Tag: pistol

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Handguns

Smith and Wesson M&P Line Now Features Thumb Safeties

Smith and Wesson is now producing all of the M&P pistols with optional thumb safety.

The ambidextrous manual safety is now available on the full-sized and compact 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 Sig.  The manual safety was originally developed by S&W for the M&P 45, which was developed for the U.S. armed forces trials that never happened.  Now the safety has been carried over to the rest of the M&P line as an option.

All specs on the M&P pistols with the thumb safety remain the same as the pistols without the manual safety.  The thumb safeties are large and easy to manipulate.  They are designed to mimic the 1911-style safeties but are easier to operate.

While the 1911 was an amazing military gun for its time, if the military is serious about upgrading sidearms, they need to abandon the 1911 concept and go after what works.  Frankly, the most reliable handguns on the market today are the polymer-framed, striker-fired handguns that do not have a bunch of switches, safeties and doo-dads.  The Glock line of handguns and the M&P (sans safety) help prove that point.

I’m not suggesting the 1911 is not a fine firearm because it is.  I’ve got a Colt 1911A1 in my safe right now.  But it is in my safe.  The gun on my hip right now is a Glock 19.  Why?  Because the G19 is just more reliable.  And in a violent encounter, I’m not looking for style points, I want a pistol that will reliably put holes in the target and stop the threat.

MSRP runs $719 for the full-sized and compact pistols, with the exception of the .357 Sig models, which list at $727.

smith & wesson m&p thumb safety2009 SHOT Show Update

At the SHOT Show, I got to see the new guns.  I worked with several different M&P pistols and found the safeties worked very well.  I wasn’t sure I would like them, but they were easy to manipulate, clicked smartly into place, and did not interfere with my grip.  I don’t know that I would order an M&P with a thumb safety, but I certainly would consider it.

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Handguns

Kahr P380 Pistol: Kahr’s New .380 ACP Pistol

Kahr P380

Kahr Arms has announced they are shipping a new pistol chambered in .380 ACP: the Kahr P380.

Maintaining the distinctive styling of the larger Kahr pistols, the P380 is a DAO (double action only) pistol that features a black polymer frame with a matte stainless steel slide.  The firearm holds six .380 ACP cartridges in the magazine and ships with two magazines.  The Kahr P380 has a 2.5″ barrel and a choice of standard or night sights.

Kahr has clearly targeted the tiny .380 ACP pistol market by making direct comparisons to the diminutive Kel Tec P3AT.  The Kel Tec pistol developed a large following after it was introduced, and many say is directly responsible for Ruger’s introduction of the LCP at the 2008 SHOT Show.  With that in mind, let us compare the three guns.

The P380 is slightly shorter than both the P3AT and the LCP with a 4.9″ OAL compared to 5.2″ and 5.16″ of the other two pistols respectively.  Kahr lists the slide width as a mere .75″ compared to the .77″ width of the Kel Tec and .82″ width of the Ruger.  However, the Kahr is slightly heavier (9.97 oz unloaded) than the P3AT (8.3 oz unloaded) and the LCP (9.4 oz unloaded) and taller (3.9″ vs 3.5″ and 3.6″).

Continue reading “Kahr P380 Pistol: Kahr’s New .380 ACP Pistol”
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Handguns

Beretta Px4 Storm Sub-Compact Pistol

Beretta PX4 Storm Subcompact Review

It seems like every firearms company is solidly in the striker-fired camp. Beretta is one of the few that continues to find value in the hammer-fired pistol world.

Case in point: the Px4 Storm Subcompact. Introduced more than a decade ago, the handgun continues to be a staple in the Beretta catalog.

Why? Well, some of the reasons are obvious while others are a bit more subtle. So, let’s take a look at the Px4 Subcompact and review the features this gun offers.

Px4 Subcompact

Released in 2008, the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol is a polymer-framed, hammer-fired handgun that has earned a very good reputation in the self-defense and law enforcement communities.

right side view of beretta px4 storm sc

Any shooter familiar with the larger pistols in the Px4 Storm line will recognize this pistol’s styling and operation.

However, there is a significant difference between the subcompact and larger Px4 pistols. Beretta designed the Px4 with a rotary barrel lock up. Due to the compact size of the Px4 Subcompact, this model uses a til barrel lockup common to other pistols like the Glock 43 and Smith & Wesson M&P Shield.

slide locked back on px4 storm sc

Originally, the Px4 Storm could be had with one of four different trigger types, designated by Beretta as F, G, D and C trigger options. Currently, the company trimmed the options down to one: the F.

This trigger option is the traditional double-action/single-action (DA/SA) pull with a slide-mounted de-cocker. The de-cocker can also serve as a manual safety and is ambidextrous.

field stripping the Px4 Subcompact

The following video from Beretta reviews the subcompact pistol along with the other models in the Px4 line:

The pistol was designed to be friendly to left-handed shooters. In addition to the ambidextrous safety, the gun has a reversible magazine release button.

Since the day it was introduced, the Px4 sub-compact pistol is available in both 9mm and .40 S&W versions. Although a pistol chambered in 45 ACP has been rumored, none have ever been offered by Beretta.

Px4 SubCompact with Backstraps

The Px4 comes with three different sized backstraps. A shooter can easily swap them out to find the best sized for his or her hand.

Also to help fit the shooter’s hand is a unique magazine baseplate feature that Beretta calls the Snap-Grip. As with many sub-compact pistols, the gun’s grip is relatively short. However, the front portion of the magazine base plate can be snapped down, giving the shooter additional gripping surface.

When not shooting, the extension can be snapped back up, providing for a smaller profile for concealed carry.

What my Px4 Subcompact came with

A short Picatinny rail is molded into the underside of the pistol’s frame. This allows the shooter to add a white light or laser to the Beretta Px4 Storm sub-compact pistol.

Specifications

Here are the specs on the Beretta Px4 Storm Subcompact:

SKUJXS4F20JXS9F21
Caliber.40 S&W9mm
Standard Magazine Capacity1013
ActionDA/SADA/SA
Barrel Length3.0″3.0″
Overall Length6.22″6.22″
Width1.42″1.42″
Weight (unloaded)26.1 oz26.1 oz
MSRP (2008)$575$575
MSRP (2021)$650$650

Last update: June 3, 2021

Related Files

Beretta PX4 Storm Subcompact User ManualDownload
Categories
Handguns

Glock 30SF – “Short Frame” Pistol in .45 ACP

Glock 30SF 45 ACP Pistol

Say hello to the new Glock 30SF pistol. Introduced at the 2008 SHOT Show, the new striker-fired handgun uses a polymer short frame to improve it’s concealability and ease of shooting.

Chambered in .45 ACP, this gun is sure to be a hit with big bore fans looking for a no-compromise, lightweight carry gun.

Continue reading “Glock 30SF – “Short Frame” Pistol in .45 ACP”
Categories
Handguns

Springfield XD with Thumb Safety

Springfield XD thumb

Springfield Armory introduced a new version of the popular XD 45 Service Pistol. This .45 ACP model adds an ambidextrous thumb safety on the frame that closely mirrors the function of thumb safeties on the 1911 handguns. The thumb safety was placed far back on the frame to make it relatively easy to manipulate.

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