RECOIL Presents: Concealment

For the bulk of the 20th century, the 1911 was the semiauto pistol of choice. Parts were cheap and plentiful, the quirks were [mostly] figured out, and importantly: due to the age of the action, there wasn’t any real intellectual property holding back competitors. The design did change and refine with time, most notably with the development of the 2011 back in the early 1990s. (Though the 2011 trademark is still active, the patents are not.) Here in the 21st century, the Gen 3 Glock is the new 1911 — but better, because it was designed in a time when machine labor was cheap and injection molding was possible. The design is robust, and the IP is open. Gaston Glock didn’t invent the striker-fired gun (that honor goes to Daniel…

1 5.11 TACTICAL INDUSTRY PANT COLORS: Brown duck, Mushroom, Ranger green, Volcanic URL: 511tactical.com MSRP: $98 NOTES: 5.11 Tactical makes great clothing, and their new Industry Pant has cemented a favored spot in our daily rotation. They’re hard-use pants for folks putting in an honest day’s work, whether military, tactical, on a work site, in a shop, or just at the office. With a straight-fit cut, these pants are neither skinny nor baggy — they’re just right. The thick 98%/2% cotton/elastane blend is durable, stretchy, and very comfortable. Seams and belt loops are all reinforced, and stretch gussets and articulated knees make for great mobility. 5.11 says there’s nine pockets, but we actually counted 10, discreetly located on the front, back, and thighs. As another unadvertised bonus, the Industry Pant also…

The 2010s saw a ton of growth in the pocketable concealed carry pistol market. The vast majority of states liberally issued CCW licenses, and the shift to permitless carry was just beginning to gain steam. There were a lot of companies trying out new things, and while most of these ideas didn’t stick around, you can still come across curiosities from that era. And come across one we did — this is the Taurus Spectrum, a CCW meant to appeal to the widest possible audience both in terms of aesthetics and ergonomics. This one even came with a laser and only cost $160 — we couldn’t resist. TAURUS SPECTRUM First announced in early 2017, this .380 Auto has all corners rounded and edges trimmed to reduce snagging, and soft rubberized…

MUDDY RIVER TACTICAL INSIDE THE WAISTBAND KYDEX URL: muddyrivertactical.com FITS: Wide variety of fitments; check website for details MSRP: Starting at $60 NOTES: Muddy River Tactical started making holsters over 10 years ago, focusing on providing quality holsters for a wide range of fitments at a reasonable price. They often support new or less common guns, so it’s always worth a look if you’re having trouble finding a holster for your new blaster. Muddy River’s holster specifically designed for inside-the-waistband carry is called the Inside the Waistband Kydex Holster, thus winning an award for Most Generic Product Name. However, they’re much better at making holsters than naming them. Their molds are CNC machined and engineered for a precise fit, and they use 0.080-inch Kydex for durability and stiffness while still…

In Greek mythology, titans were the deities who ruled before the Olympian gods that we all know such as Zeus, Hades, and Thor. The titans were the children of the primordial deities of the earth and sky. However, these days most people think of the word “titan” as it’s defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary: “One that is gigantic in size or power; one that stands out for greatness of achievement.” Given its moniker, then, Mantis is setting lofty expectations for its new smart laser training pistol, the TitanX. To understand this more deeply, we first need to discuss the value of dry-fire training. DRY FIRE FOR THE WIN You won’t find an instructor, top shooter, or institution that doesn’t stress the importance of dry fire — practicing with an unloaded…

It was only 2024 when we first featured the Diamondback Firearms SDR in CONCEALMENT Issue 38. That polished stainless steel piece puts six rounds of powerful .357 Magnum in a package roughly the size of a five-shot .38 Special J-frame. Then, they followed up with a 9mm model chock full of ballistic surprises we detailed in Issue 46 (that one was liked so much it quickly became a carry piece). Now Diamondback is back again, fulfilling their promise that they are dedicated to the revolver space with the new SDR-A. What you see here on the page is technically a pre-production prototype, but only technically — Diamondback doesn’t anticipate a single change between what we’re writing about and what’s going to be on the shelves by the time this issue…