The Public Defender Polymer uses a steel sub-frame, with the grip, trigger guard, barrel shroud, and top strap made of reinforced polymer. Polymer has been used in handguns since the HK VP70 was introduced four decades ago. Some folks do not like polymer handguns, but it is not because polymer does not work well. I agree that a plastic pistol does not stir the soul like walnut and blued steel, but for a handgun that is a tool, it works very well. Polymer is lightweight, self-lubricating, and does not rust. Nobody is going to accuse the new Polymer Judge of being just a pretty face. It is a homely-looking revolver, but it serves its purpose very well. Like the rest of the Judge series of revolvers, Poly can shoot 45 Colt ammunition, and it does it well. However, its forte is its ability to throw a charge of buckshot, birdshot, or a combination of both for a formidable weapon for close-range personal defense. Since the Judge was first introduced, folks have been walking into gun stores and asking for “the carjacker gun”, as it was recognized early on as being an ideal carjacker repellant. If someone jerks your car door open and immediately gets a face-full of birdshot, he will suddenly have a change of priorities, I promise you. At across-the-room distances, a load of buckshot, or even better, the new Winchester PDX1 load that contains three flattened disks and twelve pellets of plated BB-sized shot, makes for a very good defensive load from a handgun. It is not equivalent to a heavy payload of shot from a twelve gauge shotgun, but it is a whole lot lighter weight of a weapon to carry. Poly is small enough and light enough to conceal well under a jacket or un-tucked shirt, and rides very well in a cross draw holster while seated in a vehicle, for immediate access.

The Polymer Public Defender wears better sights than previous models of the Judge, as Poly’s rear sight is windage-adjustable, yet still low-profile and snag-free. The rear sight notch is good and wide for quick alignment, and the front is a red fiber-optic rod set into a square-faced steel post. The small hammer spur is well-checkered for a positive, non-slip purchase by the shooter’s thumb. Poly can be fired from either the single action or double action modes. The single action pull was crisp on the sample revolver, and the double action very smooth.

The Polymer Public Defender was fired using a variety of 410 shotshell ammunition and with a lead-bullet 45 Colt handload. Functioning was perfect with all ammo tested. I concentrated mostly on 410 shotshell ammunition because I consider this handgun a 410 shotgun first, with the 45 Colt playing a secondary role. The reason for this is that there are many 45 Colt handguns on the market, and the Judge series of revolvers can certainly shoot that ammo as well as most, but the ability of the weapon to fire the shotshells for defense against poisonous snakes, pest control, and for social work make the Judge revolvers unique.

The light weight of the Polymer Public defender, which helps make it ideal for concealed carry, also makes the felt recoil a bit sharper. However, the excellent cushioned Ribber grip makes the weapon easy to control, and eliminates any pain. I fired Poly at ranges from three to twenty-five yards, with very good results. At across-the-room distances, keeping buckshot and PDX1 loads on a human silhouette was easy to do. The revolver fired smoothly, and the empty cases always ejected easily, no matter the load tested. Again, functioning was perfect.

The Polymer Public Defender was easy to control, as can be seen in the accompanying video. It hides well in a coat pocket, or when carried in a belt holster such as the versatile Simply Rugged Sourdough Pancake. Loaded with PDX1 ammo for self defense, it is a rugged, reliable weapon that is easy to shoot, and easy to shoot well. Loaded with small birdshot, it is an excellent choice for use against poisonous reptiles in the woods, and if larger predators might be a problem, carrying two shotshells with three 45 Colt loads would be a good choice, especially in bear country. Like all of the Judge revolvers, this new polymer-framed revolver is a versatile, reliable weapon, and Judge Poly is my favorite Judge yet.

thanks to Jeff Quinn for this review.

Well, nes to say I am impressed.  I was finally able to get my hands on both Bodyguard models.  I was so impressed, that I bought the .380 version.  So here goes.

Considering that I have tried many pocket pistols, I went in thinking these would be more of the same.  First, I ran the .380 model through the paces.  It never missed a beat.  The trigger is LONGGGG, but smooth.  It actually stages very well.  After only one box of shells I was able to stage it just before it breaks.  This was a HUGE help in keeping the laser on target.  As you know if you have ever shot a laser with a long trigger pull, it can be tough to keep on target.  Once you learn to stage the trigger on the .380 it works really well.  The laser was not quite as bright as I would like it to be (not as bright as a Crimson Trace) but it does the job.  I used the safety once, and it worked.  I will not use it in the long run because I don’t see a need for it in a DAO pistol.  I shot 300 rounds, and it functioned flawlessly.  The grip feels very good in the hand, and actually better than any pocket pistol in its class.  I love this little gun.  It out performs the Kel-Tec (and I am a KT fan).  It makes the LCP feel like a cheap gun.  And the Taurus just didn’t perform well for me.  The mag extension feels good, but understand it makes the pistol just a bit bigger in the pocket….only like 1/2 inch though.  It is my opinion that this gun is now the leader in the class and S&W will sell a bunch.

OK, now to the .38 Special.  This gun functioned well as it should… it is a revolver.  No flaws.  Same complaint that the laser was not as bright as I would like, but it worked ok.  The grip feels good.  The balance is typical for a polymer revolver.  It feels just like the LCR to me.  Is it better?  Can’t really say that.  For the money, it is a better deal because it includes the laser.  But this gun and the Ruger LCR are equals in my opinion.  Buy the S&W and get the laser.  My only complaint is that I don’t like the laser switch.  It’s just in an awkward place for me being behind the cylinder.  I could get used to it, though.  I shoot a S&W 642 with a Crimson Trace laser all the time.  I like the balance of the 642 better and the laser is much better.  But then again, I have a whole lot more money in it.  All in all, if you are looking for a lightweight revolver, this one is a good one.  The few things I wasn’t thrilled about, I could easily get used to.

S&W has a huge winner with these guns.  The .380 outshines its peers in my opinion.  The .38 Special is equally as good as anything I have seen.

Happy Shooting!!!

The Bodyguard 380 pistol and Bodyguard 38 Revolver were both designed with similar objectives in mind. Both are  lightweight compacts, both are chambered in low-powered .38 caliber cartridges, both have a similar black finish  and, notably, both come standard with a built-in laser sight.

The laser sight is a feature S&W will be marketing heavily. The INSIGHT manufactured lasers feature ambi control, constant and pulse modes, windage and elevation adjustment and three hour continuous operation.

This pistol is a brand new design. It is lightweight at 11.85 ounces, although not quite as light as the Kel-Tec P-3AT which weights in at just 8.3 oz. Its polymer frame with integral laser has a cool futurist look to it.

It is double action, has an external safety and can hold 6+1 rounds of .380 ACP ammunition.

The Bodyguard 38 is a lightweight J-Frame with aluminum/polymer frame and steel cylinder. While less exciting than the above autoloader, it is a decent compact revolver. It features an ambidextrous cylinder release on top and fully enclosed hammer for snag-free drawing. The laser is mounted on the left side (laser switch is mounted on top for ambidextrous use).

First, the basics, it is a five-shot, 38 Special revolver that is rated for +P ammunition.  The hammer is full concealed, and the gun is double action only.  The gun is black with a grip.  At first glance, it looks a lot like a model 442.  But, this revolver is actually very different.

The Bodyguard 38 is a polymer framed revolver, the first ever by Smith & Wesson.  This means that Smith had to go back to the drawing board to design this firearm.  The lower frame (roughly from the rear of the cylinder back), is polymer, while the upper frame (surrounding the cylinder and housing the barrel) is aluminum.  As you might expect, the revolver is very light, weighing only 14.3 ounces.

A significant change on the Bodyguard 38 is the relocation of the cylinder release.  Instead of being mounted on the side of the frame, the release has been moved to the top of the frame, where an exposed hammer would normally be.  Since the cylinder release is along the midline of the revolver, it is now ambidextrous.

Speaking of the cylinder, one of the problems sometimes cited by owners of Smith & Wesson J-frames, is the extractor rod is too short to reliably eject fired brass.  This is an annoyance at the range, but a possible deadly problem in a self defense shooting.  While not full length, the rod on the Bodyguard 38 is noticeably longer to provide a more sure ejection of spent cartridges.

Smith and Wesson lists the barrel length as 1.9″.  Traditionally, S&W has listed the barrel length of their “snubbies” at either 1 7/8″ (1.875″) or 2″.  I assumed that Smith was rounding up the 1.875″, but the company rep insisted the barrel length was exactly 1.9″.

Sights are fixed and black.  The rear notch seems wider than the notch on the 442/642, but that is my impression only.  I didn’t measure them, and the Smith rep was not sure.

Significantly, the Bodyguard 38 ships with an integrated laser from Insight Technology.  The red laser mounts high and back on the right side of the frame.  The laser is adjustable for drift and elevation.  Two laser modes are offered: steady and pulse.  To activate the laser, the shooter my turn the unit on by pressing a button on the unit.

What I am curious about is the collaboration with Insight on the development of this revolver.  Smith & Wesson has offered Crimson Trace Lasergrips on many of their models, and I would have assumed they would bring CT in on this type of project.  However, according to an Insight rep I spoke with, Insight worked hand-in-hand with Smith to develop this gun.

While I think lasers can be useful in certain circumstances, I do not know how useful this laser unit will be, as an extra step is required to activate it.  Most self-defense shootings happen very quickly, and I am not sure that someone would have the time to click it on in its current configuration.

Heading to the range to try both of these now.  A range review will be added shortly.

The pistol caliber carbine, CX4, can be had to accept the same magazines as the PX4 Pistol.

The one I reviewd is a full size 9mm in DA/SA PX4 Storm. The gun has replaceable and different size magazine buttons and back straps, but mine came with medium appendages only.
The gun came with three 17 round magazines (though most stores only have the 2-Mag box). From what I have determined (empirically), the back strap and entire trigger assembly are easy to remove and replace. Ultimately, one will be able to replace the trigger assembly with whatever action he desires and configure the back strap and magazine button to fit his or her hand size. You can also replace the decocker and slide catch with slim line versions that should make the gun more concealable.

The locking system, like the Beretta Cougar, uses a direct barrel to slide lock that rotates the barrel during unlock/recoil. This allows for a lower barrel axis and thus lower perceived recoil. If you’ve ever shot a Cougar, you’ll know what I’m talking about. You .45 guys should try a Cougar 8045 if you ever get the opportunity. You get more push and less muzzle flip with the rotating barrel.

Fired 100 rounds of Magtech 115gr round ball 9mm, 50 rounds of Winchester White Box 115gr 9mm, and 20 Rounds of Federal 124gr Hydra Shoks. Zero Failures of any kind. With the first magazine I had a nice 3” group that was 2” left of center. Continued shooting left of center and then switched to another gun a little while (not included in round count above). When I switched back, I brought the groups closer to the centerline and even tightened up a little. I had some groups at 2” at 10 yards and a few even tighter when I really concentrated on slow firing. On average, I’d say 2.5” – 3″ Groups groups for 10 rounds at 10 yards, and that is not bad for me. The left of center was starting to correct itself and I’m sure it was just me getting use to the trigger, but more range trips are warranted to make sure. I do not want to drift the sights until I get a chance to try the other back straps.

I took the time to disassemble, and it is done pretty easily.  Nothing difficult if you are accustomed to field stripping a semi.

The trigger is about what you would expect from a DA/SA gun. Although, the double action trigger felt a little gritty. You can feel all of the iternals meshing and rubbing, but that should ease up with use. The single action trigger has the expected take up in this type of gun, but was prefectly fine for my use.

As to the 17 round magazines, all I can say is Ouch! Those puppies are tight and I never did get 17 rounds in any of mags. The most I was able to load in one of the mags was 16, the other two – 14.   If you purchase this gun, I would suggest you load up the mags with 13 rounds or so and let them sit a while.  Then when you get to the range, you can probably insert the additional rounds.   A mag loading tool may also help.   I’ve never had a problem loading magazines before, but these guys were really tight.  Note to Beretta….. use a weaker spring.

After firing and holding this pistol, I think it would make a great nightstand gun.  It has luminous sights and as soon as night sights for this gun hit the market, they would provide additional enhancement.   I hope this doesn’t sound too much like a commercial for Beretta, but I think you would enjoy the PX4 Storm.  When they come out the the 357sig, I may pick up an extra slide and barrel in that caliber.

Overall, my opinion is, this is a great gun that is very finely made.  It is what you would expect from Beretta (not withstanding the series 1 model 92).  Great gun for nightstand, etc….  This is a bit too large for good concealment carry, but would work nicely in the car on a gungrabberz magnet.

Fully loaded with premium accessories, with individually tuned and fitted features, the PT 1911 leaps from the box already equipped to go head-to-head with the current Model 1911 market’s most dominant names, with more trimmings than even many custom-built competition guns. All that at half the recommended retail price of any other equivalently equipped Model 1911. In fact, once the initial rush is over, you’re gonna be able to buy a PT 1911 for the same real-world price as most other companies sell basic plain-vanilla Mil-Spec 1911s.

Here’s a close look at the PT 1911 package.

The fundamental format is a standard full-size Model 1911 with a five-inch barrel, built exactly to the U.S. government’s final official specifications set for the gun (circa 1947) and manufactured entirely by Taurus in its ultramodern Brazilian facilities.

It is available either in blued-finish chrome/moly steel at $599 MSRP or matte-finish stainless steel at $619 MSRP. The stainless version is stainless in all major components with “stainless-appearance” flash-chrome heat-treated carbon-steel working parts where appropriate (of course, sights, grip panels, and magazine components are also not stainless). Both versions feature plain black checkered rubber grip panels.

Taurus’s “Custom Shop” Approach
For all intents and purposes, the PT 1911 is assembled with what we in the U.S. would call a “custom shop” approach. Slides and frames on both the blued and stainless versions are Taurus-forged, not cast, and are individually hand-fitted to match-level tolerances during assembly.

The forged match-grade barrels (stainless on both the blued and stainless guns) are also individually fitted, with a polished feedramp, polished barrel throat, an air-gauged solid barrel bushing, plus a hardened barrel link and lug for long wear and an enduring fit in heavy-duty use. Each PT 1911 hammer/sear/trigger setup is individually fitted and tuned, receiving a U.S. gunshop-equivalent “trigger job.” The internal extractor is individually tuned. There are no “drop-in” parts. All accessories and operating controls are individually fitted.

The only “signature” accessories on the PT 1911 gun are the sights. They are Heinie Specialty Products’s SlantPro Straight Eight two-dot system, which a rapidly growing number of law-enforcement and military operations units are adopting as superior to any type of existing three-dot sight. The Straight Eight consists of one white dot in the semi-Patridge front blade and one white dot directly below the bottom of the square rear sight notch.

Both the front and the rear sights are drift adjustable for windage. And varied height front blades are available. Unlike three-dot systems, which can confuse the eye with lateral spacing and alignment, the Straight Eight acquires immediately. All you do is “stack” the dots. If one is above the other, you’re aligned.

Other performance-enhancing refinements on the PT 1911 include slide serrations at both the front and rear, to aid in manual cycling and clearing; a lowered and sculpted chamber port for reliable and consistent case ejection; an extended magazine release button; and a beveled magazine well for positive engagement and easy insertion with rapid reloads. Each PT 1911 comes standard with two eight-round .45 ACP magazines with thick black polymer bumper pads for positive seating upon insertion and to cushion impact and resist magazine damage. The PT 1911’s straight-back mainspring housing, the frontstrap of the grip, and the underside of the trigger guard are all checkered (30 lines per inch) to enhance security of grasp in either one- or two-hand hold.

All parts on the PT 1911 are manufactured by Taurus, including the magazines and the custom-style accessories, and they are specific Taurus configurations and not copies of any other brand-name designs. (Of course, all popular Model 1911 accessories, such as beavertail safeties, triggers, hammers, etc., are very similar in appearance.) Even the Heinie sights on the guns are actually fabricated by Taurus, under license and according to Heinie’s strict specifications. Most of the small parts are manufactured through metal injection molding (MIM), which is a very precise, cost-effective process growing in widespread use throughout the entire world of precision metal parts fabrication in many high-tech industries. Taurus has become a national leader in MIM technology, and OEMs a large number of parts for other manufacturers throughout the firearms industry.

It is important to remember that in spite of the PT 1911 being an “all-Taurus” product, it is nonetheless a true-dimension Model 1911 pistol in all specifications–which means that a shooter can replace any of the gun’s accessories or components with any other Model 1911 aftermarket parts for which he has particular preference with only the minor fittings or adjustments normally required for installation. At the same time, however, Taurus spokesmen observe that one of the main reasons they believe the performance of the PT 1911 outstrips similarly featured pistols that cost much more is that other manufacturers assemble their “loaded” guns with off-the-shelf parts from various sources without the unified design and quality-control coordination that makes the PT 1911 a truly integrated product.

Put simply, with the PT 1911 the basic gun and all the bells and whistles were designed, manufactured, and assembled under the same direction under the same roof. It makes a difference. Or as Taurus Vice President Bob Morrison wryly observed when I asked him about parts compatibility, “Sure, the other stuff will fit. But if you have a nicely equipped Mercedes, why would you want to switch its drive shaft with a part from Acme Auto?”

With all this pedigree, it’s almost anticlimactic to say how the PT 1911 shoots–but it shoots well. Face it; the Model 1911 pistol is such a time-proven design, and all of its manufacturing idiosyncrasies have been worked out for so long, that a gunmaker would have to be really bad to screw one up. I had the opportunity to run five varied commercial .45 ACP loads through the preproduction review sample. Thanks to the Heinie sights and a crisp 3.25-pound trigger pull, my first full-magazine familiarization runs fired offhand at 50 feet with Federal’s Personal Defense load printed at about 2.5 inches, which is certainly what I’d expect from any tightly fitted and full-featured Model 1911 pistol. The overall average for all five loads from benchrest at 25 yards was essentially the same.

All of which leaves us with the question that was on the mind of everyone who saw or heard of the PT 1911 at last January’s S.H.O.T. Show: With its hand-fitted assembly, custom features, and long list of premium-design accessories, how can Taurus possibly afford to sell the PT 1911 at such a low cost? I asked Morrison exactly that question. His answer was thought provoking.

“Think about bottled water,” he said. “If you own the well and the bottling facility and make the bottles and the shipping cartons and print the labels, you can always sell water at a lower price than if you have to buy that stuff from somebody else and feed their profits.

“At Taurus we do everything in-house. Our designers and production engineers have every conceivable way to produce parts right on site, from forging to machining to MIM-ing. We can produce virtually any shape of any part we design…if it’s too complicated to be made by normal methods we just MIM it instead of machining it. Our new, totally equipped 1911 is unique because we went from concept to completely packaged product in our own plant, in our own environment. All components from design board onward were completely integrated from the get-go: dimensioning, finishing, hardening, heat treating, choice of metals, manufacturing method, fit and finish–all as a single operating unit, designed by one engineering team. That’s why you get so much for so little. We made it all to our own tolerances, in-house. Every single part was designed to be mated to every other single part.

“A lot of people still think that just because something costs more it’s necessarily better. That’s out-of-date thinking. Remember bottled water. The Taurus PT 1911 costs less because it’s made better. It costs what a smart manufacturer’s 1911 ought to cost.”

Well, when you consider all the very advanced, very reasonably priced products Taurus has brought forth over the past eight years, it’s hard not to agree with him.

That’s why I jumped at the chance to attend a Springfield writer’s seminar held at Raahauge’s shooting park near Norco, California, last October. At this gun-friendly venue, Springfield unveiled a number of special new products. It also held the inaugural, open-to-the-public XD Challenge, a pistol match intended to display the virtues of the Springfield XD pistol. After four days of shooting Springfield’s guns and watching the professionally managed match, I came away with a great respect for the company’s product line. These folks are making some great guns. 

The biggest news is another variation of the explosively popular XD pistol. This new gun joins the already-available XDs in full-size 4-inch and long-slide 5-inch format. It is a much smaller 9mm pistol with a 3-inch barrel and a shorter butt that accepts a 10-round magazine. This little pistol, called the XD Sub-Compact, is in the same size class as the Glock G26 and G27 guns. Obviously, it is intended to go head-to-head with those popular models. The handgun maker who offers an effective police service or civilian defense automatic pistol is always well advised to abbreviate the gun in length and height; the resulting firearm makes an attractive companion to the bigger gun. That’s exactly what we are looking at with the XD Sub-Compact.

Initially available as a 9mm only, the newest XD is intended to be a backup gun for a police officer or other service handgunner or a primary concealed-carry piece for anyone who habitually goes armed. With a short, 3-inch barrel and slide, it’s small enough to carry easily in a parka pocket, purse or fanny pack. 

In the hand, the XD Sub-Compact is a solid, chunky pistol that almost seems a bit top-heavy. There’s enough space on the butt for about 21⁄2 of my chubby fingers. Nevertheless, I found that I had enough grip to control the gun reasonably well in fast shooting exercises. It is more of a problem now that the pistol is becoming available in .40 S&W. As a 9mm, the recoil impulse is short and snappy, which mandates a strong grip and locked wrist for fast repeat shots. 

My initial shooting evaluation of the Sub-Compact was at Raahauge’s during the writer’s seminar. This situation did not afford me a chance to do a proper accuracy evaluation of the gun, but the informal plate shooting we were doing did not cause me to believe an aimed shot from the new XD was going to strike anywhere other than where I aimed it. If you can do your part, it sure looks like the gun will cooperate. 

This pistol is like all XDs in that it has a tough-to-classify trigger operation, which Springfield refers to as the “USA” (Ultra Safety Assurance) system. When the slide cycles, the pistol’s internal striker is loaded, which leaves the shooter with a short-arc trigger pull of some seven to eight pounds. It’s on the creepy side with a certain amount of overtravel. But the trigger pull is also exactly the same for every shot, and that feature makes for both speed and continuity of operation. 

There is no external manual safety, but there are both a trigger safety in the form of a pivoting lever on the face of the trigger and a grip safety high on the backstrap. The grip safety must be depressed by a firm grip of the shooter’s hand. If this isn’t done, you can’t manipulate the pistol in any way. There is also an internal striker blocking safety. I consider this system to be safe to handle. 

The trigger system requires that the slide cycle to set the striker. Slide lock and takedown levers are on the left side of the gun. Note the grip safety on the backstrap.

Lots of shooter amenities are on the XD Sub-Compact. There is an obvious effort to build an ambidextrous pistol. To begin with, the magazine catch is a push-in button at the rear of the triggerguard. When pushed from either side, the button will permit the magazine to drop clear of the gun.

 On the rear face of the slide, there’s a projecting end of the striker, which extends out only when the striker is fully set–a cocked pistol indicator. And centered on the top of the slide at the rear edge of the ejection port, you’ll find a small lug. It projects upward to tell you there is a round in the pistol’s chamber.

 This is a gun with a somewhat oversized triggerguard, which is handy when the shooter is working with gloved hands. This feature has a disadvantage in that it leaves only a short distance from the face of the triggerguard to the front end of the receiver.

 One of the currently popular features of a tactical pistol is a dust-cover rail on which to mount a white light. The XD Sub-Compact has a very short rail, but Insight Technologies showed us a miniaturized light with easy-to-work switches. It fits the new XD perfectly and does not project forward of the pistol muzzle.

 The XD Sub-Compact is a thoroughly modern pistol design manufactured with the most up-to-date methods. The receiver is molded polymer and the upper is machined steel, all done up in a flat black color. Slightly modified Beretta 92 magazines will work in the gun should the purchaser have any left from the high-capacity days.

 There are many advantages to this new pistol design, not the least of which is the backing of a major American firearms maker. It’s sort of a dark horse, but the XD family is one that Springfield will ride into the 21st century.

Thanks to Wiley Clapp of Guns and Ammo Magazine for contributing this review

The North American Mini Revolver may be somewhere outside of the realm of guns we usually think of as snubnose revolvers, but it is a short barreled, compact revolver, and it performs many of the same functions we associate with snubnoses: it is very concealable and easy to carry, and it is a dedicated self-defense pistol.

The revolver under examination here is the NAA .22 Long Rifle with the 1 1/8 barrel. The NAA Mini Revolvers are made in .17 WMR, .22 Short, .22 Long Rifle, and .22 Magnum, and all except the .22 short are offered in several barrel lengths. This pistol is 4″ long, stem to stern, and weighs 4.5 ounces. It is built with very high production values. Its almost like a piece of jewelry. While these little guns may look like toys, they are solidly built and enjoy a reputation for superb reliability and function.

The NAA Mini Revolver is a single action revolver. You have to thumb-cock the hammer to fire it. It actually reminds me a lot of the single action revolvers produced by Smith & Wesson in the 1850s. The difference is that the old Smith & Wessons had tip-up barrels whereas the NAA is a solid frame. The NAA is reloaded by removing the cylinder pin and the cylinder. There are no speedloaders for it. Its good for five rounds; then its a paperweight. The cylinder chambers are recessed so that the primer rims are not exposed to impact. It is carried with the hammer down in safety notches between the chambers in the cylinder. It should not be carried either at half-cock or with the hammer down on a loaded chamber.

Few handguns are the subject of more heated controversy than these tiny revolvers. Some disparage them as simply too small and too inaccurate to serve as legitimate self-defense weapons.  Others swear by them as their all the time gun that can go anywhere all the time and remain undetectable where larger guns would be a problem. Much of this comes down to an individuals philosophy about personal defense weapons. It is estimated that in approximately 92% of firearms self-defense situations, no shots are fired; the appearance of the gun is enough to stop the action. If no shots are fired, a .22 is as good as a .45 and a whole lot lighter. If, on the other hand, your world-view includes a high probability of running gun battles with multiple armed assailants, the Mini Revolver would certainly not be the appropriate armament.  But pray that never happens regardless of what you are carrying.

Heres how you have to think about them in my opinion: yes, theyre really too small for a gunfight.  .38 Special or bigger is really what you want. However, something is better than nothing, and I have yet to run into someone who really wants to be shot with anything. A little gun like this can be concealed in ways that few others can. For example, you dont need a leg holster with one of these; you can just put it in the top of a tube sock and it will stay put. Many folks work in situations in which their mode of dress is prescribed by their employment, and it may not leave many options for concealing a handgun.  For those people, this type of gun works well.   Other folks who consider extremely deep concealment of paramount importance could find the mini revolver attractive.

Range Testing: The Mini Revolver actually shoots better than I expected it to. It is capable of decent accuracy at reasonable ranges. I shot it mostly at three and five yards. Seven yards seemed a bit far for practical applications of the gun, but you can get hits at that range with some practice. I had trouble seeing the sights over the web of my hand. The gun is just so small. The key to using one of these is to get a firm grip on the tiny birds head grip. Otherwise, the gun tends to flip up when fired. If there was recoil, I didnt notice it. I did observe some key-holing of rounds that struck the paper off of exact perpendicular.  But this would actually cause more damage to an bad-guy.  It takes a bit of getting used to the very small grip and frame, and the thumb-cocking, but these things did no present serious obstacles.  But if you plan on carrying this gun….practice a lot.  At least the ammo is cheap.

Tactics: If you told me I was going to a gunfight, this would not be the first or even the second gun I would grab. These are not combat firearms. Instead, they belong to that class of appear out of nowhere and change the dynamics of the situation guns. But, for the sake of discussion, let’s assume that one has decided that the Mini Revolver is the choice for a deep concealment handgun. The diminutive size and concealment possibilities have outweighed the problems of limited firepower, accuracy and terminal ballistics. The reliability of the revolver is chosen over the complexity and possible reliability problems of a small pocket auto. Accepting these assumptions as givens, how is the best way to use the tiny revolver?

If you didnt have to fire it at all, that would be great. If just by drawing, you accomplished the change of behavior you desired it could be a real plus, but you cant count on that. You have to be ready to fire if you draw the gun. If you fire, it will need to be at fairly close range, 3-5 yards, because you will need to hit soft, vital zones. It should be assumed that hits to fleshy areas or bone will not result in rapid incapacitation. Nevertheless, we may reasonably expect that someone peppered about the face, chest or groin with .22 LR might very well decide to retreat, or be stunned long enough for you to escape the immediate area.

Out of this gun, the best .22 LR runs at about 830 feet per second, which is comparable to the speed of .45 hardball and standard .38 Special. Thats nothing to sneeze at for such a tiny gun, but its no proton torpedo. Its a pretty small bullet and therefore does not develop a lot of energy. That is not to say they arent dangerous and potentially lethal. They are. They arent toys.

I have often heard these tiny revolvers referred to a niche guns, meaning that they fill a particular niche, that being a gun for those times when anything larger could be a liability, and the trade-off between power and size is justified by the circumstances. Thats a pretty good description. It is surprising to find out how many people have made that choice, and carry the Mini Revolver all the time.

If I were to carry this gun as my form of self-defense, it would only be because I was wearing something that wasn’t conducive to carrying my Kel-Tec P3AT, or Kel-Tec PF9.

Specifications:

• Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
• Capacity: 5
• Material: 17-4 pH stainless steel
• Barrel Length: 1 1/8″
• Overall Length: 4″
• Overall Height: 2 3/8″
• Width: 13/16″
• Weight: 4.5 oz. unloaded

The sights are not the typical small handgun sights that you get on tiny pistols, but  a bit larger. The one I shot comes with a “Dot the I” configuration  mostly seen on SIG pistols. The rear sight as a white rectangle in the center while the front has the standard dot. Lining them up is fast and easy. this isn’t my favorit type of site, but it works.  I actually prefer the common “Three Dot” set up.  the negative for me is that the site is not integrated into the slide in machining.  It is glued on plastic, which can easily get snagged by a thread in your pocket.

The PM9 has a good trigger. Not a great trigger, but a good one. Not a real heavy pull either. Smooth enough to allow good control through the whole pull. Many shooters would be tickled to have a trigger this good on their bigger handgun offerings. The trigger feels like a traditional double action only type pull, like what you would have in most revolvers. But it doesn’t allow for a second strike. Meaning you can only pull the trigger once without having to cock the action again. If the pistol was loaded and you fired the gun, the action would cycle and cock the action per design. If the round was a dud, or you were dry firing (firing on an empty chamber) then you would have to pull the slide back by hand.  Some of the guns that compete with the PM9 allow for a second strike which is nice in an emergency.

There is one thorn in the PM9’s side, that I found to be distracting. The slide release lever. Most of the gun sports decent contours around the edges after the muzzle. One of the things I appreciate about a good firearm, is the craftsmanship of it’s creation and the quality of the work. Kahrs generally sport a very high level of both. This is why the slide release is such a disappointment. It sticks out like a sore thumb. (More on that in a minute) The slide release lever remains as sharp as a bitter teenager’s tongue. The edges are not sharp enough to cause damage, but they are squared enough to be painful if they scrape along your side going to and from a holster or if your thumb encounters it during recoil when firing. Some guys wouldn’t even think of it, but to me? I find it irritating. It would leave a nice indention in your leg if you carried it in your pocket.  The argument is that the sharper edges allow the shooter a sure grip on the lever for a positive release. Unfortunately I don’t think that holds any water because other gun makers are putting out guns with levers that can be easily operated without feeling potentially dangerous. This is really my only complaint about the gun’s form factor, but as a carry-gun this could be bothersome. I’m sure higher end examples would sport a bevel or two on this part. If not, this would only take but a few seconds of time at a belt sander or a couple minutes work with a file to sort out properly. I’m not sure if this would void any warranty or not but if it did, I don’t see it being any trouble buying a second lever to do the contouring work on.

This gun shoots to near point of aim and groups well (about 3 inches) with little effort. When I fired it, I didn’t exactly dub it my favorite, but I do like it. The recoil was tame and controllable. The .40 caliber version would be a handful but the 9mm certainly wasn’t.

The only downside was that which I have already pointed out. The slide release. During recoil the sharp corner would intercept the thumb of my firing hand causing some, I’ll call it “discomfort”. I could have adjusted my grip, but that is the way I shoot. I didn’t have a single malfunction during testing. The gun performed flawlessly.

Overall, I’m impressed with the Kahr and to be honest I didn’t expect to be so. I had heard from some shooters that these things can jam up a lot when new. This wasn’t the case in the example that I was sent. Maybe it wasn’t so new and had already been worn in. If this is the case with all Kahrs, then it’s a simple matter of buying a couple bulk packs of ammo when you buy the gun, and spend some time getting familiar with the gun. A 200 round break in period is short, and you can do that in an hour. Before you carry any handgun for personal defense, you should shoot at least that many just to get to know the gun and to train your hands in its feel and function. While I wouldn’t make it my primary carry piece, it makes for an outstanding back up gun (or “Bug Gun”) or for deep concealment.  Once again, as you can read on this website, it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Most will be impressed with size, weight, sights, and trigger.  For LE it would make a great back-up gun.  This is one gun that every serious shooter or professional gunslinger consider. It’s small, light, reliable, and it shoots like a bigger gun.  But remember, it isn’t the most comfortable gun I have ever shot, and I certainly would not carry it in my pocket or in a side holster.  It would not be comfortable.  Overall good gun, but you can find a better carry gun!

It is one of the smallest .45 caliber pistols on the market.  It is a single stack, 6 round gun that will almost fit in your pocket.  But in my opinion, not quite.  However it is very concealable.

The Taurus PT745 is similar to the company’s successful PT145, but smaller.  It is basically a “mini me” of the 145.  Controls seem to all be in the same places.  Grips similar, etc….  To get a .45 caliber pistol to this extremely compact size was no small feet.

The fit and finish is typical for Taurus.  The slide is a smooth satin black, with most corners rounded. The ergonomics of the pistol are superb.

The polymer grip assembly has sharp checkering for a good grip (but I would get a Hogue Handall), with contours on both sides that accommodate the thumb and trigger finger. The grip angle is the classic 11 degrees of the 1911, but contoured so that the pistol rides extremely low in the hand for positive control, to lessen felt recoil and reduce muzzle flip.

Because it is a single stack gun, it does feel smaller in the hand.  But that’s what you get when looking for a good concealable gun.

The gun functions well.  It had no jams of any kind when we test fired it.  It held a good group.  Recoil was a bit strong, but it is a very small pistol.  The energy has to go somewhere.  As far as a shooting gun, it is a great pistol.

The trigger is a true DAO design that functions via a transfer bar with integral sear that rides in a channel between the frame and the grip assembly. As the trigger is squeezed, the sear retracts the striker and as it reaches the end of its travel, the sear is cammed down via a small ramp, thus releasing the striker to fire the pistol. This system is smooth, reliable and consistent, but it does “stack” somewhat as it reaches the end of its travel and the striker spring fully compresses. We found that this had little or no effect on accuracy, however.

The striker is physically blocked by a firing-pin safety that is cammed out of the way by the striker as it is retracted. As the striker moves forward, the cam retains the safety out of the striker’s path long enough for the striker to hit the cartridge primer under its own momentum.

The DAO trigger pull is approximately 0.5″ in length and the pull weight is some 9 lbs., but actually feels lighter.  It is a bit creepy though.  The DAO feature as always is a great safety feature.  It’s like having a DAO revolver in your pocket.  You just feel safer.  And you don’t worry about shooting your %$$@ off.

The gun field strips easy enough.  And it shouldn’t cause real problems, even to the NOOB gun disassembler.  Note, it was not as easy as a Glock however.

What I didn’t like was the sights. The one we tested had a 2-dot vertical alignment system.  It drove me nuts.  But fortunately, this would not be a range gun.  Which leads to the 6 round mag.  It gets real old loading that thing.  It seems more difficult than usual to load the last round.   Once again, fortunately it is not a range gun.  If you buy it for this, get about  5 mags.

Other than those few items, I really like the gun.  Its short barrel does not lend itself to great accuracy.  But for an in your face moment, it will do just fine.  It comes with a lifetime warranty just like all Taurus guns.  The only problem is, I hope you never have to deal with Taurus customer no-service.  It is awful.  I have had that opportunity once, and I hope it never happens again.   While they did fix my problem, it was worse than an act of congress.

All in all, I feel this is a good gun for the money.  While it probably won’t win any competitions, it isn’t built for that.  It is built as a concealable .45 caliber pistol.  And it accomplishes that well.  And if you are presented with an in your face moment, it should function as intended.  I would not hesitate to carry this pistol if I were looking to the .45 caliber for my personal CCW.

Coming in at about the same price as the Ruger LCP, it is designed to compete in the small .380 market.  At first site, it seems they may have a winner.  6+1 in the standard mag, and 8+1 with the extension.  It feels good in the hand.  The controls are all in an easily accessible spot.  So far so good.

At the range, unfortunately, it jammed with a FTE on the first shot.  That didn’t bother me too bad, I thought I would oil up a bit before continuing.  From there it did much better.  I got some additional FTE’s, probably 5 out of 50 shots.  That is not very exciting.  I think it jammed more than I prefer.  Some will say it was the ammo, but I used the same reloads I shoot successfully in the Ruger LCP and Kel-Tec P3AT.  This review is certainly from a perspective of comparing the Taurus to those two guns.

There is something about this gun I like, and something I hate.  It looks cool, but it doesn’t perform that well.  It might do better with other ammo, but the other .380’s perform fine with the ammo I was using.  I do like the loaded chamber indicator.  And I also like the Taurus security lock system.  Overall, I would rate this firearm a 7 out of ten.  Because it looks so cool, and comes with a cool pouch, I wish I could rate it higher, but the FTE’s are a serious problem.

Taurus TCP vs. the Ruger LCP vs. the Kel-Tec P3AT:  Now you know my feelings on the Taurus.  You can read my other review about the Ruger LCP as well.  Because I had to send it back, I notched the Ruger down a bit.  All in all, I am still a fan of the little Kel-Tec P3AT.  It’s a bit cheaper than the other two, but a bit uglier also.  Sure the P3AT isn’t a highly machined and refined pistol, but it performs very well.  If I were in the market, I would buy Kel-Tec P3AT first, the Ruger LCP second, and the Taurus third.  Sorry Taurus, I have always been a fan, but this gun needs a bit of refining on the performance side.

Due to the high demand of these types of guns, there should be plenty of buyers.  the P3AT and LCP are flying off the shelves as quickly as they arrive. Now there will be another competitor.  That’s always a good thing.  This one is a bit larger than both the other two.  And as a conceal weapon, size does matter.  The smaller the better.  The Kel-Tec is still the smallest and lightest of the 3.  Other than the FTE’s I experienced, this weapon handled and shot well.  As long as it does not jam, it should be fine.  And after it gets 300-400 rounds it may do better.  But do you want to risk your life on a gun that has a higher risk of jamming?