The return of the PT-58!
Taurus came to the NRA Annual Meetings in Atlanta with a curious new (to the U.S. market) double-action/single-action .380 pistol.
The original Model 58 was introduced in 1988 as the 12-shot Model PT-58.
Thus:
Its more modern variant has been popular in Brazil for years and is now available on this side of the equator.
With a layout similar to the iconic Beretta Model 92 (PT 92/99 for Taurus), the handgun sports a 4-inch barrel inside an open slide that has a familiar feel in the hand despite its stubby 7.2-inch overall length. The full-sized grip contains a flush-fit 15-shot double-stack magazine.
The combination gives you a great feel and a decent magazine capacity.
With the sudden resurgence in double-stack .380s such as the Beretta 80X and assorted Turkish-made M84 clones like the MC-14, the time may be right for some more competition in the field.
More in my column at Guns.com.