American Pride: Gun Eye Candy from Magnum Research & Auto-Ordnance
Gun companies rolled out their finest firearms for the annual SHOT Show firearms industry event in Las Vegas. Though there was plenty to catch the attention, no company rolled out the stars and stripes pride more boldly than the Kahr Group, parent to brands like Auto-Ordnance and Magnum Research, maker of the famed Desert Eagle.
From commemoratives for our great country’s 250th birthday and limited-edition numbers celebrating our military to downright fancy pistols, Kahr went all in for 2026.
Here’s a look at our faves from an extensive lineup on display at the show.
Here’s the Thompson 1927 A-1 Tommy Gun, a semi-auto rendition of the infamous Chicago Typewriter. This one is done up in full titanium gold against American walnut furniture. It ships with a 50-round drum magazine. A custom violin case is also available for further authenticity. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
A new-for-2026 finish comes to the expansive family of Magnum Research Desert Eagle semi-automatic pistols. There’s a gold-zirconium-nitride finish on this model chambered for .50 Action Express. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
Though far more pistols than revolvers received the royal treatment for 2026, this custom Magnum Research Biggest Finest Revolver (BFR) in .44 Magnum is showing off an understated new finish combination. The frame and barrel wear matte against gloss for an urban camouflage look, while the cylinder, pin, hammer, trigger, and other parts go copper. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
This custom Desert Eagle pistol exudes American pride with its full-figure “We the People” engraving, which runs from the muzzle brake to the grip panels. Note the unique 250th birthday engraving along the barrel and the 2026 year engraved at the rear of the receiver. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
Black chrome? Yes, please. This Auto-Ordnance 1911 gets an upgraded black-chrome DLC finish for 2026. The sleek .45 ACP 1911 uses copper PVD controls for contrast. With a match-grade 5-inch barrel, adjustable skeletonized trigger, and extended beavertail safety, there’s little doubt this one is a looker and a shooter. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
This new Auto-Ordnance 1911 custom pistol gets the flash of gold, but this time in what is called TiN gold. It wears a titanium-nitride gold coating. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
November 10, 2025, marked the 250th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, and Auto-Ordnance celebrated that occasion by launching a unique Stormtrooper white and midnight blue Cerakote-finished 1911A1. These limited-edition pieces, including a similar Navy variant, use special engraving and inlays to honor the legacies of our nation’s heroes. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
In conjunction with Altered Arsenal, Auto-Ordnance is showing this military-inspired 1911 Custom 250th United States Anniversary pistol chambered in .45 ACP. It has a gray slide and frame, copper-colored engravings of “1776” and “2026,” and specially engraved wood grips depicting the Liberty Bell and American eagle. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
How about a custom 1911 pistol celebrating the “Land of the Free” and the “Home of the Brave”? That’s exactly what you get with this stainless 1911 Custom from Auto-Ordnance and Koted Arms. Along with that engraving come unique graphic grips depicting the bald eagle, American flag, and stars. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
Though perhaps less flashy than many others on this list, the U.S.A. 250th Anniversary 1911 turns heads with its patriotic coloration and blackened engravings. This .45 ACP celebrates the leaders of our nation, with a uniquely distressed stainless build and crisp engraving throughout, including the grip panels. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
Last, but certainly not least, is the biggest and baddest firearm in the Kahr Group family. The Auto-Ordnance bolt-action Thompson .50 BMG Tao50 was new in 2025. Now, for 2026, the company is showing an even meaner – albeit quieter and lower recoiling – integrally suppressed Tao50. We pulled the trigger on the range, and this thing shoots like a dream. (Photo: Kristin Alberts/Guns.com)
