Combat Handguns November/December 2021

AHOY! Are you ready to bite into the feeding frenzy that is Combat Handguns November/December 2021? Mako my day, and scream “hell’s yeah!” so they can hear you on the other side of the beach. Warning: There are more BDPs (bad dad puns) ahead, most of which are related to this issue’s cover gun—Kimber’s R7 Mako. Some might say that we’re merely jumping the shark. To those we say, “Chum you!” We editors hope the “first-strike” feature story by Mike Detty will make an enormous splash near the land shark-infested newsstands. Detty asked Kimber reps about the Mako name and they told him: “We developed new nomenclature and gave it a cool, recognizable name. Also, we are confident that the R7 Mako is going to eat up a big chunk…

It’s common for criminal defense attorneys to say adamantly, “I never put my client on the witness stand!” This is for very good reasons. A huge percentage of their clientele are guilty—either guilty as charged, or of a lesser included offense—and something they said under oath would either convict them if they told the truth or open them to the additional felony charge of perjury if they lied. A lie would also open the door for the attorney to be accused of subornation of perjury, that is, advising someone to lie under oath. That’s a felony in and of itself, which would cause the involved attorney to say goodbye to his ability to practice law. Now in my 42nd year as an expert witness for the courts in weapons, assault…

1791 GUNLEATHER HOLSTERS FOR LASER-EQUIPPED PISTOLS With the 2-Way, 3-Way and 4-Way holster options from 1791 Gunleather, pistol owners who run trigger-mounted lasers can get in on the action. All three lineups are multi-fit and have the capability of holding pistols equipped with lasers on their trigger-guards. The 2-Way, 3-Way and 4-Way holsters are made using 100 percent American certified steer hide leather. The construction blends modern production techniques with old-world leather craftsmanship, making them worthy of your favorite firearm. (1791gunleather.com) F.A.B. DEFENSE FRBS OFFSET KIT F.A.B. Defense has announced the addition of the Front/Rear Backup Sight Offset Kit to its line of accessories. The FRBS Offset Kit is a must-have addition to any platform that is running an optic as a primary sighting system. The kit is made of…

Someone once told me that life begins at the end of your comfort zone, and once you find yourself at that ledge, leap. These words have always stayed with me and on occasion I meet someone who personifies them beautifully. Mandy Bachman is, without a doubt, among these people. Bachman is the only female shooter currently competing on the Wilson Combat Shooting Team. She also works full time as the Operations Manager for the IDPA handling membership relations, assisting with planning the National Championship and making sure the day-to-day operations of the IDPA run smoothly. Bachman has an impressive list of awards, which have all been earned in just the last few years. This is where Bachman’s story shows the endless possibilities that are waiting for you once you find…

For many years I carried a Kahr PM9 pistol for personal defense. Introduced in the early 2000s, the gun was just 1 inch wide, had a 3-inch barrel and weighed just over a pound fully loaded with the 7+1 extended, single-stack magazine. Carried in a Crossbreed AIWB holster, I went blissfully about my business without any concern that I was somehow inadequately armed. I wasn’t alone. It seems every manufacturer offered a 9mm micro-compact, striker-fired, polymer-framed gun with a single-stack magazine. Sales were brisk among the CCW crowd, and the little guns proved reasonably accurate, reliable, and their light weight and slim profiles made them very easy to carry. Magazine capacity was the sacrifice we all made to have these easily concealed handguns. No one seemed to mind. At least…

One of the neat features of the CTS-1500 is that it automatically adjusts its brightness to the ambient light. I went from the bright, sunny ranges of Gunsite into their dark Pit shoot house and never once lost the dot. It uses the common and cheap (just a couple bucks) CR2032 lithium batteries and claims 500 to 650 hours of run time. Crimson Trace includes a polymer, time-out hood for the sight. This red-dot uses the common Shield RMSc footprint and comes with a three-year limited warranty.…