Pistols

When Glock announced the sixth generation of its iconic striker-fired polymer pistol series in December 2025, the firearms community responded with the usual mix of cautious interest and the usual skepticism. For me, the release was really bad timing, as I had just bought another G45 Gen 5. Was this a genuine leap forward, or just a facelift on an already mature platform? I decided the best way to answer that question wasn't a bench test or a controlled range session. It was to throw a brand-new, straight-out-of-the-box G17 Gen6 into the deep end of a two-day beginner practical shooting course and see what happened. One thousand rounds later, we have some answers.

Springfield Armory has introduced the XD Mod.4 OSP 9mm, the latest iteration of its long-running striker-fired pistol lineup, with an MSRP of $399. The Mod.4 OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) features a factory-milled slide with a plate-based mounting system designed to accommodate a range of popular red dot optics. Plates are available separately through the company’s store.

TALO Distributors has announced two new Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 exclusives, marking the distributor's first semi-automatic exclusives with S&W in several years. Both pistols are chambered in 9mm and feature factory compensators straight from Smith & Wesson's Performance Center. The two new models are the Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Metal Gold Comp and the Performance Center M&P9 M2.0 Polymer Copper Comp. TALO expected both to reach dealer shelves by February 2026.

SIG handed the P320 platform to Daniel Horner and told him to build something that works on a shot timer and a nightstand. The result is the P320-XFIVE DH3, a competition-weight 9mm that keeps enough tactical hardware to pull double duty.

If you have been following along over on AllOutdoor, you know I reviewed the S&W 617 Mountain Gun not too long ago and then bought one because I liked it that much. Since last October I have shot it more than any of my other .22 revolvers. Ten shots of .22LR is genuinely fun until you have to reload, and then you are standing there loading ten individual cartridges one by one like it's the 1880s. I had been eyeing the Speed Beez speed loader for the 617 ten-shot for a while and finally grabbed one to see if it was worth it.

Smith & Wesson just expanded the Equalizer family with a factory-comp version: the Performance Center Equalizer Carry Comp, a 9mm carry gun built on the existing platform with a top barrel port and Performance Center trigger work added.

The original Cabot Guns Apocalypse pistol was introduced back in 2020. Fast forward six years and the company has released the updated version of this handgun, the Apocalypse 2.0. This 1911-pattern pistol features a stainless Damascus steel slide with hand-applied deep etching that further highlights the contrast of the patterns. The use of Damascus steel makes every Apocalypse 2.0 pistol unique, as the patterns are never exactly the same.

If you’ve watched an action movie within the last 40 years, you’ve likely seen the Desert Eagle in the hands of one of the actors. The large-caliber, gas-operated pistol is iconic and conveys “I mean business,” which is why it appears in Deadpool & Wolverine, The Matrix, Snatch, Eraser, Commando, RoboCop, Boondock Saints, Austin Powers, Terminator, and many, many more. The video game industry also loves this pistol, but is this admiration purely fictional, or is it rooted in practicality?

Rost Martin RM1F pistols are polymer-framed striker-fired handguns chambered in 9x19mm. The grips of these pistols feature the company’s signature Responsive Grip Texture and interchangeable backstraps. The magazine release buttons and the slide release levers are ambidextrous. The capacity of the flush-fit magazine is 17 rounds. With the flush-fit magazine inserted, the RM1F pistol has a height of 5.1” and weighs 23 oz.

The subject of whether to use a pistol is not the focus of this article; let us assume we have decided to start with the handgun instead of a shotgun or rifle for the sake of debate. The best approach is to establish some basic standards for what makes the best pistol for beginners as a defensive weapon. The first question, aside from available income, is whether to choose a magazine‑fed pistol or a revolver. Revolvers have their place, but we will stick with what is likely to have the greatest overall success and choose the obvious: a magazine-fed semi-automatic modern pistol. Before some guys my age (or older) chime in, the 1911 and even the 2011 ARE NOT ON THE LIST for best first handgun.

While SHOT Show is always focused on new products, you occasionally see cool older stuff on display too—especially if you visit the Navy Arms booth. Last year, they had beautiful vintage Smith & Wessons on display, acquired after the French forest service surplused them out. This year, they had more French kit on display—sniper rifles and service pistols.

Charter Arms is not a company that’s given to change—they still sell the same model revolver that the Son of Sam made so famous a generation ago, the Bulldog. But for 2026, they have added four new made-in-America lines to their catalog, including one called the Boomer. We’re still wondering if that’s intended as a dig or not …

Got Light Machine Gun? If you’re like 99.9999 percent of the world, your answer to that question is: “No.” But if you’ve got the cash to play, you might be able to change that answer soon, thanks to a new import from Zastava. There’s only one problem: The M84 that Zastava is looking to bring stateside will be converted to semi-auto.

It looks like the classic 1911-pattern pistol is going to be around forever, in lineups of pricey manufacturers and more budget-oriented outfits alike. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any changes along the way, and Iver Johnson proves that with its new lineup of Gen 2 pistols. The changes also carry over to their pistol-caliber carbine.

Lipsey’s has several new distributor-exclusive firearms on display this year at SHOT Show. The crowds were thick, and there was a lot of excitement in the air, particularly around the return of the Smith & Wesson Nightguard revolvers. Keep reading to see all the new exclusives.

The Alpha Foxtrot Romulus already made waves as a budget-friendly version of the modernized 1911 platform. Now it’s available in .45 ACP, just as John Moses Browning would have intended, as well as the ever-increasing-in-popularity 10mm.

In the world of defensive handguns, the sky is the limit with both polymer striker-fired as well as double stack 1911 or 2011 style handguns. What most people don't realize is just how strong the 1911 market is. With the amount of options available today, from optic cuts, accessory rails and upgraded features, the mid-priced 1911 market has some truly strong offerings now that companies are adding a number of optional upgrades as standard. Recently, I have been shooting the new threaded version of the Springfield Operator that has gone through an overhaul in terms of overall design and features, including a standard threaded barrel as well as an optics cut and magwell. Let's take a closer look at the new threaded Springfield Armory Operator AOS.

Back in September, FN invited a handful of media folks out to South Carolina for an early look at what they've been working on. Among the lineup was something I didn't expect: a pistol aimed squarely at the operator, average Joe, and newbie alike. The FN 309 MRD is FN's attempt to crack into the consumer 9mm market with a gun that's supposed to be easy to shoot, easy to use, and easy to own. After putting around 300 rounds through it at Sawmill Training Complex in Laurens, I walked away thinking they might actually pull it off.

Specs

Cabot Guns have introduced the double-stack version of their Rebellion 9mm 1911 pistol. Probably the most notable feature of the new Rebellion MAX is that, despite taking double-stack magazines, it has the same dimensions and weight (28 oz unloaded) as its single-stack counterpart, thanks to exclusive use of 7075 aluminum in the grip and frame. In fact, the grip of the Rebellion Max is actually slightly thinner than the grip of the Rebellion.

Welcome back to another edition of Blast From The Past. I recently picked up a handgun that has had a resurgence in popularity over the last couple of years. As a result, prices have begun to climb again on the third generation of Smith & Wesson handguns. I found a 5946 that I picked up from an online retailer and over the last few months, I have shot it and compared the 5946 to my 5906, so I have some good and bad to look at when it comes to these pistols. Picking up these types of handguns is always a risk, but if done correctly, they can be a great gun for the range. It's not impossible to find good deals out there, but you do have to be on the lookout harder than you had to be before. Let's take a closer look at the Smith & Wesson 5946.

Welcome back to another TFB review. The CZ line of pistols has had a number of new models released in the last few months. From the Shadow 2 Carry to the new P10C ported, CZ has been expanding their model variants in an effort to offer different options for customers. For a while now, there was a stereotype of CZ pistols being for people with edgy personalities. The type that dresses trendy, drinks nonfat lattes and wants something interesting instead of a run-of-the-mill Glock. CZ has started offering new model variants in an effort to make their duty-style handguns more mainstream. Let's take a closer look at the CZ P10C Ported.

Strike Industries and Taurus teamed up to design a chassis for Taurus GX4 pistols. Strike Industries describe this new chassis as a performance-driven upgrade engineered to enhance ergonomics, recoil control, and modularity for the Taurus GX4 series. Let’s take a look at the specs and features of the Taurus GX4 Strike Bravo chassis and pistols.

In the world of DA/SA (Double Action Single Action) pistols, one of the most legendary pistols is the SIG Sauer P226. This reputation was reinforced by the SEAL teams making the P226 their standard sidearm for over thirty years. In the last year, SIG has released a number of new variants of the P226 line with their P226X line. I recently reviewed the P226X Legion SAO and if you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here. Another new variant from SIG is the P226X carry model. Let's take a closer look at the SIG Sauer P226-XCarry Legion.

I have been shooting 2011s for a long time. Over the years, I have tried almost every variant of the platform from OG STI 2011s to newer modified variants like the Platypus, OA 2311 and newer Staccato HDs. One of the long-time weaknesses of the 2011 platform has been magazines. Not only are mags expensive, but due to the fact that the 2011 platform grip modules were originally designed for 45 ACP, the tubes tend to be larger than necessary, expanding the size of the grip along with it. Additionally, 2011 mags tend to have problems when dust and other foreign pieces of debris get into the tube, more so than other platforms. In recent years, we have seen a massive increase in “2011’s” on the market that keep the excellent ergonomics and trigger of the platform while using other, typically cheaper and more reliable magazines. The P211 is SIG Sauer’s attempt to break into this market. It honestly surprises me that it took this long for SIG to introduce a 2011 to the market.

I bought a Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine about a month ago. Been shooting it, been thinking about it, and I keep coming back to the same question - why do rifle cartridges in revolvers keep showing up? This is a thing that's been happening for over 150 years, and I can't figure out if there's still a good reason for it or if we're all just buying these guns because they're weird and fun.

About a month and a half ago I saw something I didn't think I'd see for a long time. The Ruger Blackhawk in .30 Carbine showed up in distribution. I work in the firearms industry so I get to see that sort of thing, and the second I spotted it I grabbed one. Haven't seen another come through since.

The little cartridge that could is gaining even more momentum in 2025 as it has found a new home in the venerable Springfield Armory Hellcat OSP (Optical Sight Pistol). You can now get a Hellcat chambered in .380 ACP for all of the concealed carry loyalists who also love themselves a good 380 pistol.

Glock gets a lot of hassle online for sticking to the same product profile. Each new release looks a lot like the last one. But now, sometimes the new ones are actually the old ones. Lipsey’s showed off a 17L Gen 1 reissue at SHOT Show 2024, and it caught my eye. They were recently on sale with a healthy discount, so I picked one up because I could not help myself.

SK Customs is back at it again, giving us another amazingly embellished firearm tied to a bit of history. The “ Hidalgo” pistol is from the Mexican Independence series and is a limited-edition production run of only 200 Full-Size, Government Model Colt 1911s chambered in the .38 Super cartridge. Each pistol will include a special engraved edition number and will retail for $2,650 as a pre-launch price.