New for 2015, Dan Wesson introduced a 1911-style pistol that was chambered for the 10mm and .45 ACP cartridges. According to the company, these new pistols were of a quality comparable to the top-of-the-line Dan Wesson Valor pistols.
Let’s take a look at the basics of these guns…
Expanding on the popular concealed carry line of handguns, Bersa introduced the BP380CC pistol. This semi-automatic handgun is a single-stack pistol chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge. Standard magazines hold 8 rounds plus one in the chamber.
I own a BP9CC, which is essentially the same gun in 9mm. (You can read my review here.) There are a number of things I like about this design…
The Taurus Curve is the latest new pistol from our Brazilian friends. Taurus International is now making a pistol that is designed to be carried for self-defense, but could be one of the more difficult designs to shoot.
What makes this pistol different from other designs is that the polymer frame is curved – hence the name. In theory, this could make the gun more comfortable to carry though I have my reservations (more on that in a moment.)
The Curve is chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge and it holds six rounds in the magazine. The barrel is 2.5″ long and has a slant cut at the muzzle.
If you are looking for the quickest way to burn money in today’s handgun market, you may want to take a look at the special Arsenal Firearms AF-2011 kit being offered by the International Firearms Corporation.
The base AF-2011 pistol is a double barrel 1911-style pistol chambered in either .45 ACP or .38 Super. These oversized pistols appear to be two of John Browning’s pistols that melted into a single, oversized block.
Possibly the best feature about the original 1911 pistol is the way it fits the hand. Forget about that same feel in the AF-2011. These pistols are 1.97″ thick, making them unwieldy for all but the largest of hands. They are not lightweight either. Unloaded, this gun weighs more than four pounds. For about the same weight you could have three Glock 19 pistols.
American Tactical Imports (ATI) is now selling an AR-15 pistol based on the company’s Omni-Hybrid lower. The gun is chambered in 5.56 NATO and weighs a mere 4.75 pounds.
ATI introduced the Omni polymer lowers in mid-2012 (read my review of them here) and later updated the receivers with a metal insert for high stress points. Since the update, I have heard very good things about them. Phil O’Dell of O’Dell Engineering in Ontario, Canada has provided a lot of feedback on the lowers and rifles here at GHG. It is worth reading through his comments.