Firearms Friday: New Products For The Wish List

This past weekend the NRA held their annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky during which a number of manufacturers announced new products… or at least had the first iterations of current innovations on display. It is one of those times in the year, along with Shot Show, when I look through the reports and reviews from the event, as well as those announcements from the beginning of the year, and slowly build a list in my head of all the new items that I would like to buy. Unfortunately, this is pretty much where things end as I am not one to run to the store and spend thousands of dollars to have the latest and greatest that the industry has to offer.

That being said there are a number of new firearms that pique my interest and I am curious to see what the reviews will be like and it they gain in popularity over the next year. If you take into account all the new firearms hitting the shelves this would be an absurdly long post so, for the sake of brevity, I will focus on the handguns that caught my attention. This year, that list includes full size versions of the Canik TP-9, Sphinx SDP Standard (accepts Glock 17 magazines!), and the competition ready CZ 75 TS. Of course, there have also been some brand new pistols that I am eager to see in my local shop which include the relaunch of the Llama 1911, Heizer Defense PKO, Honor Defense 9 mm, SCCY Industries CPX-3 (the .380 version of the popular budget pistol), the Schmeisser SLP-9, and, of course, the Smith & Wesson M&P Shield in .45 ACP.

Magnum Research will also have a light weight Desert Eagle in .357 magnum available this year but I am choosing not to expound upon that mistake. Oddly enough, the ones that I am most curious about are the Llama, Sphinx, Heizer, Honor Guard, and Schmeisser. Given those four, here are some of my thoughts:

• The Llama was always a budget friendly option in the past that offered descent quality and I want to see if that has been carried over into this current incarnation of the, some would say, venerable line.

• Heizer is bringing to market a semi-automatic firearm that has evolved from the success of their derringer style handguns… this could be a huge success or completely miss the mark.

• Schmeisser is a completely new company to me and I am always fascinated to see what the adoption of a new manufacture is early on and the level of quality that they are able to provide during their first few years on the market. At first glance, the pistol seems to be a hybrid between many of the striker fired handguns currently thriving in the market. The question is whether this is the right combination of features from those popular pistols. The Honor Defense 9mm would also fall into this with a slightly different look which combines the features and aesthetics from other manufacturers.

• Sphinx continues to have a great reputation and they have definitely earned it with the quality firearms that they have produced. However, they remain well above average with regard to price point and I am curious to see what kind of deterrent that will continue to be in the marketplace. That being said, there is a luxury afforded to the owner about being able to use standard Glock magazines and one that can potentially save the shooter a good deal of money in the long run.

In the end, it should be another interesting year for the firearms industry (not including the presidential race) and one that could provide some notable developments as well as returns to prominence. And while most of us can’t afford the $4.5 million dollar price tag of the Cabot Guns meteor 1911s, there are plenty of affordable options new to the market as well as some interesting new incarnations that will provide us with some different and sometimes unique range experiences. Whether or not these new products will be a success is an entirely different question altogether. Of course, the most important thing to remember this year is that our right to enjoy this sport, our right to self-defense, our right to own these tools is more important than ever and this industry will not thrive without our support, activism, and willingness to defend our rights.

Firearms Friday: Second Looks

Anyone who frequents gun shops or shows comes across some interesting firearms during those periods of browsing. It is one of the reasons why I enjoy browsing through the used case and why it is the first place I look when I walk into the store (Tanner’s Sports Center has a phenomenal used selection). During my many trips over the years I have come across a variety of firearms that have piqued my interest that many simply pass by for one reason or another.

It is with this in mind that I decided to go over some of the firearms that caught my attention. Sometimes the reason why people look the other way is because of appearances or because they don’t recognize the name on the side of the slide. Each of the following firearms had me taking a second (sometimes third and fourth) look for one reason or another.

Beretta 9000s

Commonly known as “that gun” from the movie Minority Report, this firearm looks like a 92FS that had an unfortunate encounter with Wayne Szalinski or Willy Wonka. It is an interesting little firearm which was originally conceived by Beretta as a concealed carry option although the bulk of the firearm leaves little to be desired when compared to modern firearms designed for the same market. While no longer produced (in favor of the subcompact PX4 Storm), it is an interesting firearm and one that shows the modern evolution of the old world manufacturer.

Tressitu TZ99

Even those with little exposure to firearms are familiar with the Sig Sauer P226. Even if they don’t know it by name they have seen it countless times on the big and small screens (NCIS comes to mind). However, the clones that can be found are rather interesting as well. While the most common and familiar is the Zastava CZ999, there are other companies and countries that have offered their interpretation over the years including the South African made Tressitu TZ99. While price and built quality are common points of comparison, the TZ99 is a solid piece of craftsmanship if you can find one. The only real difference being in the mechanical functionality is the fact that the decocker also serves as the slide stop. These firearms are seldom seen as there was limited quantities produced and imported (by Mitchell Arms) before the South African company declared bankruptcy. However, if you are interested in seeing it in action you can always watch episode four of the first season of Top Shot.

Heizer Defense PAR1

Unlike the aforementioned two above, the Heizer Defense PAR1 is a new firearm that pretty much defines the concept of “because we can”. Despite no real practical use, the single shot pocket firearm is a rather interesting sight to behold. And that is pretty much as far as I would go as I have no desire to fire a rifle round from a barrel barely extending beyond the tip of the bullet. I imagine the sound from this noisy cricket wouldn’t be very pleasant either even with ear protection. If you really want one by all means go ahead but I think there are better options for under the $499 MSRP.

Chiappa Rhino

Revolvers are simple. Easy to maintain and easy to use (even though some of us can’t shoot them well). Chiappa decided to change us “grandpa’s pistol” and while the design is slightly (despite the looks) more complicated, it is a great improvement on a proven design allowing for a much lower bore axis (allowing for greater accuracy and faster follow up shots). While the prices are still way too high (MSRP of $800+) for firearm from Total Recall, it is something a little different for those who enjoy a good revolver. However, I am not one of those people (at least not at the moment).

1911 Alternatives

I added this section to the post because depending on with whom you speak, these can be seen as unique firearms. While the traditional size 1911’s have been chambered in other calibers, the recent popularity of the Sig Sauer P238 and P938 have sparked greater interest in the pocket 1911 market beyond that which was seen when the Colt Mustang was introduced two decades prior. These are great options for those who prefer the 1911 platform either as a small primary or a backup. Despite the small size I can attest to the high degree of accuracy hitting the red consistently at 25 yards at a medium rate of fire. None of the aforementioned models are cheap but are well worth the investment if you looking for a high quality, 1911 style, pocket option.

As you can see, it is a mix of some new and some that can only be found in the used case. Each has their merits and each has a few things holding them back. However, if you see any of them in the case I recommend taking a look. Maybe you will be surprised. Maybe you might have to spend a little more time in the store filling out some paperwork. Of course, you may look at all of them and wonder what the heck I was thinking when I wrote this. You won’t know until you take a look.