SHOT Show Highlight: Laugo Arms Alien

by
posted on January 23, 2020
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
It’s uncommon in the shooting industry to see new handguns that are actually innovative. Most simply borrow their form and features from existing designs. However, Lancer Systems (U.S.A) teamed up with Laugo Arms (Czechoslovakia) to introduce one of the most intriguing pistols on display at SHOT Show this year. The Laugo Arms Alien 9 mm semi-auto pistol is built to reduce muzzle flip and felt recoil for quick competition shooting.

The 4.8″ barrel has been dropped down and fixed into place within the aluminum frame’s dust cover, which is where the recoil assembly is usually located in typical semi-autos. This gives the Alien a low bore axis which drives the pistol straight back into the shooting hand with less muzzle rise. The gas piston delayed blowback action further reduces felt recoil and employs an asymmetrical, dual-rod recoil assembly block rests on top of the barrel.

Most semi-auto pistols employ a one-piece, reciprocating slide assembly with sights that move back and forth with the slide. The Alien’s slide has been divided into two sections. The sights are attached to a fixed, non-reciprocating rail mounted directly to the frame.

This configuration reduces sight picture shift and works to keep optics zeroed. The sight rail is a removable, modular unit. This allows for multiple rails to be configured and zeroed for one pistol and then traded out as needed. The reciprocating section of the slide fits around the sight rail and features front and rear cocking serrations.
Laugo Arms Alien pistol kit in case custom molded

Lancer Systems is currently accepting pre-orders, with a 50-percent down payment, for the $5000 Alien Signature Edition kit - only 500 will be made. Each kit includes a pistol engraved with the signature of firearms designer Jan Lucansky, two sight rails, a competition holster and additional accessories. Standard edition pistols will be available later in the year. To learn more, visit laugo.us.

Laugo Arms Alien Features 
  • Interchangeable top rails, non-reciprocating
  • Slide front and rear serrations
  • Fixed barrel is set low into the frame, about where the recoil assemble is located in typical designs
  • Low bore axis
  • Dual guide rods set into a block that rides on top of the barrel

The first group of pistols will be part of the Signature Series, which ships in a special hard case complete with both interchangeable top straps, one with iron sights and one optic-ready. The Signature Series will also feature a competition-ready holster and an optic. Afterward, the standard model will retail for about $4,000 and will ship with only a single top strap and a hard-sided case.

Laugo Arms Alien Technical Data

LENGTH 8.2″
WIDTH 1.1″
HEIGHT 5.8″
BARREL LENGTH 4.8″
WEIGHT (EMPTY) 2.2 lbs
WEIGHT (W/ MAG) 2.47 lbs
TRIGGER WEIGHT 2.25 lbs – 5.5 lbs
MAG CAPACITY 17
BORE AXIS HEIGHT -0.1″
UPPER RAIL OPTIONS Infinite
RECOIL ANGLE 5° (vs. 13° avg.)
SIGHT RADIUS 7.3″

 

Latest

Functional Tension Handgun Grip Tarani
Functional Tension Handgun Grip Tarani

Tension Destroys Your Shooting Performance. Here's How to Manage It.

Whether you’re managing a lethal-force encounter, running a stage in competition or working a timed drill from concealment, performance shooting reigns king, and one of the most brutal and insidious king-slayers of all time is self-induced tension.

EchoCore Suppressors: Embracing The Silence Using Innovative Design

It’s difficult, especially for a brand-new manufacturer, to stand out in a very crowded space, but EchoCore Suppressors has accomplished just that and notched some prestigious accolades along the way.

Gun of the Week: Dark Mountain Arms Stowaway

The Dark Mountain Arms Stowaway rifle is a bolt-action, single-shot design chambered for the 5.7x28 mm FN cartridge.

The Armed Citizen® Feb. 27, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The B22 Jaguar: Beretta's New Cutting-Edge .22

Beretta's new B22 Jaguar is a .22 Long Rifle-chambered pistol optimized for the range, competition and introducing new shooters to the sport. 

Review: Daisy Smart Target System

The Daisy STS is a digital target system geared toward younger shooters and featuring an array of colorful monsters that must be dealt with using a trusty Red Ryder BB gun.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.