#PocketPistol

Bond Arms is well known for their Stinger series of compact derringers that offer everything from the shootablity and fun of 22LR all the way up to defensive cartridges like 9mm. These compact derringers are often most well known for having a bit of a sting when it comes to shooting some of the larger models in .357 Magnum, however, Bond Arms’ new Honey B is the latest addition to the Stinger Rough series that takes the “sting” out of the Stinger through the inclusion of new B6 grips.

Just a bit over three years after the introduction of the LCP II, Ruger has decided to release the firearm in the widely available and easy to shoot .22 LR caliber. TFB was lucky enough to get an exclusive look at the LCP II 22 LR for testing and evaluation purposes so today we’ll go over some first impressions as well as some speculation on how well it’ll be received in the packed concealed carry market.

Heizer Defense has recently announced that the first batch of PKO-45 pistols had been shipped to a dealer. It means the sales of these long-awaited handguns have started. The MSRP is $899.

This odd-looking gadget is a Hungarian pocket pistol made in the mid-’80s. It is called Minimax 9 with the digit indicating its caliber – 9mm. It was designed to be chambered in various 9mm calibers including the 9x19mm Luger, 9x17mm (.380 auto) and 9x18mm. It was fed from a 4-round non-detachable magazine. This was a manual repeater, not a semi-auto pistol.

Before we get started, I need to get something out of the way. TFB readers are the smartest, most handsomest human beings on the planet. But in any group there is a small, but extremely vocal sub group who simply cannot get their heads around ideas like relative differences. So when I say that small pistols suck, and when I tell you that I mean that in relation to carrying a larger gun they will predictably make specious comments about IWB M240B. If you actually did have to choose between carrying a tiny gun or no gun at all, carrying a tiny gun would obviously be better. But that’s rarely the choice for grownup men who don’t dress like they’re headed to the basketball court every day. If you want to wear pants, shorts, or a even a skirt (please don’t insult our intelligence by insisting on calling it a kilt) that’s your business, of course. But if your chosen attire has belt loops and if you’re not wearing your wife’s shirts, you can probably carry a larger gun than you think.

We fired Speer 124 gr Short Barrel Gold Dot from a S&W Shield through heavy clothing and bare gel to assess penetration, expansion, and retained weight. The Speer Gold Dot is one of the most highly regarded handgun projectiles for defense, but we find some surprising results with this load.

The Cobray Pocket Pal is an interesting little self defense gun. It is a break open revolver with interchangeable cylinders. It is chambered in .380 and .22LR. The top barrel is chambered in .380 acp while the bottom barrel is chambered for .22LR. The .22LR cylinder holds five rounds while the .380 cylinder only holds three rounds.

DeSantis has been designing and manufacturing quality holsters since 1972. Of course, four decades ago the company consisted of founder Gene DeSantis making holsters one by one at his kitchen table; safe to say they’ve come a long way since then. One thing that has never changed is their dedication to quality and usability. Today they also work to provide a variety of carry options for a stunning number of firearms, and the latest gun to enter into their holster lineup is the new Ruger LCP II.

When the Heizer Defense .223 Remington Pocket AR and 7.62x39mm Pocket AK single shot rifle caliber pistols were released to the market, the question on many people’s minds was: Out of such a short barrel, will those calibers really be very powerful or effective at all? The folks at GunsAmerica apparently wondered the same thing, prompting them to conduct gelatin tests of the two little pistols to see just what they could do. The article documenting their test is linked here, and the accompanying video embedded below:

When I stopped by the European American Armory (EAA) booth at SHOT there were quite a few things to see starting with their 1911s, but there was more of interest than just the guns this year. The rep I spoke to gave me a demo of a holster he was wearing attached to his belt and I admit it looked like a neat gadget. It’s called the ABDO Concealed Carry Portable Firearm Safe and it gives owners of pocket pistols a different way of handling concealment.

The firearms industry is at its best when creativity and hard work combine to create something that’s truly innovative and great… But that’s not always what happens. Sometimes, the quickest way to get a product on the market is to simply copy what’s already out there. It’s no secret that guns like the S&W M&P or FN FNS-9 are clones of the ubiquitous Glock, or that the subcompact market is dominated by guns that are all basically clones of each other, but the degree to which some of these models match up with one another can be surprising. For example, take the Ruger LCP and the Taurus TCP, which match each other so closely that, as one poster on Imgur found out, the Ruger’s slide will fit on the Taurus’s frame:

Yesterday, on the way home from a USPSA match my friend and I stopped at a local gun store, Anthony Arms. We went there just to look around because we haven’t been there in a long time. By sheer luck, Reps from Remington were there to show off their new RM380 and new defensive ammo. Anthony Arms even has an indoor pistol range underneath their store so I was able to test drive the RM380.

Aren’t there enough calibers in the world? Is there really a need for any new entries into the endless list of different kinds of ammunition that have been created? This argument makes a lot of sense; with virtually every nook and cranny in the spectrum of different possible small arms calibers being filled in some form or another, isn’t is a bit presumptuous to suggest the introduction of something new?

The G42 was loaned to me by a faithful employee of my local range, Hillside Shooting Sports in Roanoke, IN. Thanks, Rocky!

Bondhus Arms showed off their new CL380 fold-up pocket pistol at the 2014 SHOT Show. The CL380 has two barrels and is chambered in .380ACP and also features a built-in laser between the two barrels. Bondhus claims their CL380 is the smallest and most accurate multi-shot .380 pocket pistol, they’re expected to hit the market summer of 2014 and retail for $795. Check out Bondhusarms.com for more info.