Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/473011
34 Law Enforcement Technology March 2015 www.officer.com FIREARMS TACTICS B Y L I N D S E Y B E R T O M E N T his year at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas I managed to visit dozens of different companies and see their new products. I have quite a bit of new products to review, but for the sake of brevity, I have limited this article to firearms related products that grabbed my attention. Yes, I have a whole bunch of knives to talk about later. Browning 1911-380 One of my favorite thrills at SHOT was Browning's release of their 1911-380, a scaled-down government model faithful to the original design. This gun is made of a composite frame with a generous beavertail safety and a 4.25-inch barrel. The 1911-380 is a follow-up from the 2011 release of the 1911-22, a 22 caliber version. I tried this one when it came out, and it's as much fun as the 1911-380. As you know, John Browning designed the 380 Auto as an 85 percent scale cartridge of the 45 Auto. The 1911-380 is an 85 percent scale of a 45 Auto 1911. I know this is a "nice-to-have" kind of gun, but think about this: It has a 4.25- inch barrel, weighs 17.5 ounces empty, and holds 8+1. It is perfect for IWB strong side carry. The barrel length allows for full performance of the Winchester Train and Defend 380 Auto cartridges, w hich I fired in this gun. How does it shoot? The fixed sights are better than most other factory 380s. The controls are intuitive for a single action user, includ- ing a safety which sweeps cleanly. It is very comfortable in the hand and came on target quicker than some of my own guns. I'm sure the design intent was more novelty than LE backup, but I would defi- nitely carry this. The Browning 1911-380 isn't just a novelty item because it is a scale version of the 1911. Its accuracy and quality build suggest it could be a great defensive off- duty gun for the 1911 user. Since Winchester was buying the ammunition, Lindsey put a few magazines through it. Beretta really stepped out of the box with the Beretta ARX 100. It is truly ambidextrous and was designed for most maintenance and configuration without tools. Shooting was very intuitive. This is the LaRue Meticulously Built Trigger (MBT), now installed in my "go-to" AR-15. Lindsey's SHOT short list Show standouts in a sea of drool-worthy shooting range goods