GARY'S GUN NOTES

With the failed Shot Show a vague memory for most, many gun makers and accessory makers are turning to other means to get their product in the publics eyes. One of these ways is by sending gun writers and flunkies like me reams of paperwork and e-mails by the dozen. I think I have received 3 or 4 dozen of each in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Here are some of the new products coming our way this year.

Beretta just won’t give up with more guns based on the model 92 style and frame. Their new 92X-RDO model is much the same as the model 92X they previewed a while back. The RDO stands for Red Dot Optic ready. The Beretta is a good pistol but their continuing updating the model 92 do get a bit boring.

On a Gun Notes or 2 ago I mentioned the new S&W CSX. They got totally away from the norm on this one with an aluminum alloy and metal thru out. It also has a hammer and features much like those of the 1911, ever a beavertail to keep the hammer bite away. They are also coming out with another version of the new CSX. The CSX is not new. I just go over it again due to being impressed by the feel of a metal micro 9 and how it fits in the hand. I also like it that S&W had the balls to go totally against the grain with this one.

On the topic of S&W they are coming out with the Shield EZ 30 SC. Now this is one that I try to find a reason for the caliber. The 30 Super Carry is not super in any stretch of the imagination. The cartridge is the brainchild of someone who needs to quit drinking. The cartridge is less power than a 9mm but more powerful (and I use those 2 words tongue in cheek) than the 380 auto. So if you want to carry a gun that it’s makers brag that it is less power than the 9mm then carry on. Oh and by the way S&W has a smaller overall size as the above gun. So now you can have a smaller pistol with less power than a 9mm. Wow.

With 3 companies making copies of the Browning Hi Power these days now another company says they will do the same. This one is a maybe so I won’t go into the details yet. By the way I shouldn’t have said there were 3 “copies” of the Browning Hi Power. There are actually 2 of them, the 3rd is not a copy. It is built by FN. They were the original makers of the Browning Hi Power so their pistol is not a copy. I am a big fan of the Hi Power. We have built 65 full custom Hi powers made in Belgium by FN in the last few years and if I had to make a choice I would go with the FN model, just because.

A good while back I mentioned for us to be watching for guns coming from Standard Manufacturing. I am not sure what the background of this company is but they have mega bucks backing them. They have released a whole slew of extremely nice guns in the recent weeks. One is a copy of the Colt Woodsmen. It is a really top of the line 22 LR pistol with color cased frame, adjustable rear sight, the Colt style thin 6.5” barrel and deluxe 2 piece wood grips. This one is a real beauty and the Colt Woodsman lover will have to have this one. Standard Mfg is also bringing several other guns out, handguns and long guns and I will get to these in the next Gun Notes.

Taurus released the model 856 a couple of years ago in a small snubbie revolver in 38 special and 357 Mag. Now they have come out with a version chambered in 327 Federal. Like the bigger bore version it has the typically soft rubber grips, a 2 inch barrel and is available in satin black and stainless. This is perfect for the revolver lovers.

The Taurus G2C revolver has been one of the best selling carry guns since they released it a couple of years back. They followed it up with the G3. Now they have come out with the G3XL which is sorta like a longslide G2C. It has the longer slide than the G2C or the G3 and is still concealable. It holds 12 rounds of 9mm and has all the other Taurus features plus a great price of a bit over $300.

Bond Arms has come out with a thinner easily concealable 2 shot derringer. The frame is aluminum and the barrels are stainless. It is chambered 380 ACP and a set of 9mm barrels are available. Weighing only 12 ounces it is a good pocket pistol for those that like the derringer style pistol.

CZ has had one of the most popular pistols on the market yet most don’t seem to know who CZ is. They have several versions of their excellent P-10. The newest is the P-10M. It was designed for concealed carry and only weighs 20 ounces. Other than the mag release there are no controls sticking out on either side of the gun, making it much easier to draw. Should you need a good concealed carry pistol, check out the new CZ P-10M. If you want a larger tactical version check out the CZ TS-2. It is designed for tactical use with a single action trigger, a not quite long slide, and comes with all the features a person carrying for serious self defense would want. It comes in 9mm and 40 caliber.

For those that like the looks and feel of the H&K MP-5, there are now 2 versions that one could buy without the hassle of a class 3 batch of paperwork. One is the H&K MP5 in 22 LR. It has the looks and feel of the original 9mm version but is semi auto and in 22 LR. The other choice is the ZF-5 by Zenith Firearms. It is built in the U.S. and comes chambered in 9mm with a 30 round magazine.

Heritage Mfg, now owned by Taurus, has come out with a handgun that I wonder what was the reasoning for it. It is the Heritage Mfg Barkeep Boot pistol. It is a small snubbie revolver in 22 LR. It has a 1” barrel, no sights and a 6 shot cylinder. It has a birdshead grip for less snag when carried in a boot or an ankle holster. It comes with a wooden ejector rod.

Ruger has done a bit of revamping of their very popular 57 model. It is now the 57 Pro. They have adjusted the feel of the gun with a shorter trigger, reversible mag release and bigger slide stop. It also feels natural in the hand. Remember it is the 57. That is Five Seven, not fifty seven.

Walther continues to add new models to their line up of great carry guns. The newest is a 22 Magnum pistol. I have info supposedly coming to me in a couple of days on this one, but it is something to look forward to.

Whoever ends up putting out new Remington handguns will hopefully revise the old XP-100. This is the handgun that got a lot of folks into handgun hunting and were used by some of the finest handgun hunters around, including the father of handgun hunting, Al Goerg. I keep hearing rumors of it being brought back but nothing concrete. One could hope though.

Sorta on the subject of XP style handguns the new Savage 110 PCS is kinda designed for the handgun hunter, but not totally. It is based on the Savage model 110 rifle action. Savage put out a version of this several years ago that flopped, so they are trying again. This one has a lot of very special features with a left hand bolt and right side ejection. It comes in 308 with a 10 inch barrel. The only thing I see wrong with this design is the 5 round magazine sticks down in the area where the gun would normally be sitting on a sandbag or some other rest. This makes it impossible to use the way the old XP-100 was used. Most of the AR type pistols are really not useful to a handgun hunter and that is a shame as there is a whole new group of handgun hunters out there just looking for that long range hunting handgun. Weatherby put out a new handgun much like the XP-100 but the price hurt it. Nosler has their new handgun out that is again similar to the old XP in design but like the Weatherby the price seems to holding it back. Hopefully some company will put out that XP copy for the handgun hunters.

I didn’t get even halfway thru my list of new offerings for the handgun folks out there and didn’t even touch the rifle and shotgun offerings. I will do my best to go over them next month.

I noticed that my main man in my shop, Nate Henning, took a real nice Arizona bear with his S&W model 29 in 44 Magnum yesterday. And the good part is he took his son with him. That should make for a young up and coming handgun hunter down the road.

Like Nate did, if you get a chance to go hunting or just target shooting, take a lady or youngster with you. They are our future.

Until next time, God bless

Gary