It wasn’t long ago the big names of the firearms industry were the only names in the firearms industry. Instantly-recognized names such as Smith & Wesson, Glock, Ruger, Springfield Armory, Sig Sauer, Heckler & Koch, and CZ meant quality, reliability and all-around excellence. Few other manufacturers — whether newcomers or even those who may have been around awhile — could compete. Today, however, the giants face smaller and newer companies who have mastered firearm design, engineering and manufacturing.

Whether you hear about these new manufacturers and their products at the annual Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show or in reviews found in firearms magazines, pay attention. You’re witnessing a mature industry still in an innovation revolution as demand for firearms for personal defense, sport, and hunting continues to grow.

Handgun caliber wars are here to stay; we won’t be settling any of those debates today. But you can’t deny the popularity of the 9mm. Newer, smaller firearm manufacturers have recognized its appeal and tactical potential and have produced even more handguns to fire this round. That’s not to say other handgun calibers don’t have their place; some remain, some go away. But the 9mm seems here to stay.

With that, let us introduce you to five fairly new nines for 2023 brought to you by the giants’ competition. Some of the names will be new; some of the design elements will be familiar; each brings a unique approach or background to the table.

Staccato 2011 CS (pictured above)

Staccato 1911-style pistols — termed “2011” to represent some new technology and differences compared to the 100+ year old 1911 design — are quickly becoming very popular handguns for concealed carry, and the 2011 CS (pictured above) takes the company’s handgun lineup a step further with a new, narrower grip and grip texture. Measuring 7.1 inches in length and 5.6 inches in height, the gun weighs 22.7 ounces. Width measurements are 1.2 inches at the grip and 1.45 inches at the external safeties.

The CS sports a 3.5-inch bull barrel and 7075 billet precision machined aluminum frame. This single action only handgun features an 4- to 4.5-pound aluminum flat trigger and comes with three 16-round magazines. It’s a double stack with a single action. That means you carry this gun with a round in the chamber, hammer back, and manual safety engaged.

Anderson Kiger 9C

Anderson Manufacturing entered the firearms industry in 2009 as a means not only to generate revenue in the burgeoning AR-15 category but also to rescue the company as it floundered in the tough economy. They succeeded. Fast forward to modern day and the company is looking at a similarly burgeoning handgun category … thus the Anderson Kiger pistol was born.

The Kiger is a striker-fired, polymer-framed, 9mm handgun. Dimensionally, it’s just shy of 7.5 inches in overall length and just over 1.25 inch wide. Its trigger requires 5.5 pounds of pull and it carries a Magpul GL9 15-round magazine. Familiar and flattering, right?

Kiger sports an extended beavertail, aggressive grip texturing, and thumb and forefinger texturing for excellent purchase. A diamond-like carbon (DLC) coated stainless slide and 3.91-inch-long barrel sit over a forward Picatinny rail.

Savage Arms Stance

Similar to Anderson, Savage Arms would initially be more known for their rifles and shotguns. But here they are with the Stance, another striker-fired 9mm handgun built for concealed carry. Coming with two magazines — one six-rounder and one seven-rounder — and measuring only 6.2 inches long and 4.6 inches tall, the Stance is a “micro-compact.” And because smallish guns can be tough to fit well to some hands, the Stance also comes with two 18-degree interchangeable back straps as well as a stippled grip texture and wide slide serrations.

In hand, Stance offers finger indexing features and a rounded-face trigger offering a short, crisp pull and reset. An ambidextrous magazine release and slide catch and manual safety make the Stance more useful for righties or lefties.

The Stance comes with standard sights or night sights, features a black Melonite slide, and a choice of three colors: black, flat dark earth and gray.

Avidity Arms PD-10

Avidity Arms currently manufactures only one firearm: the PD-10 pistol. A striker-fired, polymer-framed 9mm with an overall length just shy of 7 inches and a width of 1 inch (but the slide is only .9-inch), the PD-10 weighs just 18.8 ounces. For enhanced purchase, the PD-10 features an ergonomic slim grip with an aggressive grip pattern and slide serrations.

PD-10 has an ammunition capacity of 10+1, a flared magazine well, magazine extraction relief cut, oversized magazine release, and a loaded chamber indicator.

Most interesting on the PD-10 is the claw feature on the magazine baseplate and rear sight. Meant for aiding in magazine and slide manipulation when your weak hand may not be available, the claws make it possible to get a magazine out of the gun and to rack the slide — both potentially critical moves if the gun should jam and you’ve got only one hand available.

Lionheart Industries Vulcan 9

One more gun that’s so new, it wasn’t even available at the time of this writing: The Lionheart Industries Vulcan 9. According to the website, they planned to start shipping in April 2023. The company also makes a pistol called the Regulus, which when you see it will remind you of one of the giants. But the Vulcan 9 is what has our attention here, and when you turn your attention to it, you’ll see it has design features that seem like an homage to a giant or two.

What won’t ring a bell is the Vulcan 9’s most intriguing feature: the Double Action+ Trigger, which in essence is a selectable single- or double-action and, for the part you actually actuate to fire, is available as J-shaped or a standard hook. This 9mm handgun sports a 7075 aluminum frame and a 4140 alloy steel slide and 416R steel barrel. Measuring just shy of 7 inches overall and 5 inches tall, the Vulcan 9’s slide width is .95 inches. The gun weighs 24 ounces.

Sporting an ambidextrous safety and reversible magazine release, the Vulcan 9 comes with two 15-round magazines. The company plans to offer a 10-round and 18-round magazine later.