Kimber’s .380 Micro, 9MM Solo and Onyx II Highlight The 2016 Jan/Feb American Handgunner
(ArmsVault.com) – Kimber’s “elegant trio” — the .380 ACP Micro, the 9mm Solo and the 9mm Onyx Ultra II — grace the cover of American Handgunner’s January/February 2016 issue, sporting special blue and black finishes. Editor Roy Huntington examines this potent Kimber trio to see if their performance on the range matches their stunning finish.
“The surge of interest in 9mm 1911 platforms drove me to request our test gun in 9mm,” Roy says. “I wasn’t disappointed at all. Based on tried and proven Kimber 1911 designs, the Onyx Ultra II is, like the Sapphires, simply ‘beautified’ and made even more enjoyable. Thanks in part to the lightweight aluminum frame, the Onyx Ultra carries handily, and the more I shot the Onyx Ultra II the more I liked the idea of a 9mm in a compact package like this.”
Contributing Editor Mark Hampton takes a look at several Rock Island Armory 10mm semi-autos, and finds they’re hard-hitting, accurate and affordable.
“After 600 rounds, shooting all five Rock Island Armory 10mm’s, I was convinced these semi-autos provide good value for the money,” Hampton says. “The pistols functioned well and were a delight to shoot. The Big Rock, weighing more than all the others, was extremely well mannered and handled recoil painlessly. Whether you’re looking for a 1911 that won’t deplete your bank account, just for shooting fun, a pistol for personal protection or a hunting handgun, Rock Island Armory has a 10mm to cover the bases.”
In “Military Surplus For Self-Defense?” contributor Clayton Walker explains why vintage firearms may be best reserved for collectors and they’re better suited for fun on the range — rather than for personal protection.
“It could be argued virtually every consumer good we have now is the product of decades of innovation and refinement,” Walker writes. “Most automobiles made today are safer and easier to drive than those from the 1950’s … guns aren’t a whole lot different. Surplus guns are fun—buy ’em, shoot ’em and enjoy ’em. But be smart and do some research if you’re pondering one for self defense.”
Other features in this issue of American Handgunner include John Connor’s picks for the Handgunner 2015 Gift Guide, a look at the Taurus .380 Curve by Will Dabbs, MD, J.B. Wood’s review of the Beretta Pico, an article by Mike “Duke” Venturino on custom Ruger Old Army’s and much more.
The Taurus Curve heads up the American Handgunner January/February Gun Giveaway. Also included in the giveaway is the EPLI Flashlight from Brite-Strike Techonologies Inc., The Pistol Tool from Real Avid, and the MTM Ammo Crate Utility Box CR5 — a total package value of $531.90. Readers can visit www.americanhandgunner.com/giveaway to enter.
Can’t get enough of American Handgunner? The January/February issue has three online-only features, including one on the Umarex Model 712 — the full-auto BB-gun version of the classic Mauser. Readers can sign-up for a free digital subscription to receive new issues of Handgunner online at www.americanhandgunner.com/digital-version.