system with an enhanced HK “light pull” trigger. The net result is trigger quality unequaled in any production striker fired handgun." http://hk-usa.com/hk-models/vp9/

Featuring multiple interchangeable backstraps and side plate choices for the handgun grips, the ergonomics of this 9mm should be superior to your basic Glock or Ruger offering.

HK VP9 $630.00

Specs:

• Locked Breech DAO Semi-Auto
• 7.25" Length
• 5.5" Height
• 1.14 Max. Width
• 26.5 oz. unloaded
• 32.6 oz. loaded
• 4.1" barrel length
• Barrel Material: Steel
• Magazine: 15 rd. detachable
• Slide Material: Steel
• Frame Material: Polymer
• Grips: Textured Polymer
• Sights: Steel 3-dot
• Trigger Pull Wt: 6 lbs
• Trigger Span: 2.63"
• Safety: No manual safety

Notables:

• "Even more accurate than the HK P30"
• "The VP9 is a good personal-defense choice and deserves a solid A rating."
• Allows excellent hand fitting.
• Takes HK P30 Magazines.
• Striker-fired action breaks smoothly.
• Forward and rear cocking serrations allow for solid grip on the slide.
• Due to removable blocks at the rear of the slide, slide can be racked with one hand.
• Red cocking indicator.
• Good combat sights; excellent contrast.
• Comes with two magazines.
• Paddle-type magazine release is easy to get used to.
• Low bore axis results in little muzzle flip.

Overheard on other forums and review sights: "The PPQ has a better trigger","built to last","trigger has minimal reset", "extractor is a solid block of steel", "Glock 17 bore axis is lower", "magazine release may be a problem for those with smaller hands", "magazine changes are fast", "Very reliable"

S&W Model 627 High Capacity .357 Magnum

This is the Performance Center version of the S&W 8-shot, short-barreled .357 magnum, featuring a ball-detent cylinder lockup, for better accuracy and reliability, chamfered cartridge chambers, for aid in speed-loading, and excellent sights.

S&W Model 627 170133, $1,079

Normally, I like a longer barrel on my .357 magnum, at least a 4 incher, which adds 200-300 fps, compared to the snubnose .357, but that's just me, because these shorty .357's are very popular, especially in the N frame S&W.

Specs:

• Double Action/Single Action
• 7.6" length
• 5.5" height
• 1.7" max. width
• 37.6 oz. empty weight
• 40.8 oz. loaded weight
• 2.6" barrel
• 8 round capacity
• N-frame stainless
• Stainless cylinder, non-fluted
• Grips: checkered walnut
• 5.3" grip circumference
• Serrated ramp front sight
• Adjustable white outline rear sight
• 4.1 lb trigger pull weight-single action
• 11.5 lb trigger pull double action
• Trigger span single action, 2.8"
• Trigger span double action, 3.3"

Notables:

•  Performance Center quality-tight fit, clean metalwork, smooth woodwork
• Slab-sided barrel, for weight reduction
• Crowned muzzle
• Ejector shroud cutout drops some weight
• Unfluted cylinder adds extra weight
• Easily swappable dovetailed front sight.
• Fully adjustable rear sight
• Small grips make for concealability
• "Even shooters with small hands could easily fire the 627..."
• Full-length guide rod ejects all 8 rounds
• Extra weight makes for pleasant shooting
• "A bit heavy for concealed carry, comparable in weight to a loaded 1911..."
• Proper holster and belt required for secure carry options

Colt Commander 04012XSE

Colt Commander XSE $1,104

Forged as opposed to cast parts, that's what separates this fine carry piece from the cheaper 1911's flooding the market. Features a forged receiver, slide, barrel and slide-stop, all in maintenance-free stainless. Comes standard with front and rear slide serrations, Novak sights and full-length guide rod.

Specs:

• .45 ACP
• 4.25" Barrel
• Capacity 8+1
• Rosewood Grips
• 3-dot sights
• Aluminum 3-hole trigger
• Lightweight Skeletonized Hammer
• 6 lb trigger pull
• 36 oz.
• 7.75" length
• 5.4" height
• Ambi-safety

Notables:

• Colt's Top-End Commander
• "Super Accurate"
• Enhanced cut-out under the trigger guard, for lower bore axis

NRA Convention 2015

First, I'd like to apologize for my two year "hiatus" from my gun blog. Talk about distractions! I just can't help myself. Eventually, I always get back into researching the latest advances in portable weaponry and writing about it here.

Checked out this year's NRA Convention in Nashville's massive Music City Center in my own back yard and it did not disappoint. For a list of exhibitors and descriptions, download the NRA Annual Meeting mobile app on your Apple or Android device. Here are some shots and thoughts from the weekend....

Colt

Israel Military Industries

Snow Camo

Kurt himself, with wish list item.....

Browning shotgun

Some Browning offerings...

Barrett sniper

Magnum Lite rimfire rifles

HK UMP45

E.R. Shaw, Inc. custom barrels

Interarms AK with custom Herrett stocks

Mr. Herrett himself, custom stock maker, with Yours Truly

High Standard-Interarms underfolder AK-47

Now that's a safe!

NRA Harley giveaway

My favorite 1911 at the show...

Sig MPX

Sig 556 - takes AK Mags

IMI Jericho

Packed!

Gatling Gun 1873

Ted Cruz made an appearance

Colt Ford and Hank Williams Jr.

Colt Ford

Bocephus 

R. Lee Ermey

Live at The Stage

High Standard looked to be doing some exciting things, reviving their renowned .22 target pistol selection from the 60's and 70's, as well as showcasing the offerings from their partners, Herrett Custom Stocks , Interarms and AMT of Automag fame, bringing back AMT's legendary stainless .22 magnum auto pistol, as well as introducing some impressive looking AK-47 and AR-15 type rifle models, courtesy of Interarms. It was unclear to me, whether AMT has improved on the frame alloy of the original .22 Mag pistol, which had galling problems with their original offering.

Other notable products that made an impression in my few hours touring the massive Music City Center included the following:

My Case Builder at www.mycasebuilder.com. This company offers custom foam gun cases designed to perfectly fit your weapon.

Secret Compartment Furniture. Featuring Amish-made custom wood furniture with secret compartments to hide guns and other valuables for quick access. www.secretcompartmentfurniture.com.

For those of you that prefer air guns, or have no legal access to gunpowder-powered weapons, Pyramid Air had some quality rifles and pistols on display. Check out their catalog at www.pyramidair.com.

Meggar Gun Magazines had a few salesmen and an entire booth-display of their awesome magazines present, and did claim that they could get me magazines for out of production pistols, including a magazine for my old MKII Ruger .22 if I went online and ordered. Check out their offerings at  www.mec-gar.com.

Rock Island Armory was there, with their famously affordable quality classic reproduction firearms selection, including the 1911 in several iterations, as well as their .22 magnum XT 1911,the M200 .38 special revolver, their MAPP 9mm automatic pistol and their usual impressive rifle, shotgun and ammo products (see Armscor). www.rockislandarmory.com

Glock .380

Glock announces the G42, a handy new subcompact pistol:

Guns and Ammo has a decent article on this piece in their February 2014 issue. Summary ahead.

Here's a picture..........

Source: us.glock.com

Summary:

It looks like G&A has a very positive impression of this pistol, with comments like, the next subcompact pistol you will want to carry, and birth of a concealed carry star. Of course this all has to be taken with a grain of salt, as Guns&Ammo is an advertiser-supported magazine. Check back as I scan the online owner forums the next few months for the actual real-world usage reports and update this summary.

This is not simply a reworked Glock 25 or 28 (Germany, 1995) which were never imported to the states, but a new design altogether. 

Ergonomics: 

• Some of the best ergonomics I've seen for a compact pistol. 
• Slim, concealable frame that also has a comfortable, full grip.
• Comfortable backstrap that doesn't cut into the hand.
• Grippy texture without being too rough

Internals:

• Mini version of the proven Glock mechanism
• Trigger return spring attaches to the trigger bar
• Firing pin safety appears slightly different from the original Glocks
• Fieldstrips like other Glock pistols
• Beavertail alleviates slide-bite for the big-handed
• No interchangeable backstrap
• Safe-Action trigger system like original Glocks, meaning easy, uniform trigger pull.

Specs:

• Action: Semiauto
• Caliber: .380
• Capacity: 6+1
• 13.4 oz. empty
• Tenifer finish
• Trigger Pull: 5.5 lbs
• Sights: Dovetail, white dot notch, replaceable/upgradeable
• Price: $475.00

Other:

• For law enforcement, "perfect backup pistol"
• "The new benchmark"

Heard around the web 2014:

• I'd prefer a 9
• Lighter than a G27

American Rifleman:

• Built to the same exacting standards as the double-stack Glocks.
• .94" wide at its widest point, rest of the frame .89 inches
• 3.25 inch barrel
• Hexagonal rifled barrel
• Gen 4 recoil assembly
• Made in Smyrna, GA
• Comfortable and soft shooting.
• Full-size sight picture
• 7 lb, 3 oz. trigger-pull
• No failures to feed, stove-pipes or un-ejected cases
• Double Tap Ammunition (1,000 fps+) caused the slide to prematurely lock open twice.
• Average accuracy, 2 inches at 7 yards

More later......

New Bullet Technology

Intriguing new bullet technology by G2R looks devastating!

Soft-Shooting .380

Ruger's LC9 gets toned down to a .380 version for the recoil-sensitive. 

What separates this gun from the run of the mill pocket .380 is that they kept the locked breech action unchanged from the 9mm version, necessary in more powerful pistol calibers like the 9mm and higher to keep spring rates at a low enough resistance to allow the pistol's slide action to be cycled by hand without calling in the Incredible Hulk. It also has the effect of lowering felt recoil by keeping the action locked closed until just-fired cartridge pressures fall below a certain level. .380 caliber guns are normally of the blowback variety, which means snappier recoil and stronger spring rates.

Ruger LC380

$449.00

At the usual bullet weights of 90 grains, velocities range from approximately 850 to 900 fps, excepting the Corbon load at 1,100 fps. While it's not the pocket blaster the 9mm version is, it will still get the job done at close range self-defense situations. Gun magazine reviews say, "accuracy is good to brilliant". "The LC380 worked reliably with all ammo tested". 

If you need a mild-mannered, affordable, concealable and well made pistol for discreet carry, look no further than the LC380 from Ruger.

What are they saying around the web about the LC380 so far?

• The stainless steel loading indicator ruins the lines of this pistol when it pops up.
• Points naturally, well balanced.
• Tiny safety may be hard to find in stressful situations.
• Long trigger pull and it clicks twice on return, once early, before it's actually reset.
• Straightforward take-down/field stripping.
• Super-reliable.
• Light recoil.
• Fits even large hands nicely.