Announced in January, the Taurus TX22 is a 16+1 single-action only striker-fired pistol with a 5-pound trigger with a short reset and fully adjustable rear sights. Suppressor-ready with 1/2x28TPI threads, the 4.1-inch barrel rests inside a 7075 aluminum slide that has been black hard-coat anodized. There are both front and rear slide serrations. Priced below $400, it has been a hit with plinkers this year.
When it comes to specs, this new 9mm handgun with Israeli roots is equipped with a 4.1-inch cold-hammer-forged barrel with a 1-in-10-inch right-hand twist. With an overall length of 7.4 inches, it weighs in at 23-ounces with a 10- or 17-round magazine depending on state restrictions. Height and width, all-important for those seeking to conceal a handgun, is 5.6- and 1.34-inches, respectively. Further, the Masada is out-of-the-box optics ready and includes interchangeable mounting plates for the Trijicon RMR, Leupold Delta Point, Sig Sauer Romeo 01, and Vortex Venom.
Announced in September, the Springfield Armory Hellcat is a new micro-compact that is the Illinois-based company’s answer to Sig Sauer’s P365 series. Using a 3-inch hammer-forged barrel– which translates to a 6-inch overall length while standing just 4-inches high– the 18.3-ounce Hellcat offers an 11+1 capacity in a flush-fit magazine. This can be stretched to 13+1 with an extended mag that bumps height to 4.5-inches.
The PDX had its origin in a PDW project for Tier 1 operators which specified a gun that, above all, was extremely compact for close quarter encounters– but still able to fire 5.56mm rounds. Crafted with that use in mind, Maxim’s result was a gun that is as sweet as it gets– just 18.75-inches long overall with a 5.5-inch barrel that ends in a Hatebrake muzzle booster while the collapsible stock is Maxim’s in-house SCW stock system.
The 9mm Q5 Match Steel Frame, as its name implies, replaces the standard polymer frame and the internal guide rod of the original model with one made entirely of steel. While the change tacks an extra pound to the gun, it results in smoother, faster shooting. Retail on the gun is $1,399 but we beat that a bit.
In February, Sig Sauer released their new MCX Rattler Canebrake platform. The 300 Blackout chambered MCX Rattler Canebrake features a suppressor-ready style offering an inert training device mimicking the SIGSRD762 suppressor. The rifle measures 29.5-inches in length with the weight resting around 6 pounds. The 5.5-inch barrel is protected by an SD Handguard. The system utilizes a design that allows shooters to safely grip the handguard without worrying about muzzle flash.
Unveiled first in a Midsize and then in a Compact model, FN’s new MRD series of pistols is out-of-the-box ready for the micro red dot of your choice, and that is just where the features begin.
One of the hottest rifles of the year was Daniel Defense’s bolt-action Delta 5 platform. The rifle hosts a bevy of features including a Timney Hunter Elite trigger, fully modular carbon-fiber-reinforced stock, and threaded barrel for muzzle devices just to name a few. Switching between .308 and 6.5 Creedmoor is a snap as, with their quick barrel change system, a barrel swap can be done on the bed of a truck.
Teasing with the competition-ready 92X Performance series early in the year, Beretta this summer lifted the curtain on the whole new range of 92X series guns including Compact, Centurion, and Standard models– a flavor for every taste.
Introduced in April, Ruger’s new entry-level rimfire single-action revolvers use a Cerakote finish available in three colors, synthetic Single-Six pattern grip panels, and integral rear sights with a blade front. Standard barrel length is 4.62-inches which produces a 10.25-inch overall length and means holsters for similar-sized Single-Sixes will work. Weight is 30-ounces, which is a few ounces lighter than a comparable-sized Single-Six. Best of all, they are often under $200 smackers.
Barrett’s new .308 semi-auto, the REC10, debuted in April. The direct impingement SR-25-style semi-auto has a carbine-length 16-inch barrel and receivers machined from billet 7075-T6 aluminum. Featuring full ambidextrous controls, the rifle has a slimline free-float aluminum handguard with M-LOK slots and a full-length Picatinny top rail. The rifle has a button-rifled chrome-lined barrel with a 1-in-10-inch twist. The overall length is 37.75-inches and it is available in both Cerakote FDE and black.
Announced in January, the new MC1sc pistol weighs 19-ounces empty, largely due to its glass-filled polymer frame. Billed as ideal for every day carry, the new pistol boasts a six-round flush-fit and 7-round extended magazine while a 3.4-inch barrel translates to a 6.25-inch overall length.
Featuring Hogue over-molded grips and a user-replaceable brass bead front sight, Colt’s newest wheel gun uses the same Linear Leaf spring trigger as in the rest of Colt’s Cobra line and is chambered in .357 Magnum. Speaking of which, the retail on the King Cobra is $899, which is the same as Colt’s black DLC-coated Night Cobra .38SPL snub and $200 more than the standard Cobra 2-inch. Maybe we will see a new Python for 2020!
While Glock would later deliver a special model, the G47, to ICE, and announce plans for a .22LR-caliber G44 model for 2020, they started 2019 with a bang with their new G48 and G43X lines. The Glock 48 chambered in 9mm has a 4.17-inch barrel, a 7.28-inch overall length and weighs 20.74 ounces unloaded. The Glock 43x chambered in 9mm has a 3.41-inch barrel, a 6.5-inch overall length and weighs 18.7 ounces unloaded.
An ultra-compact version of the MPX, Sig Sauer’s Copperhead variant is a pistol new for 2019. Featuring a 3.5-inch barrel with an integrated muzzle brake, the 4.5-pound Copperhead comes from the factory with a two-position pivoting brace that Sig advertises as contouring and adapting to the movement of the shooter’s arm. Finished in FDE Cerakote E190, the pistol runs 14.5-inches overall with a top-mounted M1913 rail.
In 2019, Sig Sauer continued to build on the success of their P365 9mm micro-compact pistols by announcing first a longer version, the P365XL, and then an even more curious Sig Anti Snag (SAS) variant with FT Bullseye Sights.
With that being said, we can’t wait to see what is on tap for 2020.
When I heard about the Walther PDP-F, I was immediately intrigued. A compact pistol designed for small hands? Sign me up. Here are my thoughts after owning the PDP-F for one year.
Walther's PPQ 22 M2 pistol chambered for .22 LR offers fantastic ergonomics in an affordable package that's great for plinking, target shooting, and training.
Backed by the quality reputation that comes with Swiss manufacturing, the B&T GHM45 pistol-caliber sub gun is the perfect candidate for your next suppressed pistol.
Texas-based Bond Arms builds some of the finest derringers in the world, so we knew it would be a treat to shoot this single-shot, break-action Cyclops chambered in the walloping .45-70 Government.