Two of the hottest guns at Taran Tactical Innovations right now are the Sand Viper and Pit Viper custom 2011s. 

The Sand Viper is the pistol that in its debut year won the USPSA 2-Gun Nationals. The Pit Viper is the hero gun that will be featured in the new “John Wick: Chapter 4” movie opening this month. 

Both are top-of-the food-chain guns with sticker prices starting at $7,000. This begs the question: which is better?
 

Table of Contents

Bottom Line, Up Front
The Story
Similarities
Differences
On the Range
Conclusion

Bottom Line, Up Front

I’m going to buck good marketing practices, and I’m not going to make you wait until the end to tell you the answer. One, because I hate it when people do that, but also because it’s kind of a trick question. 
 

The Story

According to TTI, the Pit Viper was the original design. It was made for the “John Wick 4” movie and set to launch around the movie premiere back in 2021. However, the “John Wick 4” premiere kept getting pushed back – first because of Covid, and then because of the release of “The Matrix Resurrections.” The studio didn’t want two major Keanu Reeves movies to be released in the same season.
 

Well, this left TTI with an inventory problem. There were millions of dollars of Pit Vipers just sitting in a warehouse, and that’s just not good business sense. But TTI couldn’t release the Pit Viper as-is, because it needed to be connected to the movie.
 

Luckily, the guns did not yet have their final coating applied. Therefore, the decision was made to change the color, add an optic cut, and re-brand it the “Sand Viper.” The rest is history.
 

Similarities

I’ve already done a review of the Pit Viper, so I won’t go over everything again. Go watch my full Pit Viper review for all the details. Here’s a basic list of what makes these guns special, and why they are better than a standard 2011:

• Sight Block
• Comp
• Fire Control System
• Slide Stop
• Grip Safety
• Fangs
   

RELATED: New ‘John Wick 4’ Gun Up for Grabs – Taran Tactical Pit Viper Review
 

Differences

Really, the only differences are that the Sand Viper has a different finish color and an optic cut. 
 

On the range

Both these guns are just a dream to shoot. They are glass-smooth, flat-shooting, and hyper-accurate. Even in the hands of a novice, they almost shoot themselves. Of course, to make the most of these guns, you will need some training. It’s scary how well these guns perform in the hands of a professional. 
 

If you like shooting red dots, pick the Sand Viper. If you like iron sights, pick the Pit Viper. 
 

Conclusion

If you want a screen-accurate “John Wick 4” gun, pick the Pit Viper. If you like Coyote Bronze, pick the Sand Viper. If you like black, pick the Pit Viper.

In the end, these are two of the best firearms that money can buy, and you can't go wrong with either one.