Also by Paul Scarlata

A few years ago, FN introduced the successor to the FNP line, the FNX. Like the FNP, the FNX is a hammer-fired, polymer-framed duty pistol with a double-action/single-action trigger system. The latest model in the series is the worthy successor to the FNP-45, the FNX-45.

Today Beretta's Model 92 gets all the attention, but the company has not forgotten its roots and still offers a number of blowback-operated, sub-compact pistols. The .32 ACP Beretta Tomcat is an extremely small concealed carry pistol that some officers use for backup and off-duty carry.

S&W's Performance Center pistols are carefully assembled from the finest components, using all of the traditional skills of the custom gunsmith. The results are handguns that are not only distinctive and attractive, but are eminently shootable and capable of extreme accuracy.

Smith & Wesson's M&P9 Shield is a subcompact pistol suitable for "deep cover" carry by undercover and off-duty police officers. The Shield is available in either 9mm or .40 S&W.

It's likely that many American shooters have never heard of the Argentine firearms manufacturer Bersa, but I believe that is about to change. And with good reason.

While Ruger's LCP proved popular with both civilians and law enforcement officers, there were those who felt that its .380 cartridge was a lower end choice for defensive purposes. To answer this criticism, Ruger developed the Light Compact 9 (LC9).

Dep. William Kelly encountered a 37-year-old on a domestic disturbance call who was hellbent on making his feelings known with a .22 rifle. Dep. Kelly yelled, "Drop it." No sooner had the words come out of Kelly's mouth than a bullet exited the rifle's barrel.

Springfield recently introduced yet another version of the XD(m) designed for action pistol competition shooting, and I believe it is equally adaptable to law enforcement purposes. The XD(m)-9 5.25 was designed with the input of champion shooter Rob Leatham and is intended to give competitor shooters everything they need to compete right out of the box.

Kahr Arms' CM9 is a no-frills compact pistol. It's not as pretty as some of Kahr's other handguns, but it's a practical, inexpensive, quality gun.

While at first the P290 appears to be a downsized version of the company's P250 Modular pistol, it is in fact a completely new and simpler design intended for one purpose alone: concealed carry. Accordingly SIG has reduced its dimensions to what might be considered the barest minimum for the 9mm Parabellum cartridge.

I found the SR1911 to be a fitting example of a 1911 pistol. It was well built of first-class materials, and it displayed excellent ergonomics; above average accuracy; and reliability.

The SR40's slide is machined from solid stainless steel, and it is the narrowest of any of its contemporaries. The slide also features very aggressive grasping grooves, making it easy to retract even with wet hands or when wearing gloves.

As its name indicates, the Smith & Wesson Bodyguard 380 was designed from the ground up for use by police officers and licensed civilians who needed a small, lightweight, concealable, and easy to use pistol. I believe it would be safe to say that S&W's engineers have delivered just that.

There can be no denying that Smith & Wesson's Military & Police (M&P) pistol has been wholeheartedly accepted by law enforcement agencies both here in the United States and overseas. So what could S&W do to make this popular pistol even more popular?

In addition to being used for backup, the SIG Sauer P238 would be very practical for plainclothes officers who need a "deep cover" weapon or as an off-duty gun.

At this year's SHOT Show, Ruger wowed the attendees when it unveiled one of the most radically new handguns that has been seen in decades, the Light Compact Revolver (LCR).

While the revolver's popularity among American police forces has taken a nose dive in the past few decades, Smith & Wesson has recently introduced a new line of revolvers that I believe will engender new interest from law enforcement, especially for concealed carry by undercover officers and as an off-duty or backup gun.

The newest fighting pistol in the Kahr line is CW45, chambered for…what else?…the .45 ACP. While it looks very similar to the earlier P45, the CW45 is intended as an economy model.

With its new P250, SIG Sauer has embarked upon a completely novel concept in semi-automatic handguns—the modular pistol. The P250 is based upon a polymer grip module and metal frame/fire control assembly. This assembly is in fact the “pistol,” as it bears the serial number, which can be removed and inserted into another grip module.

The SR9 is not just "another striker-fired, polymer frame, 9mm pistol," but a combination of many features that have proven their practicality over the years and new features that police officers and shooters have been asking for but have not yet been offered in a production handgun.