Categories
Handguns

Stoeger STR-9 Compact

Stoeger STR-9 Compact

Stoeger Industries announced the further expansion of its compact 9mm pistol line. The new Stoeger STR-9 Compact is a variation of the original STR-9 pistol that rolled out at the 2019 SHOT Show. It follows the introduction of the optics ready model announced in January at the 2020 SHOT Show.

The new Compact model has a 3.8″ barrel and shorter grip frame. Standard magazines hold 13+1 rounds. If you are stuck in a reduced-liberty state, 10 round magazines are available.

As with the full-size pistols, the STR-9 Compact is a striker-fired handgun with a polymer frame. It weighs in at 24 ounces (unloaded.)

Stoeger uses a safety that is built into the center of the trigger. This trigger safety, popularized by Glock, helps to prevent accidental discharges. It is naturally disengaged when a shooter presses the trigger.

In addition to helping keep both cost and weight low, the polymer frame allows for the use of interchangeable backstraps. While often found on more expensive guns, Stoeger includes the feature on this pistol to improve the ability of the owner to fit the gun to his or her hand.

Drift adjustable, 3-dot sights are standard. However, the company offers tritium night sights as a factory option.

Additional features of the new Stoeger STR-9 Compact include:

  • reversible magazine release for left-handed shooters
  • low bore axis for improved control over muzzle rise during recoil
  • aggressive texturing on the front and rear of the grip
  • accessory rail for the addition of a white light or laser module
  • black nitride finish

As with the other guns in the STR-9 line, the Compact model has an affordable price tag. The suggested retail price is $329 for the standard model. If you wish to step up to the night sights, the price increases to $449. Keep in mind that these are suggested retail prices. Your dealer sets the actual price, which may be even lower.

Stoeger backs the STR-9 Compact with a 5 year warranty.

Categories
Handguns

Ruger PC Charger Pistol

Ruger PC Charger Pistol Review

One of the runaway hits for Ruger has been its 9mm rifle. Building on that success is the new Ruger PC Charger Pistol chambered in 9mm.

Based on the company’s PC Carbine, the new PC Charger Pistol has a wealth of features that will make it a great candidate as an SBR or the addition of an arm brace.

Here’s a quick look at the new pistol.

Quick Note

I’m a fan of the original Ruger PC Carbine. It proved to be an excellent shooter and had the feeling of being a quality build.

While the PC Charger Pistol is likely to be more of a niche gun, I fully expect it to be an excellent shooter.

Categories
news

Mossberg 464 SPX Review – A Tactical Lever Gun that Delivers

Does the lever action gun still have a place for personal protection? In this Mossberg 464 SPX review, I answer that question.

Yes.

From hunting to protecting the homestead, the lever gun proved its worth in American hands time and time again. In the modern era, lever action rifles like this Mossberg do have a place.

Categories
80% Builds

80% Arms Easy Jig Gen 2 Review

For anyone building their own AR10 or AR15 from an 80% lower, a good jig is an absolute must. I’ve tried several, but I have a new favorite.

In this 80% Arms Easy Jig Gen 2 review, I completed several different AR15 lowers from different manufacturers and made of different materials. And, even though I tried, I couldn’t find any significant fault with the system.

80 Percent Arms Easy Jig Review

If you have an AR10 or AR15 lower waiting for completion this review will be of interest to you. So, let’s not waste any time and jump right in.

The Easy Jig Gen2

Making an AR15 is one of the most popular homemade firearm builds today. Even so, a lot of people are hesitant because of the perceived difficulty in accomplishing the task.

Categories
General Information

New Gun Reviews & More

New Gun Reviews on GunsHolstersAndGear

In recent weeks, I’ve written a number of new reviews and resource lists. All of my reviews can be accessed from that tab at the top of the page.

Here are the links to the most recent articles.

Gun Reviews

  • Smith & Wesson Model 610 – A revolver chambered in 10mm, this fighting handgun turned out to be one of the better wheelguns I’ve shot in recent months. And contrary to popular myths, the recoil is quite tame.
  • Diamondback DB9 Gen 4 – The original Diamondback DB9 was met with some resistance by the shooting public and many of the criticisms were fair. However, the latest generation of the DB9 is quite good. I found it to be reliable and significantly more comfortable to shoot that the original. I tested it with HST, Critical Defense, Gold Dot and more.
  • IWI Galil ACE Pistol – I took the arm brace version of this pistol for a spin. It proved to be accurate and reliable. Even more, the gun was just plain fun to shoot. Yes, it is heavier than an AR pistol, but it is well balanced and has minimal recoil.
  • Smith & Wesson Performance Center M&P380 EZ Shield – Without a doubt, the M&P 380EZ is a very popular handgun. It’s not hard to understand why – it fills the hand, is easy shooting, has good sights and is easy to manipulate even if you have diminished hand and arm strength. I took the new Performance Center version of the pistol for a spin, and it proved to be everything I hoped it would be.
  • Diamondback AM2 – This pistol was a pleasant surprise to me. Although I had good experiences with Diamondback in the past, internet naysayers suggested the company would not be able to make a solid, combat-capable pistol. The gun I tested proved that the company can make a reliable pistol – and offer features that some of the big boys don’t.  I was impressed by this pistol.

Other Shooting Product Reviews

  • Mantis X2 Review – Mantis is making big moves in the firearms training niche, and the new X2 offers a very affordable system for you to dry fire train at home. I’m a proponent of dry firing to improve your shooting fundamentals and ultimately your accuracy. The X2 brings the ability to run different skill drills and give you actionable feedback on how to improve your technique.
  • SureFire G2X Flashlight – After reviewing this flashlight, it became my preferred daily carry and bedside flashlight. It proved to be tough with good light output and a reasonable runtime on CR123A batteries.
  • Elite Survival Systems Stealth SBR Backpack – I love my Maxpedition and 5.11 bags, but for the discreet carry of a large pistol or SBR-style weapon this is the best I’ve found. It is a high-quality bag that blends very easily into the scenery. It attracts no attention but is extremely functional.
  • Streamlight ProTac HL Flashlight – This has been a long time favorite of mine. I’ve used it on duty as a police officer and for years since as a regular good guy. It proved itself time and time again. I updated my original review of this light to include runtime and output data with my current measurement tools. I still recommend this light.
  • Phalanx Stealth Holster – In this case, one size fits all doesn’t really. The Stealth Operator holster from Phalanx proved to be acceptable with a few of my handguns, but it failed to live up to my expectations on others. Read the review for a better understanding, but I do not recommend this holster unless you try it out prior to purchase and understand its limitations.
  • Wowtac A7 Flashlight – This inexpensive flashlight bills itself as being suitable for tactical use. But, I don’t recommend it for that. In fact, I don’t recommend it for anything other than hobbyists. And even then, you need to be careful as I found something that makes this light potentially dangerous.

New Resource Pages

Finding a holster or other accessory for a particular handgun or rifle can be a pain. Google only gives you a limited number of selections based on which companies have better search optimization skills – not the best product. Likewise, places like Amazon give preference to products with the deep pockets to advertise.

My intent is to bring many of the options together into a single article so you can compare them and make an informed decision.

Also, I updated the Flashlight Reviews page with additional testing information and a large comparison chart to help you navigate all of the testing I’ve been doing.