The function of the firearms in this test were as portable, concealed carry self-defense guns, and their sights weren’t made to win matches. Again, we had fun shooting it fast, so if you buy one of these, be sure to stock up on ammo because we think CCW shooters will like shooting it, too. There were no problems at all with the gun. It wasn’t beautifully finished inside, but the work was well done and extremely sturdy looking. We were impressed by the intricacy of this design. We got accuracy groups on the order of 2.5 to 3 inches at 15 yards. The all-steel frame gave this gun somewhat more weight than most 380s, a factor for concealed carry concerns. This 380 caliber test gun was slightly used, had modest bluing wear on the sides of the slide near the muzzle, and a few other signs of light wear. You’ll have to find this one used, because it was discontinued in 2012.
With that said, here are five handguns I believe stand out above the others if you’re looking for a handgun with modest recoil. That requires very personal decision-making for the CCW licensee. But the final decision has to be made by the buyer, because a gun should fit the shooter like a pair of well-worn shoes. What many concealed carry consumers do is use Gun Tests grades and write-ups to identify problems and things to look for when purchasing a firearm.
