Made in Slovenia, the Arex Rex Zero 1 Standard (1S) pistol will make its American debut at the 2016 SHOT Show in Las Vegas. The new pistol is the first of three different sizes and four different calibers the company is making that may make their way to these shores.
The Rex Zero 1 Standard is a duty sized pistol with a 4.25″ barrel that is hammer fired. Chambered in 9mm, the gun uses a 17 round magazine. Unloaded, it weighs about 28 ounces.
Eagle Imports will begin the importation of the Grand Power CP380 in 2016. The guns are new to the United States market and expand the Grand Power footprint in this country.
Ed note: Eagle Imports appears to have gone out of business. These pistols appear to now be imported into the USA by Global Ordnance, aka Grand Power USA, in Sarasota, FL.
The guns are a double-action/single-action hammer-fired design with a steel frame and polymer grip. According to a Grand Power representative, the mainspring is in the hammer group, which is part of the steel frame sub-assembly. The below photo shows the frame.
The gun uses a straight blowback design. (Ed. note: I originally reported that this gun used a rotary barrel action. This was incorrect. See the update below.)
After several years of only 9mm and .45 ACP, Springfield Armory finally introduced .40 S&W to the XD-S line of pistols. The new gun comes in the 3.3″ version, though I would expect a 4.0″ version to also be introduced later.
Like the original models, the new XD-S is a single stack pistol designed to be a good balance between concealability and shootability. The gun is small enough to carry on an ankle, yet is not abusing to shoot.
These guns are thin: 0.9″ to be exact. This is the same size as the original .45 ACP and 9mm guns.
Springfield Armory includes a normal sized fiber optic front sight on the gun. That is a lot better than some of the subcompact pistols hitting the market, and it helps you get on target fast.
The pistols have a grip safety, but do not have a thumb safety. In my prior experiences with the XD and XD-S lines, I have never encountered any problems with the grip safety.
Springfield Armory ships the guns with a flush fitting 6-round magazine and an extended 7-round magazine. According to the company, 8-round magazines will also be available.
The external dimensions are the same and the original calibers: 4.4″ tall, 0.9″ wide and 6.3″ long. Since both the .45 and 9mm fit the same holsters, I expect the new .40 to be able to fit all of the existing carry rigs as well.
Springfield Armory advised the guns should be available by mid-February 2016.
.40 S&W XD-S Specifications
Caliber
.40 S&W
Capacity
6+1, 7+1 with extended magazine
Weight
22 oz
Barrel Length
3.3″
Overall Length
6.3″
Grip Width
0.9″
Trigger Pull Weight
5.5-7.7 lbs
Sights
fiber optic front, two white dots rear
Finish
black or stainless slide, black polymer frame
MSRP
not given, ~$599 black and ~$669 two-tone
I’ve had the chance to shoot all of the XD-S variants thus far, and I have been impressed by them. I think they make an excellent CCW and backup gun depending on your needs. The 4.0 version (reviewed here) is particularly good for inside-the-waistband concealed carry as the handle is chopped for less obvious printing while still retaining the longer sight radius and increased velocity that a 4″ barrel provides.
The XD-S series pistols go head-to-head with guns like the Smith & Wesson Shield, Walther PPS and Glock 43. While I like the XD-S quite a bit, of the thin, subcompact pistols, I settled on the G43 for my own needs. My wife chose the Shield. Frankly, I think any of the four are amazing weapons and would serve you well.
So, what do you think? Has the lack of .40 kept you from buying an XD-S? Or, is this really not of any interest to you at all? Sound off in the comments below.
Days ahead of the 2016 SHOT Show, Smith & Wesson announced the return of an affordably-priced, dedicated .22 LR handgun to its line-up: the SW22 Victory. The new gun represents the first sub-$1k .22 LR platform pistol from the company since the Model 22A was discontinued.
As regular shooters will note, Smith & Wesson does make other .22 LR pistols and rifles. With the exception of the Model 41, these guns are essentially centerfire designs that have been reworked for the rimfire cartridge. The new SW22 Victory is truly a dedicated platform.
With major manufacturers like Ruger and Smith & Wesson driving the price of entry-level AR rifles down, Colt responded in 2016 with a new rifle called the Expanse M4. The new rifle is a (very) basic AR-15 that comes in with a suggested retail price of $699.
The new rifle is a direct impingement gun with the basic M4-style features. It has a collapsing buttstock, pistol grip and A2-type front sight assembly. A polymer two-piece handguard is standard.
As is typical for AR-15 rifles, this gun is chambered in 5.56 NATO. It can safely fire both 5.56 and .223 Rem ammunition.
The 16.1″ barrel has a 1:7″ twist that should allow it to stabilize most of the bullet weights commercially loaded for the calibers.
Colt uses a flattop upper and does not ship with a rear sight. However, the Picatinny rail makes adding one a quick process. Many people will opt to add a red dot like the Trijicon MRO instead of, or in addition to, a rear sight.
A single 30-round aluminum magazine ships with the Expanse M4.
Colt states on its web site that these rifles do not ship with a forward assist or dust cover. That’s unfortunate as these items are pretty standard with even budget AR rifles. (Thanks to reader TechnoTriticale for pointing this out.)
Colt Expanse Specifications
Here are the specs for the Colt Expanse:
Model #
CE1000
Caliber
5.56 NATO/.223 Rem
Magazine Capacity
30
# of Included Magazines
1
Barrel Length
16.1″
Overall Length
32.0″-35.5″
Action
semi-automatic, direct impingement
Stock
6-position, adjustable length
MSRP
$699
In the wake of the Sandy Hook buying frenzy, there was a glut of AR rifles on the market. In economic terms, supply exceeded demand and prices dropped.
While there have been a number of smaller manufacturers that have targeted the budget-priced AR market, additional pressure was applied by the introduction of lower-priced models from more prominent gun makers adjusting to consumer expectations of less expensive rifles.
Colt Expanse M4
PSA FDE AR-15
Ruger AR-556
S&W Sport II
Caliber
5.56 NATO
5.56 NATO
5.56 NATO
5.56 NATO
Magazine
30 round aluminum
30 round Magpul PMAG
30 round Magpul PMAG
30 round Magpul PMAG
# of Included Magazines
1
1
1
1
Barrel Length
16.1″
16.0″
16.1″
16.0″
Twist Rate
1:7″
1:7″
1:8″
1:9″
Chrome Plating
no
no
bolt carrier, gas key
firing pin
Finish
unknown
hardcoat anodized FDE
Milspec Type III
Armornite
Handguard
2-piece
2-piece Magpul MOE M-Lok
easy removing 2-piece
2-piece
Pistol Grip
A2-style
Magpul MOE
Ruger grip
A2-style
Front Sight
A2-style
A2-style
milled A2 Style with QD-socket
A2-style
Rear Sight
none
folding Magpul MBUS
folding Ruger
folding Magpul MBUS
Price
$699
$749
$799
$739
On a price-to-features comparison, the PSA AR-15 makes the most sense for a budget rifle. You can see my PSA AR-15 review here.
Smith & Wesson seemed to be doing well with it’s budget friendly M&P15 Sport rifles that were selling for less than $700 in many shops. Then Ruger introduced the AR-556 – another entry level rifle that came very well equipped with an MSRP of $749. Both of these rifles allowed a novice AR shooter to buy a rifle from a readily recognizable name.
With the Expanse M4, it seems Colt is trying to capitalize on its name to reach new shooters buying their first AR rifle and more experienced hands who prefer the Colt name as a basic platform to build a more custom gun.
