Heizer, the same people who brought you such firearms as the pocket sized .410 shotgun and now the pocket sized 5.56 handgun, are bringing to market a 45ACP semi-auto handgun. The concept is that the handgun is no thicker than the existing line of guns, but it is a lot more massive. I had a chance to handle a pre-production model at SHOT Show and talk to the guys behind the concept, and they seemed convinced that it was a winner.
The gun comes with two magazines, either a flush-fit 5 round magazine or an extended 7 round magazine. The action is a straight blowback design, using a fixed barrel and a frankly massive slide. While the slide is massive, the springs inside are actually not that strong and it makes the gun pretty easy to rack — something those without massive muscles might appreciate. There’s a plan to ahve a frame mounted safety of some sort, but the pre-production model they had on hand didn’t have a fully finished safety.
The aesthetics and the weight, however, make the gun anything but a beautiful swan. Heizer hasn’t done the math yet, but they anticipate that the gun will run somewhere in the $700 range. I’m not convinced that the market is crying out for the gun, but I’ve been wrong before.
Looks ugly, it’s probably heavy, $700 isn’t exactly a bargain, and straight blowback in a locked breech world. Doesn’t sound like a winner…
After shooting the DoubleTap (review HERE), if given the option between hitting myself in the hand with a hammer and shooting this Heizer, I think I would choose the hammer.
Now that the comments seem like they’re back up I’ll just C&P what I posted to the forums.
I for one am intrigued as I’ve always found blowbacks in more serious calipers to be interesting. That said I can’t wrap my mind around a $700 blowback 45. I’m guessing they are using expensive alloys for the frame or some such.
The recoil spring looks like it is sitting over the barrel, which really makes me want to see its guts or a patent drawing. It’d hilarious if this is just a modernized M1900 Browning. Hopefully they round off some of the edges on the blackstrap for the production pistols.
I wonder if Heizer has licensed their design patent from the kid who was kicked out of school for nibbling his Pop Tart into a gun shape – this looks like a virtual clone of the Pop Tart gun! And if you eat too many Pop Tarts in one sitting, you’re also like to suffer from blowback – another similarity.
So this is what they have been working on?
Hey Heizer, listen up for a second. I have been waiting for you to put out a 45 auto single shot and then for you to come out with more barrels in 357 mag and 410 3″ and maybe even 22lr.
I don’t want and don’t need another small 45 on the market, there are already a million of them. Don’t be one of those gun companies that come up with good ideas and none of them fully make it to market.
The Heizer penta-ouch.
This looks like a homemade toy from my childhood-circa 1960. No wait…my Mattel shiny snubby looked real-this doesn’t. And 700bucks?!?
FAIL
I see.
All the weight of a 1911, with less ammo capacity, a 2-finger grip, and a shorter sight radius.
Got it.
Pocket gun? Only if your pockets are made of kevlar and you have construction-grade suspenders to keep your pants up.
For that money you can buy a Glock 30s, as well as lots of ammo to shoot. And have a gun that looks better. Which is really saying something for Glock.
Who is buying that instead of an XDS? Bueller? Bueller?
Pistol seems a modernised application of Clarus designed 1908 Pieper/Bayard, smallest .380″ made at a time. Short barrels may not need a locked breech for safe use since the bullet remains in the gun shorter time than standart sizes, even making some powder charge burned out of the bore giving larger muzzle flash. Stronger return springs only reduce the backward impact at end of recoil and make manual retracking the slide harder.
By the fact of that gun’s return spring remaining at the softer side, the producer should use some kind of impact cushions inside.
Hipster kids buying guns because they look steampunk…
Heizer really found their niche with this one…
It looks like a dress gun. I might buy it in 9mm but not for 700
The way it is riveted together reminds me of the Liberator. Probably just as useful too.
I used to think it wasn’t possible to make a gun uglier than a Glock, but Heizer makes it look easy.
Heizer is going for the “Brazilian street gang” chic.
“…and they seemed convinced that it was a winner.” And they would be the only ones. Really though, I hope they sell enough of these to at least break even.
Wow that thing’s ugly. Almost makes a Glock look like a work of art.
“I had a chance to handle a pre-production model at SHOT Show and talk to the guys behind the concept, and they seemed convinced that it was a winner.”
Well, I would certainly hope that company reps at a business show would be behind their product.
Saturday night thug gun for $700?
I bet Heizer has a dozen product testers all out on Workman’s Comp with similar hand injuries.
A pocket gun that weighs in more than 20 ounces is not pocket-able. Let’s hope they come up with a “functional’ and aesthetically pleasing design. This is not it…..I’ve seem the updated version as well.
http://heizerdefense.com/tag/pko45/………Coming soon……
The Detonics pocket nine was a real painful gun to shoot. I can imagine this one will be even worse!
I have the Golden OPA pistol. One of the first ones let out. It’s a very excellent pistol. Here is a 50 yard five shots group from the Ranson Rest. The first four were very impressive. Shot 5 ruined the group out to about 5/8″
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v24/tgtpix/OPAtgt1_zpsd2f601bf.jpg[/IMG]
Great design, great idea, finally a real pocked carry 45ACP. Those of you who want something pretty I would go up against you and your handsome Kimber 9mm any day with this gun. Recoil dosn’t look to bad remember use it or lose it, practice or somebody will take it out of your dead fingers. Price a bit steep but not out of line, weight, take up another notch in your belt. I will seriously consider buying one.
Heizer people make things that I dream of and the new one here is another dream! I have many of the double taps and yes no one wants to use it on the range.. But going to Cinderellas ball in my fancy clothes.. I am proud that I CAN have the caliber of protection I need.. And all my friends would love to be able to love it. I wear my 45
in my top shirt pocket right next to my cheeters !
This crap is getting past ridiculous. I’ll be dead because I’m an old man, but if I was younger and things were going this way I suppose I’d move to Alaska just to get some relief from the agony of it all. I’m not good in the cold, but I’d take it over living among this sea of retards.