Sneak Peek: New Firearms for 2018

The past two years have have yielded little in the way of innovation. Of course there were exceptions that caught shooters’ eyes and found a well deserved spot as home defenders or the top shelf of the safe. The Arex Rex Zero One and Walther Creed immediately come to mind. However, that is the past and we are concerned with 2018, so here are a few models worthy of a closer look.

IWI TAVOR 7 Rifle

Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), has launched the newest member of the Tavor bullpup rifle family, the TAVOR 7 chambered in 7.62 NATO/.308 Win. with an overall length of 28.4″ and an unloaded weight of 9 lbs. The rifle’s body is built from high-strength, impact-modified polymer and has a hammer-forged, chrome-lined, free-floating barrel for enhanced accuracy and life cycle. Designed for military and law enforcement markets, this rifle is a fully ambidextrous platform. The ejection side and the charging handle can be switched from one side to the other quickly and easily by the user. Additional ambidextrous features include the safety lever, magazine release, and a bolt catch similar to that of the X95.

Two M-LOK slots are located at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions along with a MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail at the 6 o’clock position for the use of multiple devices and accessories. Other features include a short-stroke gas piston with a four-position variable gas regulator, a rotating bolt system, and an interchangeable pistol grip. The Tavor 7 will be available in four colors: Sniper Gray, OD Green, Black, and Flat Dark Earth, with replaceable barrels available in 17″ and 20″ lengths. This rifle is slated to ship the first quarter of 2018.

Just Right Carbines JRC 9 mm Pistol

Just Right Carbines is known for its blow-back operated pistol-caliber takedown carbines and rifles designed to accept popular double and single-stack magazines produced for Glocks and 1911s. This year the company is expanding its line-up to include pistol versions of its platform that offer the same modularity and takedown features as the rifles. The Model 1 version of the pistol features a foam padded Gearheadworks Mod1 Tail Hook buffer assembly and takedown fore-end. Model 2 is dressed up a bit more with a Gearheadworks Mod2 adjustable arm brace and a quad rail foreend.

Bersa TPR Pistols

Eagle Imports is introducing the double action/single action Bersa TPR line of pistols to the U.S. market. These pistols represent the next evolution of the Thunder Pro HC series originally developed for law enforcement and military applications. Available in Standard 4.25″ barrel and Compact 3.25″ barrel configurations, these semi-automatic pistols feature interchangeable SIG Sauer-type sights, an improved Browning Petter locking system, lightweight aluminum alloy frames, Picatinny accessory rails and loaded chamber indicators. The elegantly designed ambidextrous slide catch and thumb safety, along with a reversible magazine release, makes the pistol accessible to right and left handed shooters. Caliber options will include 9 mm (TPR9), .40 S&W (TPR40) and .45 ACP (TPR45).

Caracal USA Enhanced F Pistols

The 4″ barrel striker-fired Caracal F 9mm’s design seemed ahead of its time with its sleek reduced mass slide, lowered bore axis for reduced felt recoil, and comfortable grip that fit a wide range of hand sizes. Just as Caracal was poised to give Glock, Springfield and Smith & Wesson a run for their money, the company enacted a voluntary safety recall that caused the pistol, much like its namesake, to slip quietly out of sight and off the market—until now.

A new American-made series of Caracal USA Enhanced F pistols, with the safety issues resolved, will be shipping soon. These pistols maintain the positive qualities of the original models with three different sight system options, including the company’s proprietary Quick Sight System, 3-Dot and night sights. Customers will have a selection of new polymer frame colors to choose from including black, tan and OD green.

FightLite Industries SRC Raider Pistols

This year’s enthusiasm for Mossberg’s pump-action Shockwave 12-ga. has encouraged other manufacturers, such as Remington, to look for ways to install a Shockwave-type grip on its guns. But who would have guessed that FightLite Industries would find a way to use this grip configuration on an AR pistol?

The SRC action system which was originally designed as the foundation for a 50-state legal AR platform. This configuration eliminates the typical AR buffer tube by attaching a hinged extension to the bolt carrier group, much like those found in some semi-automatic shotguns, that moves down at an angle into the shoulder stock. So, the same system that allows an AR lower to sport a traditional fixed hunting stock also works with an abbreviated Shockwave-style grip.

Raider pistols ship with a 7.25″ barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO/.223 Rem. or .300 BLK with an overall length of 20.25″, an unloaded weight of 3.9 lbs. and the customer’s choice of a Keymod or M-Lok handguard. It will be interesting to see how these guns handle. I’m guessing a single point sling, attached to the grip’s QD sling port for added stability, will make a difference when shooting off the bench.

Hi-Point Firearms 1095TS 10mm Carbine

Hi-Point Firearms makes no bones about offering some of the lowest priced American-made firearms on the market. Even though this company’s offerings won’t win any beauty contests, I found two of the .45 ACP models to be utterly reliable when I tested them a couple of years ago. This year, Hi-Point will be ramping up the potency of its carbines with a new 10mm version that accepts a 10-round single-stack magazine. The 17.5″ barrel has a threaded muzzle with a sight rail for optics and a lower rail for accessories. The rubber cheek rest, recoil absorbing stock and smooth trigger will all contribute to more comfortable shooting sessions.

Inland Manufacturing M30-P and M30-I.M.P. Pistols

Inland Manufacturing, known for its series of modern World War II era M1 Carbine and M1 pistol replicas, is launching a new series of highly modified tactical pistols built around the M1 action and chambered in .30 Carbine. The new M30-P pistol is fitted into a special Sage Enhanced Battle Rifle tactical carbine stock and features a Gear Head Mod II Tail Hook arm brace. Other features include an Ergo Sure Grip pistol grip, a handy 1/2×28 TPI threaded 12” barrel and optics rail. The M30-IMP, which stands for Inland Motor Patrol, is even more compact with no arm brace extension and a 7.5″ threaded barrel. Like all Inland .30 cal. carbines and pistols, the magazine catch fits higher-capacity military and civilian magazines.

Walther PPQ M2 Q4 TAC Pistol

Building on the award-winning PPQ platform, Walther Arms has announced the arrival of the new PPQ M2 Q4 TAC which is both optics and suppressor ready from the factory. “The Q5 Match has been very popular and we have had a lot of interest in a 4″ more tactical version. We are excited to combine a suppressor-ready and optics-ready pistol into a best-of-both worlds platform,” said Luke Thorkildsen, vice president of marketing & product development of Fort Smith-based Walther Arms, Inc.

The 9 mm Q4 TAC arrives with a 4.6” 1/10 twist polygonal rifled barrel and a muzzle threaded at ½x28 TPI. The gun arrives with a second recoil spring weighted specifically for use with sound suppressors, one 15-round magazine and two 17-round magazines. The optics-ready slide features an LPA sight system with a fiber optic in the front and competition iron sight at the rear. The Q4 TAC shares the same optics mounting plate system as the Q5 Match. The plates are compatible with a variety of popular optics including options from Trijicon, Leupold, and Doctor. The PPQ Quick Defense trigger provides a smooth 5.6-lb. trigger pull and a short 0.1″ reset. The Q4 TAC is backed by Walther’s lifetime warranty.