RAVEN have really impressed us with their no-frills Hi Capa range that really delivers performance in a seemingly simple and pared-back package that actually hides some exceptionally clever internal engineering. With their Hi Capas so far they’ve kept things completely streamlined, and these are pistols fundamentally designed to be shot and skirmished with, to be used and not just gazed at fondly… although their uncluttered and brutally elegant lines sing to us of function over aesthetics!
In the initial models they beefed up areas that they felt needed it to give them longevity and durability, only adding features where necessary like the threaded outer barrels and the accessory rail on the frame; they also upgraded the slide spring to cope both with the minimal increase in weight (the slides are chunky and solid right enough!), and to give them a really positive recoil impulse.
When the Hi Capas were launched, the guys told us that they wanted to really make a firm statement of intent when it came to what they were able to achieve, and the net result of that was the first iteration of “new” RAVENs, the Hi Capas 3.8 PRO, 4.3, 5.1, along with the DRAGON 7, and R14. These models gave a modern, strong, almost “blocky” look that was, and still is, right on the button for current combat pistol design.
And now they’ve taken the next logical step in the evolution of the RAVEN Hi Capa with the release of the RAVEN HEX COMP!
The HEX COMP takes all the great performance and features of the originals, now very much tried and tested, and moves things up a gear for the shooter who likes something unique, with some added external detail that to us really makes the platform sing even louder! With the new HEX compensator on the front, matching the HEX-styled grip and embossed detailing across the back of the slide this makes the new model stylistically cool too.
These new pistols will be hitting stores soon, but we’re already range-testing the RAVEN HEX COMP along with the latest RAVEN R9A4 (which we think more “military-minded” players will love!) and we’ll be giving our initial verdict on both these super-cool-looking models in ISSUE 157 on 15 DECEMBER, so be sure to tune in then!
