Author: Richard Johnson

Richard Johnson is an American author, editor and entrepreneur. He's done a lot of silly things in his life, but quitting police work to follow his passion of writing about guns was one of the smartest things he ever did. He founded this site and continues to manage its operation.

Categories
news

Rumors of New Taurus Revolvers for 2018

Taurus 905 review

If rumors are to be believed, Taurus has a number of new revolvers coming out in 2018. These have not yet been announced by the company, but I have had a number of sources provide details that make them appear credible. So, with a sizable grain of salt, here is what I am hearing:

Table Of Contents
  1. Raging Hunter
  2. Model 856
  3. Model 692
  4. Final Thoughts

Raging Hunter

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes.)

Taurus has never been afraid to build a large framed revolver. The Raging Hunter appears to be designed in the same spirit as the Raging Judge Magnum (in .454 Casull, .45 Colt and .410 bore) and the ill-fated Raging Judge XXVIII (a 28-gauge revolver.) Only the Taurus Raging Hunter is a milder cartridge: the .44 Magnum.

From what I am hearing, the new revolver will have a Picatinny rail on the top of the barrel for adding a scope.The barrel is 6.5″ long with an octagonal shape. It is ported. The gun will ship with sights including an adjustable rear.

I am also hearing that the Raging Hunter will be available in both two-tone and black finishes. It will have the company’s recoil reducing grips with the red stripe down the back.

The Taurus Raging Hunter sounds like a revamped version of the older Model 444 Raging Bull. This was a .44 Magnum revolver that was offered about seven years ago. With the exception of the barrel, the gun was nearly identical to what has been described to me as the Raging Hunter. The older revolver’s barrel did not have a Picatinny rail but was vented instead.

Model 856

Taurus 856 Revolver

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes. See the details on the Taurus 856 revolver here.)

The new 856 revolver is a six-shot, .38 Special handgun with a steel frame. It has a 2″ barrel and a weight of about 22 ounces. This makes it a direct competitor to the recently reintroduced Colt Cobra – another 2″ wheelgun that holds 6 rounds in the cylinder.

This gun appears to be a reintroduction of the prior steel framed model 856 revolvers. Those were also 2″ steel framed guns that held 6 rounds and weighed 22.2 ounces. The original 856 revolvers appear to have been discontinued in later 2012. The guns appeared in the Taurus 2012 catalog, but not in the 2013.

The above photo is of the original Taurus 856 from 2012.

Older 856 revolvers also had an option for a magnesium frame that dropped the weight to less than a pound. The new guns do not appear to have this option.

Model 692

(Update: This rumor has been confirmed, though with a few detail changes. See the details on the Taurus 692 here.)

While the two rumored revolvers previously mentioned have older versions of them, this is one that may be a new entity entirely.

The Taurus 692 is supposed to be a .357 Magnum revolver that comes with a 9mm conversion cylinder. This means that you could shoot .38 Special, 9mm and .357 Magnum from the same gun. I know that Taurus offers a 9mm revolver and convertible rimfire revolvers, but I don’t recall ever seeing a centerfire convertible revolver from them previously. (Feel free to comment below and let me know what I’m forgetting.)

The gun is said to be available with a 3″ or 6″ barrel and have a steel frame.

Final Thoughts

While these new guns are just rumors at this point, all of them make sense to me. Taurus has not had a lot of new product introductions in the recent years and could do with an injection of some fresh models. As some of these seem to be reboots of older guns that were popular in their time, I see them as quick wins. With a new CEO dealing with legacy quality control issues and a class action lawsuit, grabbing some of the low hanging fruit is a smart – and safe – move.

Last Update: October 17, 2022

Categories
Handguns

Ruger EC9s – Inexpensive 9mm for Concealed Carry

Ruger EC9s

The Ruger EC9s is one of the most expensive – yet reliable – 9mm pistols currently on the market. Designed for concealed carry, this micro-compact pistol offers a lot of features which I review here.

Table Of Contents
  1. Where to Buy the Ruger EC9s
  2. Introduction of the EC9s
  3. EC9s Features
  4. Ruger EC9s Specifications
  5. EC9s Variants

If you don’t want to read the whole article, here’s the bottom line: the EC9s is a good quality defensive tool. It isn’t ideal, but for the price, it is one of the best you can get.

Let’s dive in.

Where to buy a EC9s

Where to Buy the Ruger EC9s

The EC9s is an incredible value. You can purchase this gun online through the affiliate links below and pick it up at your local gun shop.

Introduction of the EC9s

Days ahead of the 2018 SHOT Show, Ruger announced a new handgun aimed at being an affordable self-defense pistol: the EC9s.

The Ruger EC9s was a new model, but one that design cues from the company’s existing LC9s. The two guns shared many features and were the same size.

Ruger EC9s Review

However, the EC9s was significantly more affordable with a suggested retail price that was nearly $200 cheaper. As you might expect, people flocked to the less expensive gun. Eventually, Ruger discontinued the LC9s.

In the years since its introduction, the EC9s proved to be a reliable performer. Some early adopters reported issues with the striker mechanism, but those complaints fell away and the company seems to have fixed any problems in the production line.

EC9s Features

Sized for concealed carry, the EC9s is chambered for the 9mm cartridge. The 9mm is a proven defensive round, and when you select high-performance ammunition, it will perform admirably for you. Let’s review some of the additional features that make this gun a good consideration for CCW.

New Ruger EC9s pistol

The EC9s feeds from the same 7-round magazines that run in the LC9s. This can work to your benefit as mags marked for the discontinued LC9s might be found at a bargain price.

It has a 3.12″ barrel and weighs about 17 ounces unloaded. It is relatively compact with a height of 4.5″. Its thinness – only 0.9″ – should help it to conceal as easily as the LC9s did.

This is a striker-fired pistol. As with many striker-fired handguns, Ruger added a pivoting safety lever in the center of the trigger. This helps to prevent accidental discharges when the handgun is dropped.

Like many of Ruger’s pistols, this gun has a small thumb safety on the left side of the frame. While many people do not see the need for an external safety, many of Ruger’s customers appear to appreciate this option.

One of the cost-saving measures used by the company is to use sights that are integral to the slide instead of replaceable sights that are dovetailed into place. Both the front and rear sights have serrations on their faces to reduce glare when shooting in bright light.

Another cost-saving decision made by the company was the inclusion of only one magazine. I always recommend having several magazines for each firearm you own as they tend to be the most likely point of failure in a gun. At least Ruger includes a pinky extension for the magazine floorplate.

Ruger EC9s

Originally, Ruger set the suggested retail price on these pistols at $299. After more than 5 years, Ruger continues to keep the price low on these guns. Currently, the suggested retail price is only $339.

Since dealers often sell Ruger products below full retail, it is conceivable that you could walk out of the local gun shop with one of these for less than $300 total with tax, transfer fees, etc.

All of the links above are to dealers with prices well under $300.

Ruger EC9s Specifications

Here are the specifications on the base model EC9s:

Model #3283
Caliber9mm
Magazine Capacity7 rounds
Included Magazinesone
Barrel Length3.12″
Overall Length6.0″
Width0.9″
Finishblack oxide
MSRP – at launch$299
MSRP – current$339

EC9s Variants

With a gun this popular, it is understandable that Ruger would want to offer variations to appeal to as many different shooters as possible.

purple Ruger EC9s

Ruger offers the EC9s in a rainbow of colors including those with purple, turquoise, gray, FDE and Muddy Girl colors. You can see the full line of EC9s color options through this affiliate link and this one.

Last Update: July 2, 2022

Categories
Rifles

AlphaWolf Pistol Caliber Carbine – New Rifle from Lone Wolf Distributors

AlphaWolf Pistol Caliber Carbine

AlphaWolf Pistol Caliber Carbine

Lone Wolf Distributors will show a new pistol caliber carbine at the SHOT Show in January 2018. The new AlphaWolf Pistol Caliber Carbine (PCC) appears to be different from the existing G9 carbine platform the company currently offers.

According to the company, the new gun was specifically designed to provide excellent accuracy and superior reliability. Not surprisingly, Lone Wolf Distributors states the guns will feed from Glock magazines.

Although the new rifles appear to be AR-pattern guns, they will use a short stroke gas piston system instead of a straight blowback design. According to a press release issued by Flint River Armory, the system used in this rifle uses the same rotating bolt and piston system as that company uses in its own guns. However, the system has been updated to feed from Glock magazines.

While blowback guns tend to be reliable, they generally require more weight to counteract the rearward force of the bolt carrier group during the firing process. This can also result in more felt recoil. A short stroke piston system tends to be heavier than a direct gas impingement system, but is likely lighter and better balanced than a blowback system. Felt recoil should be reduced somewhat.

Lone Wolf Distributors states that the AlphaWolf pistol caliber carbine will be chambered for both the 9mm and .45 ACP cartridges.

The company states the upper and lower will be machined 6061-T6 aluminum and matched to a 16″ barrel made of 4140 CrMo steel (aka chromoly or chrome-moly.) A pistol version of the gun will have a 10″ CrMo steel barrel. Both the carbine and pistol versions will be equipped with M-LOK compatible handguards.

These guns will be side chargers with the handle accessible on the left side of the gun. It does reciprocate.

Controls will be similar to those of an AR-15. The buffer tube and buttstock will be AR compatible.

I’m looking forward to seeing this new gun. However, I do have a few questions. For example, I’d like to know if the fire control groups are AR compatible. I suspect the answer is yes, but I would like to confirm that.

No word yet on a target price or shipping date of these guns.

As a side note, Flint River Armory states it is no longer making its own rifle – the CSA45 PCC. Instead, the company is now exclusively producing the AlphaWolf PCC for Lone Wolf Distributors.

Categories
Handguns

Polymer80 PF940SC: The New 80% SubCompact Glock Frame

Polymer80 PF940SC frame

Polymer80 PF940SC frame

It appears Polymer80 is set to release a new 80% Glock compatible pistol frame at the 2018 SHOT Show. Called the PF940SC, the new unfinished frame is designed to be compatible with the sub-compact sized Glock pistols like the G26 and G27.

Polymer80 offers a number of 80% receivers that allow you to complete various machining and assembly operations to turn them into working firearms. This allows the hobbyist shooter to literally build their own gun.

Before now, the company offered only two sizes of Glock compatible 80% frames – one for full sized guns and another for the compact (Glock 19 style) frame. The new PF940SC would allow shooters to build a complete set of Glock compatible pistols.

The 80% frames are not copies of the Glock frame. Rather, they are new designs that are compatible with standard Glock parts. As a builder, you can simply order OEM parts kits and build your own pistol with this frame once you complete the needed machining on the frame.

Building a Polymer80 Glock
With the original Polymer80 Glock compatible frame, you had to mill the slide rails. The PF940SC does not require milling the rails.

The new frame uses reinforced polymer for a combination of strength and modest weight. A jig is included along with the tooling needed to machine the frame. Polymer80 opted to use a Picatinny-type accessory rail to allow the use of a light or laser when completed.

A stainless steel locking block with front rails and a drop-in rear stainless steel rail module are used. This is similar to the design used on the existing compact frames, and a significant improvement over the original full size frames. The original full size frame uses polymer rear rails that have to be milled, filed and hand fitted. It works, but it does take a lot of time to perfect.

Shooting an 80% Glock pistol
I built a Glock compatible pistol (full size) with a Polymer80 frame. I look forward to trying out the new PF940SC also.

Polymer80 anticipates a retail price of $149.99 when they come to market. This is in line with the company’s other Glock compatible frames.

If you’ve never built your own firearm using an 80% lower or frame, you might be surprised at how easy it is. It requires time and tools, but can be done as a Saturday project. Many guns – from AR-style rifles to 1911 compatible pistols – are made by hobbyists, and are completely legal under federal law. Check out my article on the legalities of home made guns without serial numbers for more information. If you are ready to jump in and build your own, you can click here and buy one of the Polymer80 frames from Brownells. It will be shipped right to your door without any need for the ridiculous fees associated with gun transfers.

Disclosure

GunsHolstersAndGear.com is a for-profit website. I do not charge readers a dime to access the information I provide.

Some of the links on this page and site are affiliate links to companies like Amazon and Palmetto State Armory. These links take you to the products mentioned in the article. Should you decide to purchase something from one of those companies, I make a small commission.

The links do not change your purchase price. I do not get to see what any individual purchases.

Categories
Ammunition

New Cartridge: 6.5 SOCOM

6.5 SOCOM Ammunition

6.5 SOCOM Ammunition

PCP Ammunition will show its new 6.5 SOCOM cartridge at the 2018 SHOT Show according to information released by the company.

Although details about the new cartridge are scant, it would appear that the cartridge was designed for the new sniper rifle system that the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is exploring. Earlier this year, SOCOM indicated it was looking at 6.5mm cartridges for use in a semi-automatic snipe rifle platform.

Although the .260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmoor were mentioned in this Military Times article, a new cartridge that offered substantial benefits over existing ones could draw the attention of SOCOM. Those benefits would have to outweigh the known performance of the existing rounds, however. But weight may be one of the key factors in the search.

6.5 SOCOM CartridgeIn the same Military Times article, Major Aron Hauquitz said that SOCOM was also looking at developing polymer ammunition to reduce the weight carried by soldiers in the field. Since PCP Ammunition manufactures polymer cased ammo, it seems the company may be ideally suited to make a run at the sniper cartridge need.

Based on the limited information released by the company, the 6.5 SOCOM will indeed use a polymer case. So far, one load has been mentioned by the company, and it uses a 130 grain Berger Hybrid Tactical bullet. No information on velocity or other measurables was available at the time of this writing.

The cartridge will be paired with a new semi-automatic rifle called the GF-10 at launch. The rifle will be manufactured by Gorilla Firearms, a sister company to PCP Ammunition and Gorilla Ammunition. The GF-10 is designed as a lightweight AR-10 style rifle.

As additional information on the new cartridge and rifle come out, I will update this page. Thoughts on the 6.5 SOCOM are welcomed in the comments section below.