handguns

The Vickers Tactical Glock 19 Is Ready for Hard Duty

Courtesy of Tactical Life Listening in on shooters’ conversations when the first Glock pistols hit our shores in the 1980s, you’d have heard some less-than-enthusiastic comments from a portion of the public and press. Eventually, a funny thing happened: The polymer-framed pistol from Austria went from damned to praiseworthy. Many of the handguns riding in holsters on […]

The 8 Pistols That Battled to Win the Army’s XM17 MHS Competition

Courtesy of Tactical Life By now you’re probably aware that Sig Sauer’s P320 won the U.S. Army’s XM17 Modular Handgun System (MHS) competition to replace the legacy M9 and M11 service handguns—mil-spec versions of the Beretta 92FS and Sig P228, respectively. Starting with the Future Handgun System (FHS) over a decade ago, which merged with U.S. Special Operation […]

Gun Review: Hands-On with the Ed Brown Special Forces .45

Courtesy of Tactical Life The name Ed Brown has been synonymous with quality 1911 pistols and parts for over 50 years. Ed started working on pistols and competing in the new ISPC game in the 1970s. This led to him opening Ed Brown Products with the goal of producing the world’s best parts and pistols. While his […]

The Colt Custom Shop Is Accepting 1911 Work Orders Again

Courtesy of Tactical Life The Colt Custom Shop has announced that it’s once again accepting 1911 custom work orders. RELATED STORY: Colt’s Combat Unit Rail Gun – A Top-of-the-Line 1911 In a press release, the iconic gun maker explained that it took a hiatus from accepting new orders late last year in order to reduce the […]

Battle-Proven: Pilot Mountain Arms Operator 1911

Courtesy of Tactical Life In 1991, Brian Searcy was on a desolate section of the Appalachian Trail facing the trial of his life. The final phase of “selection” for Delta Force was a 40-mile ruck march over the rough mountainous terrain. Without knowing the time requirements, the candidate had to hit multiple RV points while carrying a 45-pound […]

Professional Grade: Springfield’s Tank-Tough TRP Operator

Courtesy of Tactical Life In the mid-1990s, the FBI’s elite Hostage Rescue Team released a solicitation for a 1911 duty pistol. The selection process was extensive, with some of the biggest names in the industry not making the cut. At the end of the process, the FBI selected Springfield’s Professional model. Several years later, the Professional was adopted by the Bureau’s […]

9 Competition Pistol Models Ready for the Firing Line

Courtesy of Tactical Life Competition pistol shooters want a reliable, accurate pistol that they can take out of the box, load and shoot at the buzzer. We want a pistol that performs without the high expense of a custom gun but with all the features we expect in a competition gun, like a smooth, lightweight, […]

The G41 in .45 ACP Might be Glock’s Most Versatile Pistol

Courtesy of Tactical Life Glock fans have been clamoring for a .45 ACP version of the “Practical/Tactical” series for years, almost since the G35’s introduction. Glock’s introduction of the G41 Gen4 provides one of the best pistols possible for tactical teams, specialty units or officers used to carrying full-sized pistols. As a longtime Glock 20 user, […]

Why a Navy SEAL Trains Shooters with Glock Pistols

Courtesy of Tactical Life Ease of use and a consistent trigger pull are just two of the reasons given by trainer Kyle Defoor for recommending Glock pistols to both beginners and advanced students. “In my humble opinion, these reasons make Glocks the best pistols for new shooters,” said Defoor. Defoor is the owner of Defoor […]

Storytelling with the Kimber Warrior SOC (TFS) 1911 Pistol

Courtesy of Tactical Life The chiseled gun-writer-turned-CIA asset stood noiselessly and alone in the frosty rain of an Afghan midnight. The sensations of cold and fatigue were gone, banished to that distant place where he sent things for which he had no need. He melded motionlessly with the darkness—invisible, silent, lethal. His package was a […]