Tag Archives: Pistol

50 Rare Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistols Arrive in U.S.

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With a backstory that sounds more avant-garde art show than iron and steel, the Eagle model of the Elysien pistol has flown across the Atlantic.

At the 2024 IWA Outdoor Classics show in Germany, the Guns.com crew sat down with inventor and gunmaker Jan Lysak, who spent almost a decade of blood, sweat, and tears crafting something a bit different. Lysak’s company, Brno-based Creapeiron, introduced its first product at IWA: the Elysien pistol.

While sitting down and drinking plum brandy with Lysak, he spoke about his gun in a way that seemed a cross between Werner Herzog and the Riddler (Gorshin, not Dano).

Lysak only had seven €10,000 ($10,850) chrome DLC Elysien Genesis “Ment for Gods” (not a misprint) models – all named after gods from Ancient Greek mythology – and 99 €5,000 plainer black DLC Elysien Soul models on the schedule, with only vague notions about sending guns to America– one day.

What made it across to the States, brought in by the Arizona-based CZ Custom Shop, is the new Eagle model of the Elysien, which looks more like the chrome DLC Ment for Gods model but with a serial number 1 to 50, as in one for each state.

The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol
Engineered for balance and control, the Elysien features a sleek, sculpted profile that reflects both elegance and authority. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol
How about that bore axis? The Elysien uses a hammer-forged heavy barrel with a triangular profile inside a ported slide that allows a faster lockup.
The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol
Every contour is purpose-driven, delivering a natural grip, smooth handling, and confident ergonomics.
The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol
The Creapeiron Elysien Eagle Pistol is serial numbered 1 of 50. 

Price? $11,999– and that is only until they sell out, which is likely as, first announced on Monday during SHOT Show, something like half were spoken for by Thursday.

New: Staccato Compact HD C3.6 Pistol (And it’s G19 Mag Compatible)

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Staccato this week took the features from its well-liked HD line and packed them into a more nimble and concealable package– the new HD C3.6.

The “C” in the Staccato HD C3.6 stands for compact, and they ship with 15-round Mec-Gar G19-pattern mags, much like the P4 HD ships with 18-round G17-pattern mags. The new gun also saves a bit of weight, running an alloy (7075-T6 aluminum) rather than a steel frame.

Other than that, you have the same HD features, such as ambi controls, Staccato’s HD HOST optic mounting system with decent backup sights, a crisp 4.5-pound single-action-only trigger, and a drop-safe active firing-pin block.

the Staccato HD C3.6
With an overall length of just over 7 inches due to its 3.6-inch bull barrel, coupled with its shorter grip, which gives it a 4.8-inch height, the new HD C3.6 is billed as easier to carry and bring into more spaces for more users. (Photos: Staccato)
the Staccato HD C3.6
Weight of the standard base model Staccato HD C3.6 with its alloy frame is 24 ounces unloaded. Compare this to the 32-ounce base weight of the only slightly larger P4 HD, and you realize a half-pound weight savings while offering much the same performance.
the Staccato HD C3.6
Note the 3.6-inch bull barrel and forward-set rear sight, which practically guarantees a lower-third co-witness with optics. Staccato will be offering these in both a more basic Ameriglo blacked-out front sight variant or one with a Trijicon tritium front.

“We built the HD line to deliver the most technologically advanced and thoroughly tested version of the 2011 platform to date,” said Paul Smith, VP of Product for Staccato. “After introducing full-sized models earlier this year, we set out to create a compact option that preserves duty-grade performance while expanding carrying options and user confidence. The HD C3.6 is the result.”

Staccato plans to offer the HD C3.6 series in three different grades, starting at $2,299. Because Staccato.

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.

New Springfield Armory Optics-Ready TRP AOS 1911

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Back in the 1990s, the FBI was in the market for a pistol to equip its elite Hostage Rescue Team and regional SWAT teams, and the contract went to Springfield in 1998 for 500 M1911s crafted to very tight specs via meticulous hand fitting in the SA Custom Shop. Shortly after, the Marines ordered a batch of 150 similar pistols for its MEU(SOC) units. The HRT contract gun soon morphed into the Professional Model and eventually the TRP, which has gone on to become legendary over the past couple of decades.

SA’s Professional 1911s

Standard features on today’s top-shelf TRPs– going beyond the careful selection and fitment of components– include front strap checkering at 20 lines per inch, forward slide serrations, sighting plane serrations, the company’s Gen 2 Speed Trigger, a skeletonized hammer, premium sights, a straight mainspring housing, and G10 grips.

New for 2025 are eight optics-ready models, all equipped with an Agency Arms optics sighting system and offered in 9mm- both a first for the TRP. Priced at $1,999 across the board (we told you these were Springfield’s top shelf 1911s), there are full-sized all-steel 5-inch railed models in either black or Coyote Brown and in .45 and 9mm, as well as a lightweight Commander-length (4.25-inch) Carry Contour series in the same calibers and color options.

Springfield sent me a Coyote Commander-length Carry Contour TRP AOS in 9mm in this review; light and optic are not included.

In a nutshell, we found it to look good, feel great, and run like a gazelle. The slide-to-frame fit is legit, and the gun has no slop. The AOS system allows for lots of different optics, and it is great that SA is now making the TRP in a 9mm option, even if some consider such a thing in a 1911 platform to be an abomination.

The only rocks we can find to throw on this one are that the asking price of $1,999 is a bit steep, even in today’s inflated dollars, and that, perhaps a direct mount ACRO footprint would be a bigger hit.

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

CMP Resumes Surplus M1911/M1911A1 Pistol Sales– with no lottery

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As any follower of the blog will know, I’ve been reporting on the CMP 1911 program since 2015 and have been lucky enough to have participated in the program’s Second and Fourth rounds.

The latter, which kicked off in September 2023, was soon after placed on hold after the Army found that 98 of the handguns had gone missing.

Well, everything seems to have been straightened out and CMP announced this week that it is proceeding full speed ahead, both with the long-delayed Round Four folks (moi included) as well as scrapping the random number generator lottery system altogether and moving to a first-come-first-served model.

This is likely because the legislation moving the guns from Anniston Army Depot across town to CMP’s warehouse covered “up to 10,000” pistols per year and, as Round Four covered the 2023 allotment and the 2024 guns likely didn’t get moved, plus the 2025 guns are probably on the way, the organization may have several truckloads of 1911s on hand.

The announcement:

The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) is excited to announce the immediate resumption of surplus U.S. Army M1911/M1911A1 pistol sales! These historic firearms, cherished for their role in U.S. military history, are now available to qualified US Citizen customers.

Key Details:

  • Pistol Availability:The CMP currently holds a substantial inventory of a variety of Pistol Grades, many ready to ship to consumers, and expects to fulfill a significant quantity of orders.
  • Free Shipping:Those purchasing a CMP M1911 pistol will receive free shipping and handling (a $25 value).
  • Updated Process: Given the quantity of on-hand pistols, we reorganized our sales fulfillment structure and our staff is ready to process orders in a timely manner without the use of the Random Generated Number (RGN) process, as in past M1911 sales.  Additional detail on fulfillment information and sequencing follows below.  

Fulfillment Information:

  • Round Four Orders Fulfilled First:The CMP will prioritize fulfilling existing orders from Round Four and will honor the pricing of those orders. Starting this week (Jan. 27, 2025), the CMP M1911 customer service representatives will contact Round Four individuals to confirm order details.
  • New Orders Now Accepted:Effective immediately, the CMP is accepting new applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Again, we do not anticipate having more “rounds” or using RGN numbers as in the past.  

Purchasing Guidelines:

  • Limitations:A lifetime limit of two pistols per customer remains in effect. Customers who have not previously purchased a pistol may now submit an order for up to two pistols.
  • Upgrades for Round Four Customers:Existing Round Four applicants making their first purchase may also upgrade their order to include two pistols.

CMP 1911 staff will reach out to customers when their order is ready to process. At that time, customers will indicate the pistol grade and quantity with CMP 1911 staff.

The CMP encourages all interested individuals to submit their applications promptly. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to own a piece of history!

Learn More:

To view M1911 Pistol Grades as well as additional info on eligibility requirements, ordering and other specifics, please visit the CMP’s website at https://thecmp.org/sales-and-service/1911-information/. 

Don’t Worry About the Gluger, the Gluger Can’t Hurt You (But the Gluger is Real)

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The new Ruger RMX. (Photos: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Ruger and Magpul have teamed up to produce a new 9mm handgun complete with a modular stainless-steel chassis system, which could be a universal adapter.

Dubbed the RXM, the new pistol is striker-fired and familiar, having the same general dimensions as many popular carry guns of the past few decades.

Compared to popular carry guns such as the Glock 19, S&W M&P9 Compact M2.0, and CZ P09 Nocturne, the Ruger RXM seems very familiar.

Diving deeper, it has a serialized Fire Control Insert that is independent of its grip frame, which gives it the flexibility to be easily swapped into different grips – which are developed and produced by Magpul. Optics-ready with a Tritium front sight, it runs popular 15-round G19-pattern mags.

Can you say, “chassis system?”

American-made, the RXM has an MSRP of $499. For that, you get a G19 Gen 3 feeling pistol, made in the U.S. (not in Brazil or Turkey), with probably the most popular double-stack 9mm magazine pattern, complete with steel night sights and an optics cut. Plus, the removable chassis system, backed up with grip modules from Magpul, gives it some serious modularity.

Ruger has long had problems bringing a 9mm pistol to market that people really, really liked. RXM could see that change.

I’ve been shooting one for the past few months, and the full review is after the jump.

The Gun Glock Should Have Made

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For the neat 30-year span between 1988, when the Glock 19 was introduced, and 2018 when the SIG P365 appeared, the 7.36-inch long, 4-inch barreled, 15+1 shot, 24-ounce unloaded G19 was the magic box of dimensions that every pistol maker chased.

Today, we have the new Springfield Armory Echelon 4.0C, which is 7.25 inches long with a 4-inch barrel, uses 15+1/18+1 magazines, and is 24 ounces, unloaded.

Unlike Glock, the Echelon has a chassis system that can be swapped around multiple grip modules of varying size and color and has a far better and more adaptable optics mounting system than Glock’s MOS plates.

Plus, it’s reliable, has ambi controls, a decent trigger, and much better sights.

The Echelon 4.0C could offer a good multi-purpose pistol for either home defense, especially with a good weapon-mounted light, or carry.

Full review in my column over at Guns.com.

HK Has Entered the Micro 9 Game (7 Years Late?)

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Germany’s Heckler & Koch finally dropped a commercially available micro compact 9mm pistol this week, debuting the thoroughly tested HK CC9 onto the market.

The polymer-framed striker-fired “one and a half stack” 9mm offers flush 10+1 and extended 12+1 capacity magazines, is optics-ready (RMSc/407k footprint) with a tritium front sight and a blacked out, serrated rear sight; and is somewhat modular through the use of interchangeable backstraps.

It is almost the exact same size as the SIG P365 (introduced in Jan. 2018), Springfield Armory Hellcat (Aug. 2019), and March 2021’s Ruger MAX-9 and S&W M&P Shield Plus. Then of course there are the more recent Canik Mete MC9, Taurus GX4, Stoeger STR-9MC, et. al, ad nauseum.

However, HK has a big up by saying they held to the same standards as their full-size duty pistols and tested the micro compact to the NATO AC/225 standards across 750,000 rounds. This meant running it in extreme temperatures, dust, sand, and mud, and “being dropped to simulate real-world conditions,” with the latter part seeming like the company was throwing a little shade at some other pistol makers.

So they may have just taken the time to get it right…

More in my column at Guns.com.

Did the SIG Fuse fizzle?

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The Fuse, SIG Sauer’s newest P365 gets its name, says the company, as it is the “fusion of capability and concealment.” This is due to still being carry-sized while featuring all the goodies one could want, including a removable magwell, nickel-plated flat-faced trigger, LXG grip module with interchangeable backstraps, optics-ready (RMSc footprint) slide, easily co-witnessing iron sights, and extended 21-round magazines.

All this for well under $800.

I put 1,000 rounds through one in the past couple of months.

Full review in my column at Guns.com.

When in Italy and Lookin’ for a Custom Shotgun…

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As part of my European work-cation earlier this year, I got a peek behind the scenes at Beretta’s historic factory complex in Gardone Val Trompia, Italy earlier this year, we visited the Pietro Beretta Custom Atelier, where dreams come true.

I discovered the Atelier – a word that translates to a studio or workshop where a group of skilled artists work together for a common goal – is where almost anything that can be conceptualized in terms of bespoke firearm production can be realized.

(Photo: Chris Eger)

Where simple components such as metal, wood, and fabrics can be shaped into a dream by master craftsmen (gunsmiths, woodworkers, engravers, and gun case makers) who stand on inherited centuries of Italian gunsmithing art.

(Photo: Chris Eger)

Check out the video article, and images over in my column at Guns.com.

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