Semi Automatic Sweet 16

A couple weeks back American Rifleman contributor Guy Sagi wrote an article entitled Fear & Loading: The Semi-Automatic Pistol's Sweet 16. It was basically a semi-auto handgun version of what it would be like if US gun manufacturers competed NCAA basketball tournament style. In it you'll see such things as No. 1 seed Smith & Wesson vs. No. 16 seed Diamondback and No. 6 Colt Manufacturing vs. No. 11 SCCY. Here's a sample:

Semi Automatic Sweet 16

No. 8 Beretta USA (88,980*) vs. No. 9 Taurus (84,249*)
The winner can be judged in the first five minutes of the game. If Beretta’s 3-point storm starts early, it’s lights out for Taurus. The ending’s different if the underdog is effective in that curved pick-and-roll route we saw in the conference championships.

No. 5 Kimber (124,298*) vs. No. 12 Remington (65,762*)
PARA USA (57,539) transferred too late to play for Remington this year, and without the extra starter big green is limited in height to run the baseline.

Interestingly the FNH did not make an appearance, which caused at least one overly sensitive reader some butthurt. The author took it in stride, however, replying,

 “I just triple checked—the 2014 figures are the latest the Fed has, and only details those guns made in America. It lists FN Manufacturing at the South Carolina plant producing 44,147 semi-auto pistols in 9 mm and bigger bore. I didn't see another entry for FN from another plant (Smith & Wesson and Kimber, for example have two separate facilities with figures I summed for the article). But, the serialized part of a gun can be produced by a contracted company (CNC or polymer plant, for example), and that third party would be listed on the report, not FN. So if you know one I missed, I apologize and would love to learn the company so I can rectify the oversight. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week.”

Nicely and cordially done, Mr. Sagi. Nicely done.

You can read the article in its entirety right here on the American Rifleman website.