Category Archives: ccw

The PCC in your Waistband

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The new Flux Defense P365 Ultra-Light Chassis System is engineered to be a standalone component, utilizing existing P365 firearms, slides, barrels, and magazines.

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.

Springfield Armory Hellcat, now in 380

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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 new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
Speaking of magazines, the Hellcat uses stainless steel-bodied mags with rear witness holes and black base pads and followers. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
That allows 12 rounds on tap in one of the most compact .380s on the market. Federal Hydra Shok Deep 99-grain JHP shown. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
And the ability to EDC with the shorter mag inserted to aid in concealment, with the longer mag easily carried as a backup. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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 new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
Disassembly on an unloaded Hellcat is simple via said take-down lever. Note the dual spring guiderod assembly. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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 new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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. 
The new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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 new Springfield Armory Hellcat in .380 ACP
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.

CZ P-10 C Ported: Best Budget Compensated 9mm?

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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.

CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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)
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The unloaded weight is 26.8 ounces.
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
The pistol is roughly the same size as the G19. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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.

CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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). 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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.
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm 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. 
CZ P-10 C Ported Optics-Ready Compensated 9mm Pistol
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. 

The full review is in my column at Guns.com.

The rearview on 18 months with the Rost Martin RM1C

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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.

Full review in my column over at Guns.com.

Smith reboots the 9mm snub nose

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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.

The MSRP is supposed to be $999 on these.

The Glock G26X is Real. The GS 26X is Coming.

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The concept of the “Glock 26X” has been around for a while and is a favorite “hack” of the 80 percenters and 3D printing enthusiasts. The issue is that the G43X, while a great gun, is somewhat snappy due to its short grip. Additionally, aftermarket magazines that increase the capacity to 15+1 shots can sometimes compromise performance. Further, the standard G26, the famed “Baby Glock,” while a classic some 30 years on the market, is a bit stubby while also having an overly chunky grip that doesn’t allow more than 2-3 fingers, depending on hand size.

Enter the G26X, which combines the best features of the Glock 43X, 19, and 26 into one ideal EDC handgun. Built on the Glock 26 platform, it has an extended grip to match the length of a Glock 19, allowing the use of standard double-stack G19 magazines. The overall profile mirrors the Glock 43X, but with full OEM double-stack Glock magazine compatibility. It also features the same accessory rail as the 43X, making it compatible with subcompact weapon lights.

Lenny and the gang over at the Glock Store are building the loaded (serialized) frame, just add the G26 loaded slide and mags. All generations of Glock 26, 27, and 33 slides fit and function.

It is supposed to ship starting in September with a $150 ask.

Surprises in a G48 sized package

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Glock released the slimline G48 a few years back, and I kind of passed on it, but when equipped with the new Aimpoint COA series enclosed red dot, it has changed my mind.

In all honesty, the G48 was a snoozer for me when it first came out. Don’t get me wrong, I had a chance to shoot one on several occasions, but I never felt a spark.

However, the new COA-equipped model, being optic-ready with decent steel sights, and sold with an installed American Aimpoint enclosed red dot on an interesting direct cut footprint, I felt the spark. Plus, the price point balances out to less than a G48 MOS with an aftermarket Chinese Holosun that uses a plate.

The COA has a wide field of view, and an exceptionally low deck that proves quick to “scoop in” the dot. The A-cut is simple in execution with fewer things to break than in other mounting systems.

The fact that adding Gen 3 S15 mags and a mag release gives you the bump in capacity without losing reliability is a win. We recently visited Shield in Montana and were impressed with their whole program.

When it comes to throwing rocks, the worst thing I can point out on the G48 COA combo is that the footprint and sights are limited to what you get in the box. Currently, there is no other optic that uses the A-cut footprint, and you cannot change out the rear sight for anything else. That may change but for right now you are painted into a corner.

Going past that, I think I may have a new EDC. Let me run some more rounds through it and circle back to you on that.

Yup. Feeling that spark.

Full review in my column at Guns.com.

You’ve heard of the 1911 X Carry, yeah?

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SIG Sauer isn’t well-known for its 1911 line, but the company has invested enough time to create an excellent entry to the genre in the XCarry series.

SIG has been in the 1911 game for over 20 years, entering the market around 2004. They hit the ground running and were one of the first M1913 “railgun” pistol makers available then continued to enhance the century-old design and produced models with characteristic styling including the Granite, Super Target, and Spartan.

The SIG 1911 Fastback Nightmare– one of the best gun names ever– was always a favorite of ours. (All photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Today, SIG catalogs five distinctive 1911 variants in .45 ACP, a more or less classic stainless 5-inch barreled government model for California markets, and four 1911-X models which balance classic engineering with modern features– namely a direct cut for Shield RMSc optics footprints, an excellent flat-faced trigger, and an accessory rail. Two of these 1911-X models are Emperor Scorpions and as such sports a Coyote PVD finish over a steel slide and frame, offered in both government and commander (SIG calls it Carry) sizes.

Then there is the all-black 1911-XFull (5-inch) and 1911-XCarry (4.25-inch), the latter of which we feature in this review. Like the rest of SIG’s 1911s, they use stainless steel frames and slides but carry the company’s traditional black Nitron finish just like the well-loved P226s, P229s, etc.

The SIG Sauer 1911-XCarry. This model was sent to us with an optional SIG Romeo-X Compact 3 MOA fully enclosed mailbox-style red dot optic installed, a package that is available to consumers.

The commander-length 1911-XCarry runs a 4.25-inch barrel which gives it an overall length of 8 inches.

I’ve been kicking one around since last November and have the full report in my column over at Guns.com.

 

The GX what now?

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Taurus has been breaking ground in the tiny double-stack 9mm neighborhood since 2013 when the 12+1 shot capacity G2C hit the market– a pistol that is still one of the best firearms deals for consumers. Then came the updated 13+1 shot G3C in 2020 and the gently smaller 11+1 shot GX4 in 2021.

I liked the GX4 so much that I carried it as my EDC for more than 18 months in extended evaluation. About the only thing I didn’t like about the GX4 was the fact the takedown lever required a tool, such as a flat-head screwdriver or a spent case, to turn and release the slide to field strip.

Well, Taurus has fixed that with the GX2 by adding a takedown lever while upping it to a flush-fit 13+1 capacity and only growing the size incrementally. The end goal seems to be to replace the decade-old G2 series with the new and improved GX2.

And you can expect the price to likely be in the $250 range.

That could be a big win for folks looking to get into a nice entry-level handgun with decent features and reliability. After all, not everyone needs a customized $4K 2011.

More in my column at Guns.com.

The best new Snub Gun on the market

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Snub-nosed carry revolvers have arguably been around since 1849 when Colt hit the market with the “Wells Fargo” Pocket model. Now pushing into their 175th year, there is a reason they are still popular: a blend of simplicity, reliability, and concealability.

This year saw Diamondback Firearms introduce their sleeper Self Defense Revolver, a six-shot .357 Magnum all-stainless snubby that takes K-frame speedloaders, fits in J-frame holsters, and accepts common S&W grip panels from the latter as well.

The SDR is a good-looking gun. All the edges are melted, leaving virtually no sharp points and few snag points other than the exposed hammer spur.

We’ve been kicking an SDR around for several months and found it easily supportable, dependable in use and operation, and innovative with an easily removable cylinder assembly. Further, while not meant for long-range benchrest target shooting, it is accurate to fill the needs of your typical EDC snub gun.

And it works, these from the 15-yard mark, standing and unsupported

Did Diamondback knock it out of the park their first time at bat when it came to a centerfire revolver? Looks like it.

The full review is in my column at Guns.com.

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