Ruger has just announced a new lightweight version of their 22/45 pistol. Using an aluminum alloy receiver, the Ruger 22/45 Lite is about 10 ounces lighter than the standard steel 22/45.

The 4.4" barrel is threaded to accept a suppressor or muzzle device, and the upper receiver is drilled and tapped for the included Weaver-style scope mount.

From the press release:

Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) is proud to introduce the Ruger 22/45 Lite™, a lightweight Ruger® 22/45™ pistol with a new aluminum upper receiver. Chambered in the popular .22 LR, the Ruger 22/45 Lite™ is accurate and reliable, making it the ideal lightweight rimfire pistol.

"The Ruger 22/45 Lite™ is an exciting new addition to the legendary 22/45™ line of pistols," said Ruger® President and CEO Mike Fifer. "It maintains the superb accuracy and reliability of the classic 22/45™ pistols, but has a cool factor that can't be beat. It has a customized look without the customized price, and is exactly what our customers have been asking us to produce. The threaded barrel provides great accessory options and makes the Ruger 22/45 Lite™ a perfect package right out of the box," he concluded.

The Ruger 22/45 Lite™ upper receiver is made of aircraft-grade aluminum and features serrated cuts, giving the pistol a dramatic look and making it extremely lightweight at only 22.8 ounces. The 4.4-inch stainless steel barrel sleeve is held in place by a tension nut to ensure accuracy and features a factory 1/2-28 thread to accept popular muzzle accessories. The receiver is finished in a striking gold anodize and is drilled and tapped for Weaver®-style scope base adapters (included free of charge) for easy mounting of optics. The comfortable, precision-molded Zytel® polymer grip frame features replaceable Hogue® black rubber grip panels that can be swapped out to customize the look of your Ruger 22/45 Lite™ pistol. The Ruger 22/45 Lite™ is the perfect outdoor companion and can be used for target shooting, plinking, small game hunting, or competitive shooting.

The Ruger 10/22 is one of the most popular .22 LR rifles on the market, and because of its prevalence, there are hundreds of aftermarket parts and modifications available. An Arizona company called AGP Arms has developed a takedown conversion kit, featuring a folding stock, lightweight carbon fiber handguard, and a detachable barrel with a quick release adapter.

The barrel is 16 1/4" long and is threaded for a suppressor, flash hider, or muzzle brake. A quick release, "return to zero" barrel made of anodized aluminum promises a precise and repeatable way of reattaching the barrel The carbon fiber handguard is available in either a 6" or 12" length.

The hump is back. Browning has announced the A5, a new semi-automatic shotgun that shares the distinctive "humpback" receiver of the classic Auto-5. Like the Auto-5, the A5 is a recoil-operated semiautomatic shotgun, but this and the receiver "hump" are where the similarities end. This is an entirely new design.

The long-recoil action of the Auto-5 has been replaced by the more typical short-recoil design, similar to Benelli's Inertia recoil system. The patent that Benelli held for this design expired in 2006, giving competitors like Browning the opportunity to release their own version. Browning calls this the Kinematic Drive System, and every A5 sold will carry a 100,000-round or 5-year guarantee.

From the Browning website:

The New A5...The Hump Is Back.

You may notice a family resemblance, but let's get one thing straight, this ain't your Grandpa's Auto-5. In fact, the iconic humpback-shaped receiver is the only thing this new Browning autoloader shares with its legendary namesake. The all new Browning A5 is built to be the most reliable, fastest cycling, best performing and softest shooting recoil-operated (yes, recoil-operated) autoloader on the planet. And we are so confident in the A5, we are standing behind it with a 100,000 round or five year guarantee that this shotgun will work, come hell or high water. Standing firmly behind this claim is the ultra-reliable, honed to perfection Kinematic Drive System.

LAR Manufacturing has introduced a new .50-caliber rifle that is designed to be fired from the shoulder. The Grizzly T-50 is a single-shot bullpup rifle chambered for the massive .50 BMG cartridge. Available barrel lengths are 32" - 36", and the unloaded weight of the 32"-barreled version is 30.4 pounds.

From the LAR Manufacturing website:

The Grizzly T-50 is our latest tactical rifle addition that leaves its competition in the dust. Its, powerful .50 caliber BMG round blows its targets to pieces while its careful design absorbs most of the recoil. Most say it kicks no more than a 12 gauge shotgun. The Grizzly T-50 was created for accuracy, and the match grade chamber provides unsurpassed accuracy by using a bullet that was designed to shoot straight and far. This single shot, breech loading rifle features a bull pup design with all steel construction, and removalbe aluminum rails to provide a solid, flexible, dependable, accurate firearm.

Beretta will be releasing a new 9x1mm subcompact pistol in late October 2011, the BU-9 Nano. The design looks similar to the Px4 Storm but in a smaller package. There are no protruding levers or buttons anywhere except for the magazine release, which is low-profile and reversible for left-handed shooters, so there is nothing to snag on when drawing from concealment.

Unlike most pistols, the frame is not the serialized piece. Instead, similar to the SIG Sauer P250, a steel chassis and fire control assembly fits inside the polymer frame and is considered the actual firearm with the serial number. This gives the advantage of being able to sell different sized frames (or even different calibers with a new frame, slide, barrel, magazine, and recoil spring) without having to go through an FFL.

From the press release:

ACCOKEEK, MARYLAND — Beretta USA confirms recent internet rumors regarding its entry into the pocket 9mm pistol category with the introduction of the Beretta BU-9 Nano. Initial shipments of the much anticipated American-made pistol are slated to leave the Accokeek, Maryland factory beginning late October, and with a suggested retail price of $475, this next evolution pocket pistol will be hard to resist.

Unlike traditional pistols the serial number on the Nano is found not on the frame, but on the stainless steel sub-chassis. This distinct difference makes the BU-9 Nano truly modular, providing customers the opportunity to easily change the techno-polymer grip frame from a full size pistol, to a compact, to a sub-compact or to a color other than black, all with a single serial number. The modularity of the Nano provides the option of customization and extends beyond the frame to its interchangeable sights and ambidextrous magazine release button. Owners no longer need the services of a gunsmith to change the front and rear sights, a simple hex screw allows for a host of sight options and adjustments; while left-handed shooters will appreciate the Nano's ambi mag release, an exclusive feature in the pocket pistol category.