For those who have never indulged, SHOT Show is a multi-day event held in Vegas every year in January where the firearms industry comes together to check out the latest and greatest it has to offer. It’s a true smorgasbord of guns and gear in Sin City. You leave with a nice lineup of new guns to review and a lot less money in your pocket. SHOT Show 2019 was no different.
New firearms are the big draw at SHOT Show. Most manufacturers build up the hype and save their gems for a SHOT release. Of course, some years are better than others. However, SHOT Show 2019 saw a nice selection of new pistols and revolvers.
First came our annual gambling run. One of the Ballistic staff members went on an hour-long heater on the craps table only to piss it all — and then some — away in five minutes. It happens. Vegas! After that, we finally sat down and talked about what we liked in the category of “handguns.”
Our list runs the gamut in makes, models, styles and even calibers. We chose these guns for a wide variety of reasons, with a few in-house “discussions” that might have went a bit far. Don’t worry, though, no one got seriously hurt. We just determined what we thought were the best new handguns that you might want to consider purchasing if you have the need and the money.
This article is from the April/May 2019 issue of Ballistic Magazine. Get physical copies and digital subscriptions at OutdoorGroupStore.com.
Colt King Cobra
Following on the .38 Special Cobra that Colt reintroduced in 2017, the new King Cobra has a beefed-up frame to handle .357 Magnum rounds. The cylinder holds six rounds, and the ribbed barrel is 3 inches long. More features include a brass bead front sight, a fixed rear sight, a Hogue OverMolded grip and a brushed stainless steel finish. For more information, visit colt.com.
Faxon FX-19 Series
The new FX-19 series from Faxon Firearms includes two pistols. The Patriot is meant for defensive carry while the Hellfire is suppressor ready. Both use Glock 19 mags, DLC-coated slides machined in-house from 17-4 stainless steel and Match Series barrels. The slides also feature optic cuts for mounting Trijicon and Holosun mini reflex sights. For more information, visit faxonfirearms.com.
KelTec CP33
KelTec’s new CP33 is a full-sized pistol chambered for affordable .22 LR ammo. It comes with adjustable fiber-optic sights, and the top rail makes it easy to add optics. The gun also uses translucent 33-round magazines that make it easy to see how much ammo you have left on tap. The polymer grip is styled like other KelTec pistols. For more information, visit keltecweapons.com.
Kimber Rapide
Available in .45 ACP and 10mm, this unique, all-stainless 1911 from Kimber has stepped cocking serrations, slide lightening cuts and a titanium-nitride-coated barrel that looks cool while being extremely durable. The Rapide also has G10 Wavz grips, Kimber’s Stiplex frontstrap treatment and TruGlo TFX Pro tritium/fiber-optic sights. For more information, visit kimberamerica.com.
Mossberg MC1sc
Mossberg has released a new striker-fired 9mm to celebrate its 100th anniversary. With its 3.4-inch barrel, the MC1sc weighs in at 19 ounces and feeds from translucent six- and seven-round magazines. Variations with a crossbolt safety, TruGlo night sights, a Viridian E-Series laser and a limited-edition Centennial model are available. For information, visit mossberg.com.
NEMO Monark
Known for its interesting ARs and bolt-action rifles, NEMO is now offering its first pistol. The Monark is a striker-fired 9mm with futuristic looks. Features include a 5-inch, DLC-coated barrel; slide lightening cuts; a fiber-optic front sight; a low-profile rear sight; an optics mounting system; and an ambidextrous slide release. For more information, visit nemoarms.com.
North American Arms True Black Widow
This new version of the Black Widow has a matte black PVD coating on every metal component. It also has a vented 2-inch barrel with a serrated rib, Marble three-dot sights, oversized rubber grips and a cylinder pin that you pull down and forward to remove. It’s available in .22 WMR or .22 LR, or you can order both cylinders at once. For more information, visit northamericanarms.com.
SIG Sauer P938 Legion
SIG’s popular 9mm P938 is now available with the Legion treatment. The slide and frame are Cerakoted in Legion gray, and SIG installs an extended magazine well, a new precision-machined aluminum trigger and X-RAY3 day/night sights. The grips are made of G10 with special Legion medallions embedded on both sides. For information, visit sigsauer.com.
STI Staccato-C
The 9mm Staccato-C uses a new single-stack variation of STI’s legendary 2011 grip frame for concealed carry. The gun features STI’s Recoil Master system; a Dawson Precision fiber-optic front sight and fixed tactical rear; a match-grade, 3.9-inch, stainless steel bull barrel; deep cocking serrations; an ambidextrous safety and much more. For more information, visit stiguns.com.
Stoeger STR-9
The affordable STR-9 is a compact striker-fired, polymer-framed pistol with great features, including interchangeable backstraps, a reversible magazine release and a 15-round magazine. Unloaded, the gun weighs about 24 ounces, and Stoeger has included an accessory rail and an ergonomic grip frame. For more information, visit stoegerindustries.com.
Taurus TX22
The TX22 is a full-sized, striker-fired .22 LR pistol with a polymer frame and a precisely engineered Taurus Pittman Trigger System (PTS) for a short, smooth trigger pull. Weighing 17.3 ounces unloaded, the TX22 sports an ambidextrous safety, an adjustable rear sight and a 4.1-inch barrel. Taurus includes two 16-round magazines. For more information, visit taurususa.com.
Wilson Combat 92G Vertec/Centurion Tactical
Wilson Combat is now offering its Beretta 92G Centurion Tactical with a thinner Vertec-style grip frame, which makes it feel more like a 1911. More upgrades include G10 grips, an Armor-Tuff finish, an oversized mag release, an AmeriGlo Hackathorn front sight, Wilson’s rear Battlesight and an ambidextrous G-style decocker. For more information, visit wilsoncombat.com.
