KIMBER TWOTONE II PISTOLS

The iconic foundation

the Kimber Two-Tone II family offers custom

features that promote intuitive oper ation
and absolute dependability. Manufactured
to the tightest toler ances and fit together
by hand, these classic models are available in
.45 acp and 9mm.

Classic Lines
Each model features rear slide
serrations, has brush-polished
flats on the slide and wears a
sophisticated two-tone finish.

Custom II™ (Two-Tone) Above and beyond

This full-size 1911 has front and All Two-Tone II models boast a
rear slide serrations, white dot lowered and flared ejection port
sights, brush-polished slide flats, and a match grade aluminum
rosewood grips and a match 3-hole trigger.
grade 3-hole trigger.

Attention to Detail
Checkered rosewood grips, fixed
low-profile white dot sights and
a skeletonized hammer can be
found on every Two-Tone II pistol.

TM
(888) 243-4522
MADE IN A MERIC A WHAT ALL GUNS SHOULD BE kimberamerica.com

©2017, Kimber Mfg., Inc. All rights reserved. Information and specifications are for reference only and subject to change without notice.
LIFESAVING STEALTH-DRAW TACTICS

X-CARRY
SIG’S FLAGSHIP P320 SERIES
ADDS A SMALLER GUN
WITH BIG POWER

SPRINGFIELD
XD-S MOD.2
LITTLE CHANGES
THAT REALLY ADD UP

+
• ED BROWN’S
OPTICS GUN
REMINGTON
GOES LARGE
THE RP45 IS BIG—AND
THAT’S A GOOD THING
• BROWNING
BUCK MARK
• DAN WESSON’S
AWESOME ECP
HOME SECURITY
PROVIDED BY HORNADY®
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 CONTENTS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 | VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1 | PUBLISHED BIMONTHLY | www.handguns.com

FEATURES
22 THE X FACTOR
By JAMES TARR 22
SIG’s P320 won the Army contract, and now that platform sets its sights
on the civilian concealed-carry market with the P320 X-Carry.

28 MASTER COMMANDER
By JEFF CHUDWIN 28
Dan Wesson has built a Commander-size 1911 that’s sure to please fans
of this iconic pistol—especially those who like to carry one.

34 TAKE 2
By BRAD FITZPATRICK 34
:LWK WKH QHZ ;'6 0RG 6SULQJÀHOG KDV UHÀQHGLWVVLQJOHVWDFNVXE-
compact, making it even nicer to shoot.

44 BIG GREEN
By PATRICK SWEENEY
Hot on the heels of Remington’s RP9 comes the RP45, a sweet-handling,
controllable .45 ACP pistol. 44

50 ROLL OUT THE BARREL

By PATRICK SWEENEY
A step-by-step guide to replacing a barrel in a semiautomatic.
50

DEPARTMENTS FIRING LINE

4 LETTERS 18 ESSENTIALS
JAMES TARR
REPORTS
10 SPEEDLOADS Black Hills’ Honey Badger load 58 BROWNING
• Colt 2nd Generation SAA
is fearless.
BUCK MARK PLUS
• The Box Drill CAMPER UFX
20 GUNS & GEAR
16 EN GARDE J. SCOTT RUPP

RICHARD NANCE
Why drawing without anyone 64 BACK PAGE BEAUTIES 60 UBERTI ‘FRANK’
seeing it is a vital skill. STAN TRZONIEC
Smith & Wesson Model 52
62 ED BROWN
FX1 RMR
2 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
 COMPACT REFLE X SIGHT

3.25 MOA ROUND EXTERNALLY ACCESSIBLE AIRCRAFT GRADE WINDAGE & ELEVATION
AIMING DOT BATTERY DRAWER ANODIZED ALUMINUM ADJUSTMENTS

FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS YOU HAVE COME TO KNOW OUR PRODUCTS FOR THEIR
PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN. NOW, THAT POWERFUL AND DEPENDABLE DOT HAS BEEN
CAPTURED IN OUR ELECTRONIC SIGHTS. INTRODUCING THE CTS-1200 COMPACT REFLEX
SIGHT FOR PISTOLS. THE QUALITY YOU COUNT ON, THE INNOVATION YOU EXPECT.

COMPLETE FOCUS
EXPERIENCE AT CRIMSONTRACE.COM
AN OUTDOOR SPORTSMAN GROUP® PUBLICATION
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

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| HANDGUNS TV | Thursdays @ 10:30 p.m. on Sportsman Channel

DECEMBER
<<< Jim and Scott talk about how to get
13th the most out of your shooting-range experi-
ence, and on “This Or This,” they duke it out
2018 over the best size for a .45 ACP pistol. Rich
KLTVUZ[YH[LZ ÅHZOSPNO[ [LJOUPX\LZ L]LY`
defensive handgunner should master.

DECEMBER
<<< SIG Academy’s Hana Bilodeau joins
20th Rich and Jim to discuss the essential skills
all handgunners should master. On “This Or
This,” Scott and Jim take up the snubnose
2018
versus small pistol debate, and Scott runs his
favorite revolver drill, the 5x5x5.

DECEMBER
<<< 1PT HUK 9PJO ZOHYL [PWZ HUK [LJOUPX\LZ
27th that can help you and others survive an active
shooter scenario. Scott showcases a simple
drill that trains essential skills, and he and Rich
2018
ZX\HYL Vќ VU ^OL[OLYYLKKV[ZVYPYVUZPNO[Z
are better for ARs.
357 Magnum/38 S&W Special +P Performance Center Speed Thumb Release

Performance Center Speed Thumb Release Chromed Trigger with Trigger Stop

Vented Rib Barrel Chromed Custom Teardrop Hammer

Interchangeable Front Sight - Orange Front Sight Included Performance Center® Tuned Action

Unfluted Cylinder Model 686 PLUS - Cylinder Cut for Moon Clips

www.smith-wesson.com/pc @SWPerformanceCenter @performancectr @Performance_Ctr

 | SPEEDLOADS
COLT’S BEST REVOLVER
THE COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY, AD-
opted by the military in 1873, is
without doubt one of the most iconic
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racked up quite a score in action in
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machinery was stored in a corner
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ers and 1911 pistols made, the num-
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many ways, the Italian replicas are
on a par with the Colts.
Many years ago, while working
as a security guard in college, I did
lonely patrols in locales ranging
from pulpwood plants to modern
foundries. I had a Uberti SAA rep-
lica in .45 Colt I often carried, and
I remember going to the gun shop
and paying for 10 to 12 cartridges at
a time.
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2nd Generation .357 Magnum with
a 4.75-inch barrel. However, the
balance was all wrong, and it didn’t
The it and inish on this 2nd Generation Colt Single Action Army are excel-
feel right in my hand, so I traded it. lent and typical of the breed. Unlike 1st Generation guns, the 2nd Genera-
7RGD\ , ÀQDOO\ KDYH D ÀUVWFODVV &ROW tions are a more affordable option for collectors—or anyone who wants to
SAA, also a 2nd Generation model. own and shoot a piece of American irearms history.
It is a relative rarity, with a 7.5-inch
barrel and nickel plating, and it is
chambered to .45 Colt.
These days, original Colt revolv-
ers command a premium, and I
believe some of the resulting prices
are ridiculous. Values range from
around $3,000 for 100 percent guns
to the $1,000 neighborhood for 60
percent guns. I think a collector-
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in the original box—or if worn or
shot, it should be a revolver with an
historic provenance.
To me, the Colt SAA is a working
gun, and though expensive, it is to DPPXQLWLRQ EXW LI WKH SLHFH ÀUHV D more than 1,000 fps. I sometimes
be expected that it works well. My bit to the right or to the left, turning FDUU\ WKLV UHYROYHU LQ WKH ÀHOG DQG
2nd Generation gun is accurate by WKH EDUUHO LVQ·W GLIÀFXOW would be comfortable hunting thin-
any standard. I know this because As for elevation, if you learn to VNLQQHG JDPH ZLWK WKH %XIIDOR %RUH
I shoot it. It’s reliable and accurate use the front sight as it’s intended, load—or, if need be, using it for
and hits hard. At 25 yards, it will holding one-third to one-half of the defense against animals.
SXW ÀYH RI %ODFN +LOOV $PPXQLWLRQ·V sight in the rear notch with the rest The sense of history and emo-
250-grain Cowboy Action loads into showing above, depending on the tional attachment to this gun are
less than 1.5 inches when I do my range and load, you will have a hit. unmatched. It may be my favorite
part. I rely primarily on handloads for Colt. If you are in search of a good-
A requirement of the Single Ac- this revolver. Most of these are hard- quality Single Action Army for the
tion Army revolver on its adoption cast 250-grain semi-wadcutter loads, use it was intended, I recommend
by the military was that it would hit using either Titegroup or WW231 to the 2nd Generation Colt SAA. It
an Indian war pony at 100 yards. achieve 800 fps muzzle velocity. isn’t nearly as expensive as the
This was not a daunting task. Al- There are a couple of factory loads collectible 1st Generation guns and
most every 2nd Generation revolver WKDW , NHHS RQ KDQG 2QH LV %XIIDOR will serve as well or better than
is properly regulated for standard %RUH·VJUDLQVHPLZDGFXWWHUDW any revolver.

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 11

 | SPEEDLOADS
SKILLS DRILLS | BY J. SCOTT RUPP
The Intel Report
ED BROWN PRODUCTS
BOX DRILL
DELAWARE
THIS IS A SIMPLER, MORE COMPACT VER-
sion of the Box Drill, but it accom-
plishes the mission of teaching
shooting on the move as well as
one-handed shooting. Because it
involves some complex techniques,
I strongly recommend you do this
U.S. CONCEALED CARRY
with an experienced partner who
ASSOCIATION
can monitor your movements.
GEAR 7UDIÀF FRQHV RU RWKHU PDUN-
ers, spare mag or speedloaders
DRILL Place an IPSC/IDPA target
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WKH ER[ ZLWK ÀYH\DUG VSDFLQJ
EHWZHHQ WKH FRQHV³ÀULQJ WKUHH
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depending on gun capacity. Begin
at the front right corner, raise or
GUDZ WKH JXQ DQG PRYH EDFNZDUG
ÀULQJZLWKDWZRKDQGKROG*R
12 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
around the rear cone and switch to
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number of shots. At the left-rear
cone, do a reload and switch to a
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WR ZHDNKDQGRQO\DQGPRYH WR-
ward the start.
GOALS Fire only while moving,
striving for center-mass hits. Con-
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KHHO PRYLQJ EDFNZDUG KHHOWRH
moving forward—while main-
taining front-sight focus. Don’t
turn your body on the one-hand
VHFWLRQV ZDON IRUZDUG QRUPDOO\
ÀULQJ DUP H[WHQGHG <RX·OO OHDUQ
a lot more by moving deliberately
than trying to race through it, so
go slow and be safe!
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
 ™
OMNIVORE
OVER 150 PISTOLS. ONE HOLSTER.

BLACKHAWK.COM

©2018 BLACKHAWK! 2645 International Pkwy, Virginia Beach, VA 23452

 | SPEEDLOADS
OLD SCHOOL | BY BOB SHELL

THE TINY PINFIRES

PINFIRES AND SOME OTHER HANDGUNS
come in small sizes, typically mea-
suring about an inch in length and
weighing less than an ounce. One that
LV KDUG WR EHDW LV WKH PP SLQÀUH
6RPH ÀUH D SURMHFWLOH DW D OLVWHG 
fps, producing a single foot-pound of
energy.
7KH SURMHFWLOH VL]H LV DERXW WKH
same as a small shotgun pellet. While
YHU\ DQHPLF LW FRXOG LQMXUH VRPH-
one if shot in the eye, so respect is
QHHGHG , VDZ D PP EHLQJ ÀUHG DW
a soda can at one foot, and it dented
it deeply but did not fully penetrate.
Still, I for one would not want to get
shot in the eye with it.
A keychain was a common way of
carrying them. That way they were
inconspicuous and handy to get ahold
of in an emergency. A 2mm pinire with a working lare cartridge and a key chain
<

By federal law, it doesn’t seem to be

D SUREOHP REWDLQLQJ D SLQÀUH DV WKH\
are considered antiques or signaling
GHYLFHV DQG QRW ÀUHDUPV +RZHYHU LQ
states like New Jersey, for instance,
you need a permit to carry or own
such a gun. There may be other states
that have similar restrictions, so if in
doubt, consult with a lawyer who is
familiar with pin guns and the laws
regarding them.
There are sites that sell the 2mm
SLQÀUHV VRPH UHVHPEOLQJ ZHOO
NQRZQ JXQV VXFK DV WKH  DQG WKH
Broomhandle Mauser. Some are quite
expensive because a lot of work is re-
quired to make a working model, and
some are quite novel as well. I saw a
PPSLQÀUHWKDWKDVDSRFNHWZDWFK
with a Studebaker on the watch. They
seem to be popular in Japan and Aus-
tria, and a lot of them are made there.
$ FRXSOH RI ZHEVLWHV RIIHU SLQÀUH
ammo. In addition, kits are available
to those who roll their own. From
experience, it is a time-consuming
SURMHFW HVSHFLDOO\ZLWKWKHVPDOOHU
calibers.

Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules

14 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

©2018 REMINGTON ARMS COMPANY, LLC.
 | EN GARDE | By RICHARD NANCE

STEALTH MODE
COVERTLY DRAWING YOUR HANDGUN CAN BE A LIFESAVER.
EVERYONE WANTS A FAST DRAW STROKE.
Whether you’re concerned with
defending your life, winning a match
or just looking a little more like
John Wick, getting your gun out of
the holster and on target quickly is
pretty darn important. It’s certainly
easy to see how when faced with an
imminent threat a fast draw stroke
could save your life, but even a light-
ning-fast draw is not the solution to
every dangerous criminal threat.
When you’re able to detect a
potential problem early, you would
be wise to draw your gun covertly.

Alfredo Rico
For cops, this is a daily occurrence.
Dispatched to a burglary alarm call
at a business? Gun comes out as you Staging your pistol and keeping it hidden until needed can give you a leg up
<

approach the building. Stopped a ve-
hicle with a violent, armed criminal
occupant? Gun is out as soon as the
patrol car is shifted into park. Ap-
proaching a vehicle on a “routine”
WUDIÀF VWRS DQG WKH OLWWOH KDLUV RQ
the back of your neck stand up? Gun
comes out and is positioned behind
your leg, hidden from the view of the
vehicle occupants, but at the ready.
You get the idea.
Drawing covertly isn’t a skill that
only cops need to develop. As a
legally armed private citizen, you
should consider scenarios where
this tactic may be apropos. For
instance, imagine that while in a
convenience store a masked gun-
PDQ ÁLQJV RSHQ WKH GRRU MXPSV WKH
counter and shoves the muzzle of a
pistol against the clerk’s head. The
robber shouts, “Give me the money!”
He looks around frantically for wit-
nesses or for those who would dare
to stop him.
1RZ LV GHÀQLWHO\ QRW WKH WLPH WR
act like Quick Draw McGraw. Tempt-
ing though it may be to draw your
in some cases. And if it turns out you don’t need the gun, no one’s the wiser.
gun as quickly as humanly possible,
it’s not a good idea because the
furtive movement would assuredly
draw the attention of the robber,
whose gun is already in play. The
action/reaction phenomenon makes
this a losing proposition.
When you draw overtly, you’ve es-
sentially taken center stage, and the
robber may feel that you’ve forced
his hand. This might prompt him to
shoot the clerk or turn his gun on
you. In the case of the latter, you’d
be hard-pressed to shoot the robber
without the risk of inadvertently
shooting the clerk.
As an alternative to quick-drawing
against a robber, whose gun is in
hand, consider drawing covertly.
Something like this. When you see
the clerk being held up, act compli-
ant. If possible, slowly back away
and seek escape, cover or at least
concealment. Not only will this
make it harder for the robber to
keep tabs on you or shoot you, but
also it will help to shield your draw
stroke from his view.
But what if escape is not an option
and there is no cover or conceal-
ment available? What if you feel
that moving toward either would
place you at greater risk? By moving
slowly and minimally, you should be
able to draw your gun without being
noticed, even when there’s not much
to hide behind.
When the robber appears dis-
tracted, slightly turn your gun side
away from him to obscure your
draw stroke. Rather than reach for
your garment and lift it as high as
possible, as would be proper when
executing a fast draw stroke, slowly
peel the garment away only enough
WR REWDLQ D VROLG WKUHHÀQJHUHG
grip on your handgun. Then, while
minimizing shoulder rise and elbow
ÁDUH GUDZ \RXU JXQ IURP WKH KRO-
ster and hold it in a position where
it is hidden from the robber.
This covert draw stroke enables

16 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

you to maintain the ever-important
element of surprise and gives you
options. Do you intervene? That
would depend on a number of fac-
tors, such as whether you thought
the robber would shoot someone or
take hostages, whether you were
alone, whether there was likely a
“lookout man,” the distance between
you and the robber, the robber’s
position relative to the clerk, etc.
Covertly drawing your gun does
not obligate you to act, the way
quicker drawing might, yet it affords
you the tremendous advantage of
having your gun in hand. In the
unfortunate event the robber was
to shoot the clerk and then turn his
gun on you, you are in a much better
position than if your gun was still
holstered. Similarly, if the robber
were to approach you, intent on
taking you hostage, you would be on
the right side of the action/reaction
spectrum, as he won’t expect there
to be a gun in your hand.
'UDZLQJ FRYHUWO\ LVQ·W MXVW EHQHÀ- Ru er MK Pistols
cial in the midst of a robbery. Let’s
assume you were walking to your Reassemble Correct &
vehicle late at night in a dimly lit, Quick Every Time
sparsely populated lot (you should
not have parked there, by the way) One-Time Fix
and someone approaches you in a *Stays in Pistol
manner that makes you uncomfort- *No Experience Needed
able. If you can position your vehicle *Not for 22/45 or MK IV models
between you and the potential HammerStrutSupport.com
assailant and covertly draw your
gun, you will have a leg up should he
256-527-3527 $15
produce a weapon or demonstrate
intent to harm you.
A covert draw gives you the ele-
ment of surprise, which is often the
deciding factor in a lethal confron-
tation. It prevents you from betting
your life on a successful full-speed
draw stroke while under extreme
duress. Best of all, since the whole
point of drawing covertly is for your
gun to remain a secret until it’s
needed to overcome a deadly threat,
if you don’t need to use it, nobody is
the wiser.

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 17

 | ESSENTIALS | By JAMES TARR

HONEY BADGER DON’T CARE

NEW LOADS FROM BLACK HILLS SHOW NO FEAR.
LEHIGH DEFENSE IS A SMALL AMMUNI-
tion company that thinks outside
the box, and its unique approach to
projectiles has gotten it a lot of at-
tention—as much from other ammu-
nition makers as the general public.
The company’s Xtreme Penetrator
bullets caught the attention of Jeff
Hoffman, president of Black Hills
Ammunition, a company that has its
own reputation for challenging pre-
conceived notions on ammunition
and for recognizing the potential in
RWKHU ÀUPV· EXOOHWV
Working with Lehigh, Black Hills
helped design a new version of the
;WUHPH 3HQHWUDWRU VSHFLÀFDOO\ IRU D
line of pistol ammo that ultimately
was called Honey Badger. If you’re
Black Hills Honey Badger line of ammo features copper solid bullets
<

wondering where the name comes
from, Black Hills borrowed this
licensed name from AAC, which
produces a gun by that name. Do
yourself a favor and search for a
video titled “The Crazy Nastyass
Honey Badger.” You’ll thank me.
Honey Badger don’t care, which
is the point of these bullets. They
are designed to not care what they
have to punch through to get to the
target, whether it’s thick clothing
or drywall. Because their per-
formance is not dependent upon
expansion, and they have homoge-
neous construction, their ability to
penetrate intermediate barriers
tends to be superior to that of tradi-
tional hollowpoints.
These are CNC-machined copper
solid bullets and generally light for
caliber. You will see crossbars on
the front of the bullets, either with
ÁDWV RU VKDUS HGJHV GHSHQGLQJ RQ
caliber. Between those crossbars,
down the body of the bullet, are
ÁXWHV
manufactured by Lehigh Defense that work through luid transfer mechanics
rather than a traditional expanding hollowpoint.
To understand the terminal bal-
listic performance of a bullet like
this, you need to remember that hu-
mans are little more than big bags
of water. Upon impact with a bad
guy, the edges of the crossbars on
the bullet nose cut through cloth-
LQJ DQG VNLQ DQG WKHQ WKH ÁXWHV
behind those crossbars redirect the
watery tissue radially as the bullet
penetrates.
In simpler terms, the edges cut in
and the curves on the body of the
bullet shove the tissue out of the
way with such force that it usually
provides equal hydrostatic shock/
temporary wound cavity to a tradi-
tional hollowpoint, if not more. It
is for this reason that Lehigh calls
these types of projectiles FTM—
Fluid Transfer Monolithic—bullets.
Lehigh’s goal was an 18-inch pen-
etration-depth range achieved by
“progressive nose geometry.” Those
UDGLDO ÁXWHV IRUFH WKH K\GUDXOLF HQ-
ergy inward to build pressure, and
/HKLJK FODLPV WKDW WKH ÁXLG WUDQV-
fer dynamics result in a permanent
wound cavity twice the size of any
expanding bullet.
Black Hills initial Honey Badger
loads focused on handgun calibers
whose hollowpoint performance
was often hampered by a lack of
velocity—either by limitations of
the cartridge itself or the fact that
it was often chambered in short-
barreled guns that produce low ve-
locity, which hampered expansion
of traditional hollowpoints.
7KH ÀUVW +RQH\ %DGJHUV LQFOXGHG
a 100-grain .38 Special load and a
60-grain .380 ACP load. It has since
greatly expanded to eight loads in
nine different calibers, but let’s
ORRN DW WKH RULJLQDO WZR ÀUVW
The .38 Special +P load features
a 100-grain bullet. Out of the stan-

18 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

dard 1.875-inch snubbie barrel, it
will do about 1,000 fps. In gel tests
this bullet penetrated 14.75 inches
and created a 6x3-inch temporary
cavity.
The .380 ACP load features a
60-grain bullet and will do close
to 1,100 fps out of most carry-size
guns. That is no exaggeration.
I tested it in a Taurus Spectrum
last month, and out of the Spec-
trum’s 2.8-inch barrel, this ammo
did 1,104 fps while having less felt
recoil than a standard .380 load. I
feel so strongly about this ammuni-
tion that it’s what I keep loaded in
my Beretta 84F kitchen cupboard
gun.
In gel tests this little bullet pen-
etrated more than 10.5 inches while
creating a 6.5x2.5-inch temporary
cavity. And once again, because
of the design of the bullet, it will
not clog up or break apart going
through clothing or light barriers
and does not require a minimum
velocity to expand as it works with-
out expansion.
Note that these are not “one size
ÀWV DOOμ EXOOHWV <RX·OO VHH D KXJH
difference in shape and design
between, say, the 135-grain .45
ACP Honey Badger bullet and the
60-grain .380 ACP bullet, even
though they have similar propor-
tions.
The 135-grain .45 ACP Honey
Badger load is advertised as doing
1,325 fps out of a handgun. Last
year I bought a CMMG Guard pistol,
which is an AR-15 chambered in .45
ACP. Out of the Guard’s eight-inch
barrel, the Honey Badger ammo
does just shy of 1,600 fps and is my
favorite defensive load for this gun.
Penetration is never an issue
with a Honey Badger bullet. The
issue is making sure the bullet
doesn’t overpenetrate, so Black
Hills and Lehigh Defense have had
to adjust crossbar thickness and
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
ÁXWH JHRPHWU\ LQGLYLGXDOO\ IRU HDFK
caliber to produce the proper depth
of penetration.
Black Hills now offers two 9mm
loads in the Honey Badger line, the
original 125-grain bullet deliber-
ately loaded to subsonic velocity
(1,050 fps) and a new 100-grain
load advertised to do 1,300 fps. The
subsonic load could be compared to
competitors’ light-recoiling rounds
meant for small guns or recoil-sen-
sitive shooters. Out of the 4.01-inch
barrel of my Glock 19, it gave me
964 fps and relatively soft recoil.
In the bare block this bullet pene-
trated 15 7/8 inches and stopped base
forward. Through drywall the Black
Hills Honey Badger penetrated 11.5
inches and again came to rest with
the base forward. The recovered
bullet had a bit of drywall dust in-
VLGH WKH ÁXWHV EXW ZDV XQGDPDJHG
and weighed 125.7 grains, showing
it shed no weight whatsoever.
Fired through the plywood, the
Honey Badger showered the range
in splinters, and I noticed a lot of
them were stuck in the front of the
ballistic block. After piercing the
plywood, the bullet penetrated 9.5
inches into the block, coming to rest
nose forward.
The sheet steel test proved in-
teresting. After punching through
the two layers of steel the 125-grain
Honey Badger penetrated the bal-
listic block 10 inches and came to
rest nose forward.
Examination of the recovered
EXOOHW VKRZHG WKDW WKH VKDUS ÁDWV
on the front of the bullet were no
ORQJHU VKDUS RU ÁDW DIWHU SDVVLQJ
through two pieces of sheet steel.
However, recovered weight of the
bullet was 125.3 grains, so it lost no
weight in transit.
The Black Hills Honey Badger
line of ammo is something seriously
different. I highly recommend you
check it out.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 19
 | GUNS & GEAR | By J. SCOTT RUPP

< SMITH & WESSON M&P 2.0 COMPACT 3.6

First came the M&P 2.0, with an improved trigger, new grip stippling and Armornite inish. Then
came the Compact version with four-inch barrel. Now meet the Compact with a shorter 3.6-inch
barrel. If you’ve shot an M&P you know its low bore axis and 18-degree grip angle make it easy to
shoot well, and the gun comes with four interchangeable grip inserts—small, medium, medium/
large and large—as well as the aformentioned new grip stippling, which is a lot more aggressive
for excellent control. The redesigned trigger has a better break and reset. Available in 9mm and .40
S&W, with or without thumb safety.
{$569, SMITH-WESSON.COM}

< HORNADY CRITICAL DEFENSE .25 AND .32 AUTO

Hornady brings the same proven technology that makes Critical Defense an effective round to the
.32 and .25 Auto cartridges. Featuring the FTX bullet for sure expansion, nickel-plated cases and
premium low-lash powders that deliver performance even out of short barrels (and short barrels
are a given for these calibers), these rounds up the ante for personal protection. The .32 features
a 60-grain bullet with a muzzle velocity of 1,000 fps—and that’s out of a two-inch test barrel.
Energy at the muzzle is 133 ft.-lbs. The .25’s 35-grain bullet is doing 900 fps (same length test
barrel) for 63 ft.-lbs.
{HORNADY.COM}

< XS DXT2 BIG DOT

XS is renowned for its big front-dot sight and V-notch pairing, which creates an “i” sight picture
that’s fast to use. Now it’s available in a night-sight version featuring a large photoluminescent dot
(orange or yellow) surrounded by a tritium lamp. The large dot absorbs light and glows for hours in
low-light conditions, and the tritium center ensures you’ll have a sight picture no matter the light.
Current its include Glocks, Smith & Wesson (M&P full size/compact and Shield), SIG (P320, P226,
P229), Springield XD and FN 509.
{$132, XSSIGHTS.COM}

< HOPPE’S ESSENTIALS PISTOL KIT

When it comes to gun cleaning, it’s hard to beat a one-stop shop, and Hoppe’s delivers with a kit
that includes all the rods, brushes, jags and chemicals (oil, bore cleaner, silicone cloth) you need to
clean everything from .22 up to .45 caliber. Everything comes in a plastic storage case, with a gun
cleaning guide that’s handy for those new to irearms, and you even get a cleaning mat, which I
consider indispensable.
{$40, HOPPES.COM}

< RUGER SP101 BLUE

The SP101 has always been a stainless gun, and based on customer requests, Ruger has decided
to offer it in a blue alloy-steel version as well. The SP101 is a rugged ive-shot revolver—cham-
bered to .357 Magnum in this case—with a 2.25-inch barrel, integral rear sight and ramped front
sight. It’s a double-action/single action with a triple locking cylinder for durability and a transfer-
bar system for safety. Weight is 22 ounces, and the gun’s rubber grips help soak up recoil.
{$719, RUGER.COM}

20 HANDGUNS FERUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

 NOW STANDS FOR
EVERYDAY CHOICES

The Ruger® EC9s™ comes with n

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RUGER.COM © 2018 Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. 011118

22 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
THE
X
FACTOR
THE SIG P320 X-CARRY IS A RE-
FINED CARRY VERSION OF THE
GUN THAT WON THE ARMY PIS-
TOL CONTRACT.
I
t’s amazing how the land-
scape can change in just a
few short years. When the
SIG P320 was introduced
in 2014, I received one of
WKHÀUVWPRGHOVDQGUHYLHZHG
it in these pages. I was some-
what unimpressed with the gun.
%DVLFDOO\DVWULNHUÀUHGYHUVLRQ
of SIG’s modular double-action/
single-action P250, the gun was
BY JAMES TARR
reliable and had a nice trigger,
but I thought it could have been
so much more.
Even before the U.S. Army ad-
opted a version of the P320 as its
new M17 service pistol, I realized
I had underestimated the P320.
Then SIG introduced the X-frame
models (X-Five and VTAC), which
seemed to address every com-
plaint I had with the platform,
however minor. SIG’s X-Carry
model is meant to be the P320
tweaked to ultimate concealed-
carry perfection.
Let’s start with the basics of
the P320 and work our way up to
the X-Carry’s upgrades. This is
a polymer-framed striker-
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 23
THE X FACTOR
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ZKDW 6,* ÀUVW ZDV FDOOLQJ WKH ´;
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The frame is undercut behind the trigger guard for a high grip, but most
<
noticeable is the 90-degree trigger break, which helps eliminate side-to-side
play during the pull.
Tarr likes the rear night sight on the X-Carry more than any other SIG rear
<
sight. It is mounted on a removable plate, with a slide cut to accommodate a
SIG red dot.
24 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
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WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
version is all black and chambered those screws until you remove the ex- This is one of those “you can’t get
in 9mm. It is supplied with three tractor assembly from the slide, and there from here” scenarios.
17-round magazines and a cable lock the company does not give you any I think red dots on carry pistols
in a lockable plastic case. instruction on how to do that. are a fad that will lose popularity as
The X-Carry barrel has the same In fact, the owner’s manual reads: people realize red dots are slower
locking block as a standard P320, but “Do not attempt to disassemble your to use at defensive distances than
LW RIIHUV D PXFK WLJKWHU ÀW WKDQ RQ D pistol beyond the point explained in iron sights. But more options for the
standard P320. There is absolutely no this manual. Further disassembly shooter are always a good thing.
vertical play, so it appears this gun should only be done at the factory.” Let’s talk about the X-series
has been tweaked on the inside as
well as the outside.
The slide is stainless steel with
D EODFN 1LWURQ ÀQLVK &RQVWUXFWLRQ
of the P320 is about as corrosion-
resistant as you can get, which didn’t
hurt in the military trials. There is a
trapezoidal lightening cut in the top
of the slide between the barrel hood
and the front sight. While I think
this looks good, it isn’t just for show;
reduced reciprocating weight means
less felt recoil, and the X-Carry is
meant to be maximized for perfor- The front sight is the SIG X-Ray3 night sight. The lightening cut on the
<

mance as well as looks. slide looks good and also reduces felt recoil.
7KH VOLGH IHDWXUHV ÁDWERWWRPHG
serrations at the front and rear. The
serrations in the X-series guns have
a slightly different angle to them to
match the different grip angle and
are a bit more aggressive than on a
standard P320.
The front sight is SIG’s X-Ray3
sight, which features a tritium insert
and a large green circle around it for
increased visibility in good light.
The rear sight is not one that I’ve
seen before from SIG, and I have to
say that I like it the best of all the
SIG rear sights I’ve seen and tested.
There are tritium inserts on either
side of a sizable notch in a blocky
The SIG P320 X-Carry (r.) compared to a customized P320 Compact. The
<

rear sight housing that provides a X-Carry has nearly the same dimensions while offering two more rounds in
nice sight picture. From the rear it’s the magazine.
DOPRVW VTXDUH LQ SURÀOH
The rear sight is attached to a
removable plate set into the top of the
ACCURACY RESULTS | SIG P320 X-CARRY
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
slide. If you remove the plate/sight, 9mm Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
the slide is ready to accept a SIG
Black Hills TAC-TX +P 115 1,119 21 2.9
Romeo1 mini red dot.
SIG Elite FMJ 115 1,189 11 3.1
However, here’s my only real
SIG Elite JHP 124 1,124 16 2.6
complaint with this pistol. SIG likes
Hornady Critical Duty +P 135 1,105 22 2.9
to talk about how the plate is easily
Winchester 3-Gun 147 921 23 2.7
removed via two screws and then this
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are aver-
pistol is red-dot-ready, but it neglects ages of 10 shots measured with an Oehler Model 35P 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal jacket; JHP,
jacketed hollowpoint
to mention you can’t access one of

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 25

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BY JEFF CHUDWIN

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
MASTER COMMANDER
The ECP sports a matte black
anodized aluminum frame that’s
“bobtailed” at the bottom of the
mainspring housing. This offers
D UHGXFHG SURÀOH IRU FRQFHDOHG
carry but does not detract from the
excellent handling qualities of the
pistol.
The frontstrap and mainspring
housing are machine checkered at
25 lpi and perfectly executed with
clean borders on each side. The top
of the frontstrap is also undercut
at the rear of the trigger guard to
help achieve a high grip position.
The ECP incorporates an extended safety, and the skeletonized trigger is
<
excellent. The lat face of the rear sight is designed to be used as a racking
aid in an emergency.
<
30 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
The grip safety is a beavertail
type with a “speed bump” at the
bottom. This ensures that when the
shooter’s hand grips the pistol, the
grip safety is depressed far enough
forward to unblock the trigger.
7KH ÀW EHWZHHQ WKH IUDPH DQG
the grip safety is very tight, and
there is no excess play or rattle
DV \RX PLJKW ÀQG LQ OHVVHUTXDOLW\
pistols. Another addition is a nicely
beveled mag well to prevent the
magazine lips from catching during
loading.
$GGLQJWRWKHÀWDQGKDQGOLQJ
qualities of the ECP is a set of gray-
and-black ribbed G10 grips. Locked
down by hex-head screws, the grips
stand out in appearance and func-
tional comfort. I want grips that
NHHS WKH SLVWRO ÀUPO\ ORFNHG LQWR
my hand, and these textured grips
do exactly that.
Dan Wesson took this design a
step further and tapered the grips
DW WKH WRS WR DOORZ IRU D EHWWHU ÀW
for different hand sizes. It just felt
ULJKW IURP WKH ÀUVW :KHQ WKH JULS
circumference is too large, too
OLWWOH RI WKH WULJJHU ÀQJHU LV SODFHG
on the trigger’s face. As the shooter
ÀUHV WKH YHU\ WLS RI WKH WULJJHU ÀQ-
ger puts sideways pressure on the
trigger, moving the muzzle off the
line of sight. This results in rounds
striking the target to the left for
right-handed shooters and the op-
posite for lefties.
Where the grip size and frame
design allow the shooter to achieve
GHHSHU WULJJHU ÀQJHU FRQWDFW WKH
trigger press travels straight to the
rear, which is a big boost to getting
center hits on target—as is a trig-
ger like the ECP’s which broke at a
crisp four pounds.
The combination of the check-
ered, high-cut frontstrap, bobtailed
frame and tapered grips makes for
excellent ergonomics. The hammer
is a Commander type, but instead
of the round hammer extension,
LW KDV EHHQ PRGLÀHG ZLWK DQ RSHQ
loop that is angled for both func-
tion and looks.
The checkered magazine catch
is slightly longer than found on a
standard 1911 and is easily ac-
cessed for fast magazine release
and reloading. While doing rapid
reload drills, the supplied nine-
round Dan Wesson magazines—
along with Wilson and Brownells
10-round magazines—ejected
cleanly from the pistol and slid
effortlessly into the frame on the
reload.
There was zero drag, indicating
all frame and trigger dimensions
were machined correctly. This is
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
not always the case in 1911s, where
grip screws are not trimmed to ACCURACY RESULTS | DAN WESSON ECP
length or the trigger bow that sur- Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
URXQGV WKH PDJD]LQH ZHOO LV QRW ÀW 9mm Luger Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)

ÁXVK DQG RQH RU ERWK LQWUXGH LQWR Black Hills Honey Badger +P 100 1,176 8 2.7
the mag well. With friction against Black Hills Tac-XP +P 115 1,182 18 3.4
the magazine sides from these Hornady Steel Match HAP 124 1,049 8 1.5
parts, the magazine sticks and does Hornady Critical Duty +P FlexLock 124 1,105 6 2.8
Federal HST +P 124 1,159 20 3.1
not fall free. The shooter must rip
Black Hills Honey Badger Subsonic 125 941 13 2.2
out the magazine—inconvenient for
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four, five-shot groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocity figures averages
a target pistol but a far more seri- of are 10 shots recorded on Competition Electronics chronograph placed 10 feet from the muzzle.
ous issue in a handgun carried for
self-defense.
The ECP has an extended frame-
mounted thumb safety that is very
positive in operation. It offers a
larger surface for easier operation.
Most experienced 1911 operators
prefer the feel of a positive “click”
when engaging and disengaging the
safety. This click is the result of the
spring-loaded safety detent press-
LQJ ÀUPO\ LQWRWKHIRUZDUGHGJHRI
the safety.
As the safety is rotated up and
down from Safe to Fire and back
again, the detent snaps in and out
of the small countersunk Safe and
Fire positions on the safety. If the
safety does not have this positive
click operation, it can move from
Safe to Fire position by the fric-
The gray/black G10 grips give the ECP a lot of curb appeal, and the
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tion of sliding along a car seat or
by catching on clothing. The time
WDNHQ WR KDQGÀW WKHVH HVVHQWLDO
small parts are what sets the qual-
ity 1911 pistols apart from others.
The slide is stainless steel cov-
ered by what DW calls a black matte
´GXW\ ÀQLVKμ 7KH RQO\ PDUNLQJ LV
the ECP logo on the left side of the
slide. The rear cocking serrations
are wide cut, angled to the rear,
and easy to get a solid grasp on to
retract the slide.
There is a lot of neat design work
on the ECP with angles cut into the
front and top edges of the slide to
give it a semi triangular look. The
top sides of the slide angle inwards
WR IRUP D ÀQHO\ VHUUDWHGULERQWKH
top of the slide.
The overall effect really sets the
ECP apart from other 1911 pistols.
As one of my shooting partners
trimmed frame corner aids in concealment. The grip safety features a speed
bump for sure operation.
says, “I don’t have to carry an ugly
pistol, and I am not going to.” With
the ECP, you have functionality and
a unique look.
The sights on the ECP include a
deep-mounted rear sight that has a
0.148-inch rear U notch and sports
the Dan Wesson logo on its left side.
7KH UHDU VLJKW LV SUHVV ÀW LQWR WKH
slide and has an Allen screw lock-
ing it in place.
The forward face of the rear sight
is square-cut at a 90-degree angle
to allow one-hand emergency slide
cycling on the holster, belt or other
hard edge. At the same time, the
rear sight will not snag on draw be-
cause all other edges are rounded
and clean.
The front sight is dovetailed into
the slide and pinned in place to
hold it secure under hard use. It is
0.129-inch wide and has a 0.089-
inch brass bead insert. During
range work I was able to quickly
align the sights on target, the brass
bead shining like a beacon in the
VXQOLJKW ,Q ORZ OLJKW XVLQJ D ÁDVK-
light, it also offers a fast visual.
The extractor is a critical 1911
component. Dan Wesson chose
EGW’s Practical model, which is
rated for use up to 70,000 rounds.
EGW manufactures top-of-the-
line parts, and I’ve been using its
upgraded extractors in my carry
1911s. The extractor in the ECP is
H[SHUWO\ ÀWWHG ZLWK SURSHU WHQVLRQ
7KH ÀULQJ SLQ LV WKH VPDOOHU
diameter 9mm type and uses

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 31

BIG. BOLD.
DEVASTATINGLY

44 MAGNUM (6 SHOT CAPACITY) • MATTE BLACK OR TWO TONE FINISH • BARREL: 8.375” • 55 OZ.
TAKE2 BY BRAD FITZPATRICK

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

TAKE 2
hundred rounds downrange
without gloves and you’d begin to
wonder if that toothy surface was
really necessary.
$SSDUHQWO\ 6SULQJÀHOG·V HQJL-
neers wondered the same thing, and
that prompted the new texturing
design. The altered grip ergonomics
place the hand higher on the gun,
and this too is an upgrade you’ll ap-
preciate more after a few hours on
the range.
I previously shot the .45 ACP ver-
sion of the Mod.2 and found it was
much easier to control than you’d
expect from a lightweight polymer
.45. The 9mm is even more manage-
able, and while experienced shoot-
ers may guffaw at the notion that
any 9mm is unpleasant to shoot, it’s
important to remember a sizable
portion of the XD-S Mod.2 9mm’s
target audience are new shooters
who’re new to both concealed carry
and shooting.
With a proper grip, the XD-S
Mod.2 doesn’t produce exces-
sive recoil or muzzle rise with hot
defensive and target loads and will
DOORZ QHZ VKRRWHUV WR IHHO FRQÀGHQW
with this pistol. More experienced
shooters will appreciate the new
GHVLJQ EHFDXVH WKH 6SULQJÀHOG·V
short-reset trigger and higher grip
allow you to deliver fast, accurate
follow-up shots.
The ultimate carry gun should
be trim enough to conceal under
OLJKW FORWKLQJ DQG 6SULQJÀHOG KDV
reduced the dimensions of the XD-S
so it’s easy to hide under summer
clothing. With the seven-round
PDJD]LQH ZLWK ÀQJHU H[WHQVLRQ LQ
place, the Mod.2 9mm has a height
of roughly 4.6 inches from the base
of the magazine, to the top of the
VOLGH ,I \RX RSW IRU WKH ÁXVKÀW
PDJD]LQH WKHÀJXUHGURSVWRMXVW
inches.
:LWK LWV LQFK KDPPHUIRUJHG
EDUUHO WKH SLVWRO PHDVXUHV 
inches long, and the width is 0.975
LQFK )RU FRPSDULVRQ WKH *ORFN 
single-stack 9mm measures 1.06
inches wide and 6.26 inches long.
38 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
The XD-S Mod.2 weighs 21.5 ounc-
HV ZLWK DQ HPSW\ ÁXVKÀW PDJD]LQH
which is three ounces heavier than
the Glock and within one ounce
of the Smith & Wesson M&P9. In
practical terms, all three of these
pistols are close in terms of size and
weight, but the XD-S Mod.2 is the
only pistol offering a nine-round
capacity.
The XD-S comes with a push-but-
ton ambidextrous magazine release
that’s well-positioned so there’s no
need to cant the pistol at an awk-
ward angle during mag changes.
The slide stop is tucked neatly
DJDLQVW WKH VLGH RI WKH JXQ ,W·V MXVW
the right size and is easy to operate
with the thumb yet not so large that
it would hang up during a draw.
Two recessed grooves on either
side of the polymer frame accommo-
GDWH WKH WKXPE DQG WULJJHU ÀQJHU
and there’s a rotating takedown
lever on the left side of the pistol.
7R ÀHOGVWULS WKH JXQ PDNH FHUWDLQ
it is unloaded, drop the magazine,
lock the slide open and rotate the
lever clockwise 90 degrees. Af-
terwards, releasing the slide and
pulling the trigger allows the slide,
barrel and captured recoil spring to
be removed.
There are two passive safeties on
the XD-S Mod.2, a grip safety and a
trigger safety. The grip safety is lo-
Some people like grip safeties, some don’t. Fitzpatrick is ine with the one
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on the Mod.2 and didn’t have any trouble with it.
cated below the beavertail and pre-
vents the trigger bar from releasing
the sear until it is depressed, and
the bladed trigger design prevents
VXGGHQ LPSDFWV IURP ÀULQJ WKH
gun. There’s also a striker safety
that blocks the striker channel to
further protect against accidental
discharges when dropped.
An indicator bar on the top of the
slide gives a visual and tactile cue
when a round is in the chamber. The
XD-S Mod.2 does not have a maga-
zine disconnect safety, so it can be
ÀUHG LI WKHUH LV D FDUWULGJH LQ WKH
chamber even if the magazine is not
in place.
I spent several days carrying the
XD-S Mod.2 and found the gun lives
up to its billing as highly conceal-
able. Worn at the appendix position
with the thumb extension seven-
round magazine in place, the XD-S
Mod.2 disappears under a light
t-shirt.
Even with the nine-round
extended magazine in place, the
pistol could be concealed, though
it’s much more likely to print when
wearing athletic clothes. With a
OLJKW MDFNHW RU EXWWRQXS FRYHU JDU-
ment, though, the XD-S is conceal-
able with every available magazine
option.
Grip safeties seem to be a polariz-
ing feature. Detractors ask why
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
TAKE 2
while fans ask why not, but I’m ÀQLVK LV GXUDEOH DQG DSSHDUV WR wet hands. That failing, the dove-
a fan of the passive design and I’ve stand up well to the rigors of daily tailed rear sight is designed for one-
never found a reason to fault grip FDUU\ 1RW DOO FDUU\ JXQ ÀQLVKHV DUH handed racking of the pistol.
safeties on carry guns. The mini- created equal, but I’ve always had 6SULQJÀHOG FODLPV WKH ;'6
mized controls on the XD-S Mod.2 good luck with Melonite pistols that Mod.2 can go 25,000 rounds with-
won’t jab or poke your belly while I’ve carried in the past, and there’s out stoppage. I didn’t quite hit
you’re carrying the gun. no indication that the Mod.2 will that number, but I did put a few
Carry a pistol close to your body be any less corrosion and scratch- hundred rounds of varying bullet
in the summer in Ohio and you’ll resistant than the pistols that have weights and energies downrange
expose it to plenty of perspiration. come before it. without a single hiccup. There were
Even when damp the grip offers The rear slide serrations— no failures to feed, and the beefy
enough texturing to keep the gun 6SULQJÀHOG FDOOV WKHP 3RVL:HGJH³ slide-mounted extractor takes a
ÀUPO\ SODQWHG LQ WKH KDQG DQG WKH are deep enough and aggressive healthy bite onto the cartridge case
Melonite ferritic nitrocarburized enough the gun can be racked with and pulls empties free from the
FKDPEHU UHOLDEO\ , ÀUHG WKH SLVWRO
one-handed and from a variety of
ACCURACY RESULTS | kneeling, sitting and standing posi-
tions and there were no issues.
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
9mm Luger Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.) ,I 6SULQJÀHOG LV VHULRXV DERXW
Winchester USA Forged FMJ 115 1,098 9.7 2.6 SODQWLQJ WKHLU ÁDJ RQ WKH WRS RI WKH
Federal Premium HST JHP 124 1,052 6.5 1.6 heap of carry guns available today,
Browning BPT FMJ 147 950 8.4 2.2 reliability is critical. Concealed
Sig Sauer Performance Elite FMJ 147 896 8.0 1.3 pistols have to work with a variety
Federal Premium Syntech TSJ 150 864 3.9 2.3 of different loads under any condi-
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four five-shot groups at 15 yards from a fixed rest. Velocity figures are averages tions, and based on my range tests
of 10 shots recorded on a ProChrono digital chronograph placed 10 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal
jacket; JHP, jacketed hollowpoint; TSJ, total synthetic jacket with the XD-S Mod.2, this pistol
TAKE 2
functions properly with a wide
array of loads.
Accuracy test protocols indicated
that the XD-S Mod.2, with its 3.3-
inch barrel, should be tested at 15
\DUGV )URP WKDW UDQJH RQ D À[HG
rest, this pistol is quite accurate
Despite its compact size the Springield is not only manageable to shoot
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with defensive loads, it’s plenty accurate as well.
42 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
for a compact carry gun. The best
ÀYHVKRW JURXS RI WKH GD\ PHDVXUHG
0.63 inches, and there were a hand-
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MXVW DERYH DQ LQFK $YHUDJH JURXS
size ranged from 1.3 inches up to 2.6
inches at that range.
The XD-S shines when being
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EX\LQJ WKLV JXQ ,·G VWLFN ZLWK WKH
WULWLXP IURQW VLJKW DQG EODFN UHDU
The front sight is plenty bright to
see in any lighting conditions and
offers a bold, easy-to-locate aiming
point that allows for fast and accu-
rate shooting.
Speed is further increased by the
SLVWRO·V VKRUW SRVLWLYH UHVHW 7KH WULJ-
JHU EURNH DW DQ DYHUDJH RI  SRXQGV
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Not so long as there are two shoot-
ers to argue about the topic. But
the XD-S Mod.2 is a solid option
with some user-friendly features,
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,I \RX·UH LQ WKH PDUNHW IRU D VLQJOH
VWDFN PP WKH ;'6 0RG ZDUUDQWV
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SPECIAL
NEWSSTAND-ONLY
SHOOTING PUBLICATIONS
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
GREEN BY PATRICK SWEENEY

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019

BIG GREEN
OK, let’s get right to the crux
of the matter: This is a big pistol.
You can’t have a 15+1 capacity in
.45 and replaceable backstraps
without going big. So it is not a
deep concealment pistol, unless
your idea of daily wear is a parka
or a serape.
But big also describes the
features list. It has a hefty slide
to deal with the recoil and energy
The area behind the trigger guard is relieved, making it easier to reach the
<
bladed trigger. The slide stop lever is ambidextrous, and the rear sight can be
used to rack the pistol.
The gun features an accessory rail, and the three slide serrations at the
<
front provide an easy way to conduct a press check.
46 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
that a .45 ACP or, better yet, a .45
ACP +P load generates. The slide
is given a pair of dovetails on top
to mount the sights. Three-dot
sights are standard, with three-dot
night sights as an option. The rear
sight has a vertical-faced blade so
you can use it to work the slide in
an emergency. While the likeli-
hood of having to do this is small,
it’s a good option to have.
The front end of the slide has a
heavy bevel on it for easy holster-
ing. By making the front of the
slide essentially a wedge, the
53 ZLOO PRUH HDVLO\ ´ÀQGμWKH
open top of a holster.
The cocking serrations are large
but shallow, and while there are
eight of them on the rear of the
slide, there are only three on the
front. You don’t need all eight up
IURQW VR WKDW·V ÀQH E\ PH
At the rear of the ejection port,
on the right side, is a veritable
tow-hook of a spring-loaded ex-
tractor. It’s big, long and with plen-
ty of leverage, so those empties
are coming out of there whether
they want to or not. The extractor
also doubles as a loaded-chamber
indicator.
Inside the stainless steel slide is
a linkless barrel, and the slide and
EDUUHO DUH ERWK JLYHQ D ÁDW EODFN
39' ÀQLVK 39' LV WKH ODWHVW LQ
ÀUHDUPV ÀQLVKHV DQG LW LQYROYHV
depositing a vapor of mate-
rial onto the surface of parts in a
vacuum chamber.
It creates a thin, tough coating
that does not build up on corners
as some of the electro-deposit
processes do, and it does not
have the thickness that the baked
paint coatings create. This means
Remington can produce the slide,
barrel and other parts to the
dimensions it desires and not have
to account for extra thicknesses
FUHDWHGE\WKHÀQDOFRDWLQJ
REMINGTON
PRICE:
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
 The striker system has all the has thankfully made the trigger ZLWK ÀQJHU JURRYHV +DOOHOXMDK
expected safety parts. There’s a guard rounded—no squared-off brothers and sisters. I’ve yet to
safety blade on the trigger, and trigger guard from the 1980s com- SLFN XS D KDQGJXQ ZLWK ÀQJHU
a drop safety and striker block EDW WDVWHV³DQG ODUJH HQRXJK WR ÀW grooves in the grips or frame that
inside the slide. Since there is no a gloved hand. There’s an accesso- DFWXDOO\ ÀW P\ ÀQJHUV
hammer, the rear of the slide is ry rail on the dust cover for a light, The serial number is on the chas-
sealed with a plate. laser or combo unit. sis inside of the polymer shell, vis-
7KH LGHD RI VWULNHUÀUHG SLVWROV ible through a slot in the right side
is not new anymore, and shooters Convenient Controls of the frame. The design would
now are not all that keen on what At the top of the frame, Reming- allow a trained armorer—not a
we encountered with the pulls on ton has placed an ambidextrous shade-tree gunsmith—to swap the
WKH ÀUVW RQHV ZKLFK ZHUHVFUDWFK\ lever for the slide stop, and the chassis from one shell to another
creepy and gritty. magazine catch is reversible so you should Remington decide to offer
The RP45 trigger is not some- can set up the handgun way you that option in the future or if the
WKLQJ \RX·G SLFN ÀUVW IRU D %XOOVH\H want it. polymer shell became damaged
match, but it’s much, much better 7KH IUDPH LV ÀQLVKHG LQ D SHEEOH and had to be changed.
than what we had in the old days. texture, with a script “R” in it, for For all of its size, the RP45 isn’t
The published specs call for it to a non-slip grip. And, thankfully, all that heavy, tipping the scales,
be 5.5 to eight pounds in weight, Remington has decided to not go empty with an empty maga-
and the pull on my sample broke
cleanly at six pounds.
While the slide and its extras
have a lot of goodies, it is the frame
that holds the really interesting
parts. For being big enough to hold
D GRXEOHVWDFN PDJD]LQH ÀOOHG ZLWK
.45 ACP, it’s not as portly as I had
expected.
Oh, make no mistake, it’s a big
gun, but it isn’t the monster blaster
I had been expecting from seeing
the photos. What’s the old adage?
“The camera adds 10 pounds.” The
camera is not kind to the RP45.
Don’t worry, though. It is more
manageable than you’d expect
from the pictures. The inevitable
comparison here is with the Glock
20/21, also a fat-grip .45, but the
RP45 is slimmer and better-con-
toured than the Glock.
The trigger guard has an un-
dercut like on expensive, custom
V 7KLV OHWV \RXU ÀQJHUV JHW
higher on the gun. The rear of the
frame has a sizeable tang on it, and
this allows your hand to ride high
and helps soak up the recoil of .45
ammo.
The polymer frame has relief
cuts on the sides, behind the trig-
ger, to allow you to reach the trig-
ger despite the size of the frame
enclosing the double-stack maga- The gun comes with interchangeable backstraps, and all of them feature
<

zine. Forward of that, Remington vertical grooves for improved control.

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 47

BIG GREEN
zine, at 29 ounces. That’s a few oversized, so the contours of the slide. Rotate the takedown lever.
ounces more than a lightweight pistols run smoothly from frame Ease the slide forward to the
1911 Commander and yet holds to magazine and back. On the ORFNHG SRVLWLRQ DQG GU\ÀUH LW
twice the ammo. front edge of the magazine base Hold the trigger back, and remove
The backstrap is removable, plate, it protrudes forward of the the slide off of the frame, sliding it
and the RP45 comes with three of frame enough to give you purchase forward.
them: small, medium and large. should you have to rip it out to You can then remove the recoil
Each backstrap has a set of vertical clear something or do an emer- spring assembly and barrel from
grooves running three-quarters of gency reload. the slide. The recoil spring as-
the length of the backstrap. This The look of the RP45 is like that sembly is a captured unit, so you
is for more non-slip grip, and it ac- of the RP9. There are no sharp needn’t worry about launching a
complishes the job. HGJHV QR FULVS FRUQHUV MXVW ÁRZ- spring across the room on disas-
The backstrap also comes down ing lines and a distinct lack of bits sembly.
past the opening of the magazine and pieces that could gnaw on your Shooting the RP45 produced no
well, and it acts as a back-face hands. We talk about a defensive or surprises. Given its size and the
index, or magazine funnel, for everyday carry pistol feeling like height of the bore over your hand,
speed reloading. This is handy, as a used bar of soap, and the RP45 the RP45 is going to have muzzle
competitive shooters know, and for comes really close, right out of the rise. Big deal. USPSA/IPSC Grand
defensive handgunners it simply box. Masters obsess over bore height,
helps provide fumble-free reloads. The takedown process is simple. but in the real world of regular
The magazine base pads are Unload the pistol. Lock back the shooters, we worry about bore
height entirely too much.
The bore height over grip meant
the sights lifted on each shot, but
the non-slip grip, and the generous
dimensions of the frame, meant the
front sight came back down, cen-
tered in the rear notch, each time.
The felt difference in recoil
between the stoutest ammunition
and the softest wasn’t much, and
that is also a function of the gener-
ous frame. You’ve got a lot to hold
on to, and there is a lot of surface
area to transfer the jolt back to
your hands and even out the recoil
impulse.
There were no malfunctions,
and I would have been surprised,
no, stunned, had there been any.
$ IXOOVL]HG SLVWRO ÀULQJ  $&3
is not exactly rocket science. The
The gun ships with three 15-round magazines, which are easy to load to
<

magazines are steel tubes, with

capacity. The backstrap extension acts as a sort of mag funnel.
tough polymer base plates, and are
easy to load to their full 15-round
ACCURACY RESULTS | capacity.
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg. The RP45 comes in a green card-
.45 ACP Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
board box, with two magazines, a
Black Hills Honey Badger 135 1,280 22 2.8 lock, an instruction manual and
Hornady American Gunner XTP 185 939 14 2.5
the extra backstraps. If what you
Remington HTP 185 1,046 31 2.5
want is a high-capacity .45 pistol,
Federal HST +P 230 918 11 2.5
of the polymer frame and striker-
Federal Suppressor-Ready FMJ 230 800 18 2.8
Remington UMC FMJ 230 844 23 2.8 ÀUHG SHUVXDVLRQ³RQH WKDW LVQ·W
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of five five-shot groups at 25 yards off a Sinclair rest. Velocities are averages of 10 PRUH WKDQ D KDQGIXO³WKH 53
shots measured by a LabRadar programmed to measure 15 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviations: FMJ, full metal jacket might be just the ticket.

48 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

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ROLL OUT THE
BARREL
HERE’S HOW TO PROPERLY FIT A REPLACEMENT
BY PATRICK SWEENEY

BARREL FOR YOUR FAVORITE SEMIAUTO.

L
et’s get right to it: Why would you replace
a perfectly good barrel on a semiauto? The
short answer is to improve accuracy or to use
reloaded ammo. There is also a third answer,
one that takes advantage of the modular na-
ture of modern pistols: to change calibers.
In this article I’m going to look only at barrels for
improves a great deal.
And there’s another cost consideration. It is entirely
SRVVLEOH WR ÀW D PP EDUUHO WR D  6 : SLVWRO <RX
FDQ SUDFWLFH ZLWK \RXU LQH[SHQVLYH UHORDGV DQG VWLOO
EH DEOH WR VWULS FOHDQ DQG UHDVVHPEOH \RXU  FDUU\
JXQ DQG ORDG LW XS EHIRUH \RX OHDYH WKH UDQJH 7KH
RWKHU SRVVLEOH FKDQJH LV JRLQJ IURP D  6 : WR D 
the various polymer-frame pistols or other designs
with the same kind of barrel setup: a rectangular
hood lug on top that locks in the ejection port and
an angled stub underneath—the bottom, or foot, lug.
7KLV LV WKH W\SH \RX·OO ÀQG RQ *ORFNV 6SULQJÀHOG ;'
6,* <RX·YH JRWWHQ ORWV RI LQH[SHQVLYH SUDFWLFH DQG
QRW SXW ZHDU RQ WKH  EDUUHO DQG \RXU KDQGV ZULVWV
and elbows. Now, if your practice includes competi-
tion shooting, note that this won’t work in some com-
SHWLWLRQV ,Q 8636$ DQG *66) PDWFKHV WKH FDOLEHU RQ
DQG ;'M SLVWROV 5XJHU·V $PHULFDQ 6PLWK :HVVRQ
0 3 DQG D ORW RI 6,* 6DXHUV ,·P QRW JRLQJ WR FRYHU
V EHFDXVH WKH ÀWWLQJ SURFHVV ZKLOH HDV\ IRU WKH
pistols mentioned above, is quite involved and compli-
cated for the 1911 and can’t be covered in the scope of
one article.
Before we get into the how, let’s go back to the why.
2QH UHDVRQ SHRSOH UHSODFH *ORFN EDUUHOV IRU LQVWDQFH
is so they can shoot lower-cost ammo in the form of
OHDG EXOOHWV³ZKLFK *ORFN VSHFLÀFDOO\ WHOOV \RX XS
IURQW QRW WR XVH *ORFN·V SRO\JRQDOULÁHG EDUUHOV OHDG
up very quickly, and when they do, accuracy rapidly
diminishes and pressures rise due to the buildup. But
ZKLOH \RX VKRXOGQ·W XVH OHDG EXOOHWV LQ *ORFN EDUUHOV
EDUUHOV ZLWK WUDGLWLRQDO ULÁLQJ DUH ÀQH ZLWK WKHP
6R LI \RX ZDQW OHVVH[SHQVLYH SUDFWLFH ÀW D UH-
placement barrel. Replacing the factory barrel with
RQH WKDW IHDWXUHV FXWJURRYH RU EXWWRQJURRYH ULÁLQJ
eliminates the problem and allows you to use lead
EXOOHWV LQ \RXU *ORFN $QG LW PD\ LPSURYH DFFXUDF\ DV
well. I’ve had more than one person gush over the ac-
FXUDF\ RI KLV *ORFN EXW ,·YH QHYHU VHHQ D WDFNGULYLQJ
*ORFN:LWKDÀWWHGPDWFKEDUUHOKRZHYHUDFFXUDF\
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
your slide has to match the caliber of your barrel.
%XW DV D PHDQV RI JHWWLQJ LQ OHVVH[SHQVLYH SUDFWLFH
this can be a boon. Consider that a replacement 9mm
EDUUHO IRU D * IURP %URZQHOOV UXQV DURXQG  ,I
\RX VDYH  SHU  URXQGV E\ UHORDGLQJ RU VKRRWLQJ
PP ZLWK OHDG EXOOHWV \RXU EDUUHO LV IUHHDIWHU
practice rounds. Who can resist free?
And then there’s the question of overall accuracy.
1RZ EHIRUH \RX JR WR WKH H[SHQVH DQG WLPH RI UHSODF-
ing your barrel, you should’ve done a couple of things.
One, you should’ve already tried several brands and
types of ammo in the gun. I’m particularly fond of any
DPPR WKDW XVHV +RUQDG\ ;73 EXOOHWV ZKLFK WHQG WR
EH DFFXUDWH RXW RI D ORW RI SLVWROV 6HFRQG \RX PD\
have to admit that your skills aren’t to the level that
you’re able to wring the best accuracy out of a gun, so
you might want to have someone who’s better than you
try the gun.
But if you’ve tried all that and the gun still isn’t up
to your standards, a new barrel may be the way to
go. How does a new barrel improve accuracy? Mostly
because the custom barrel makers attend to details
more closely than the volume producer does. This
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 51
ROLL OUT THE BARREL
is not to say that the company
that produced your handgun made
a bad barrel. Far from it. But when
you are making a quarter-million
barrels a year for your pistols, you
have to be quick about it. The guy
who makes 10,000 barrels a year,
and only barrels, can sweat the
details.
First, you need a new barrel for
your particular pistol. There are
several makers out there, includ-
ing Bar-Sto, Storm Lake, KKM and
Apex Tactical.
You’ll also need a padded vise to
Measure the opening in the slide and the width and length of the barrel
<
hood. Assuming that the barrel hood is larger than the slide gap, ile until it’s
close (width irst, then length). Work on it next.
KROG WKH SDUWV D FOHDQ VKDUS ÀQH
FXW ÀOH D GLDO RU GLJLWDO FDOLSHUV D EDUUHO WKDW QHHGV ÀWWLQJ ,W ZLOO
and a type of paint called Dykem.
While I recommend Dykem, if you
GRQ·W KDYH DQ\ DQG FDQ·W ÀQG LW OR-
cally, you can use a felt-tip pen or a
Sharpie to darken the surface you
ZLOO EH ÀOLQJ
First step, unload your pistol
and disassemble it. Clean the slide
DQG VHH LI WKH QHZ EDUUHO ÀWV ,I
you have bought a “drop-in” and it
GRHV ÀW \RXU MRE LV GRQH $VVHPEOH
the pistol with the new barrel and
VFKHGXOHDUDQJHWULSWRWHVWÀUH
it. But we’ll assume you bought
slide into the front opening, but the
chamber area won’t go into lockup.
Now we get down to work.
Measure the top of the chamber,
the distance from the front surface
WKDW ORFNV LQWR WKH HMHFWLRQ SRUW WR
the rear of the hood. Write it down.
Now measure the distance from
WKDW PDWLQJ VXUIDFH LQ WKH HMHF-
tion port to the breech face. That
should be less than your barrel
measurement.
%HIRUH \RX VWDUW ÀOLQJ PHDVXUH
the width of the hood and compare
that to the width of the opening in
the slide for it. If the barrel hood is
ZLGHU LW KDV WR EH QDUURZHG WR ÀW
$QG WKLV FRPHV ÀUVW QRW WKH KRRG
length. Subtract the slide opening
dimension from the hood width.
Divide by two. This is how much
comes off each side of the hood.
While in a 1911 hood width can
have a marked effect on accuracy
and reliability, on the pistols we’re
FRQVLGHULQJ LW LV SUHWW\ PXFK MXVW
a pesky detail. However, you don’t
want the hood to be too wide; if it
is it will cause reliability problems.
But once it is narrow enough, your
MRE LV GRQH -XVW GR LW ULJKW
Clamp the barrel horizontally in
the vise, with one side of the hood
up. Open the Dykem and brush an
even layer on the hood edge. Once
the Dykem dries (always let it dry),
you’ll have a blue (or red) surface
WKDW ZLOO VKRZ ZKHUH \RX·YHÀOHG
and where you haven’t.
Take a pass across the hood edge
DQG VHH KRZ HYHQ \RX DUH $GMXVW
your angle and hand pressure until
you have a clean, full-edge cut.
Apply Dykem again and let it dry.
Continue, one pass at a time (never
EDFN DQG IRUWK ZLWK D ÀOH XQWLO
you have removed what you need
to from that side. Loosen the vise,
rotate the barrel, and repeat on the
other side of the hood. File only to
the exact dimension you need for
File the barrel hood a bit at a time, taking breaks to measure, re-blacken the hood to be; don’t go over.
<

and approach the desired measurement slowly. There is no need to hurry. <RXUEDUUHOVWLOOZRQ·WÀWEHFDXVH

52 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 WWW.HANDGUNS.COM

the hood is too long. Clamp the the breech face evenly. That isn’t all QH[W VWHS
barrel vertically in the vise. Dykem your fault, or even mostly your fault On the frame of your polymer-
WKH HQG RI WKH KRRG DQG EHJLQ ÀOLQJ LI \RX ÀOHG FDUHIXOO\ 7KDW·V WKH framed pistol, there’s a part called
and measuring. Make every effort manufacturer’s broaching process, the locking block. The bottom lug of
WR ÀOH H[DFWO\ VTXDUH WR WKH D[LV RI how it cut that breech face, and the the barrel cams up onto that block
WKH ERUH DQG WR ÀOH HYHQO\ DFURVV breechface is probably a bit uneven. DQG KROGV LW ÀUPO\ EHWZHHQ WKH
the full width of the hood. Dykem <RX DUH QRZ JRLQJ WRPDNHWKHKRRG IUDPH DQG VOLGH 7KDW·V \RXU QH[W ÀW
is cheap, so slobber it on as you match the slide. With the barrel in the slide but
need to in order to make sure you *HQWO\ ÀOH RQO\ ZKHUH WKH '\NHP without the recoil spring assembly
DUH ÀOLQJ HYHQO\ )LOH XQWLO \RX DUH has been rubbed off. Apply more in place, attempt to install the slide
a thousandth or two longer than Dykem, let it dry, and snap the bar- onto the frame. It helps to hold the
needed. Now the need for patience rel back into the slide. When you pistol upside-down at this point, so
enters into the picture. JHW WR WKH SRLQW ZKHUH WKH ÀW LV WLJKW the barrel doesn’t fall out of lockup
A professional gunsmith with a EXW LVQ·W KDUG HQRXJK WR UHTXLUH D DV \RX·UH WU\LQJ WR FKHFN WKH ÀW ,I
milling machine would have milled snap in or out, you’re ready for the the bottom lug is too large, too
the hood a thousandth under on
each side, and a thousandth over
on the end, and then jumped right
WR WKH KDQGÀWWLQJ <RX SUREDEO\
do not have a milling machine and
thus had to get here by hand. And
you needed a bit of practice in the
process for the delicate work to
come.
Dykem the hood on all sides.
Slide the barrel into the slide and
attempt to press it into place. It
won’t go in, but the Dykem will
VKRZ \RX ZKHUH LW LV ELQGLQJ )LOH
only the bright spots, not the whole
surface. Continue applying Dykem
and pressing the barrel into place.
If you cannot see rub marks in the
Dykem (or felt-tip pen) when you To check bottom lug foot it, blacken it and then attempt reassembly
<

press by hand, you can use a rubber (without the recoil spring assembly in place). If it doesn’t go together, the foot
is too tall and has to be iled down.
or a rawhide mallet. Do not use
a ballpeen hammer or any other
hard-surfaced hammer.
<RX DUHQ·W WU\LQJ WR IRUFH WKH
barrel in at the beginning; you’re
just trying to see where it is bind-
LQJ &DUHIXOO\ ÀOH WKH EULJKW VSRWV
reapply Dykem (or Sharpie) and go
again.
<RX·OO UHDFK D SRLQW ZKHUH \RX
can snap the barrel into place and
have to whack it from the top with
your rawhide mallet to get it to
come out. This is good, but you are
not done. Inspect closely the pat-
tern of wear through the Dykem on
WKH QRZ KDUGÀWWLQJ EDUUHO
)RU QRZ ORRN RQO\ DW WKH UHDU
<RX·OO VHH WKDW GHVSLWH \RXU EHVW Carefully ile it, a thousandth or so at a time, until you can force the barrel/
<

efforts, the hood is not bearing on slide combo onto the frame. Then blacken again and ile where it is rubbing.

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 53

ROLL OUT THE BARREL
“tall,” you won’t be able to. If
you can force it on, it is time to get
out the Dykem again and apply it to
the bottom lug, then force the slide
and barrel on. Remove the barrel,
note the wear in Dykem, and slowly
ÀOH DV \RX KDG RQ WKH KRRG
,I \RX FDQ·W ÀW WKH VOLGH RQ DW DOO
take it off, pull out the barrel and
perch it on the locking block in the
locked position. Note the surface
that cams up and which is too tall.
&DUHIXOO\ÀOHWDNLQJDIHZSDVVHV
The breech face may not be dead-square to the barrel axis. You make the
<
barrel it the slide, even if that means you ile a bit more off one side than
the other.
If you it your barrel with care, you may get better accuracy. And if your gun
<
is a Glock and you’ve replaced the company’s polygonally riled barrel with a
standard-riled one, you’ll be able to shoot cheaper lead-bullet ammo.
54 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
until you can, as earlier, force the
slide/barrel combo on. Then Dykem
and proceed as above.
Once you can assemble the slide/
barrel combo with a bit of force,
take out the barrel to deburr it. Use
WKH ÀOH WR ´EUHDNμ WKH UHDU FRUQHUV
of the hood. You just need a small
bevel there, nothing extreme, so the
corners won’t catch on the slide on
the next step.
Reapply Dykem to the hood and
the bottom lug. Install the barrel and
the recoil spring assembly and as-
semble the pistol. Hand-cycle it a few
times to make sure it works when
the springs are pushing it. If it does,
then you’re off to do some shooting.
,I QRW WDNH LW DSDUW DQG ÀQG ZKHUH
it is binding. This is rare, and you
may at this point need professional
assistance.
Take it to the range and put a few
rounds through it. It probably won’t
function 100 percent, but that is no
big deal at this stage. Your next step
is to make sure the barrel locks and
unlocks freely but does not have
extra play. Also, note if the hood is
banging on the breech face sidewalls
ZKHQ \RX ÀUH ,I LW LV DGMXVW E\ ÀOLQJ
the hood a thousandth or two on the
side that shows the impact. What
you are seeing is the barrel, held by
WKH RSHQLQJ LQ WKH VOLGH ÀQGLQJ LWV
own center in the slide, and the hood
dings are collateral damage to the
dimensional mismatch.
The hood has to have side-to-side
clearance, but the barrel wants
WR VWD\ FHQWHUHG DQG ÀQG LWV RZQ
center, and you do the last step by
WHVWÀULQJ LW
You also have to make the rear of
WKH KRRG D VPRRWK ÀW WR WKH EUHHFK
IDFH EXW ÀULQJ LV EHWWHU WKDQ KDQG
DVVHPEO\ LQ WHVWLQJ WKDW ÀW $JDLQ
ÀOH ZKHUH WKH '\NHP KDV EHHQ
worn off and not anyplace else on
the rear of the hood.
Now, having done this, what can
you expect in the way of accuracy?
That depends on the state of your
ammo and, as mentioned, the state
of your shooting skills.
It is entirely possible that you
could go through all this and see no
improvement. If that’s the case, you
need to be realistic.
If you were shooting, say, six-inch
groups at 25 yards before and now
DUH VKRRWLQJ ÀYHLQFK JURXSV ORRN
at your ammo. Look at your skills. Is
your ammo reloaded with random-
headstamp brass and the least-
expensive bullets to be had at the
local gunshop? Five inches might
be as good as it gets.
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
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thumb safety has a relatively long trav-
el, and while it goes off without much
ACCURACY RESULTS |
fuss, I’m not able to move it upward to
BROWNING BUCK MARK PLUS CAMPER UFX SUPPRESSOR READY
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
Safe while maintaining a iring grip. .22 Long Rifle Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
My thumb just reaches the slide-
Eley High Velocity Hollow 38 976 20 1.2
lock lever from a iring grip, but that’s
CCI Standard Velocity 40 964 15 0.8
not a big deal since I prefer to work CCI Segmented HP 40 1,047 18 1.1
the slide manually. The slide works Winchester Super-X HP 40 995 28 1.2
easily, and, frankly, I think the serra- Aguila Super Extra 40 945 52 1.5
tions are a little more aggressive than Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from an MTM Case-Gard pistol rest. Velocities are
they need to be—although in cold averages of 20 shots recorded 12 feet in front of the muzzle with a Pro Chrono chronograph. Abbreviation: HP, hollowpoint

weather I’m sure they work great with

gloves.
The Picatinny rail is held in place
with two hex-head screws, and the
rear sight, which also is stamped with
the Buckmark logo, is pinned to it.
Windage and elevation adjustments
are made via a pair of slotted adjust-
ment screws.
The front sight is screwed into the
The UFX grips are synthetic with a
<
barrel with a single hex-head, and the The gun has a manual thumb safety slightly tacky overmold, and they
<

iber-optic rod sits atop a tall blade. I
do not have a suppressor, but I would
expect you’d be able to see the sights
over most of the slim rimire cans and
certainly the eccentric models.
The relationship between the front
sight and the rear sight allows for a
decent amount of precision because
you won’t see a ton of light on either
side of the front blade when viewed
through the rear, and the combination
of the white outline on the rear and the
iber-optic front means you’ll be able
to get a sight picture in low light.
While the sights are good, when I
shoot something with a Pic rail, I put
and a mag disconnect. The aggres- feature shallow grooves to help them
sive slide serrations should really conform to your hand. The result is a
shine if you’re wearing gloves. gun that’s super easy to control.
a hint of slack on the take-up and just
a wee bit of creep. It wasn’t hard to
shoot good 25-yard groups, as the
accompanying accuracy chart shows.
CCI’s standard velocity load turned in
not just the best average but also the
best group: a 0.5-incher.
In a couple hundred rounds I had
one failure to feed, when a round
porpoised into the top of the chamber
face, and several instances of light or
no primer strikes. I can’t say whether
The barrel is threaded 1/2x28; the
<

a sight on it. In this case I used an
Aimpoint Micro H1, which was a great
pairing for the Buck Mark, both for
accuracy testing and plinking.
Shooting the pistol was a real joy.
The slightly grabby UFX panels have
side grooves that it my hand well and
kept the pistol well anchored. Yes, it’s
“only” a .22, but I want any handgun
to stay right where it is when I’m
shooting.
The trigger is decent, breaking fairly
cleanly at about four pounds. There’s
the latter is a new-pistol situation (lack
of break-in), ammo compatibility or
something else.
My only other problem was that the
thread protector continually worked
loose, although I never tightened it
Superman-level force. But the pur-
pose here is to hang a can on it, so
depending on how you plan to use the
gun the thread protector issue may or
may not matter.
All in all, I really liked this pistol. It
would indeed make a ine camping
thread protector on Rupp’s sample
tended to work loose. The iron sights
are excellent, and the attached
Picatinny rail allows easy optics
mounting.
.22, as the name implies, or a nice
small game gun thanks to its accu-
racy. I’d want to igure out the reliabil-
ity problems I experienced if I wanted
to use it for action competition, but
it would be good for that, too. As a
plinker, it would excel.

WWW.HANDGUNS.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 59

 | FIRING LINE REPORT | BY KEITH WOOD
UBERTI ‘FRANK’ 1875 SINGLE ACTION OUTLAW
WHEN OUTLAW FRANK JAMES SUR-
rendered to Missouri Gov. Thomas
Crittenden in 1882, he was carrying
a Remington Model 1875 revolver,
reportedly chambered in .44-40 Win-
chester. It was appropriate, then, that
when Uberti developed the “Frank”
sixgun as part of its Outlaws & Law-
men series, the company built it in the
distinctive style of that Remington.
Known oficially as the 1875 Single
Action Outlaw, the Frank is a nickel-
plated .45 Colt with a 7.5-inch barrel.
The Frank is an Italian-made replica
revolver built by Uberti and imported
by Stoeger. Remington’s 1875 was
based on the earlier Model 1858 New
Model Army cap-and-ball revolver
which, unlike the Colts of the per-
cussion era, featured a solid frame.
Though the Remingtons don’t have
the Hollywood cachet of the Colts,
they were their equal in terms of per-
formance.
The most distinctive feature of both
60 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
the 1858 and 1875 Remingtons was UBERTI
the triangular bottom blade, or “sail,” ‘FRANK’ 1875 SINGLE
that bridged the junction between the
barrel and frame. At irst glance, it is
ACTION OUTLAW
this feature that sets the Frank apart
from its peers.
The corrosive properties of black-
powder made nickel plating a popular
option during the 19th century. All of
the metal work on the Frank is nickel-
plated, except for the visible pins and
screws, which are attractively nitre
blued. The grips are two-piece glossy
PRICE:
faux ivory synthetic with brass es-
cutcheons. A functional steel lanyard
loop rotates freely from the bottom of
the grip frame on a stud that matches inish, bright blue pins and ivory-style
the contours of the original. grips make this gun a head-turner
The Frank’s luted cylinder holds without being overly gaudy.
six rounds and rotates clockwise. The In nearly every meaningful area,
barrel uses a six-groove, 1:16 riling. this sixgun functions identically to the
Fit and inish on my test example was original 1875. To load it, the hammer
very good, with some slight wear is placed at half-cock and the loading
marks on the sides of the hammer that gate is hinged outward. At half-cock,
showed up during testing. The nickel the cylinder spins freely clockwise,
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and each chamber can be loaded in
succession.
Like the original, the solid iring pin
is ixed on the hammer, but Uberti has
added a small articulating transfer bar
that is barely noticeable below the
pin. The transfer bar engages at the
quarter-cock position and prevents
the iring pin from engaging with the
cartridge.
This feature notwithstanding, it is
generally recommended that if the
revolver is going to be carried the
hammer should rest on an empty
chamber.
Unloading the Frank is accom-
plished by placing the hammer at half-
cock, opening the loading gate and
pushing the ejector rod to the rear as
each chamber is aligned with the gate
to kick out empties or unired rounds.
To remove the cylinder, the frame-
mounted cylinder base pin retaining
screw is depressed and the nitre
blued base pin is pulled forward
and the loading gate opened. This
Colt-style feature is the one design
area where the Uberti departs from
the original; the retaining screw on an
1875 Remington was located forward
of the ejector.
Both the barrel and cylinder wear
proof marks establishing that the
revolver complies with the pressure
standards of CIP, which is the interna-
tional version of our SAAMI. Oversize
or, worse, undersize cylinder throats
can have a seriously detrimental effect
on revolver accuracy, but the throats
on our sample all measured the cor-
rect .452 inch.
I test-ired the Frank using three
loads: two from Black Hills and
Hornady featuring cowboy-style lead
bullets and a modern jacketed hollow-
point load from CCI. The sights on the
Frank are ixed, with a standing blade
front and an integral rear notch on
the frame’s topstrap. Thankfully, each
load shot to the sights at 25 yards.
Accuracy was impressive, especial-
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
|
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
.45 COLT Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
CCI Blazer JHP 200 974 9 1.6
Black Hills RNFP 250 794 10 1.5
Hornady Cowboy Action 255 819 19 2.2
Notes: Accuracy results are averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from sandbags. Velocities are averages of 10
shots measured with a LabRadar chronograph programmed to measure at the muzzle. Abbreviations: JHP, jacketed hol-
lowpoint; RNFP, roundnose flatpoint
The “sail” underneath the revolver
<
The iring pin is an integral part of is a hallmark of the 1858. This
<
the hammer, but Uberti has added a reproduction is true to its roots,
transfer bar mechanism to prevent although the location of the cylinder
the pin from reaching the cartridge pin was moved from its original
unless the trigger is pulled. position.
ly given the rudimentary period sights.
Results are shown in the accompany-
ing table. Recoil was extremely mild,
thanks to the revolver’s 2.8-pound
heft and slightly muzzle-heavy bal-
ance. The single-action trigger broke
consistently at 3.4 pounds with zero
discernible creep.
Although this revolver shot well from
the bench, that is not what it was de-
signed for. The comfortable grip angle
and 7.5-inch barrel made shooting the
Frank offhand, particularly one-hand-
ed, an easy and pleasurable task. Hits
on 10-inch steel plates came fast and
The faux ivory grips are fastened
<
easy, even at the 50-yard line. This is a with brass escutcheons, and the gun
user-friendly and fun-to-shoot sixgun features a functional steel lanyard
loop.
ideally suited for Cowboy Action-style
use.
Replica 19th century revolv-
ers mainly consist of Colt clones ed example built with an eye on detail.
and often vary in quality. This 1875 Except for a few noted features, the
Remington-style sixgun not only of- Frank is nearly identical to the original
fers a departure from the Peacemaker from a cosmetic and functional stand-
mainstream but also is a well-execut- point.
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 61
 | FIRING LINE REPORT | BY JAMES TARR
ED BROWN FX1 RMR
PISTOLS MOUNTING MINI RED-DOT
optics are the new hot trend. In just
the past year there have been 40 new
pistols introduced that were equipped
with or designed to accept miniature
red dots. One company that has
embraced this trend is Ed Brown
Products. It offers numerous models
equipped with Trijicon RMRs and of-
fers these red dots mounted on many
of its other models as an option.
Ed Brown offers several versions
of the FX1, and O selected the FX1
62 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
RMR to test. It comes from the factory
with a mounted Trijicon RMR. The Ed
Brown FX1 RMR is available in .45
ACP, .38 Super and 9mm, and I chose
a 9mm. There is a choice of two in-
ishes: a brushed stainless, which Ed
Brown labels Industrial,”and the one I
chose, Dirty Olive. At irst glance, the
Dirty Olive looks like a black gun with
olive-green grips, but a closer look
reveals dark green highlights all over
the brushed inish.
This pistol sports a 4.25-inch Com-
ED BROWN
FX1 RMR
PRICE:
mander-length slide over a full-length
grip, with an extended magazine well
on the bottom of the frame to speed
your reloads. The rear corner of the
magazine well has been relieved so it
will not print under clothing any more
than the bare frame.
One quick glance will tell you this is
no GI 1911. The large FX1 pattern on
the slide forward of the ejection port
seems like a larger stylized version of
the radius cuts on the front of the slide
above the recoil spring plug. Look
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closely and you’ll see some serrations
built into that FX1 pattern, making it
easier to rack the slide from the front if
you’d prefer.
There are also relief cuts in the slide
behind the front sight that might fool
you into thinking the barrel is ported,
but it is not. The stainless 9mm barrel
has a supported chamber, but unlike a
lot of 9mms on the market, the barrel
is not integrally ramped, and the bullet
nose will slide up a traditional feed
ramp on the slide before entering the
chamber. The barrel has an aggres-
sively angled recessed crown.
The front and rear of the frame are
covered in Ed Brown’s FX Snakeskin
texturing. It is nicely aggressive and
closely mirrors the texturing on the
black-and-green G10 composite grips
panels made by VZ Grips. Your hand
will not move on the gun while shoot-
ing. Trigger pull weight was crisp and
measured 4.25 pounds.
Atop the slide you’ll see a Trijicon
RMR red dot sight, the adjustable LED
version featuring a 3.25-m.o.a. red
dot whose brightness you can adjust
via buttons on either side of the sight
body. It came from Ed Brown nicely
zeroed. The slide also sports tall night
sights, also from Trijicon, with tritium
inserts. These sights can be seen
through the RMR’s window.
The barrel/slide/frame it is ideal, as
you would expect from a custom 1911.
Because it is chambered in 9mm, the
recoil spring on this pistol is easy to
work. Between that, the red dot and
the great trigger, it would be a great
pistol with which to train new shooters.
With its all-steel construction,
the mag well, the Trijicon RMR and
mounting plate, the tall sights and the
tactical rail on the frame, this pistol
weighs 40 ounces with an empty
magazine. I’ve carried a gun this big
and heavy, but for most people it’s a
bit more than they’d want to conceal.
There are positives to that weight. It
makes this 9mm recoil like a .22, even
WWW.HANDGUNS.COM
|
Bullet Muzzle Standard Avg.
9mm Luger Weight (gr.) Velocity (fps) Deviation (fps) Group (in.)
Federal Train & Protect JHP 115 1,153 20 3.0
Black Hills TAC-XP +P 115 1,176 11 2.2
Hornady XTP +P 124 1,144 19 1.8
SIG Elite JHP 124 1,125 17 1.5
Hornady Critical Duty +P 135 1,111 12 2.0
Notes: Accuracy results are the averages of four five-shot groups at 25 yards from a sandbag rest. Velocities are averages
of 10 shots measured with an Oehler Model 35P 12 feet from the muzzle. Abbreviation: JHP, jacketed hollowpoint
The FX1 RMR comes with a Trijicon
<
The slide features a lightening cut
<
RMR 3.25-m.o.a. LED red dot sight in the front, and there are small
mounted, zeroed and ready to go. The serrations for front-racking. The
inish looks black, but it actually has sights are extra-tall so they can be
olive highlights. seen through the red dot.
if you’re running +P ammo. Trips to the
range are a joy, and for the bedside
table, with or without a weapon light
clamped to the rail, this pistol shines.
Ed Brown has been one of the go-
to places for top-of-the-line custom
1911s for decades. In that time, things
have changed. Originally, everything Between the FX Snakeskin
<
on these guns had to be built by hand, texturing on the frontstrap and
mainspring housing and the aggres-
so by their very nature they were one- sive G10 grips, this 9mm pistol will
offs. With today’s computer-aided not move in your hand.
design programs, companies like Ed
Brown can custom design everything
on the pistol, such as the American I’ve described and what you see in the
lag-pattern serrations seen on the photos is the Dark Olive FX1 RMR in
right side of the FX1’s slide, which I 9mm catalog offering. But Ed Brown
really, really like. is a custom 1911 shop, and you can
There are also untold custom order your pistol with your choice of
touches to this gun, for example, more than 100 different options (such
every sharp edge dehorned and that as getting that lag-pattern serration
recessed serrated slide stop pin. What on both sides of the slide).
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 HANDGUNS 63
 | BACK PAGE BEAUTIES | By STAN TRZONIEC
SMITH & WESSON MODEL 52
MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE HANDGUN IS THE
Smith & Wesson Model 52 target
pistol. I love its clean lines, grip that
is perfect for me, light trigger pull
and excellent sights. I purchased my
Model 52 in 1979, roughly 18 years
after its introduction. In History of
Smith & Wesson, author Roy Jinks
notes production was slow due to the
fact tolerances within the gun were
tighter than regular production
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year of production only 90 pistols
were made.
The gun got its excellent grip
frame from the Model 39, and
initially the lockwork of its double-
action trigger came from the Model
39 as well. That did not sit well with
competitive shooters, so Smith &
Wesson redesigned the trigger as a
crisp single-action-only and des-
ignated the gun as a Model 52-1 to
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a Model 52-2, which incorporated a
64 HANDGUNS FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019
change to a coil-spring extractor—
another Model 39 feature.
The Model 52 is one handsome
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the polishing is above reproach,
and the bluing is rich and deep. The
polishing on this gun is done to per-
fection—especially on hard-to-reach
areas like the inside and outside of
the trigger guard where it meets the
frame; the backstrap, to include the
base of the beavertail; and within
and around the cast on checkering.
The target sights are of the
highest caliber, with a rear notch
perfectly cut to ensure a good sight
picture over the long sight radius to
the front sight blade. The sights can
be adjusted with a coin. The gun has
a novel barrel bushing that, with
the aid of a special included tool, al-
lowed the shooter tighten or loosen
the bushing to tune it for accuracy.
The barrel itself has a hard-
chromed “ball” of sorts at the end
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it eliminates wobble and friction.
Precise camming at the rear of the
barrel results in a tight lockup, and
the polished feed ramp provides
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I found the gun’s balance to be a
bit light for me, but Smith & Wesson
included a weight that slips right
over the frame to add a few ounces.
I also customized my gun with a set
of Goncalo Alves grip panels, and I
bought an empty S&W presentation
case that I redesigned with a custom
insert to hold the gun, spare maga-
zines and the barrel wrench.
Smith & Wesson took one gun and
tested it with more than 100,000
rounds of lead bullet ammo without
it showing any appreciable wear.
, ÀUH ÁXVKVHDWHG  ZDGFXWWHU
handloads through mine, and it
shoots like a dream. After nearly
four decades in my possession, it’s
still my favorite handgun.
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Ed Brown
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