Honor guns
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Executive summary
The phrase “honor guns” appears in multiple, distinct contexts in the available reporting: as the brand Honor Defense and its “Honor Guard” pistol line (coverage in American Handgunner, American Rifleman and TrueGunValue) and as unrelated uses of the words “Honor” or “honor” in other industries (e.g., HONOR phone company) and in gaming (For Honor) [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Reporting on Honor Defense shows a once-promising U.S.-made concealed‑carry pistol launched with MSRP around $499 and dealer shipping in late‑year cycles, but later trade reporting suggests the company may have ceased operations [2] [6] [7].
1. “Honor” as a gun brand, not a generic term: the Honor Defense story
The primary match for “honor guns” in the sources is Honor Defense, a Georgia-based firearms maker that marketed the Honor Guard series of 9 mm concealed‑carry pistols. Trade pieces described the Honor Guard as a striker‑fired, single‑stack, chassis‑based design in the size class of other compact pistols and noted MSRP guidance and shipping timing when the product was launched [6] [2]. AmericanRifleman reported the guns were “in production” and expected to start shipping with an MSRP of about $499 [2]. Keefe’s American Rifleman profile described the company’s approach of outsourcing specific parts while keeping assembly and quality control in-house and said the pistols “should be shipping to dealers by the end of December” [6].
2. Product details and the market position cited by gun press
Contemporaneous trade reporting emphasized key specs and positioning: 9 mm chambering, subcompact footprints with 3.2” and 3.8” barrel choices, seven‑ or eight‑round magazines, and a trigger described around 7½‑pound pull; comparisons placed the Honor Guard against S&W Shield and Glock 43 size classes [6]. Writers framed Honor Defense as trying to occupy the U.S.‑made, quality-controlled niche and argued the pistol was “promising” for concealed carry markets [6] [2].
3. Commercial value and aftermarket signals
Price‑tracking data shows the used value of Honor Defense pistols at about $187.32 on TrueGunValue reporting, with little change over the prior 12 months—an indication of modest secondary‑market demand or abundant supply relative to demand in that dataset [3]. Retail listings still surface Honor Defense inventory at specialty shops, but available sources do not provide broad nationwide sales figures or current production volumes [8] [3].
4. Conflicting signals: from launch optimism to reports of shutdown
Multiple sources present competing impressions. Early NRA‑affiliated and trade coverage was bullish—product ready, shipping imminent, and technically competent [2] [6]. Later commentary from industry blogs raised doubt: an analysis piece reported uncertainty about the company’s status and quoted that “Honor Defense has ceased operations,” though that source framed the conclusion with reporter uncertainty and lack of official confirmation [7]. That creates a clear conflict between earlier launch coverage and later operational reporting [6] [7].
5. What the sources do not say — key gaps
Available reporting does not include an official statement from Honor Defense about current operations or an audited sales tally; no federal recall or regulator action is cited in the provided material (not found in current reporting). Sources do not document clear customer‑facing support channels or national dealer inventory snapshots beyond singular retailer listings and secondary‑market price aggregation [8] [3]. If you’re seeking current availability or warranty support, available sources do not mention those specifics.
6. Alternative meanings: brand confusion in searches
The phrase “honor guns” can mislead because “Honor” is also a consumer electronics brand (HONOR) and “For Honor” is a videogame—both appear in the search results and can cause confusion for anyone looking for firearms information [5] [4]. Treat search hits carefully: not every “Honor” result relates to firearms [5] [4].
7. How to follow up responsibly
If you need verified, current status on availability, warranty service, recall history or corporate filings, the sources here are insufficient: they provide product launch coverage, price snapshots and an unconfirmed report of a shutdown but no definitive corporate disclosure [6] [3] [7]. Your next steps should be: request an official statement from Honor Defense (if reachable), consult ATF or NICS public notices for regulatory items (not found in current reporting), and check major dealer inventories and industry trade outlets for updated dealer‑level shipments [8] [6].
Limitations: this piece relies solely on the supplied sources. Where sources conflict, I present both views and flag missing official confirmations [6] [7] [2].