Niche Market
Across-the-board demand, especially for anything 1911, is spurring
some innovative designs.
By Richard Mann:
Just as in 2015, handguns remained the top-selling firearms in America last year. We are continuing to see suppressor-ready
variants, and these are not limited to center fire handguns. The demand for new and varied 1911s remains strong,
and one manufacturer has upped the ante with a high-grade line of custom revolvers. Although most of the innovation is
occurring with polymer-framed handguns, the real news for 2017 is the niche specialization of various models.
Browning
➤ The Black Label 1911-380 Medallion Pro model, in full-size
and compact versions, features a matte-black frame and a blackened
stainless-steel slide with silver brush-polished flats. The grips are
made of intricately checkered rosewood with a gold Buckmark.
Barrel length on the full-size model is 4¼ inches; on the compact
model, it’s 3 5⁄8 inches. SRP: $799.99; $879.99 with night
sights. Black Label 1911-22LR Medallion full-size and compact
versions will also be offered with similar features for $669.99.
The New Black Label 1911-22LR Gray full-size and compact
models are available with or without a rail. The slides on both are
machined aluminum, and the barrel has a gray anodized finish. The
frames are composite, with a machined 7075 aluminum sub-frame
and slide rails. Sights are fiber-optic. SRP: $699.99; $719.99
with the rail. A Black Label 1911-22LR Medallion full size and
compact will also be offered with similar features for $669.99.
To keep up with the demand for suppressor-ready firearms, the
new Buck Mark Field Target Suppressor Ready 22LR model
will feature a heavy, round, 5 ½-inch suppressor-ready barrel
in matte blued finish. It also will offer an integral scope base with a
Pro-Target rear sight and front blade sight. Grips are Cocobololaminated target. SRP: $599.99. The new Buck Mark Lite Flute UFX model will feature a 5½-inch steel barrel with an alloy sleeve and fluting in a matte blued finish. Pro-Target rear sights and a Truglo/Marble Arms fiber-optic front sight are standard. Grips are Ultragrip FX ambidextrous. SRP: $559.99. Booth #15537. (browning.com)
Ruger
➤ Ruger’s LCP II features a short, crisp, single-action trigger with an inner trigger safety, improved sights, a larger grip surface, an easy-to-rack slide, and an improved slide-stop mechanism
with last-round hold-open. The LCP II comes with a pocket holster and holds 6+1 rounds of .380 ammunition. SRP: $349.
The striker-fired American Compact features a trigger with a short take-up and positive reset. It has a modular grip system, can be field stripped easily, and has an ambidextrous slide stop and magazine release. SRP: $579. The new Mark IV is a revised version of the ever-popular Mark III. The Mark IV is available in Target and Hunter versions, and its most notable feature is how easy it is to take apart. It has a simple, one-button take-down for quick and
easy field stripping. A recessed button in the back of the frame allows the upper receiver to tilt up and off the grip frame without the use of tools. Booth #11940. (ruger.com)
Remington
➤ The R1 10mm Hunter Long Slide is a handgun built with the
hunter in mind. From the accurate, 6-inch, match-grade barrel
to the match-quality, fully adjustable sights, picatinny rail, and VZ
Operator II G10 grips, this pistol will get the job done at distance.
SRP: $1,310. The Remington 1911 R1 Limited is a handcrafted version of the most trusted pistol platform in history, with all the features today’s top competitors demand. Accuracy and speed are key in competition, and with the Limited’s match grade trigger and barrel, wide serrations, and ambidextrous thumb safety levers, it is race-ready right out of the box. Available in 9mm or .40 S&W, the Limited has fully adjustable match sights, G10 grips, and a PVD finish
. SRP: $1,250. As the name implies, the Remington R1 Tactical is a fighting pistol. It comes with a Trijicon rear sight, a beveled oversize ejection port, a PVD finish, a Trijicon front sight, an ambidextrous safety, checkered mainspring housing, a
stainless match barrel, a picatinny rail, VZ G10 grips, and two
8-round magazines. SRP: $1,250. Re-engineered and reintroduced,
the Remington R51 has the same appeal for personal protection
and concealed carry as it did two years ago. Its low-bore axis
helps tame +P 9mm recoil, and its snag-free profile makes it ideal for
covert carry. The single-action design allows for one of the best
triggers in its class, and at $448, it will not break the bank. A version
of the R51 with a Crimson Trace Laser Guard is available for $648.
The big pistol news from Big Green is the new RP high-capacity,
strik
er-fired polymer pistol. Available in 9mm or .45 Auto, with
a respective capacity of 18+1 or 15+1, this is a seriously sized duty
pistol with a very slim grip profile. At 26.4 ounces total weight, the
balanced slide helps control muzzle rise and makes the 9mm version possibly the smoothest-shooting duty-size pistol on the market. The RP is also affordable. SRP: $489. Booth #14229. (remington.com)
CZ-USA
The 805 Bren S1 Pistol is an interesting SBR candidate; the new version of the P-09 is suppressor-ready, with a threaded barrel; the unique Scorpion EVO 3 S1 Pistol; the SP-01 Phantom has been brought back due to popular demand.
➤ The 805 Bren S1 Pistol with its 11-inch barrel has proven a popular SBR candidate for customers wanting to convert it into an NFA firearm. Those who don’t wish to register with the ATF can equip it with CZ’s adapter kit, which allows easy installation of aftermarket arm braces. Chambered in .223 Remington/5.56 NATO, and now 300 Blackout, the pistol uses the STANAG magazine from the AR15/M16. Picatinny rails top and bottom mean it easily accepts optics and lights, and an effective two-port muzzle brake helps keep the pistol solidly on target and reduces recoil and muzzle flip. SRP: $1,799 to $1,899.
Falling somewhere between the
Scorpion Pistols and Carbine, the EVO 3 S1 Pistol is perfectly set up
for those who desire a two-stamp gun. The extended forearm will
hide most suppressors and offers M-LOK attachment points. With
a 7.7-inch barrel and a 5-inch flash can, the barrel is extended to just
past the forend. A factory folding stock is an aftermarket option for
this unique 9mm. SRP: $949. The latest addition to the CZ line of handguns is the P-10 C. This pistol is decidedly CZ, from
the way it feels to the way it shoots. With the CZ grip angle, the P-10
avoids that brick-in-the-hand feeling that has plagued many in the
striker-fired genre, allowing it to point naturally. Interchangeable
backstraps allow it to fit a wide variety of hands. Designed to minimize creep and stacking, the P-10’s trigger breaks at a clean 4 to 4.5 pounds and rebounds with a short, positive reset. It has a fiber-reinforced polymer frame, a nitride finish, a generous trigger guard,
and metal three-dot sights. Capacity is either 15+1 or 17+1, depending on the mag used. The CZ P10-C is available in 9mm
Luger or .40 S&W, and a suppressor-ready variant is available in
9mm. SRP: $499 to $541. Loaded with features, but without
all the flash of the Urban Grey series, the 9mm standard black
P-09 Suppressor-Ready now comes with high night sights and
extended magazine bases, in addition to the obligatory extended,
threaded barrel. SRP: $629.
A new addition to the P-09 is the Kadet
Kit. It is a scaled-up version of the P-07 kit to fit on the longer P-09
frame. Topped with the new Shadow 2 serrated target sight and
a rear height-adjustable-only sight, the P-09 Kadet Kit ships with two magazines. SRP: $249.
Due to demand, CZ has brought back the SP-01 Phantom. This is essentially a polymerframed SP-01 Tactical, with interchangeable backstraps and mag compatibility with the standard 75 platform. The SP-01 Phantom has long been a favorite in the CZ community and has the distinction of being the current sidearm of the Czech Army. Starting from scratch, CZ engineers
took the best features of the original Shadow and improved upon them. The higher beavertail and an undercut trigger guard
bring the shooter’s hand closer to the axis of the bore. Increased
weight at the dust cover/rail helps keep the muzzle down during
recoil. The Shadow 2’s swappable mag release has an adjustable,
extended button with three settings to allow shooters to set it in
the most comfortable position. The new trigger components provide
a smooth DA and crisp and clean SA pull while drastically reducing trigger reset. Available only in 9mm. SRP: $1,299 to $1,399. Booth #11955. (cz-usa.com)
Do they have any new $3,000 pistols? I just want to pay more….. Plus, I never see any pistols in .357 SIG, one of the more powerful cartridges. Just get tired of : 9mm and 45acp or a dinky .380s.
It’s almost depressing not to have the market cater to such a powerful cartridge as .357 Sig
Ballistics don’t seem to have any appreciable edge over the 38 Super. I’d think the brass would be tad more expensive & a little harder to find also.
On the plus side I suspect you’d have fewer problems with cartridges feeding.
The novelty is also a big plus for anyone who wants something different & I’ve made a purchase for this reason myself a few times.
Slight advantage to the .357 Sig in power (with factory loads), plus most .357 Sig pistols will also handle .40 S&W with just a barrel swap and use the same mag. If a 1911 platform sure, go with the Super (talk about a great cartridge ahead of its time), but for everything else the Sig for me. Brass is easy to get, just a bit trickier to load.
I handload the .357Sig for my Glock32. I keep all my brass of course, but what works the best so far has been the .40 S&W resized to .357 SIG. There is a few thousands difference in case length, but I have never had any problems with feed with the resized cases, compared to the original factory cases, which always seem to “bulge” at the shoulders slightly, which presents the feed problems I experience. No primer bulge, or any other indications of problems. A little expensive to purchase, but the ballistics are awesome. I can get 1500 to 1600 fps with the 115 grain hollow point Hornady bullets I use. The 124 grain and 147 grain bullets I load a little more mildly, but still has plenty of recoil. Blows big holes through the steel plate and 4×4 and plywood target I shoot at. Better ballistics than a 9mm or .45acp.,although some P+ and some hand loads certainly can be close.
Saw that 10mm but the price is so over inflated, I would rather go to Glock and buy their Gen 4 10 mm and save 600 bucks.
Yep, I’d rather have the Gen 4 Glock 10 as well, but unfortunately we can’t buy that one here in the People’s Republic of California thanks to the former AG here Kamala Harris. Another good 10 is the EAA Witness, which is something I’m looking for in the used gun market.
I’m glad .40 brass resized works for you, but I was told it’s not a good idea as it makes the already short .357 Sig neck even shorter. I might try it with a light linking load if I had no choice, but not for a hotter defensive load, and I’m surprised you haven’t had problems. Obviously YMMV. I shoot the 125 grain Montana Gold bullets in new Starline brass and everything works great in a Sig P229.
@Norm: each time you shoot the .40 resized brass it “grows” at the neck from expansion. After a few times it will be within acceptable range . Just don’t trim the case. I also pick up all brass at the range, even if it isn’t something I reload. May someday have someone who needs it. I also save lead tire weights when I find them.
Robert, that’s interesting on the .40 brass, thanks for the info. I’m the same way with brass, and it’s paid off. (I’m amazed how much new, clean brass people just leave on the ground!). I picked up probably 2500 pieces of once fired .40 before I got my Glock 23 then started reloading for it. Been collecting 10mm for some time, but that’s quite a bit scarcer. Same with lead, but anymore with wheel weights you have to make sure it is lead and not something else, zinc I believe is a common alternative to lead. I cast the lead for black powder rifles where pure lead is all you need.
I liked the idea of a bottle neck cartridge, which I believe enhances more reliable feeding.
Myself, I’m a range brass hound. If it’s brass, I save it. I suspect at most ranges there ain’t too much of the 357 Sig brass laying around.
Amen to the prices. Why not $10,000. BUT .380 = “dinky”. I am still waiting to hear from someone who was shot by one and remained unimpressed. Maybe you know of such a story. A wise man with over 300 missions under his belt once said, “When you shot someone with any gun 4 things happen, they stop what they were doing, they run, they bleed and they scream.”
My first concealed carry weapon was a cheap .380 auto. I target practiced with it. I am not saying it won’t protect you, as ANYTHING is better than nothing. A heavy leather jacket at 75 yards…. The perp may just continue about his business.
My rule ( personal ) is 9 mm/38 Cal or above. I want something that will penetrate that heavy coats AND STILL penetrate half of your flesh. Also desire a round that would go through a windshield or car door and still have what it takes to “stop the threat”
I doubt a .380 auto will perform to that standard, just as the law enforcement agencies don’t use .22, .25, .32, or .380 as standard issue weapons. Heck, a stick is better than nothing at all, but I doubt many folks would use a stick if a firearm was available. Hence the reason I like the .357 SIG cartridge. And so does many Law Enforcement Agencies, including the FBI.
Thanks for the reply. Happy shootings!
When I drove cab back in the ’80’s I carried a Walther PPK/S .380 with 90 grain Super-Vel hollow points. The later Colt Pony /Mustang /Pocketlite .380’s were even smaller choices, but I loved the reliable fixed barrel DA/SA Walther with hammer drop safety. Wish I still had it. Yes, a 9 is minimum to me, but at short ranges, and there’s nothing from a practical standpoint shorter range than arms length plus a couple of feet, the .380 with those hot loads is no slouch, and many European agencies still carry semiautos in .380 ACP, or 9mm Kurz / Corto.
I think you added part of the Shadow 2 description to the Phantoms….