Taurus was recently honored at the 2002 SHOT Show with the title of Manufacturer of the Year. Normally I would agree with honor as Taurus has seemingly come a long way, and is well know for the best customer service in the industry. However there is a little issue that is growing that threatens Taurus if Taurus doesn’t do something …

LDA stands for “Light Double Action”. Before I tried one of Para-Ordnance’s LDA’s for myself, I have to say that I wasn’t very interested in the concept of a double-action-only .45. The truth is, I felt that it was a solution to a non-existent problem, since I happen to be a single-action proponent. However, now that I’ve sampled it, I …

The mad(or should I say "Mad Dog"?) scientists over at MD Labs have just come out with their custom "Operator" single-stack 1911. The "Operator" is one of their "Hard Use" custom offerings. Basically, the goal behind this gun is to provide the end user with a single-stack 1911 that’s as close to indestructable as possible. To do this, Kevin McClung …

by David Crane david@defensereview.com Smith & Wesson has just come out with a high-tech lightweight, five-shot .357/.38 Special +p revolver that’s actually light enough to be carried comfortably inside the pocket of a pair of cargo pants(you need pockets large enough, of course). Now, I realize that "high-tech" and "revolver", don’t usually go together well in a sentence, but bear …

FN has a bunch of new pistols on the table. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve just re-introduced the classic Hi-Power Pistol in Mk III configuration. This, of course, used to be known as the Browning Hi-Power Mk III, but Browning’s name will no longer be on the gun. Now, it’s called the FN HP-SA. FN is apparently working with members of …

For all those Beretta fans out there, Beretta will be releasing their Billenium limited edition very soon. Limited to no more than 2,000 units worldwide, the pistol will be a single action 9mm(w/sweep-down frame-mounted safety) and of all steel construction, with a skeletonized hammer and checkered front and back strap. It will also feature a nickel alloy surface, carbon fiber …

The September 2001 issue of SAR (Small Arms Review) has an interesting article on a mini High Power produced by gunsmith Art Leckie. The article is written by Peter Kokalis. If you’re not crazy about the mini Glocks, or you already own one of them and now you just want something a little higher end (and single action), then you …

Kevin McClung and Steve Morrison are now building high-end custom 1911’s and Hi-Powers for carry that they call "Hard Use" guns.

The Shrike 5.56, by Ares Defense Systems, is one very cool modification for any AR-15. It replaces your upper and turns your magazine-fed AR-15/M16 into a belt-fed, without any modification whatsoever to your lower receiver. Thus, the Shrike 5.56 upper allows the weapon to fire with either linked-ammunition OR magazines, and it is designed to fit ALL AR-15 and M-16 …

Integrated Force Integrated Force By: Gabe Suarez Images of third world jungles flash through your mind as you and your partner search the overgrown wooded freeway embankment. The sweat pours down your face as you move ghostlike through the bush, as you search for the would-be killer. Your sweaty hand tightens around the light-equipped Glock, as you remember the victim’s …