The following is a quick look at some of the more interesting handgun models that have come to the attention of POLICE in recent months. Some of these weapons have been featured in our "Arsenal" firearms review features. Others are on our radar for future articles.

Beretta Px4 Storm

The Beretta Px4 Storm comes in a wide variety of sizes, calibers, and actions. Most commonly sold as single-action/double-action, the polymer-framed Storm was designed as a successor to the Beretta Cougar. In the September 2008 "Arsenal," reviewer Nick Jacobellis wrote: "The PX4 subcompact is an excellent small pistol. And I really love the variety that it offers…. The greatest compliment that I can pay any firearm I test is to use my hard-earned money to purchase it. Once I started field testing the Beretta PX4 subcompact, I knew I wanted to buy one."

DoubleStar Model 1911

The development of DoubleStar's new Model 1911 was a labor of love for Jack Starnes, a competitive shooter and president of J&T Distributing, a DoubleStar affiliate company.

"What we set out to do was produce a high-quality 1911 that delivers match gun quality at a production price," Starnes says. The Kentucky-based company built its 1911 on a forged steel frame. It has a parkerized mil-spec finish, a 1913 rail for attachments, and comes standard with a match grade trigger.

Glock G22 RTF2

This year Glock unveiled the fourth generation of the G22, the G22 RTF2. The "RTF2" in G22 RTF2 stands for rough textured frame version number 2.

This pistol is designed to give the shooter a very secure grip. It has 4,000 raised pyramids on the front, rear, and sides of the polymer receiver. In addition, the slide has crescent-shaped serrations for easier manipulation with gloves or slippery hands. Read more about the pistol in our March 2009 SHOT Show coverage.

Kahr Arms P380 Sub-Compact

Called the "mini-Kahr" by lots of folks in the gun world, Kahr's P380 is indeed small. I've seen cell phones that are bigger. And if you're looking for a great backup gun or comfortable off-duty weapon, this tiny Kahr may fit the bill.

Though it is palm sized and weighs less than 10 ounces, the Kahr P380 packs some punch, six plus one rounds of .380. Read our full review in the June 2009 "Arsenal" feature.

SIG Sauer P250 Modular Pistol

Paul Scarlata explained the appeal of this pistol in his July 2008 "Arsenal" feature: "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 P250 is available with two different sized grip modules: Small for the 9mm, .357 SIG, and .40 S&W, and large for the .45 ACP. Both are available in Full, Compact, and Sub-compact configurations with three different grip circumferences…. It can be ordered with either a long or short trigger."