The author thought he didn’t need any more personal-defense pistols until he fired the PDA in .45 ACP from Para USA.

Or that's what I thought until I shot the new PDA from Para USA.

Built on the 1911 single-stack frame, it has a stainless-steel slide riding atop an aluminum frame and weighs only 24 ounces. Barrel length is 3 inches, and overall length is only a bit more than twice that. Magazine capacity is six rounds in .45 ACP and eight rounds in 9mm Luger.

Even if I do not succeed in coming up with a personal-defense slot to fill with this one, I may buy it anyhow. After all, there is no such thing as owning too many 1911 pistols.

4. Ruger LCP & Hornady's New Critical Defense Ammo
Among several things about Ruger's LCP that amazed me, two stood above the rest. For one, even though its fixed sights were obviously designed for shooting at spitting distances, I managed to hit every 12-inch steel plate at 15 yards that I shot at. And I was shooting fairly quickly too. For two, even though the little half-handful of a gun is chambered for a mild-mannered cartridge called the .380 ACP, every plate toppled over.

Ruger’s LCP and Hornady’s 90-grain FTX .380 ACP Critical Defense ammo provided surprising performance.

My guess is the former is due to Ruger's ability to build a lot of little gun at a very affordable price, while the latter is due to Hornady's ability to produce what may prove to be the best .380 ammo ever.

The LCP measures a mere 5 inches long overall, has a magazine capacity of six rounds, and weighs less than 10 ounces. The ammo, a member of Hornady's new Critical Defense family, is loaded with a 90-grain FTX bullet at 1,000 fps. The pistol and the ammo are, to say the least, an outstanding combination.

5. Ruger SR-556
The new SR-556 from Ruger follows the original M16/AR-15 design quite closely with one exception. Rather than propellant gas impinging directly on the bolt, it transfers its energy to the bolt by pushing on an operating rod up front. It's called piston-driven, and the result is more shots between cleaning due to propellant residue being dumped out the bottom of the gas block rather than into the action.

A manually adjusted, four-position regulator allows the operation of the rifle to be tuned to specific ammunition characteristics, reducing wear and tear on working parts. The design also incorporates a one-piece bolt carrier with an integral transfer key. Other features include a 16½-inch, chrome-lined barrel of chrome-moly steel (1:9 twist rate) with flash suppressor, a 10-inch Quad Rail handguard, Troy Industries folding sights, and a six-position telescoping stock. The SR-556 comes with three 30-round magazines.

Like all AR-15s, this one is great fun to shoot and especially so when someone else is paying for the ammunition.

6. Springfield Armory 9mm Race Gun
It had been quite some time since I had attempted to tip over a row of steel plates as fast as possible, so I was surprised at how quick I still was. But I shouldn't have been, because I already knew from past experience that the talented craftsmen in the custom shop at Springfield Armory turn out race guns that are capable of allowing anyone to shoot not only more accurately but more quickly as well.

Built on Springfield's 1911 single-stack frame, the compensated gun I shot was chambered in 9mm Luger and equipped with an Aimpoint electronic sight. A Swiss-cheesed slide sped up cycle time to far less than the blink of an eye.

It is an addictive type of gun that you don't want to stop shooting, one that makes you wish you owned an ammunition factory.

Ruger’s new piston-driven SR-556 is definitely fun to shoot, especially when someone else is paying for the ammunition.