The 13+1-shot Browning Hi-Power, introduced in 1935, was the first “wonder nine” and a worldwide classic for generations until the company finally put it to bed in 2017.
Then came a few companies to fill the void, with EAA offering a Turkish-made clone by Girsan and Springfield Armory, in 2021, debuting the SA-35. We evaluated the latter and found it a very faithful salute to the classic 1960s/70s C/T-series BHP in terms of aesthetics, but with the bonus of several subtle improvements to boost performance.
Now, Springfield has whittled down the gun by about an inch in length while keeping everything else, akin to the old Argentine FM Hi-Powers seen on the consumer market in the early 1990s
You know, these guys:
Both the standard and “Detective” FMs were readily available once upon a time, as noted by this circa 1992 SOG ad in The Shotgun News.
However, Springfield didn’t just redo the Detective concept, but did it better done with several notable changes and flush-fit 15+1 round magazines.
I just posted a review on the new gun today as the embargo lifted.
The new Springfield Armory SA-35 4-inch runs a steel frame, slide, and barrel, hitting the scales at 29.8 ounces unloaded. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Overall length is 7.1 inches, while the height is 4.8 inches.
The SA-35 4-inch, left, compared to its 7.8-inch full-sized brother.
The difference in length is just under an inch, while the weight savings are about two ounces.
When compared to a 4.25-inch Commander-length 1911, in this case, Springfield Armory’s Operator AOS Commander, the SA-35 4-inch comes in both noticeably shorter and thinner.
We found the SA-35 4-inch to fit common Commander-sized holsters we had on hand, such as this Falco Langdon Timeless Open-Top IWB.
Mossberg is known for their shotguns, but actually started off in 1919 making pistols, the .22LR Brownie pistol.
A four-shot break-action pocket gun with a rotating firing pin, some 32,000 of the little Brownies were cranked out before 1932, when Mossberg closed out the classic popgun and moved on to bigger and better things.
Fast forward to 2019 and, in celebrating the company’s 100th anniversary, Mossberg reintroduced a handgun, the 9mm MC1sc subcompact.
Front and rear slide serrations, an optional manual safety, 7+1 9mm capacity. The MC1sc had a lot going on
Offered in four models with an ask of between $425 and $526, it was slow going for the MC1sc, which was not surprising.
The company revamped the design with the double-stacked MC2c the next year, with a price between $490 to $595, depending on the model.
While it reviewed well, Mossberg never put in the effort to really advertise it, and it remained a sleeper option with a tough uphill climb against arguably better (or at least more recognizable) pistols that had a cheaper acquisition point.
So, it should surprise no one that the MC line disappeared from Mossberg’s site altogether around January, leaving only a few parts and magazines available for purchase.
The problem is, with so much market share already invested deep in the Ruger LC9/EC9, S&W Sheild, HK VP9SK, and the G43, I feel like this pistol will get about as much love as the Taurus AR15 or Remington R51.
Maybe an MC3c is inbound? Probably not. The polymer-framed handgun market is swamped.
Either way, it looks like you can widely pick up a new-in-box MC2c for around $325, and used models for less, which probably aren’t that bad of a buy– just be advised you will likely be on your own for support.
Springfield Armory and Croatia’s HS Produkt have collaborated on polymer-framed striker-fired handguns for 25 years, producing the XD series, Hellcat, and, since 2023, the modular Echelon. Our reviews of the Echelon 4.5F, 4.0C Compact,4.0C Comp, and 4.0FC hybrid models found minimal issues – they perform reliably.
The guns are billed as “duty-grade,” a claim that has been supported by their adoption by several large U.S. law enforcement agencies, including those in Henderson and St. Louis County. Overseas, the Echelon just earned a Spanish National Police Corps (Cuerpo Nacional de Policía) contract for over 6,000 pistols to replace older HK USP Compacts, beating out several big-name contemporaries submitted for competitive evaluation.
Now, with the exclusive one-year relationship between Aimpoint and Glock over, the former’s excellent small-form COA enclosed red dot is available for use with the Echelon line – factory installed. Springfield this week debuted three new COA-equipped A-Cut footprint Echelon models: the full-sized 4.5F, hybrid 4.0FC, and compact 4.0C pistols.
The MSRP across the line is $1,119, which is a deal considering the published price for the COA direct from Aimpoint is $617, while the standard Echelon models start at $710, pointing to an easy $200 savings. Plus, keep in mind that the counter price we are seeing at launch is closer to $950, so…
Why the COA?
First off, let us talk about the Aimpoint COA and why it is a big deal. First introduced at SHOT ’25, the 3.5 MOA COA red dot eschews plate systems and direct mounts into its distinctive A-Cut via a wedge system that helps eliminate movement. With a 15×15 mm aperture, the ultra-compact 7075-T6 aluminum housing is fully sealed and rated as being submersible to 80 feet or so, and offers much the same performance as Aimpoint’s “bomb-proof” ACRO but in a smaller package with a deck low enough to allow most irons to co-witness. The optic is billed as surpassing a 40,000-round endurance standard.
The A-Cut allows the COA optic to be mounted deeper into the slide, increasing stability. Note how the mount provides an iron sight index for the optic. (Photo: Springfield Armory)
Note the tactile dot brightness adjustment with four night vision and eight daylight settings.
Note the side-accessible compartment for a single standard CR2032 3-volt battery, with a 50,000-hour (over five years) advertised lifespan. Weight is 1.4 ounces.
Here we see the Echelon COA stacked against a similar Echelon with a Vortex Defender-ST micro red dot.
Note the difference in how low the deck sits versus the overall height. For reference, our Echelon 4.0C COA, as reviewed, has an overall height of 5.8 inches from the bottom of the flush-fit magazine to the top of the optic housing.
Glock and Aimpoint blazed a path for the COA – which we extensively reviewed– but soon all but pulled them from the market for one reason or another, discontinuing the Gen5s and not (as of 3/17/26) offering the package on the U.S. market for the Gen6.
About the only rocks we can toss at the gun is that the COA and its A-Cut, for now, is a double-edged sword, painting the owner into a corner without any other (as of 3/17/26) optics available for it. Of course, that could change in the coming months and years. Other than that, the only knocks we can give the gun are its $35 magazines and not amazing (but upgradable) trigger.
In closing, we’ve always found the Echelon to be a superior gun that is often overlooked in a crowded market. When paired with the Aimpoint COA, at a reasonable price, those sleeper days could be in the rear view.
The Shadow line, originally based on the CZ 75 SP-01, has been a top choice in competitive shooting since winning the 2005 IPSC World Shoot. The well-reviewed Shadow 2, launched in 2016 with improved features and an optics-ready option in 2020, is now widely used by leading IPSC competitors, including Eric Grauffel.
In response to demand for a lighter model, CZ released the Shadow 2 Compact in 2023, featuring a 7075-aluminum frame, 4-inch barrel, and 15+1 magazine capacity on a gun that was about a pound lighter. Both versions offer textured grips and smooth trigger action.
Testing both models, the full-sized Shadow 2 and Shadow 2 Compact side by side in Czechia at CZ’s range in 2024, revealed impressive performance that differed little between big brother and the new kid on the block. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
As the Shadow 2 Compact is based on a DA/SA competition gun, there’s no firing pin block plunger system, which can be a pucker factor for some, being drop-safe if carried with a round in the chamber. That led to the Shadow 2 Carry, which retains everything folks loved about the S2 Compact but deletes the manual safety lever in favor of a simple de-cocking lever, while adding a safety notch on the hammer and an automatic firing pin block.
Additionally, it features a direct mount with a K-series footprint, while retaining excellent sights, unlike the universal plate-based optics pad on the Compact, which requires removing the rear sights. The magazine release has also been made shorter, more akin to that on the P01– something we complained to CZ about directly back in 2024 on the Shadow Carry, so you are welcome.
Boom. The CZ Shadow 2 Carry as made in Europe for the U.S. market. As you can tell from our installation of a Holosun 507K, it is optics-ready (but doesn’t ship with one).
The new CZ Shadow 2 Carry has a 4-inch barrel, giving it an overall length of 7.5 inches. All the dimensions are a 1:1 comparison with the Shadow 2 Compact, which means you can swap barrels, many internals (not controls), and holsters.
The width over the ambi decocker is 1.5 inches, while the height is 5.4 inches.
As you can see, when compared to this early 1980s CZ75 “Pre-B,” it carries forth the same lineage that has been the benchmark for the company’s 9mm family of semi-auto pistols for over 50 years.
Including the low bore axis and gliding internal slide rails.
And the overall grip angles and feel. People love the classics, man.
Quick summary: CZ responded to those who wanted a safe-to-carry Shadow 2 Compact with the same race gun lineage known and loved for generations, and the resulting Shadow 2 Carry delivers on that promise, blending style, performance, and dependability in one platform.
Featuring a built-in forward barrel port and matching compensated slide, the newKimber 2K11 Comp series offers a significant reduction in felt recoil while keeping the same popular features as the rest of the series.
Alabama-based Kimber went double-stack 1911 in 2024 after at least a 30-year run in the field of making single stacks. We have reviewed a couple of these excellent pistols since then, and are past the 3K round mark on our original test gun with no hiccups to report, leaving us more than happy to report on the new Comp series.
The guns, launching just in time for the upcoming SHOT Show, will all be chambered in 9mm and available in both 5-inch full-sized (Government) and 4.25-inch Pro (Commander) sizes, shipping with flush-fit 20 and 19-round magazines, respectively.
Each will also be offered in either a black DLC or matte stainless variant, giving Kimber four new 2K11 Comp models for 2026: 5-inch black (669278350783) and stainless (669278350806) and 4.25-inch black (669278350738) and stainless (669278350752) with an MSRP running between $2,345 and $2,499, with the DLC guns hitting the higher end, because of DLC.
A sampling, showing that big ol’ comp. (Photo: Kimber)
“The 2K11 Comp is the culmination of years of preparation and hundreds of thousands of rounds of testing to deliver the most fully featured comprehensive handgun we have ever produced,” said Pedi Gega, Director of product development, assembly, and finishing. “The new 2K11 family of compensated models creates the highest class of firearms for the discerning enthusiast and competitive shooter.”
Kimber sent us an SST (stainless) 2K11 Pro Comp model for testing.
The pistol looks great, which is no surprise as the 2K11 series is crafted with superb attention to detail, one at a time, by skilled technicians, not just slapped together. Being a Pro model, its 4.25-inch barrel gives an overall length of 7.79 inches. (All photos unless noted: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
Note the external extractor, ambidextrous thumb safety, and bumped grip safety, which are standard across the line.
Weight is 33.4 ounces, even with a full-length rail on the dustcover of the frame. Note the lightening cuts to the slide, seen previously on Kimber’s top-shelf Rapide series, which provide faster lock-up.
The most noticeable enhancement to these guns over the standard 2K11 series is the massive 0.16 square inch integrated compensator forward of the front sight. This feature noticeably reduces muzzle rise and felt recoil, plus it creates an incredibly fun and controllable shooting experience.
The integral comp is big enough to double as an ashtray if needed.
The four new compensated models also feature Kimber’s brand-new carbon fiber grip infused grip module that is compatible with corresponding Stan Chen Magwells. We found the grip to be aggressive but not overly.
The Comp guns also share the current 2K11 features, such as Kimber’s in-house toolless guide rod, an external extractor, a bushing-less, crowned, and fluted barrel, a GT trigger, and more.
The Kimber 2K11 Pro Comp SST 4.25 compared to the standard full-sized Black DLC 2K11.
And compared with the non-comped Kimber 2K11 Pro SST, which sports a Kimpro Granite finish and Kevlar carbon fiber grips. Released last August, this gun hinted at what the Pro Comp would become.
Note the top ends of the Kimber 2K11 Pro SST and Pro Comp SST
The Kimber 2K11 Pro Comp features a cover plate with an adjustable rear sight. A TAG Precision FiberLok 2 front sight with additional red and black fiber-optic inserts is included. All models ship with a TAG Precision RMR adapter plate that takes the place of the rear sight.
Our test gun shipped with two 19+1-round Checkmate Double Stack Ultra-Hi Capacity 126mm mags. Full-length models ship with a flush 17+1, and two extended 20+1 round mags. The mags, reverse 2011-compatible, are all metal, including an aluminum base pad and steel retainer for maximum made-in-the-USA durability and longevity. Word of caution: they are a beast to fully load.
The Kimber 2K11 Pro Comp has an easy takedown without tools due to its toolless guide rod system, a feature it shares with the rest of the series.
The aluminum match-grade skeletonized GT trigger has an advertised 3-to-4-pound pull. We found it broke at 3.6, with a short take-up to the wall and a crisp break. Reset is similarly short and is both audible and tactile. Kimber advises that the shoe length has been reduced by 3/32 of an inch, making for a more comfortable overall length. IMHO, the GT is the best production factory 1911 trigger on the market.
Check out the trigger pull and reset here:
How’s it shoot?
Well, we’ve only had the gun for a couple of weeks and have about 200 rounds through it thus far, so it is a little early to say, but we have experienced no jams and smooth shooting, with less recoil.
Stay tuned for more feedback as we up the round count.
It uses a longer-barreled P365 (P365XL, TACOPS, and P365 FUSE) and 17- or 21-round magazines to give the user a holsterable and arguably concealable option that is 3 inches shorter and significantly lighter than an MP5K.
Plus, it only costs $499, a price that, when coupled with extra mags and a compatible longslide P365, puts you in the game for about $1,200.
Key Performance Features and Specifications Include:
Patented Speedload System: Facilitates faster reloads than traditional pistols or other PDWs, ensuring operators maintain an advantage.
Enhanced Capacity: Supports up to 50 rounds on the gun with optional magazine extensions, providing extended engagement capability.
Superior Control: A built-in shroud ensures a secure C-clamp grip and promotes flatter shooting, significantly improving accuracy and follow-up shots.
Lightweight, Durable Construction: Crafted from military-grade glass-filled nylon and S7 steel, featuring a Type 3 hard anodized shroud for exceptional resilience without added bulk.
Optimal Velocity Option: Features an optional 6-inch barrel to increase velocity, surpassing the performance of an MP5K.
Included 2.0 Adjustable Holster: Ships with the new 2.0 holster, designed for ultimate flexibility. It can be hard-mounted in the vehicle for quick access or carried with you, supporting both inside (IWB) and outside the waistband (OWB) configurations.
Compact & Extendable Design:
Collapsed: 9.75″ L x 4″ W x 1.375″ H
Extended: 18.5″ L x 4″ W x 1.25″ H
Ergonomic Length of Pull: 13.5″ for comfortable and stable handling.
I could see these being useful for personal protection details, high-value couriers, long-distance truckers, individuals who spend a lot of time in their vehicles in remote areas, and, well, anyone who wants to be the most well-armed person in the produce section.
The Hellcat was already well-liked on the micro-compact market and has been a solid choice for those looking for an EDC gun that splits the Venn Diagram of being both concealable and practical. The 380 version of the gun doubles down on that while providing a more subtle felt recoil impulse without sacrificing reliability or accuracy.
When it comes to rocks, the only thing we can find to throw at the gun is the fact that the short slide, coupled with its stout recoil spring, is a bit tough to rack, especially for those with compromised hand strength. On the upside of that, when mounting an optic, it allows more real estate to perform the task. We racked the pistol probably 100 times in testing from the optic and never felt it loosen or observed it shifting point of aim/impact.
The standout feature of the Hellcat in 380 is the size. It is a very slim gun, with the slide running 0.85 inches and the widest part of the grip just breaking an inch. Note the loaded chamber indicator.
Sans optic and with its flush-fit mag installed, you are looking at a pistol that is right at 4 inches tall, which puts it just under the cutoff for a pocket carry piece.
Speaking of magazines, the Hellcat uses stainless steel-bodied mags with rear witness holes and black base pads and followers.
You see the 11+1, left, with its pinky extension installed, and the 13+1, right. Note the grip texture extends to the base pads.
That allows 12 rounds on tap in one of the most compact .380s on the market. Federal Hydra Shok Deep 99-grain JHP shown.
And the ability to EDC with the shorter mag inserted to aid in concealment, with the longer mag easily carried as a backup.
The Hellcat .380 has a super short one-slot accessory rail. While it runs just inches long, Streamlight’s flush-fit TLR-6 and TLR-7 Sub are made specifically for the 3-inch Hellcat models, as well is the TLR-8 light/laser combo, so there are options out there.
The surface controls are on the left side of the gun for right-handed shooters, including a slide catch, push-button magazine release (which is reversible), and take-down lever that rotates skyward.
Disassembly on an unloaded Hellcat is simple via said take-down lever. Note the dual spring guiderod assembly.
When it comes to ergos, you have textured memory pads forward of the trigger that are instinctual, as well as short but usable forward slide serrations.
The high beavertail and undercut rear trigger guard allow for a corresponding high grip on the Hellcat, just under the slide. This helps mitigate recoil impulse.
Only one model of the Hellcat .380 is available at launch, but it has excellent dovetail-mounted steel sights with a tritium/luminescent front and a Tactical Rack U-notch rear. It uses the common Shield RMSc optics pattern, and our test gun shipped with a Shield OMSsc sight installed. A compact and sleek design, the OMSc features a translucent panoramic roof over a T6 6082 aluminum body. It runs a 4 MOA dot with automatic adjustments and boasts a 9,000-hour battery life.
The pistol ships in a cardboard box that includes a branded double-zipper case with room for the Hellcat and both of its mags.
Of course, I have carried a Hellcat Pro for the past few years every day, so I may be a bit biased. But at least I am biased for a good reason.
The big takeaway on this model is that it takes a well-liked gun that has been around for almost a decade and gives it a series of small updates, as well as an integrated single-port compensator.
The compact, semi-automatic, striker-fired P-10 C 9mm was first introduced in 2017 and has continued to evolve over the past decade. Featuring a 15+1 magazine capacity, its 4-inch cold hammer-forged barrel, in addition to its new compensator, now sports a heavier profile to help keep the gun flat. The sights have been brought over from the new Nocturne P-09 series. The optics footprint uses a plate system.
The P-10 C Ported has an overall length of 7.3 inches. Note the large port on the 4-inch heavy barrel, directed out the top of the slide, which creates a setback on the front sight. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The unloaded weight is 26.8 ounces.
The pistol is roughly the same size as the G19.
And compared to the company’s recently introduced P-09C Nocturne.
The short answer to this one is that the CZ P-10 C Ported is one of the most reliable pistols we have evaluated. Over the course of about 800 mixed rounds across several ammo types and loads, we did not have a single stoppage.
We didn’t even suffer from a slide failing to lock back on an empty mag. And that is on a gun right out of the box with no additional lube or prep.
The P-10 series has a reputation as one of the most durable and reliable pistols on the market. One of our favorite exports from Czechia. We feel Jan Zizka would approve.
The majority of what we fed the P-10 C was Remington 115-grain FMJ Range 1,145 fps bulk pack (500 rounds loose-packed inside a bag in a cardboard box).
Swapping it up, other loads included Federal’s red-tipped 150-grain Syntech Action Pistol flat-nosed rounds, CCI Blazer 115-grain FMJ, Winchester 124-grain NATO ball, and Federal’s 147-grain Gold Medal Action Pistol.
After chugging through about 700 rounds of range loads, we switched to self-defense rounds and found the P-10 C to run Speer 124-grain Gold Dot, Federal 124-grain Punch, and 135-grain Hydra Shok Deep JHPs without issue.
Besides enduring use with the Czech military and others, the German Army recently tapped CZ to provide as many as 186,000 P-10Cs to replace that country’s P8 (Heckler & Koch USP) series pistol.
We weren’t sure what to expect when the Rost Martin RM1C was first announced at SHOT ’24. Was it going to be a made-in-Turkey import with someone else’s name on it? A “game-changing” G19 Gen 3 clone but without its muse’s reliability? A vaporware gun that ever left the drawing board?
No, after 18 months and 1,500 rounds, we found it to be a solid American-made (from the land of Whataburger and Buc-ee’s, no less) double-stack 9 with lots of backend support and a lineage drawn from a proven design. Affordable, we found it dependable, accurate, and intuitive in use.
Plus, it is optics-ready.
That big ole Trijicon RCR actually costs about twice what the gun does, but both work.
About the only rocks we could toss its way were in the safety tab in the trigger shoe, which we have talked about and is easily overcome with a bit of training, and the very stout recoil spring, which is common in a lot of striker-fired pistols of its size.
Out of production for more than a quarter century, the moon-clipped S&W 940 snub-nosed wheel gun has been resurrected – and modernized.
The original 940 was a 9mm companion to the classic .357 Magnum Model 640, a hard-wearing stainless five-shot double-action-only J-frame Centennial series revolver with a snag-free concealed hammer. Using a moon clip to hold the rimless 9mm rounds, it was fast and easy to reload while opening the revolver to a wide range of easy-to-find ammo.
While the 940 was only produced between 1991 and 1998, huge advances in bullet and propellant design have made 9mm more popular than ever, meaning that in many cases, the variety of self-defense loads available at local retailers in the caliber is greater than any other. With that in mind, rebooting the 940 makes sense.
Further, the new model ships with an XS Tritium night sight in front, something the old model never had. Oh, yeah, and it has VZ black cherry grips and a fluted barrel.
The new S&W 940 in 9mm is a five-shot DAO snub-nose with a concealed hammer. Note the 2.17-inch 1:10 RH twist stainless-steel fluted barrel. Height is a pocketable 4.38 inches. Weight is 23.5 ounces.
