Guns Illustrated 2011. Dan ShidelerЧитать онлайн книгу.
polymer-framed Glock has long been the subject of destructive grip recon-touring and refinishing as shooters have struggled to slim down that ubiquitous handgun to improve trigger reach. For those for whom this size reduction makes a sufficient difference, the fourth generation of Glocks eliminates that after-market expense.
Author admits to a yearning to own a SIG P238 with the Titanium rainbow-colored slide.
STI’s Elektra model is a carry-sized 9mm with pink grips indicating their marketing plan for sales to women. It also comes in black.
Carol Rutherford of Woolstenhulme Designer Bags shows a nicely accessorized blue gun purse.
SIG-Sauer took a different route when they tackled the need for a more individualized pistol fit. Their Model 250 is extremely modular, allowing choices in caliber, frame size, barrel length and more. A one-piece polymer grip is available in compact and full size. For some, the backstrap to trigger reach will still be too long, and SIG’s short trigger offers help.
Other models of handguns are perennial favorites with women, because from the very beginning, their grips were small enough for a good fit. Kahr Arms’ many models in 9mm Parabellum, .40 and even .45 come immediately to mind in this class, as does Walther’s model PPS, and more historically, the single column 1911 design in its many variations and calibers.
Of the latter, the popularity of models chambered in alternatives to the traditional .45 ACP cartridge continues to increase. In addition to expanding ammunition options for the small-hand-friendly 1911, this classic handgun type is served by a tremendous variety of after market options and accessories, including thin grip panels to further reduce bulk, night sights, high visibility sights, laser sights, triggers of varying lengths, grip safeties of varying geometry, extended, bobbed, minimalist and ambidextrous thumb safeties, modifi ed magazine releases and more!
9mms and .40 S&W caliber 1911s are no longer rare, whether emblazoned with the logos of Kimber, Para Ordnance, STI, Springfield Armory, Taurus and even Colt’s Manufacturing! Colt’s, of course, marketed a 9mm Parabellum Commander now and again in the years after WWII, though in recent decades, they’ve become somewhat rare. Thus, at the 2010 SHOT Show, I was delighted to see a 9mm Colt Defender on display. The new Defender is a lightweight subcompact with an alloy frame, a 3-inch barrel, and the traditional single action semiautomatic manual of arms. In my opinion, the pistol just cried out for a pair of slim grip panels and a short trigger. Still, I predict it will prove a solid foundation for many a customized women’s self defense pistol and I was glad to see it.
As we strive to customize and modify a handgun to fulfill individual needs and desires, we often begin to impinge on reliability. Unfortunately, the 1911 has long been subject to excessive gunsmithing, often to the detriment of its dependability. In addition, a common rule of thumb to bear in mind: the short-barreled concealment pistols are frequently fi nickier about ammunition, the strength of the shooter’s grip during the firing cycle and other variations that interrupt the relationship and interaction between the recoil spring, the weight of the slide, and the pressure of the cartridge. A sometimes delicate balance is required to shuck out the empty case and feed in a fresh one. Sometimes the snubbiest semiautos use very stiff recoil springs, and while vital to reliability, this feature may make it challenging for some female shooters to manually cycle the action.
ITSY, BITSY, TEENY WEENY…UM, HANDGUN
Overall gun size is always a challenge when women gear up for self defense. Gun weight has been reduced – in my opinion, to unrealistic extremes – in the alloy framed revolvers. That’s right, I’m no fan of the super light, 11- and 12-oz. snubbies, because with high-performance defense ammunition, they are simply beastly to shoot. A pistol’s overall dimensions, however, contribute or detract considerably from whether or not women will find it a realistic choice for daily carry for self defense.
Pistols like the Defender, Springfi eld EMP, Glock 26 and 27, Springfield XD subcompact, Ruger’s new subcompact SR9, and many others of similar size are the preferred choices because they are just large enough to afford a good shooting grip, moderate recoil control, and a reasonable sight radius. But what to carry during hot summer days, at dress-up affairs, and under other circumstances when even those chopped-down variations are too big to conceal? In times like these, a .380 that men consider a backup, deep-concealment hideout or a pocket pistol is likely to become the primary defense gun for many a lady.
Smith & Wesson’s tiny .380 Bodyguard semiautomatic.
Short stocks make these small-statured shotgunners smile! On the left, women’s gun columnist Diane Walls holds her Remington 11-87 fit with custom-made Choate stock, while Rivendell Consulting owner Jennie Van Tuyl’s Remington 1100 has a traditional wooden stock that is cut down considerably.
While these are the guns to which many default in challenging concealment conditions, they are poorly suited to the beginner who is learning the lessons of sight alignment, trigger control and gun manipulation like loading and malfunction clearing. Not only does the pistol’s small, light size amplify even the .380 ACP’s recoil, the miniaturized frame often compromises a strong grip somewhat, and the miniaturized controls and levers – when they are even present – can be slow and fumble-prone. Still, the genre continues to be among the most popular pistols a gun shop can stock.
It is ironic that concurrent with the worst .380 ACP ammo shortage in my memory, gun manufacturers have introduced more miniaturized .380 pistols than ever before. No longer does shooting a .380 mean lugging around a Beretta Cougar or Bersa Thunder, guns nearly as large as a 9mm Glock 26/27 and much bigger than a Kahr Arms PM9! Nowadays, the deep concealment .380s are half that size, with measurements of slightly more than 3-1/2 inches by 5 inches for the Ruger LCP and its ilk.
In 2001, North American Arms debuted their .380 Guardian, a slightly larger echo of their earlier .32 ACP all-steel micro pistol based on the venerable Seecamp design. Its continuing popularity gives shooters who worry about polymer’s durability a valued option. Not long thereafter, Kel-Tec beefed up their madly popular polymer-framed .32 ACP semiauto to chamber .380 ACP ammo and the result was the P3AT. The eight ounce .380 has proven amazingly durable, though the sights are rudimentary. Both alternatives were the mainstays of the pocket pistol crowd until two years ago when Ruger reworked the Kel Tec design into their polymer-framed LCP.
That same year Kahr Arms introduced their P380, which just continues to become more and more popular. The simple, DAO mini is less than 5 inches long, and, at just under 4 inches, is a bit longer through the grip. Unlike most other pocket pistols, the Kahr P380 comes from the factory equipped with the manufacturer’s conventional drift-adjustable bar-dot combat sights. Many years ago, the folks at NAA put a set of Novak pistol sights on my Guardian 380, achieving the same effect. Now Kahr Arms does it from the start.
This year, Smith & Wesson joined the pocket semiautomatic market in a big way with their Bodyguard line. A partially polymer revolver of J-frame size and a .380 mini semiauto were on display at the 2010 SHOT Show, attracting a lot of attention. Both are manufactured with integral lasers from Insight Technology.
The S&W Bodyguard 380 takes the double action semiauto pocket gun concept to a new level. While the forerunners – Seecamps, Guardians and Kel Tecs – cut back on bulk by eliminating operating levers like slide stops and thumb safeties, the Bodyguard 380 has a full complement of controls – a thumb safety, a slide lock, and a take down lever, all tucked in flush to frame. While unobtrusive, these controls make gun operation far more user-friendly. The .380 Bodyguard is just over 4 inches high, 5-1/4 inches long, and weighs just less than