Every once in a while, you come across a firearm of some sort — be it a rifle, shotgun or handgun — that really grabs your attention; the one that keeps your mind reeling all day; the one already taking up space in your collection but hasn’t even been released yet.

This time, it’s the PD10, a handgun designed by one of the foremost industry experts on personal defense, Rob Pincus and his colleagues at Avidity Firearms. Pincus was on-hand with a prototype Avidity Firearms PD10 and its performance did not disappoint. Like a good song, shooting the PD10 is one of those experiences that plays on in your mind over and over again.

True to the ancient Indo-European triquetra fittingly placed on the backstrap to symbolize the unity of integrity, consistency and efficiency, the PD10 far exceeded expectations for fit form and function. Its exceptional trigger offered the smoothest, most consistent pull of the day while the striker-fire action also performed flawlessly.

The ancient Indo-European “triquetra” is stamped on the PD10’s backstrap to symbolize the unity of integrity, consistency and efficiency.

Although the PD10 is essentially a full-sized handgun, its slim frame and grip make for incredibly comfortable shooting, even for those with smaller hands. In a personal defense world where safeties can help or hinder, the PD10 features non-inhibiting inertial and trigger block safeties, a loaded chamber indicator and aggressive rear serrations for positive slide operation. I.C.E. Claw Emergency Manipulation Sights and Baseplates promote rapid sight alignment and target acquisition to improve upon your critical balance of speed and precision, while a simple takedown and a minimal amount of field-stripped parts promotes efficient cleaning and maintenance.

At 20 ounces empty weight, with a 4.1-inch barrel and 10+1 9mm capacity the Avidity Firearms PD10 stands ready to challenge any existing range carry and personal defense handgun on the market today for top honors. Looking back at fit, form and function, as well as the triquetra placed at the nearest point of contact between the PD10 and the operator, no other handgun that we tried during SHOT Show range day satisfied those critical attributes as well as the PD10. At a reported MSRP of $499, it’s going to deliver a lot of bang for the buck.

Now the bad news…

If the Avidity PD10 sounds amazing, it is — but you’re not getting your hands on one until summer 2016. For those fortunate enough to spend a little trigger time with the PD10 prototype during SHOT Show’s range day it’s going to be a long, hard wait.