Ruger SR9
With Very Little Fanfare Ruger Brings A New Entry Into the Service Pistol Arena
The SR9 is Ruger’s entry into the ever popular Double Action, striker fired, polymer framed, high capacity semi-automatic pistol. I stumbled upon this pistol in the display case at Gander Mountain and it was so new that they did not even have a price tag affixed to it. Turns out that it was $449.00 for the pistol complete with 2 magazines, an almost worthless loading tool, manual, and the requisite bicycle lock (almost worthless—I mean how many bicycles do the gun manufacturers think I have?)—add to this the fact that Gander Mountain throws in a free trigger lock and I can truss this pistol up seven ways to Sunday.
In checking Ruger’s website they state that the lack of prior press was intentional. They did not want to announce the pistol until it was on dealer’s shelves. No need to build consumer enthusiasm only to disappoint them with production delays. (“Earth to Kimber, Earth to Kimber. Where’s the KPD that you have been advertising for 3 years? Earth to Kimber, over.”)

Outside of the very reasonable price and Ruger’s reputation for making rugged and reliable handguns, it was the 17 round magazine capacity and the width of the pistol that drew me into making the purchase that day. The width on the RS9 is deceiving. When I first picked it up my assumption was that it probably had a magazine that held 9 or 10 rounds. I was happily surprised when I dropped the magazine and saw that it was a double stack mag with a 17 round capacity. Virtually everyone who has held the pistol says, almost verbatim, “I can’t believe this is a double stack magazine”.

The SR9 is, in a word: sleek. In fact, its profile is very close to the aforementioned, almost non-existent Kimber KPD.

(The SR9 bears a striking resemblence to the Mythical Kimber KPD)

The Ruger is lightweight, (once again) thin, and the front-to-back measurement of the grip is fairly short giving you a total grip circumference that you can really get your hand around. I suppose if you play center for an NBA team you might find it too small but most people are going to love the fit and feel of this pistol. This is not, however a pocket pistol, just a very well designed service handgun. The width would make it very practical for inside-the-waistband carry.

Let’s compare the specifications of the SR9 to some competitors. Below is a spec comparison of the SR9 to the CZ P01 (a remarkable handgun that is very well known throughout the rest of the world but doesn’t get the respect it deserves in the USA) and the Glock 17 (which is certainly the 9mm service pistol standard).
CZ P01 Glock 17 SR9
Ammo: 9 mm 9mm 9mm
Magazine capacity: 14 17 17
Weight: 1.7 lbs 1.4 lbs 1.6 lbs
Overall Length: 7.2 in 7.32 in 7.55 in
Barrel Length: 3.9 in 4.49 in 4.125 in
Height: 5.3 in 5.43 in 5.52
Width: 1.4 in 1.18 1 in
Trigger mech: DA/SA DA DA
Sights: Fixed Fixed Adjustable

Now that Double Action, striker fired pistols have been on the market for about 20 years, police departments are asking for modifications and a small cottage industry has sprung up for gunsmiths who can alter the Glock pistol. The Glock is a good pistol but many people felt that it could be improved with a better trigger pull, better sights, manual safeties, modified grip angles, and on and on.
In terms of municipal modifications most City Attorneys greatly fear the accidental or negligent discharge so many police departments have asked for heavier trigger pulls. I do not have a trigger pull gauge (yet) but I would guess that the SR9’s trigger pull is around 7 or so pounds. The standard issue Glock comes with a 5.5 lb trigger pull, however the New York State Police has Glock put an 8 pound trigger pull on their issue pistols and, not to be outdone, the New York City Police Department requires a 12 pound trigger pull on their Glock pistols. Yes, the NYPD officer who wants to fire his or her pistol will be a very determined individual. One might also speculate that the 12 pound NYPD trigger might be the cause of the NYPD’s less than admirable accuracy record in officer involved shootings (well, in fairness, the trigger is probably a contributing factor but a retired NYPD Sgt. relates that the main culprit is probably a lack of practice). If one thinks that a light trigger pull is OK on a service pistol I would direct you to the video shown in the concealed carry class I attended. The video shows a news report of a felony traffic stop by the Las Vegas Metro police. One officer has the suspect face down on the pavement as he is applying the handcuffs while two other officers stand about six feet back and cover the suspect with their Glock pistols. As the first officer is about apply the second handcuff one of the officers providing cover accidently pulls the trigger. Fortunately she was not a good shot and the point of impact was about 1 foot in front of the prone suspect’s head. At lease she immediately holstered her weapon. There is a tendency that when one police officer fires his or her weapon, the other nearby officers assume there is trouble and react by firing as well—this could have resulted in a dead suspect and a dead officer. While some may make light of this situation it was nearly a tragedy averted, one that would have provided the negligent officer with endless guilt.

Another modification that police departments are starting to ask for on their Glocks is a manual safety. This is again requested in order to mitigate the negligent discharge. There have been more than a few instances of a nervous and adrenaline stoked officer who forgets to remove his/her finger from the trigger guard when reholstering the pistol—the trigger finger jams against the top of the holster and as the trigger finger reacts by retracting it pulls the trigger. Whether the cause is due to the weapon’s design or a lack of training negligent discharges do happen. To answer this emerging request, Ruger makes an ambidextrous manual safety a standard feature. It is right where a seasoned 1911 shooter would expect it to be, but rather than the over-sized safeties that have become en vogue on high-end 1911’s the SR9’s manual safety is small, but very usable. It will not hinder concealed carry.

A couple of other good features on the SR9 are adjustable sights and changeable backstraps. I really like adjustable sights and Ruger has done a great job on these. They are of the 3 dot variety which have become industry standard nowadays. The front dot on these types of sights are becoming more and more of a blur to my rapidly aging eyes, however Ruger was thoughtful enough to put a really big, fat white dot on the SR9’s front sight making it much easier to see. The rear sight is adjustable for windage & elevation and Ruger has put the adjustable portion of the sight into a very solid housing making it much less likely that the rear sight can get accidentally knocked out of alignment. In reality however, I have not yet found the need to adjust these sights; for me they are shooting pretty good right out of the box.

The backstrap is made of rubber ( a great material for the part of the pistol that will make contact with the web of your hand upon recoil) and is reversible. There is a small pin at the rear base of the grip and when removed allows you to slide the backstrap down and off. One side of the backstrap provides an arch that mimics the old arched mainspring housing of the classic 1911 pistol and the other side provides a straight profile such as seen on the current crop of 1911s. For me, I like the arched version.

One other feature that I forgot to photograph is Ruger’s loaded chamber indicator. This is the same device that they introduced on their last new pistol; the P345. The loaded chamber indicator sits atop the frame between the ejection port and the rear sight. When a round is in the chamber it pushes the indicator upward at an inclined angle through the top of the slide (picture a backwards tailfin from the Batmobile).

The pistol is also very easy to disassemble:
1. Retract and lock the slide to the open position, checking to make sure that the pistol is clear of any ammunition.
2. Remove the magazine.
Looking down into the pistol, push the ejector down with your finger or the eraser end of a pencil.
3. Push out and remove the barrel retention pin. (The nice thing about the SR9 is that unlike many other pistols such as the CZ, 1911, Browning Hi-Power, etc. the SR9’s slide does not have to be manually lined up with any notch or marking on the frame in order to remove the pin. It has been engineered so that the pin is in the proper alignment when the slide is locked in the rearward position.)
4. Push the slide straight forward and off the frame (Another nice engineering feature is that, unlike the Glock and other pistols, the trigger does not have to be pulled in order to release the slide. This is very good news in the event that an errant round remained in the chamber.)
5. Remove the captive recoil spring and barrel
Upon purchasing the pistol I came home and read some internet postings relating problems new owners were having with the pistol many of whom decried the quality of Ruger. I thought this odd in light of Ruger’s reputation of reliability. I intentionally waited until after my second outing to write this review so I could better evaluate my pistol against the problems that others were writing about. In these two outings I have put a little over 550 rounds through the SR9. I will list internet reported complaints and comment below:
1. Upon firing the slide does not always completely return to battery staying about 5/16” to the rear. Yes this happened…about 2 to 3 times during the first 50 rounds. In the subsequent 500 shots fired it has not reoccurred. No real problem here, chalk it up to the normal break-in period for a tightly fitted pistol.
2. The magazines are too stiff and you cannot get all 17 rounds into them. On the first outing this did seem to occur during most of the session, however by the end of the day and all through the subsequent outing I was able to load all 17 rounds with relative ease. As with #1 above, give the magazines a good break-in before condemning the pistol and the manufacturer.
3. Failure to Feed. I found this an interesting complaint seeing that the magazine springs were stiff enough for people to complain about difficulty of loading. Nonetheless, I had 0 failure to feed malfunctions and I put 150 rounds of PMC hardball, 300 rounds of Remington hardball and 76 rounds of hollow-point ammunition from six different manufacturers through the SR9 without so much as a hiccup.
4. The magazine loader was difficult to use. Agreed. If some hand aliment necessitated the continued use of a loading assistance device I would find an after market tool that performed better.
5. Failures to extract fired cartridges. No problem here and the extractor on the SR9 is a pretty massive affair; I cannot imagine that this would provide anything but positive extractions.

(The SR9's extractor is large and efficient)

6. The trigger pull is heavy and gritty. No. It is not light, but a service handgun should not have the 2 pound trigger of a custom pistol built for bullseye competition. The trigger pull is on par with any double action pistol and better than most. It is certainly much better than the double action pull on the CZ P01 which is one of my favorite all-time handguns. I did detect some slight grit when dry firing the pistol (which the manual states should only be done with the magazine in place) but did not notice it at all on the range. There is a striker block that prevents the striker from making contact with the cartridge when the magazine is removed and some say that removing this block (which can be done at home) will improve the trigger pull. I would have to give this careful consideration. First of all the trigger is pretty darn good as it comes out of the box and will get better with use. Secondly I don’t think, from a liability standpoint, that it is a good idea to be removing manufacturer designed safety devices.

Let’s See How She Shot
21 foot target with 30 rounds of PMC 115 grain FMJ ammo.
16 rounds of Remington 115 grain FMJ ammunition fired at 21 feet.
19 rounds of Remington 115 grain FMJ ammo fired at 25 feet.
34 rounds of Remington 115 grain FMJ ammo fired at 40 feet.
50 rounds of PMC 115 grain ammo fired at 40 feet.

100 rounds of Remington 115 grain hardball fired at 50 feet.
10 rounds of Federal HydraShok 135 grain Hollow-point ammunition fired at 21 feet.
9 rounds of Speer Gold Dot 147 grain Hollow-point ammo fired at 21 feet.
10 rounds of Winchester Supreme 147 grain SXT Hollow-point ammo fired at 21 feet.
5 rounds of Federal Premium 147 grain Hollow-point ammunition fired at 21 feet.
15 rounds of Magtech First Defense 92.6 grain Solid Copper Hollow-point ammo fired at 21 feet.
20 rounds of Federal 147 grain Hydrashok jacketed hollow point ammo fired at 21 feet.
The SR9 is a great pistol and I hope that the Ruger team can produce a compact model…oh say one with a 3.5” barrel and a shorter grip with a 13 round magazine. I would think it would be a hot seller for those with a concealed carry permit—I know I would line up for one.

Smith & Wesson Model 386 Sc/S .357 Magnum
Yet Another Good Revolver for Self-Defense

The bad experience I had with the Glock 21SF (see the October 28th posting) sent me running to the nearest gunshop to trade it in for a handgun that would produce more acceptable results. My appreciation for the S&W Model M&P 340 CT and the results I received when I fired the little J-frame with .357 Magnum ammo (see the October 18th posting) gave me the idea to look for a larger, but still lightweight .357 Magnum; something that would offer very good performance without the masochistic tendencies of a small 13 ounce scandium frame revolver. The S&W Model 386 Sc/S answered the call. The 386 is built on Smith’s medium sized “L” frame and has a capacity of seven rounds (2 more than will fit in the small J frame).

When the .357 Magnum cartridge was first developed it was the most powerful handgun round in existence and Smith & Wesson naturally chose the “N” frame, their largest and strongest revolver, as the platform for this robust offering. The S&W .357 N frame revolver was extremely popular with hunters as well as law enforcement officers. This powerful, new cartridge was released in the mid 1930’s at a time when the needs of law enforcement was changing. The criminal element was using the automobile to increase their mobility and the criminal justice system struggled to adapt. The country’s legislative body needed to standardize criminal law and come to a remedy for the constraints of individual state jurisdictions as police officers in hot pursuit were required to cease the chase at the state line. The police also needed new hardware. The automobiles in those days were stout and hearty vehicles made of good USA steel, the plastics and fiberglass of today were not in use, and the standard .38 Special bullet carried by most officers did not penetrate well. The .357 Magnum, however, could penetrate a car’s hood or cowl and take out a radiator with ease. If the car was moving slow enough and the officer’s skill was good enough the .357 was easily capable of penetrating the driver’s door and ending the escape. In most cases it could shoot through the trunk continuing on through the backseat and front seat maintaining enough “oomph” to earn the undivided attention of the driver or passenger. And while it is probably a stretch to say that it could penetrate the hood and go right on through the engine block it is certainly safe to say that the magnum round could make its way through the hood and wreak havoc with the motor & other key engine components.

The downside was the weight of the N frame revolver. The 4 inch barrel N frame weighed about 43 ounces. The police officers who wore the handgun for 8 or more hours requested something lighter and in 1957 Smith & Wesson chambered their medium, or K, framed revolver for the .357 Magnum. The K frame .357 (dubbed the Model 19), over an extended period of time, did not hold up to a steady diet of the powerful .357 ammunition. I tend to think that this problem was somewhat exaggerated, but nonetheless in 1980 S&W released their L Frame. I am sure that part of the reason for the development of the L frame could be attributed to the fact that the main competition to the K framed .357 was the Colt Python. The Python was renowned as the premium .357 revolver of the day and supposedly was stronger than the S&W model 19 even though the Python weighed only a scant 2 ounces more than the 36 ounce Model 19. One of the prominent features of the L frame revolver was the underlug which ran the full length of the barrel…suspiciously just like the Colt Python.

(Smith & Wesson Model 686 L-frame stainless steel revolver & Colt Python Blue Steel revolver)

Certainly one of the positive features of the L frame is that Smith & Wesson engineers have found a way to stuff an extra chamber into the cylinder giving the L frame a seven round capacity. This model 386 also has the abbreviations “Sc/S” in its title which stands for Scandium Frame with a Stainless Steel cylinder (which has been manufactured with the same matte black finish as the scandium frame). The Scandium/Stainless Steel combination gives this revolver a weight of 21.2 ounces making it a lightweight but not a featherweight such as the 13 ounce model 340. The revolver is topped off with a red ramp inserted into the front sight and an adjustable rear sight that is outlined in white. The 386 sports a 2.5 inch barrel and for all practical purposes looks just like the 2.5 inch blue steel model 19 that was a mainstay with detectives and off-duty police officers for over 30 years.

(Smith & Wesson Model 19 with a 2.5 inch barrel)

In fact the 2.5 inch model 19 was the handgun that protected the President of the United States for many years. Look closely at the two photos of the aftermath of the assassination attempt of President Ronald Reagan by John Hinckly and you can clearly see one of the Secret Service Agents holding his model 19 snubby.

Shooting Impression
In a word; good. My main purpose was to find a small lightweight revolver that was capable of accurately and comfortably firing the .357 Magnum round. This is it! Now, while it is light weight, it is by no means pocket-sized. The 386 will require a holster or some sort of supported carry. One of the things that I am pleased about is the trigger pull. For several years Smith & Wesson was putting terribly heavy trigger pulls on their revolvers undoubtedly to avoid the risk of accidental discharge liability claims. While I do not have a trigger pull scale I would guess the 386 to be in the range of about 8 pounds and the pull is very consistent and smooth all the way through the action of shooting. I did not find the 386 to be difficult to handle despite the power of the full-house magnum ammunition I was firing. This is certainly largely due to the synthetic Hogue grips which fit the revolver and my hand very well and cushioned a lot of the stout recoil. I was very impressed by the accuracy of this little revolver as these targets will attest.

The first target was placed at 21 feet and fired at with 50 rounds of Magtech 158 grain jacketed soft point .357 ammunition. All of the rounds fell within the 5 inch target with most landing inside the 9 ring.

This target was also placed at 21 feet and absorbed 21 rounds of Sellier & Bellot 158 grain full metal jacketed .357 rounds.
This target was moved back to 35 feet and fired at again, with the Magtech .357 ammunition.
Firing .38 Special +P ammo produced good but not spectacular results as shown in this 21 foot target using 28 rounds of Remington 158 grain Lead Hollow-point ammunition.

Winchester Personal Protection 158 grain semi-jacketed hollowpoint .357 Magnum ammunition shot a little high as these 15 rounds show.
I decided to try some of the expensive Magsafe ammunition. Magsafe is reputed to be a very safe and effective round. It is basically a copper hollow point that is filled with small shot rather than lead (the shot is epoxyed into the hollow cavity). This makes it a lighter, faster round that expends its energy very quickly. It hits hard but is very unlikely to over-penetrate and hit an innocent bystander and it will break up upon hitting a solid object like sheetrock walls. This makes it very safe for home use—if you miss your target it will not penetrate your wall and hit someone sleeping in the next room. The downside of the Magsafe ammunition is price. It runs about $2.00 a round with a package of eight going for $16.00. In terms of performance; the 70 grain .357 Magnum hollow-point rockets out of the barrel at 1860 feet per second producing some 538 foot pounds of energy with very, very little recoil. As expected, the lightweight bullets do tend to shoot low as seen in this 21 foot target. Unfortunately it is not a terribly practical round as the expense means that most shooters are not going to spend the money to practice extensively with it.
The best defensive ammo performer of the day turned out to be the CorBon 140 grain jacketed hollow-point. The CorBon 140 grain .357 Magnum is rated as 1325 feet per second with 546 foot pounds of energy. As shown in this 21 foot target, six of the 11 rounds fired are all touching one glorious round which centered the bullseye.
This revolver is certainly recommended for its lightweight and superb performance in a very hot caliber.

Glock Model 21 SF
The Glock Model 21 SF is Glock’s Commander sized .45 ACP service pistol. The SF stands for Short Frame which is somewhat of a misnomer. To be technically correct they should have designated it the SGF for short grip frame. Many people, me included, have not been happy with the grip on the Glock pistols and the SF partially corrects this (more on that later). Glock has made a virtual handgun empire by providing reliable, high capacity handguns aimed at military service and law enforcement duty. The Glock model 17 gave the user a magazine capacity of 19 rounds of 9mm + one in the chamber for a total of 20 bullets at your immediate disposal. Along with capacity and reliability the frame is made from an advanced polymer formula that renders them very lightweight and nearly indestructible. Naturally, civilian interest is always very high regarding any pistol that the police and armed services are using. The high capacity quicly became a niche for Glock. The Big Dog of magazine capacity for many years was the 9mm Browning Hi-Power whose magazine held 13 rounds + 1 in the chamber. At that time the standard police sidearm was a six round revolver. I was working on the west side of Chicago in the early 80’s and saw many a 10th District street cop who sported a Hi-Power as a back up to their Smith & Wesson sixgun. The 9mm Beretta Model 92 then began to gain prominence with its 15 +1 capacity. First the military and then police departments gravitated to the Beretta. Sixteen rounds was a fair amount of firepower for a handgun plus the Beretta’s double action operation was favored by both entities. The military carried the 1911 with the hammer down on an empty chamber. To be put into use the soldier needed two free hands to be able to rack a round into the chamber. However, frequently the other hand could not be readily used because it was holding a rifle, other gear, an injured comrade, or the hand or arm itself had been wounded. Beretta’s double action mode of operation allowed it to be carried with a round in the chamber and could be put into action with only one hand. Up to this point law enforcement had stayed away from semi-auto pistols for a variety of reasons one of which was that they did not want to carry the pistol with an unloaded chamber and the only alternative method for the Browning Hi-Power or the Colt Model 1911 was to chamber a round and engage the manual safety to lock the hammer in the rearward position, thus “cocked and locked”. Cocked and locked was misunderstood by the general public who viewed the police officer as carrying the pistol in an unsafe manner (which was patently untrue) but the police neither wanted to suffer this perception nor spend all of their time explaining the mechanics of a single action semi-automatic pistol. Again the double action Beretta model 92 solved this problem.

When Glock first arrived on the scene in the mid-1980’s the predominant .45 pistol was the time tested Colt 1911 with a magazine capacity of 7 rounds (8 if you could get your hands on one of the scarce Wilson stainless steel mags). Glock’s model 21 brought a capacity of 13 in the magazine with one in the chamber and suddenly you had a double action pistol with the firepower of a Browning Hi-Power chambered in the more effective .45 ACP caliber. The drawback was the grip frame. The .45 ACP is a large cartridge which means that a 13 round double stacked magazine will require a large grip frame. Many people found the G21 a little too large to comfortably hang on to. Recently Glock has realized that a great many .45 shooters were procuring their pistols and then spending a lot of cash to have a professional shave down the grip. Quite a cottage industry has sprung up with individuals who have perfected the means to decrease the size and straighten the grip angle. The width and the severity of the angle have been my main problem with Glocks. The model 21SF addresses half of the problem by reducing some of the wasted space on the front and back of the grip and making it much easier to get a normal sized hand around. Unfortunately the grip angle remains the same. Regardless, I had such great success with the smaller Glock model 36 that I decided to give the model 21 a try.

Although my hand could tell the difference between the 21 and the 21SF this is still a large pistol all the way around. A double stack 13 round magazine is just going to require a large grip. On my first outing with the G21 I did not have the time to spend an extensive amount of time with it but walked away thinking that the small model 36 shot much better than this. At 21 feet 50 rounds when into a 4.5 inch circle. If the target had been set at 75 feet this would have been an acceptable group, but not at 7 yards.

Remembering that the model 36 shot just OK until I put on some fiber optic sights, I ordered a set for the model 21 from Midway USA. Along with it I splurged on a match barrel from Wilson Combat Technologies that was also listed on the Midway website. Wilson’s website boasted that this barrel would produce groups of substantially less than 2 inches at 25 yards. “Well”, I thought. That would put the put this pistol in the league with the finest custom 1911s costing two grand more than the retail price of the model 21.
Well…as they say; “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. I put 750 rounds of ammo through it (which, with the way prices have skyrocketed is about $300.00 just for FMJ ammunition) before throwing in the towel. On the final day, I took along the original barrel and I will admit the Wilson barrel did outperform the stock barrel, but not by much. I also took along a completely stock (except for the stag grips) S&W 1911 PD for comparison. The targets shown below represent the best accuracy of the day at 21 feet.

As a point of reference, here are targets from the model 36 I shot for last week's range report. Both targets were set at 21 feet.

Here is the first G21SF target, with the stock Glock barrel, fired at 21 feet. 10 rounds each were fired at the center and lower left and lower right cross hairs:

Here is the second target, same distance, same number of rounds, with the Wilson match barrel in the pistol:

Now, one might say that the rear sights could stand to be moved to the right. They had been and even if they hadn't the pistol still did not group well.

Below is 8 rounds from the stock S&W 1911PD fired on the same day and at the same distance:

And, as another reminder, here is the best group from the Sig P220 Elite Carry fired a couple of weeks ago for another range report:

Now one might say, "Hey Randy, the 1911 PD and the Sig P220 Elite Carry are rather expensive pistols and you should expect more from them than you would the Glock". My response is that by the time you add the cost of the Tru Glo fiber optic sights and the Wilson match barrel you have reached the same cost plateau.

So, why would I want to keep the G21 in my battery? The answer is that I don't and it has already been traded away.

Thoughts on Concealed Carry--Updated
I was inspired to examine this topic after an episode of Guns & Ammo Television broadcast on the Outdoor Network a couple of months ago. The host stated that, in their articles most gun writers say that their concealed carry handgun is some version of a .45 Caliber 1911 with most of them claiming that it is no problem to conceal a full-sized service model. He went on to tell us that when meeting them in person and asking to see what they are carrying, most of them, unless they are also an active duty police officer, produce a small .38 caliber Smith & Wesson J-framed revolver.

This provoked me to examine what I carry (when I do carry) and why. The handguns reviewed herein are an NAA .22 Magnum Black Widow, a Colt Pocket Lite Government Model in .380 ACP, a Smith & Wesson M&P 340CT in .357 Magnum, a Wilson ADP in 9mm, and a Glock Model 36 in .45 ACP. In all honesty, although I want to carry the Glock, so far I have not. The G36 is a good pistol in a great caliber and I have added Tru-Glo Hi-Viz sights to improve it even further. It is, however, too large to carry in a pocket holster and I need a pocket pistol. I have never been a police officer so strapping on a holster is very foreign to me. It feels odd, cumbersome, and despite the ability to wear a jacket over it in cooler weather, I am afraid of it printing against the jacket or showing when I reach or bend over. Additionally, I may eventually want to take the jacket off which would expose a holstered handgun. SIG Arms produces the Sigtac jacket which has a built-in holster concealed within the hidden breast pocket inside the jacket. This provides excellent concealment, however if you need to take the jacket off and hang it up, the pistol is no longer under your control. So I am including the G36 in this examination as I am always in the process of finding a personally convenient way to carry it.

I will rate these pistols on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the “best rating”) in the categories of ease of concealment, weight, caliber, capacity, tactical operation (a fancy way of saying “ease of reloading”), sights, and intimidation factor. Intimidation factor simply means; the pistol does not look like a toy and the mere presentation of your handgun is sufficient to deter whoever is trying to do you harm. I think this is a fairly important issue. Some time ago I wrote about an H & K .32 ACP I had come across that had been refinished in some type of gold coating. Although very lightweight and superbly accurate I wrote that I would not consider carrying it as it appearance might cause an assailant to think it was a toy and, aside from not providing any deterrent value, it might actually encourage the assailant making a shooting almost inevitable. Unfortunately, decorative handguns are becoming an ill conceived trend. Taurus is producing their smaller Millennium models with an optional pink frame. Just because polymers can be manufactured in a rainbow of colors does not mean that they should. A concealed weapon is a tool to be employed in the direst of circumstances; I want mine to have as much of an intimidation factor as possible. It seems obvious that Taurus is trying to woo females and create a new niche market for their product line however; concealed weapons are not fashion accessories. The mere fact that a handgun is concealed (ergo hidden) clearly removes it from the classification of being a fashion accessory. I am really afraid that a fairly determined man intent on assaulting a woman will not be deterred by the presentation of the pink pistol and could force the shooting scenario. In the civil aftermath, plaintiff’s attorney would undoubtedly allege that if the woman had produced a pistol that looked like a pistol she might not had to shoot and therefore she is guilty of all the twisted legal idiocy that makes a mockery of our judicial system.

Tactical Operation, or the ease and efficiency of reloading, is also an important consideration. I used to think that the primary purpose of a concealed handgun was to prove to the criminal that had sized you up as a weak and venerable target that they were very wrong and I thought that this could be accomplished, in the best case scenario, by the mere presentation of the weapon and, in the worst case, by firing one or two rounds. The Trolley Square Mall shooting in Salt Lake City last February changed my thinking. If you recall the incident; an emotionally disturbed 18 year old eastern European immigrant rolled into the mall at dinner time intent on recreating his own St. Valentine’s Day massacre. When the shooting began, an off duty Ogden Police Officer (who was celebrating the romantic holiday with his girlfriend at one of the mall’s restaurants) responded to the gunfire armed with his Kimber .45 ACP. He was certainly well equipped with a fine and very accurate pistol chambered for a combat proven caliber. However, he did not have any spare ammunition and the Salt Lake City cavalry arrived just as he had shot his pistol dry. Now, don’t get me wrong…if I am in a public place and someone begins shooting I am heading in the opposite direction and using my concealed weapon to cover my family’s retreat Nonetheless the Trolley Square incident has caused me to re-evaluate my thinking and while my original premise is certainly true there are additional factors that I did not consider such as encountering multiple assailants, an irrational and determined killer, or even terrorists. Many of the gun writing professionals proscribe that you should carry two complete reloads and that is probably sage advice.

I am purposefully not rating these pistols on reliability or accuracy. If the pistol is not reliable you should not depend on it. Accuracy, in many instances is as much a factor of the shooter as it is the handgun. I am able to shoot all of the handguns mentioned herein with more than enough accuracy for their intended purpose. Again, if I couldn’t they would not be included in an examination of concealed carry guns. Guns in all categories will be rated 1 through 5 giving each handgun a possible rating of up to 30 points.

How the pistols rated:
NAA Black Widow
Size and Weight: 5.78” long, 3.58” high, 1.03” at widest point and 8.8 ounces.

Concealment: 5 points
Weight: 5 points
Caliber: 2 points
Capacity: 2 points
Tactical Operation: 0 points
Sights: 3 points
Intimidation Factor: 1 point

Total: 18 points

(Target on the left: 20 rounds of Winchester Supreme fired at 21 feet. Target on the right: 20 rounds of Remington Premier fired at the same distance.)

Despite the diminutive size of the North American Arms mini-revolvers they are extremely well made stainless steel handguns. Of the five weapons tested the Black Widow is clearly the most easy to conceal in the pocket. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to me, there is no pocket holster made for the Black Widow. The NAA website shows pocket holsters for their other models but they clearly state that they do not fit the Black Widow. They have inside-the-waistband holsters for the Black Widow as well as hip holsters, flap covered hip holsters, and shoulder holsters—all of which seem like a ridiculous amount of over-kill. If you are going to go to the extent of wearing and concealing a shoulder holster why in the world would you not choose a more potent weapon than a mini-revolver? I use the smallest Uncle Mike’s pocket holster they manufacture. It is not a tight fit but it does keep the revolver in the upright position in my pocket. Clearly the .22 Magnum is not an optimal self defense caliber but, if the circumstances dictate that a larger handgun cannot be carried, the .22 Magnum is a better choice than the .22 Long Rifle or the .25 ACP cartridge. The Black Widow (as the target below shows) is more than accurate enough at 21 feet to produce decent combat accuracy. This is helped by the oversized grips and the sights which are actually very good. On the negative side the BW only holds 5 rounds and Tactical Operation (reloading) under self defense shooting conditions is nearly impossible. You must first place the hammer on half-cock and pull down and twist the underlug 90 degrees. You then pull the underlug, which is connected to the cylinder pin, straight out. The cylinder will then roll out of the frame unless you forgot to move the hammer to half cock (and the cylinder will be hot). You must then poke the empty shells out of the hot cylinder by using the cylinder pin. From there you can load five more cartridges into the cylinder, put the cylinder back into the frame (making sure to line it up with the cylinder pin hole), slide the cylinder pin back in, reverse the underlug and you are ready to re-engage. Hardly a fast process and as you essentially disassembling the revolver into three pieces it is way too easy, under the stress of the situation, perhaps further complicated by darkness, to lose they cylinder pin or the cylinder itself (if you set it down on its side it just might roll away from you).

In terms of the intimidation factor there is not much to speak of. If you come to engage a criminal who is not firearms savvy (and many aren’t) they may perceive that you have produced a toy. Once the shooting begins the intimidation factor may increase as the .22 will produce a loud report and if it is dark there will be one hell of a big fireball. Unfortunately the presentation of the Black Widow will not produce much pre-engagement deterrence.

Colt Government .380 ACP Pocketlite
Size and Weight: 6.1" Long, 4.3" High, 1" wide and 14.75 ounces

Concealment: 4 points
Weight: 4 points
Caliber: 3 points
Capacity: 4 points
Tactical Operation: 5 points
Sights: 1 point
Intimidation Factor: 1 point

Total: 22 points

(Target on the left: 50 rounds of Remington 95 grain FMJ ammo fired at 21 feet. Target on the right: 20 rounds of Cor-Bon 90 grain JHP ammo fired at the same distance.)

This is an excellent pistol, one that Colt should not have discontinued and one that Kimber, Springfield, or some other forward thinking company should reproduce. It is small, light weight, accurate and is the thinnest pistol examined in this report. The width of the slide is well under one inch and the thickness of the grips pushed the calipers just out to the one inch mark.

The Government .380 looks like a baby 1911 .45 ACP. Unfortunately, this hinders the intimidation factor as it looks a little too cute and one might mistakenly think it was manufactured by Hasbro. Another negative factor is the sights. They are all black and almost too small to be practical. On the indoor range I have a difficult time aligning them to the target if the bullseye is also black. Lastly, in the 70 rounds fired for this report, my thumb engaged the safety during the recoil of the previous shot. This is disconcerting during informal shooting and I could only imagine would cause a certain amount of distress in a self defense scenario.

In terms of Tactical Operation this may be the best of the bunch. The seven shot .380 magazines are small enough that you can easily carry two spares in your opposite side pocket and there is enough enhanced efficiency ammunition (manufactured by Cor-Bon, Mag Safe, Glaser, etc.) that one need not fear that they are under gunned in most circumstances. However, I rarely carry this pistol. I am primarily put off by the sights and by the fact that I do not like carrying a cocked and locked pistol in my pocket. Although the safety on my model is very stiff and sure I have a phobia of doing something that might inadvertently release the safety. This would be helped by a well designed pocket holster however, since Colt discontinued this pistol years ago, no one is manufacturing anything specifically for the Colt .380. There are many multi-use pocket holsters which will fit it, but none of them cover the safety with a very snug and protective fit.

Smith & Wesson M&P 340 CT
Size and Weight: 6.31" long, 1.3" wide and 13.3 ounces

Concealment: 3 points
Weight: 4 points
Caliber: 4 points
Capacity: 2 points
Tactical Operation: 3 points
Sights: 5 points
Intimidation Factor: 5 points

Total: 26 points

(Target on the left: 50 rounds of American Eagle 158 grain LRN ammo fired at 21 feet using front sight. Target on the right: 50 rounds of Remington 158 grain LRN ammo fired at 21 feet using the Crimson Trace Laser Sighting System.)

This lightweight Scandium J-framed revolver has a hidden hammer concealed inside the frame making it very streamlined and rendering its operation as double action only. It is chambered in .357 Magnum which has an outstanding reputation as an effective cartridge. Only a true sadist however, would actually fire .357 Magnum ammunition in a 13 ounce handgun. I tried this once and even though I was wearing a shooting glove, I could only manage three rounds before the experience became just too painful. Fortunately any firearm that can shoot a .357 Magnum can also handle a .38 Special and in the +P variety they are effective enough to be considered a very good choice for a defensive handgun.

Smith & Wesson has been producing five shot short barreled revolvers since the late 1800’s. These were break-top revolvers chambered in .38 Smith & Wesson which was a rather underpowered cartridge. These revolvers were also made with the concealed hammer and for a short time period S & W produced them with a very short barrel and marketed them as their “Bicycle Gun” since their compact size made them perfect for carrying in your back pocket and if you fell off the bicycle, there was no exposed hammer which might cause an accidental discharge.

In 1899 Smith & Wesson produced their Military & Police revolver which was made on their new “K” medium sized frame. This model included the new swing out hand-ejector cylinder and was chambered for the new .38 Special cartridge. The M & P has been in production for 108 years and is now catalogued as the Model 10. This six-shooter has been made with barrel lengths of 2, 3, 4, and 6 inches (three inch barrels are rare and coveted by collectors).

In 1950 Smith & Wesson representatives attended the annual conference of the International Association of Chiefs of Police and unveiled a 2 inch barreled .38 Special 5 shot revolver manufactured on their smaller “J” frame. They surveyed the attendees to come up with a name for the new handgun and the “Chief’s Special” was born. This compact revolver became an instant hit with administrative personnel and plain clothes detectives. Eventually Dragnet’s Sgt. Joe Friday traded in his 4 inch Model 10 for a Chief’s Special. This later became the model 36 and in the late 1960’s they introduced the Chief’s Special as an all stainless steel handgun catalogued as the model 60. Airweight models made with aluminum frames were tried but unfortunately, the aluminum could not hold up to anything more than occasional use and they were eventually discontinued due to lack of consumer interest.

Smith & Wesson has recently utilized Scandium to manufacture very lightweight revolvers and they have introduced quite a variety of small “J” framed revolvers in versions with or without an external hammer and with different sight configurations.

The M&P 340 CT has an Xpress tritium dot front night sight and as an added bonus, it comes with a set of Crimson Trace Laser Sight Grips. This package gives the M&P 340 CT a very high rating on the intimidation scale. Due to the long history of Smith & Wesson’s small revolvers being used by law enforcement and being prominently displayed in the popular media any criminal will instantly recognize that they are facing a serious handgun. Just a few years ago on the Soprano’s young Jackie Aprile Jr. asked Ralph Cifaretto for guidance in choosing between a semi-automatic pistol or small revolver. Ralphie told him that revolvers were more reliable and were better for scaring people by holding it so your victim could see the bullets in the cylinder. I mention this not as any endorsement of the firearms expertise depicted in this fictional Cable Drama but merely to illustrate that the small S&W revolver is well recognized and respected within the popular media.
The Laser Sight Grips only add to the intimidation factor as, according to gun writer Massad Ayoub and the good people at Crimson Trace, quite a number of resisting criminals have peacefully surrendered when they noticed the laser beam’s red dot centered on their chest. Also when using the laser sight I was able to produce more consistent groups (see target above). I think this points to the value of the laser as a training tool. The red dot clearly shows you how your trigger pull is affecting the point of aim. If the red dot was moving too much during my pull then I needed to adjust my grip and smooth out my trigger pressure.

The negatives about this revolver are its capacity, tactical operation and width. It only holds five rounds and reloading, while certainly many times faster than the NAA mini-revolver, is not nearly as quick as inserting a fresh magazine into a semi-automatic pistol. Speed loaders are available but they are large and rather cumbersome to carry in a pants pocket. A more acceptable option is the Bianchi Speed Strip. They are more convenient to carry and two of them will easily slip into your opposite side pants pocket. While not as fast as a semi-auto’s magazine, they are much faster than fumbling for loose rounds in your pants pocket. In terms of width, with a cylinder width of 1.3 inches it is the widest pocket handgun reviewed in this report. In practicality it is only negligibly wider than the Colt Government .380 however, in terms of perception it feels much wider.

Wilson ADP 9mm
Size and Weight: 6.3" long, 4.2" high, 1.2" wide and 16.6 ounces

Concealment: 2 points
Weight: 3 points
Caliber: 4 points
Capacity: 5 points
Tactical Operation: 5 points
Sights: 4 points
Intimidation Factor: 2 points

Total 25 points

(20 rounds of Mag Tech 115 grain FMJ fired at 21 feet)

The ADP has a lot going for it. It is fairly small in size and holds 10 + 1 rounds of 9mm ammunition. There are excellent 9mm loads available and the ADP tends to favor lighter bullets. In terms of capacity and tactical operation this pistol rates very high. The capacity is the largest of all handguns reviewed in this report and with one extra magazine you are carrying a total of 21 rounds (including the 10 + 1 already in the pistol). This is six more rounds than you would have available if you were carrying the .38 special 5 shot revolver with two full reloads. As the ADP is a magazine fed semi-automatic pistol the tactical operation, from a concealed carry standpoint, is much faster and more simplified than attempting to recharge a revolver.

The sighting system also gets high marks as they are easy to see 3-dot tritium night sights.

The ADP does not earn much on the intimidation scale. The design is new and has not gained much popularity with shooters, gun writers, or the popular media. Therefore, when presented, most criminals would merely see a small black polymer pistol that they can neither identify in terms of caliber or in terms of being a real handgun.

Glock Model 36 .45 ACP
Size and Weight: 6.77" long, 4.76" high, 1.13" wide and 20.11 ounces

Concealment: 1 point
Weight: 2 points
Caliber: 5 points
Capacity: 3 points
Tactical Operation: 5 points
Sights: 4 points
Intimidation Factor: 5 points

Total: 25 points
(Target on left: 20 rounds of Remington 230 grain FMJ at 21 feet. Target on the right: 30 rounds of the same ammo and the same distance.)

Glock recognized that the consumer wanted smaller more concealable handguns met the demand with their “baby” framed pistols. For the G36 they produced it as a single stack with a six round magazine capacity so that the grip frame was no wider than the slide. The single stack grip frame is also easier to hold onto. Unfortunately, despite those considerations, I find it still too large for pocket carry both in terms of size and weight (it is the heaviest of all handguns reviewed in this report).

The concealment advantage of being a single stack is a trade off for capacity. The G36 holds 6 + 1 in the pistol and the magazine is large enough to make it difficult to be able to carry more than one spare in your opposite pocket.
On the plus side, the G36 is chambered for my beloved .45 ACP which is both time and combat tested as an effective cartridge. Also, I added Tru Glo Hi-Viz sights both front and rear and they are an improvement over the stock sights standard on Glock pistols. In terms of intimidation; any Glock is huge on the intimidation scale. Glock pistols are a staple in the law enforcement community and generally accepted by the civilian population. Glocks are also widely shown on Television and in the Movies and they have become a media icon within the Rap culture. The Rapsters idolize the Glock .40 in their lyrics (and I use the term “lyrics” loosely in this context). Unfortunately the Rapsters also tend to show up with their Glocks in places that they shouldn’t like airport security checkpoints and award shows where metal detectors have become common place. Rapsters also seem to have a difficult time keeping them concealed during routine traffic stops.

If anyone has a convenient way to conceal the G36, please let me know.

Concealed Carry Favorite
The Smith & Wesson M&P 340CT revolver has been my personal choice for concealed carry and this bias probably influenced my rating since it scored the highest of those reviewed. The straight lines of a semi-auto pistol seem to produce a square imprint in my pocket telegraphing that a handgun is inside. The rounded contour of the revolver along with the slight bulge provided by the cylinder does not give the same telltale imprint. The M&P 340 CT provides me with confidence that it is acceptably concealed in my pocket and has the power necessary to provide protection to myself and my family.

Updated:

Upon reading postings on several websites (http://www.thehighroad.org/ and http://www.smith-wessonforum.com/) I found that about a third of the model 340 owners regularly fire .357 magnum ammunition through them. Now, I am not saying they fire a large quantity through them at any one time, but do shoot enough to develop proficiency and ensure that the ammunition choosen does not have a weak crimp that allows the bullets in the chambers to loosen from their shell casings during recoil. So, on Saturday I looked through my ammo shelf and found a box of Mag-Tech .357 magnum 158 grain semi-jacketed soft points. The experience was both challenging and rewarding. I fired three cylinders full (15 rounds) with all shots being pretty well centered and landing in a 3" x 2" grouping.

While this certainly makes the 340 a force to be reckoned with; there is a trade off of speed for the power. While the recoil was not unmanageable, follow-up shots are not going to be quick. Maybe the best course of action would be to load the first 4 chambers with .38 + P and save the .357 Mag for the last round. This will be some more fodder for testing consideration and discussion.

Update on Sig P220 Elite Carry
Suzy, as I have affectionately named my P220 EC, was sent back to the factory to correct the failure to feed problems outlined in the last paragraph of the previous posting. I took her to the UPS Customer Center on a Friday afternoon and she was returned to me on the following Thursday--that's pretty fast customer service. They replaced the extractor and polished the feed ramp. Reliability is now 100% and still as accurate as ever.

SIG P220 Carry Elite
The firm of Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, of Switzerland, was established in 1853 making railway cars. But as the years and the business evolved the SIG brand has come to stand for quality, reliability, and accurate firearms, most prominently handguns. During the 1970’s a merger of sorts took place with J.P. Sauer & Sohn which have allowed SIG to take advantage of Sauer’s manufacturing facilities in Germany.

SIG’s premier success came with the SP 47/8, later renamed and more commonly referred to as the P-210. This pistol was offered in a few different calibers but is revered as the one of the most accurate 9mm pistol ever made. The P-210 incorporated a design whereby the slide ran on rails inside the frame rather than the outside as is seen on most Browning designed semi-automatic pistols including the venerable Model 1911. It was thought that SIG’s design with interior rails provided better support for the slide, increasing both the strength and accuracy of the pistol. I don’t know if the prior statement has ever been scientifically proven but I will certainly not question either the strength or accuracy of their handguns.

In the 1960s SIG modified the design and produced the P220 which was offered in 7.65 Parabellum, 9mm, .38 Super, and .45 ACP. I first became aware of this design in 1978 when I received a phone call from a woman who ran a gun store out of her living room in Bloomington, Indiana where I was attending school. I realize as I write this that the practice of gun store owners calling me to tell me about something they have just received is no new phenomenon; it has been going on for 30 years. This woman knew that both myself and my apartment mate were fans of the .45 ACP; I had a Series 70 nickel plated Colt Government Model and Deane had a blued Colt Combat Commander. (I suppose I should accredit or blame Deane with my introduction to fine handguns in general, specifically the .45 ACP. When I first met Deane the year before he showed me his Colt Python .357 Magnum Revolver and his Combat Commander. These were premier handguns and I had never met someone who owned either, no less both. After firing the Colt Combat Commander I was hooked and there was no going back; the 45 caliber 1911 pistol was powerful, accurate, easy to shoot, and fun. My Smith & Wesson nickel plated Model 36 .38 Special just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. I should also accredit Deane with introducing me to Crown Royal. His father was an executive with Seagram’s so the fine amber liquor from Canada flowed freely.) Getting back to the story; the gun shop owner related that she had a new .45 caliber pistol and thought we should come in and see it. We rushed over and she presented us with a Browning BDA (Browning Double Action) service frame pistol in .45 ACP. The Browning BDA was only offered from 1977 to 1980 and although I am not sure of the connection, if the BDA was not made by SIG, it was certainly a line by line replica. Anyway, the pistol was imported, expensive, and double action…we scoffed. In our minds the Colt Model 1911 was a perfect design and there was no room for anything else, especially a double action for which we saw no practical use.

I will still contend that the 1911 is a classic and timeless design but I scoff no more at the SIG P220. The P220 has an enviable reputation for accuracy and this new iteration, the P220 Carry Elite continues to prove that the reputation is well deserved. The standard P220 is a full-sized service pistol. The Carry Elite trims the barrel slightly (half an inch) and adds a few very desirable upgrades to the standard package. The upgrades include beautifully stippled rosewood grips, night sights, and SIG’s relatively new Short Action Trigger. Below are the rest of the specifics on the P220 Carry Elite:

Caliber: .45ACP
Trigger Pull DA/SA: 10.0 lbs/ 4.5 lbs
Trigger Feature: SRT™ - Short Reset Trigger
Overall Length: 7.79"
Overall Height: 5.50"
Overall Width: 1.60"
Barrel Length: 3.90"
Sight Radius: 5.70"
Sights: SIGLITE® Night Sights
Weight w/ Mag: 30.4oz
Capacity: 8 Rounds
Grips: Custom Rosewood Grips
Finish: Nitron®

Shooting the P220

Cut to the chase; this is a great pistol. It is extremely comfortable and the recoil is nothing. I was firing this pistol along with a .40 S&W full-sized auto pistol and the felt recoil of the SIG .45 ACP was less than the .40 S&W. The grips are beautifully executed and the stippling on the rosewood allows for a firm and consistent hold shot after shot. The Short Reset Trigger is a wonderful development and I would urge everyone to find someone who has a SIG with the Short Reset Trigger and try it out. After firing the first round in the double action mode, the trigger resets itself in a very short distance (hence the name). This makes for faster and more accurate follow-up shots. The double action trigger pull is probably the best I have ever experienced. The pull is very smooth and while it is certainly longer than the single action trigger pull, the DA pull is consistent from the moment you put your finger on the trigger to the point where the hammer is released. This trigger does not have the annoying attribute of many DA pistols where the trigger has a fair amount of low-resistance take up before the trigger actually being to engage and cock the hammer. This abrupt change in trigger pull resistance is like hitting a brick wall and is responsible for many people throwing the first double-action shot off target. The DA pull on this pistol is so good that most of the DA shots hit dead center.

(Target fired at 25 feet from a two-handed standing hold. Target in center hit with 25 rounds of Magtech 230 grain FMJ ammunition. Target at lower left absorbed 8 rounds of the same ammunition and target on the right was fired at with 17 rounds of the same ammo.)

(Target fired on at 30 feet with Winchester 230 grain jacketed hollowpoint ammunition. 8 rounds were fired at each bullseye.)

Seven of the eight rounds fired at this target went into a group measuring .69 of an inch side by side from 30 feet. Somebody who really knows how to shoot could really make this pistol sing.

I am trying to work on my distance shooting so this target was placed at 50 feet (the limit of the Dakotah range) and fired on with 50 rounds of Remington 230 grain FMJ Ammunition. While I need to practice and perhaps get some instruction in longer range shooting, just over half of the shots landed in the ten ring.

There was one fly in the ointment. The pistol consistently fails to feed the last round in the magazine (with both mags supplied with the purchase of the pistol). I have an email in to SIG customer service and I will let you know what they say. I suppose from a practical standpoint that the accuracy of this pistol probably makes that 9th round rather moot, however I would like to have the pistol in a fully functional mode.

Smith & Wesson Model 22-1917

This year Smith & Wesson, in a move of near-brilliance, introduced their retro-line of revolvers. This is a reintroduction of some of their classic-discontinued handguns allowing the shooter to buy one that has benefited from the modern metallurgic processes, is safe to shoot with modern ammunition, and does not have the collector’s price tag that would be attached to an original specimen. Collectors can still hunt the gun shows and online auctions for an original to display, brag about, and keep locked in the safe. This reintroduction is a boon to those of us who want a shooting model that is true to the original and as long as we are willing to put up with that completely unnecessary internal lock that defaces the panel above the cylinder release latch. The only thing that puzzles me about their retro line offering is the lack of marketing behind this line. When I peruse the gun related magazines, and I subscribe to most of them, I see plenty of full page advertisements for their M&P line of polymer semi-automatic pistols and plenty of ad coverage for their light artillery hand-howitzers that launch the .500 caliber revolver cartridge. I cannot recall one instance of seeing an advertisement for the retro line. If you have not seen the complete line of retro revolvers, do yourself a favor and search them out on their website.

Two years ago Smith & Wesson brought out the Model 22 Thunder Ranch revolver in .45 ACP. 22 was the model designation for the model 1917 during its 1957 evolution. Thunder Ranch Firearms Instructor and gun scribe Clint Smith persuaded S&W to reintroduce the model 21 in .44 Special by convincing them that there was a market for a classic, large caliber fightin’ revolver. The model 21 hit dealer’s shelves in 2004. A year later, spurred on by Clint and the positive sales of the Model 21, Smith & Wesson reintroduced the Model 22. While this was a great move on their part there were many shooters, myself included, which wanted the revolver that went overseas with the doughboys of WWI.

The Model 1917
As many of you probably know, when Great War began General Blackjack Pershing, having studied the evolution of trench warfare from the American Civil War through the current stalemate in Europe, immediately realized the necessity of having his troops armed with a powerful, large caliber sidearm. Once you jumped into the enemy’s trench or he jumped into yours, the fighting got up close and personal real quickly and your four and a half foot long Springfield rifle with bayonet affixed became unwieldy and rather useless. Pershing made it known early on that he wanted every soldier to have the current military sidearm, the Colt Model 1911 in .45 ACP. The problem was that Colt did not have enough of the machinery tooled up to produce the semi-automatic pistol. Up to this point revolvers had been the bread and butter for both Colt and Smith & Wesson and they had the capability to produce revolvers in large quantities. The Colt New Service Revolver and the Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector were perfect solutions as they both were built on large frames and chambered for heaviest calibers available at the time. But there was one more hitch; the military knew from their experience in the Indian Wars that they could not logistically handle multiple calibers of ammunition.

During their frontier expeditions the Army was equipped with Colt single action revolvers chambered for the .45 Colt round (or .45 Long Colt as it is more commonly known) and the Smith & Wesson Schofield break-top revolver chambered for the shorter .45 Schofield cartridge. The Army found it nearly impossible to get the right round to the right troops so they finally decided that since the shorter .45 Schofield cartridge would fit in the Colt revolvers they would only procure the .45 Schofield ammunition. The Army did not buy the Schofield revolver in vast numbers, but purchased a lot of Schofield ammo. And that is why the Little Big Horn battle field is littered with Schofield casings even though the troops who fought and died there were equipped with the Colt Single Action Army revolver.

All of this lead the Army to specify that the supplemental revolvers be chambered in the .45 ACP round, the same round as their standard issue Model 1911 pistols. The problem was that revolvers required a pronounced rim at the base of the cartridge to keep the cartridge from falling through the chambers of the cylinder. The rim also was needed so that the extractor could eject the fired cartridges. Smith & Wesson found the answer to this problem by devising what became known as the half moon clip, a semi-circular arc of sheet metal stamped to hold three cartridges in place. It successfully kept the rounds snug in their chambers and eased the process of both loading and ejecting the cartridges. Therefore Colt and Smith & Wesson were able to chamber their New Service and Hand Ejector revolvers in .45 ACP and both became known as the Model 1917 with Smith & Wesson manufacturing 169,959 for the military which used the 1917 through WWII. The model 1917 was quickly accepted by the troops most of whom had extensive experience with revolvers but had never handled a new-fangled semi-automatic pistol.

Back in the mid 1980’s a number surplus model 1917s were located overseas, were imported back into the States and sold at fairly reasonable prices. I was smart enough to look at several of them and unknowledgeable enough to have passed on them.

Model 22-1917
Now S&W has brought the 1917 back to life and it is true to the original with a few exceptions; the internal safety lock has been added, a transfer bar and internal firing pin have replaced the hammer mounted firing pin on the originals, the grips are diamond checkered walnut as opposed to the smooth grips on the original military handgun, and in addition to the blued finish the new revolver is offered in nickel as well as with a case-color hardened frame.
Here are the technical specifications

Model: 22, Model of 1917

Caliber: .45ACP

Capacity: 6 Rounds

Barrel Length: 5 1/2"

Front Sight: Pinned Half Moon Service

Rear Sight: Service Grip: Altamont® Wood

Frame: Large

Finish: Nickel

Length: 10 7/8"

Material: Carbon Steel Frame and Cylinder

Weight Empty: 37.2 oz.

Prior to leaving Boise, Cliff (of Cliff’s Guns, Safes, and Reloading) was able to procure a Model 22-1917 for me that was nickel plated. I did not specify one in nickel, it was the only one he could get and, quite frankly, I have not seen another Model 22-1917 since then.

Upon first impression, the handgun was stunning. The grips were made of a lighter colored walnut, expertly checkered, and perfectly fitted to the frame and….they were extremely uncomfortable to shoot. Despite the size and weight of this revolver this handgun bucked pretty hard when fired driving the back of the grip frame painfully into the web of my hand. I thought a Tyler T-Grip adapter would give me more to hang onto thereby lessening the felt recoil. I was mistaken. The T-Grip adapter did nothing for the perceived recoil and it smashed my knuckles into the trigger guard. Fortunately, I found a set of Pachmayr Decellerator grips on the peg wall at Cliff’s and the Pachmayr grips not only made the revolver more shootable, it also improved my accuracy. The installation of the Pachmayr’s did require me to punch the lanyard retention pin out of the base of the grip frame so that the lanyard could be removed.

One of the features that surprised me was the sights. The rear sight is the standard S&W fixed sight milled into the top of the frame and the front sight was the standard half moon service sight. Nothing fancy at all however they provide an excellent sight picture, much better than I expected. It may have something to do with the contrast between the nickel plated rear sight and the front sight which is blued. As seen in the target below, which was shot at 21 feet from a standing two-handed hold, the revolver is capable of very decent accuracy.

I like this revolver quite a bit. It has a classic style, good accuracy, and a rather menacing appearance. What more could the soldiers of the Great War have wanted?