by Dave Workman | Senior Editor
Heading into 2016, there is no doubt that the handgun market will remain strong, in no small way thanks to an expanding interest among women and Millenials in owning personal sidearms for recreation, competition and protection.
That’s the word from Steve Sanetti, president of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, who noted that shooting is seen as a social activity by many Millenials, as well as older people.
Ruger’s new LCR in .327 Federal Magnum.
“In some areas,” he said, “up to 43 percent of the first-time gun buyers are women. They are not just buying guns and sticking them in drawers. They want to know how to use them, and safety is a big interest.”
NSSF has a program called “First Shot” that appeals to new shooters and it covers not only safety but care and cleaning of firearms.
Also, he said, enrollment in safety courses has exploded, and waiting lists to get into some classes is par for the course.
And there’s nothing that gets people to gun shops and sporting goods stores more than new models, some of which have already been introduced and others that will debut at the four-day SHOT Show.
For example, late in 2015 Ruger unveiled a six-round version of the popular LCR double-action-only compact revolver chambered in .327 Federal Magnum. It’s got fixed sights with a replaceable pinned ramp front sight that has a white bar, on a 1.87-inch barrel. The stainless steel cylinder is finished in Ionbond Diamondblack and the blackened 400 series stainless frame features a textured Hogue Tamer Monogrip.
Another recent entry is the semi-auto SR22 with a 4.5-inch barrel for longer citing radius. It has an aluminum slide with cocking serrations front and rear, and a black anodized finish. The frame is polymer with an accessory rail, and the magazine holds 10 rounds. It has an adjustable rear sight, ambidextrous thumb safety and magazine release and exposed hammer.
Browning’s new Black Label .22 rimfire with threaded barrel.
From Browning comes a .22-caliber version of the Black Label 1911 pistol, and this one has a threaded muzzle for fitting a suppressor. Two versions are available, a full-size model with a 4½-inch barrel and a compact with a 3-5/8-inch barrel. They have composite frames with accessory rails.
Both have fixed steel sights, G-10 composite grips, an extended ambidextrous thumb safety and Beavertail grip safeties.
With a little more horsepower, the Black Label 1911-380 Pro is available with or without a rail. It also has steel combat three dot sights or night sights.
Carolina Arms’ Trenton 1911 is available in three models.
Carolina Arms Group is introducing the Trenton 1911 pistol, with three models, all chambered in .45 ACP. There’s a Tactical, Stainless and Two-Tone, all weighing 42 ounces with custom features and 8-round magazines. They are hand-fitted and feature patented Kart Precision ordnance steel barrels cut with 1:16-inch rifling on a left-hand twist. They are made in the US and are fitted with VZ grips.
Sig Sauer will offer a slightly-updated model of the P225, a popular compact 9mm that has long been a favorite among women interested in personal protection and competitive shooting. The P225-A1 has a single-stack eight-round magazine, Siglite night sights, thin profile that fits a smaller hand, Nitron finish on the stainless steel slide and hard coat anodized frame. It has a 3.6-inch barrel, 4.4-pound single-action trigger pull and 10-pound double-action pull.
SIG’s 9mm updated P225-A1 has a thin profile that fits a smaller hand and Nitron finish on the stainless steel slide.
Another favorite is the limited edition P229 in either .357 Sig or .40 S&W. It has a 3.5-inch barrel, standard grip length, shortened slide and Siglite night sights.
Also, late in 2015, Sig Sauer announced a .22-caliber version of the P250 modular pistol.
Iver Johnson Arms has a new long-slide 10mm auto called the Eagle XL model with a 6-inch slide and barrel, built on a Model 1911 platform.
Iver Johnson’s Eagle XL is chambered for the 10mm cartridge.
It’s a handsome pistol, with adjustable rear sight, beavertail grip safety with bump, checkered hardwood grips, skeleton hammer and cocking serrations front and rear. The finish is deeply blued and the front and rear sights are both dovetailed into the slide.
Another entry is a four-barrel derringer called the Frontier Four chambered in .22-caliber. It’s a single-action pocket gun made from stainless steel with wood-grain plastic grips. The overall length is four inches and the pistol has two-inch barrels.
Smith & Wesson recently announced a new Engraved SW1911 semi-auto pistol featuring intricate machine scroll engraving. It’s a full-size stainless steel model chambered in .45 ACP with an eight-round magazine. The pistol has a glass bead finish with scroll, a three-dot sight system, beavertail grip safety, wood grips and a 5-inch barrel.
S&W’s Engraved 1911 features intricate scrollwork.
Sometime during the first quarter of the year, North American Arms expects to release an updated version of the break-top Ranger model. Chambered in .22 Magnum, built from 17-4 pH stainless steel, with a 1 5/8-inch barrel and fixed sights. The cylinder holds five rounds. The overall length is the same as the original Ranger, and it will weigh just over 7 ounces.
Remington has announced a compact .380 ACP-caliber pistol that is already getting lots of attention. It has a 6-round magazine, giving it seven-shot firepower with one in the chamber. It has a stainless steel slide with wide cocking serrations, ambidextrous magazine release, extended beavertail to prevent pinches of the gun hand, functional slide stop/release and long double-action-only trigger.
Pistols in both 9mm and .45 ACP are being introduced by American Tactical Imports. The FX-H 1911 is a single-action semi-auto on the 1911 frame with a 5-inch stainless steel ”match grade” barrel, polymer frame and stainless steel slide with a fiber optic front sight. It features an ambidextrous thumb safety, beavertail grip safety and finger grooves on the front strap. There’s also an accessory rail on the dust cover.
American Tactical Imports’ FX-H 1911 features a 5-inch stainless steel ”match grade” barrel.
The striker-fired 9mm BB6 has a polymer frame, 5-inch barrel, steel slide and integrated optics mount, and it holds 18-rounds.
CZ-USA offers the Urban Grey series with five handguns chambered for 9mm, all with threaded barrels to accept suppressors. Choices include the P-09 with a 21-round capacity, polymer frame, fixed high-profile sights and swappable safety/decocker; the P-07 similar model with a slightly more compact body and 17-round magazine; the SP-01 with a full-length frame and rail, high-profile sights and 18-round capacity, the 75 Ω with an 18-round magazine, traditional frame and slide, and the P-01 Ω, a compact model also with a rail, 16-round magazine, swappable safety/decocker and black rubber grips.
The CZ 75 P-01 Ω Convertible model is also chambered in 9mm. It has a black polycoat finish, black rubber grips, accessory rail, 7075 aluminum frame and convertible safety/decocker.
The CZ 75BΩ is a full-size model in 9mm with a black polycoat finish, while the CZ75 Tactical Sport Orange has a striking orange grip and black polycoat finish.
Century Arms is adding to its family of Canik semi-auto pistols chambered in 9mm. The TP9SF wears fixed three-dot steel sights and a Cerakote over phosphate finish. It has a loaded chamber indicator, reversible magazine catch, 1913 Picatinny rail and two 10- or 18-round magazines, depending upon local regulations.
The TP9SFx has a removable red dot cover, a front fiber optic sight, extended slide stop, reversible magazine release catch, match grade barrel and a Cerakote finish over phosphate. It comes with two 20-round magazines and accessories.
