FBI Photo shows a Glock Model 22, .40 S&W caliber. This will be replaced by new, striker-fired 9mm Luger pistols in both compact and full-size formats.
The Federal Government loves to spend your tax dollars, and the FBI wants its share of the action. The Federal Bureau of Investigation recently issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the next generation of 9mm FBI pistols. At stake is $85,000,000 in Federal dollars for handguns, parts, and accessories. CLICK HERE to Download FBI RFP.
The FBI is actually seeking two 9x19mm pistols, one “Compact” and the other “Full-Size”. The pistols must be striker-fired, and capable of a “20,000 round endurance firing cycle”. Trigger pull weight shall be “no less than 4.5 pounds nor exceed 6 pounds”, with NO mag disconnect/safety. There will also be no manual external safety, no grip safety, and no de-cocking lever. Here are the RFP basic descriptions of the pistols:
Class I Compact Pistol: One (1) Class I Pistol with a barrel length of no less than 3.75” and no greater than 4.25”, minimum magazine capacity of 14 rounds, night sights, six (6) magazines, FBI approved gun lock. Firing pin/Striker fired only.
Class II Full Size Pistol: One (1) Class II Pistol with a barrel length of no less than 4.26” and no greater than 5.20”, minimum magazine capacity of 16 rounds, night sights, six (6) magazines, FBI approved gun lock. Firing pin/Striker fired only.
Why Change from .40 SW back to 9x19mm?
Last time we checked the FBI had more than enough firepower. The FBI’s stated need for $85 million dollars worth of 9mm pistols* certainly raises questions, while re-igniting the “great caliber debate”. In May 1997, the FBI officially adopted the Glock .40 S&W pistol for general agent use. Now it is going back to the 9mm Luger (aka 9x19mm), which it had used in Sig P226/228 pistols from 1988 to 1997.
Why make the change? Some people think advancements in propellants and 9mm bullets allow the smaller cartridge to rival the .40 SW for penetration and stopping power. Possibly the FBI learned that many of its agents couldn’t shoot the snappy, harder-recoiling .40 SW very well. So this change to a more user-friendly round may be all about compensating for lawmen who can’t shoot straight.
A report originating at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, VA may explain why the FBI wants to dump the .40 SW in favor of the 9mm. Here are highlights from the Report’s Executive Summary:
LEOs miss between 70 – 80 percent of the shots fired during a shooting incident.
9mm Luger now offers select projectiles which are, under identical testing conditions, outperforming most of the premium line .40 S&W and .45 Auto projectiles tested by the FBI.
9mm Luger offers higher magazine capacities, less recoil, lower cost (both in ammunition and wear on the weapons) and higher functional reliability rates (in FBI weapons).
The majority of FBI shooters are both FASTER in shot strings fired and more ACCURATE with shooting a 9mm Luger vs shooting a .40 S&W (in similar sized weapons).
There is little to no noticeable difference in the wound tracks between premium line law Auto enforcement projectiles from 9mm Luger through the .45 Auto.
Source: FBI Training Division, FBI Academy (Quantico, VA) Report quoted in LooseRounds.com.
* In addition to the Compact and Full-Size duty pistols, the FBI plans to acquire training pistols and spare parts: “Class I Inert Training Pistol (a.k.a. Red Handle); Class I Man Marker Training Pistol (a.k.a. SIMUNITION); Class I & Class II Pistol Replacement Parts”. The $85,000,000 contract price would include these additional items.
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Believe it or not, legendary German gun-maker Walther Arms has never produced a .45 ACP pistol. Until now that is. You see Walther just announced that it will (finally) build a handgun, the .45 ACP PPQ, chambered for the classic .45 ACP cartridge. John Moses Browning would approve.
The striker-fired, polymer-framed .45 ACP PPQ boasts a smooth, 5.6-lb trigger with a 0.4″ normal travel and a 0.1″ reset. The 4.25-inch barrel features polygonal rifling (like HK barrels). Both slide and barrel have a hard Tenifer finish (like Glocks). The new .45 ACP PPQ includes ambidextrous controls, slide serrations, and front Picatinny rail for mounting accessories. The pistol holds 12 rounds and is equipped with three internal safeties. Overall length is 7.4 inches, and width is 1.3 inches.
Walther Arms’ VP of Sales and Marketing, Cyndi Flannigan, states: “This new caliber and product offering is a benchmark for Walther and the PPQ. We have built it to the same exacting German standards that deliver the ultimate home defense and personal protection firearm.” The new M2 .45 ACP PPQ pistol is expected to ship to dealers in early October, 2015.
Click photo for full-screen version:
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Meet the new PL-14 9x19mm pistol, also called the “Pistolet Lebedev” (Пистолет Лебедева), after its designer. This new pistol comes from Russian arms-maker Kalashnikov Concern. Notably, it is designed for both sport and war. Two versions will be produced — one for military use, and another for competition. The match version will have a lighter pull-weight trigger. “The versatility of our new pistol allows [use] not only as a military weapon for the military forces and police, but also as a pistol for different shooting competitions,” said Kalashnikov CEO Alexey Krivoruchko.
This new pistol was developed with input from both IPSC shooters and Russian Special Forces (Spetsnaz) soldiers. A lot of smart thinking went into this ergonomic design. We were pleased to see the ultra-low bore axis and a grip that does NOT copy the worst features of the Glock design. Fully loaded, the PL-14 weighs 1 kg (2.2 lbs). The PL-14 prototype frame is aluminum. We’re informed that the production military version will have a polymer frame.
Hoping to impress consumers (and possibly secure a major military contract or two), Beretta has introduced the APX, a new striker-fired 9mm handgun. The APX borrows elements from the Glock, HK VP9, and S&W M&P pistols. The grip looks very ergonomic, with an extended rear overhang on the top (like the M&P) and contoured grooves on the front (like the VP9). The most distinctive feature of the new Beretta would be the prominent machined ridges on the slide designed to aid in racking the pistol.
The APX is built with a chassis system. This means that the internal sub-frame is the serialized part. The new APX features a reversible, ambidextrous magazine release. The magazines themselves have a prominent plate on the bottom for easier insertion/extraction. To better fit various hand sizes, three different backstrap inserts can be fitted to the grip.
Beretta hopes many of the world’s armies will adopt this new pistol, which was released at IDEX (International Defense Exhibition & Conference) in late February. According to Gear Scout:
“The pistol is designed specifically for the military market, and Beretta says it’s destined to become the company’s entry into the Army’s Modular Handgun System. But, the Army has yet to release the final requirements for that program to industry. The US Army contract might be the gold rush of pistol contracts, but it’s not the only tender happening at the moment. No doubt, getting the APX out at IDEX was a way to show worldwide (and cash-flush Middle East) defense ministers the major features of the pistol while the company finishes up development on the US military/LE and eventual commercial configurations that will hit the US market soon.”
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While at SHOT Show, I visited nearly all the major pistol manufacturers, and tried out their latest polymer-framed, striker-fired pistols. To my dismay, these pistols (from a half-dozen different makers), all had one thing in common — really unpleasant triggers. The triggers were mushy, “sproingy” (my term), with a heavy (and sometimes rough) “stagey” pull that was not consistent through the pull cycle. Trying one gun after another, my reaction was always: “Yep, another awful trigger”. Most of the striker-fired guns also had a sloppy slide to frame fit, so they clanked around as they cycled. I’m sure they would function reliably, but I felt I was sampling staple guns, not fine firearms.
In Search of A Better Trigger
Disheartened, I left the main exhibit hall and descended to level one. There, like a beacon, I saw the STI logo, and ranks of metal-framed, hammer-fired pistols. I picked one up. I worked the slide — it operated oh-so-smoothly, like it was on ball bearings. The grip safety functioned perfectly when I wrapped my hand on the grip — no conscious pressure was required and I didn’t feel an uncomfortable bump in the web of my hand. The safety just did its job effortlessly.
I asked an STI rep if I could dry-fire the pistol. “Go right ahead” he said. The first thing I noticed was that the take-up was smooth — butter smooth. There was no grittiness, and the take-up pull was constant. When you got to the break point, resistance increased, and at just about 3 pounds of pressure, the hammer fell with a precise release. No staginess (rising/falling pull weight), no “sproingy” feel (like a cheap coil spring compressing and then snapping), just even pressure and “click” the hammer falls. This was trigger heaven, compared to striker-fired trigger hell.
As I was at the STI booth, a young fellow came up next to me. I noticed, from his name badge, that he was from Austria, home of the Glock. He said “You know I have had Glocks for years. Then one day I said ‘Why am I doing this to myself, why am I putting up with this?’. The triggers are scheiße — I can’t stand them, and the grip shape is wrong. So I sold my Glocks and bought one of these [an STI] and now I am very happy.” He held up an STI and said “Now this is how a pistol should be made!” I smiled and said, “Isn’t it ironic that it has been more than 100 years since John Moses Browning invented the 1911, and his design still works so well?”
Here are two of the STI Pistols on display at SHOT Show. They are both built to very high quality standards, and they both have smooth-running slides and crisp, near-perfect triggers.
STI Target Master
The Target Master is built on STI’s 1911 Government-length frame with 30 lpi checkering on the front strap. The safety controls are STI ambidextrous thumb safeties and STI high rise, knuckle-relief beavertail grip safety. The 6″ slide features a lowered and flared ejection port, tri-level adjustable sights, and STI front and rear cocking serrations. The barrel is a 6.0″, fully-supported and ramped bull barrel. The Target Master comes standard with a STI two-piece steel guide rod, Commander-style hammer and patented STI Int’l trigger system. The STI Target Master ships with one 1911 Magazine.
STI International Edge
Integrating patented 2011 technology with classic 1911 design, the STI International Edge is a high capacity pistol that carries John Browning’s design into the 21st Century. Since its introduction in late 1997, the STI Edge has become the standard for USPSA/IPSC Limited Division competition. Built on the STI Modular Steel 2011® frame with polymer grip, the Edge delivers the traditional features of a 1911 with the benefit of high capacity magazines. The Edge frame preserves the 17° grip angle (like the original 1911). The design allows for double stack magazines without over-sizing the circumference of the grip.
Along with its distinctive full-length dust-cover frame, the STI Edge features traditional front and rear cocking serrations. The Edge comes standard with a stainless, high-rise, knuckle-relief grip safety, stainless ambi-thumb safeties, and a stainless, fully-supported and ramped bull barrel. The Edge ships with one 126mm magazine.
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Glock will sell a small, single-stack .380 ACP pistol in 2014. The new carry gun, designated the Glock 42, was supposed to be a deep, dark secret until SHOT Show 2014, but news leaked out throughout the blogosphere, and Glock has confirmed that this is the real deal. Here’s the good news: the pistol is light (13.4 oz. empty) and slim (0.94 inches wide). Under 6″ in length, it should carry discretely in a variety of holsters. Made in the USA, the Glock 42 has a 6-round mag, and a 5.5-lb trigger pull weight.
First “Un-Boxing” of Glock 42 Carry Pistol in .380 ACP:
Here’s the bad news: It seems Glock fans were hoping for a slim, single stock 9mm, as the .380 ACP cartridge is considered under-powered by many self-defense “gurus”. Some would-be buyers were also hoping that Glock would finally jettison the distinctive bulged-bottom backstrap that many shooters consider uncomfortable at best, and just plain wrong at worst. For many people, that fat bulge in the lower half of the grip causes the gun to point wrong. For many of us, the “hump” on the back of the grip forces an unnatural wrist angle when firing. If you don’t understand, shoot a Glock and a classic Sig back to back and you may experience ergonomic enlightenment.
Does the Glock 42 Really Represent Progress?
We find it interesting that, in the 105 years since Colt released its m1908 “Pocket Hammerless”, handgun design hasn’t necessarily advanced that far. Let us explain…
Compared to the Glock 42, the slim, .380 ACP Colt m1908 (derived from Colt’s .32 ACP m1903) has a smoother trigger, and boasts a 7-shot magazine (vs. a 6-shot mag for the Glock 42). The Colt also has a better-shaped grip, plus a smoother exterior (with fewer bumps, ridges, and snag-points). Remarkably, the 105-year-old Colt is actually thinner — it is 3/4″ wide compared to just under 1″ for the Glock 42.
On the other hand, at 13.4 ounces, the Glock is much lighter in weight than the 24 ounce Colt, and, yes, the Glock 42 is shorter than the m1908. For some, the Glock’s lighter weight is all-important. Others may prefer the Colt given its all-metal construction, lovely blued finish, and classic styling. Many gun aficionados feel that the m1903/m1908 pistols were the prettiest of John Moses Browning’s self-loading designs. What do you think? Is the Glock 42 really a better .380 ACP pistol than the classic Colt m1908?
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The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to adjudicate a case involving a firearms purchase and subsequent resale to a family member. The case of Abramski v. United States, arises from the prosecution of Bruce James Abramski, Jr., a former Virginia police officer, for allegedly making a “straw purchase” of a Glock handgun. Abramski had lawfully purchased a Glock pistol in Virginia, then later resold the Glock to his uncle, a resident of Pennsylvania. Both purchases were conducted through FFLs, with full background checks, and both parties were legally entitled to own a handgun. Abramski arranged the sale in this fashion to take advantage of a discount available to him as a law enforcement officer.
Abramski was indicted and prosecuted for violating Federal laws against “straw purchases”, specifically making a false declaration on BATFE Form 4473, which is a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(6). Abramski challenged the indictment, but the District Court ruled against him and the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the District Court’s decision. However, the Fourth Circuit acknowledged that there was a split of authority among the Circuits as to whether § 922(a)(6) applied in a case like this one, where the ultimate recipient of the firearm was lawfully entitled to buy a gun himself. The Fourth Circuit’s ruling conflicts with previous decisions by the Fifth Circuit holding that “straw purchaser” laws are NOT violated if both the original purchaser and secondary buyer are legally entitled to own a firearm. See United States v. Polk, 118 F.3d 286 (5th Cir. 1997).
The key issue is whether Abramski committed a crime by buying a gun, and then promptly re-selling it to another person who was legally entitled to own the firearm. The government argues that Abramski broke the law when he checked a box on Form 4473 indicating he was the “actual transferee/buyer of the firearm”.
Arguably, Abramski’s purchase and subsequent resale did not violate the intent of the law, since the Glock never ended up in the hands of a criminal (or someone who was otherwise barred from gun ownership). The John Floyd Law Firm explains this argument:
“Attorneys for Abramski sought to have the indictment dismissed on the legal premise that because Abramski and the uncle were both legally entitled to purchase a firearm, Abramski could not be a ‘straw purchaser.’ Attorneys further argued that Abramski’s ‘yes’ answer to question 11(a) on the 4473 that he was actual buyer of the Glock was never intended to be punished under the Gun Control Act of 1968 if the buyer had a legal right to purchase the weapon. The attorneys theorized that the intent of Congress in passing this Act was ‘to make it possible to keep firearms out of the hands of those not legally entitled to possess them.’
Second Amendment proponents strongly believe there is nothing wrong with a nephew purchasing a weapon he is legally entitled to purchase with the specific intent to sell it to an uncle who is also legally entitled to purchase a weapon. The Fifth Circuit says such a purchase is legal because both parties are legally entitled to purchase and possess a firearm. The Sixth and Eleventh Circuits [and now the Fourth Circuit] say these legal entitlements do not matter.”
Soon the U.S. Supreme Court will decide which interpretation of the law is correct.
CLICK LINKS Below to Read Briefs Filed in Abramski v. U.S.
Want to work for a successful, big-name gun industry business? Well there are jobs to be had. Right now, Beretta, Brownells, FNH, Glock, Kimber, and Remington are all listing good gun industry employment opportunities. The National Shooting Sport Foundation (NSSF) has listed the following engineering, production, marketing, and technical jobs in the gun industry. CLICK HERE for more info and links to specific jobs.
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This past weekend, Team Glock Captain KC Eusebio won the 2013 European Steel Challenge in record time. Held in Winterswijk, Netherlands, the Euro-Steel competition was hosted by the Stichting Winterswijkse Accomodatie Sportschieten. Eusebio shot the 6-stage indoor Open match in 58.57 seconds, winning by 3.07 seconds over two-time past European Steel Challenge champion, Saul Kirsch. This match was shot entirely indoors under artificial lighting. Eusebio used as GLOCK 34 pistol prepared by ZEV Technology.
Watch KC Shoot the Euro Steel Challenge
“I have always wanted to shoot this match against Europe’s best shooters on their turf,” said KC. “It was an honor to finally be able to do so. I can’t wait to come back to this beautiful country next year!”
After winning the Euro Steel Challenge, KC attended the Dutch Army MOD match (Harskamp, Netherlands) on May 15-16 as guest of the Dutch Army Shooting Team (photo below):
Eusebio Won U.S. National Steel Challenge in Florida in March
KC’s victory in Europe followed his win at the 2013 U.S. National Steel Championship on March 23, 2013 in Titusville, Florida. Eusebio shot the match in 76.27 seconds, setting a new Main Match record. KC beat his next closest competitor, Max Michel, by almost three seconds. KC’s 2013 time broke the previous record of 80.09 Eusebio set back in 2007. In Florida, KC won four of the eight stages outright, and he set two new stage records.
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Brownells now offers free firearms maintenance videos on the Brownells.com website and the Brownells YouTube channel. Brownells President/COO, Matt Buckingham says: “These videos are great for any firearm owner, regardless of skill or experience level. If you’re a new owner, they’ll be extremely helpful; if you’re a longtime gun owner, they’re a great refresher.”
These how-to videos guide viewers through the steps of proper disassembly, cleaning, lubrication, reassembly, and function testing of some of today’s most popular firearms. For each firearm type, a series of FOUR video segments are offered. These are professionally filmed, with multiple camera angles and detailed close-up shots.
Watch m1911 Pistol Disassembly Video (Part 1 of 4-part m1911 series)
Watch Remington 870 Shotgun Disassembly Video (Part 1 of 4-part Rem 870 Series)
Founded in 1939, Brownells is an Iowa-based, family-owned company that sells more than 75,000 firearms parts, gunsmithing tools, accessories, and reloading components. Brownells offers a lifetime guarantee on EVERY product sold. To place an order, or for more information, call 800-741-0015 or visit Brownells.com.
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At Media Day, we had a chance to try out a new Smith & Wesson Pro Series C.O.R.E. pistol in 9mm. Despite the wicked cold weather, we enjoyed shooting this pistol. It is accurate, comfortable, and has a decent trigger.
This M&P variant features a slide that has been milled to fit modern, compact red-dot optics. Six optic types will fit: Trijicon RMR, Leupold Delta Point, Jpoint, Doctor, C-More STS, Insight MRDS The slide cut positions the red dot optic (a Trijicon on our test gun) so that the conventional iron sites are still usable below the red-dot. That’s smart, because the front blade sight can still be used to steer the gun towards the target, and then, as you bring the muzzle down on target, the red dot appears. This is a very fast, efficient system.
This C.O.R.E. model, like other M&P series pistols, has a comfortable, ergonomic grip-shape that is far superior to the grip on Glock handguns in this reporter’s opinion. I also like the grip better than the blocky grip on my older H&K polymer .45 ACP. Grip angle feels “just right” (unlike the Glock), and the corners are rounded (an improvement on the blocky HK). Plus the M&P has three (3) optional backstraps, so the user can “fine-tune” the grip to his or her hand. For 2013 the stipling on the backstraps has been modified for better grip and comfort.
This is a nice, intelligent upgrade on a gun which was already very good. And even with the special “optics ready” slide, the gun remains affordable with a $729.00 MSRP (not counting optics).
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Team GLOCK member K.C. Eusebio won the High Overall Award at the World Speed Shooting Championship (aka Steel Challenge) held November 1-4 in Frostproof, Florida. This was the first time in the competition’s history that a Glock (albeit a modified version) boasted the lowest elapsed time over the 8-stage course of fire.
Using his hot-rodded Glock 17, 24-year-old Eusebio shot approximately 200 rounds in less than 79 seconds. That’s total time for multiple stages of steel targets set at 10 to 35 yards. The GLOCK, modified by Zev Technologies of California, had a C-More Red-dot sight, 3-port compensator and a textured silicon carbide grip coating. “Regardless of the modifications, it’s still a GLOCK,” commented Eusebio. “Flawless. This was my fourth championship win, the first time that’s been done by anyone.”
When it comes to raw speed on the Challenge course, Eusebio is the man. K.C. currently holds several world records in the Steel Challenge Shooting Association (SCSA), including the fastest time on the “Smoke And Hope” stage: 1.69 seconds to draw and hit five individual steel targets. That’s not a misprint — 1.69 seconds for five shots hitting five different plates. Here’s a video of K.C. Shooting “Smoke and Hope” in California a few years back when he was a member of the USAMU shooting team.
Eusebio told us: “We definitely set the bar high at this match. I shot record-breaking scores of 2.55 seconds on the “Pendulum” stage and 2.27 seconds on “5 To Go”, and came out on top in 4 of the 8 stages. I also averaged 1.80 seconds on the “Smoke and Hope” stage. Heads were turning, some said it couldn’t be done, but I had confidence in my ability and my Glock”.
Photo courtesy Shin Tanaka
The Steel Challenge was created in the early 1980s in Southern California, as a new and exciting addition to combat or practical shooting matches. The originators, Mike Dalton and Mike Fitchman, wanted an exciting alternative to paper targets and came up with the all-steel format. The match awards the fastest time, but accuracy is also critical. The Steel Challenge is now a hugely popular event with West Coast Championship in Piru, CA and East Coast Championship in Florida. There are also regional Steel Challenge Matches held around the country.
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FBI Photo shows a Glock Model 22, .40 S&W caliber. This will be replaced by new, striker-fired 9mm Luger pistols in both compact and full-size formats.
In Search of A Better Trigger
Does the Glock 42
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to adjudicate a case involving a firearms purchase and subsequent resale to a family member. The case of 
The key issue is whether Abramski committed a crime by buying a gun, and then promptly re-selling it to another person who was legally entitled to own the firearm. The government argues that Abramski broke the law when he checked a box on Form 4473 indicating he was the “actual transferee/buyer of the firearm”.
Want to work for a successful, big-name gun industry business? Well there are jobs to be had. Right now, Beretta, Brownells, FNH, Glock, Kimber, and Remington are all listing good gun industry employment opportunities. The 
This past weekend, Team Glock Captain KC Eusebio won the 2013 European Steel Challenge in record time. Held in Winterswijk, Netherlands, the Euro-Steel competition was hosted by the Stichting Winterswijkse Accomodatie Sportschieten. Eusebio shot the 6-stage indoor Open match in 58.57 seconds, winning by 3.07 seconds over two-time past European Steel Challenge champion, Saul Kirsch. This match was shot entirely indoors under artificial lighting. Eusebio used as GLOCK 34 pistol prepared by ZEV Technology.
Brownells now offers free firearms maintenance videos on the 
At Media Day, we had a chance to try out a new Smith & Wesson Pro Series C.O.R.E. pistol in 9mm. Despite the wicked cold weather, we enjoyed shooting this pistol. It is accurate, comfortable, and has a decent trigger.
Team GLOCK member K.C. Eusebio won the High Overall Award at the World Speed Shooting Championship (aka 
