Claridge Hi - Tec / Goncz Pistol The Claridge Hi - Tec and its antecedent the Goncz High - Tech Long Pistol are semi - automatic pistol s designed by Ex - LAPD officer Joe Claridge . This unique firearm features a telescopic bolt design encased in a tubular upper receiver with a forged steel frame , button rifled match barrels , and 16 round hi - cap magazines standard . History . Goncz Armament , Inc . of North Hollywood , CA designed , prototyped , and produced a few hundred High - Tech Long Pistols models GA and GS between 1984 and 1990 . These pistols now sell for $ 2 , 000 - $ 5 , 000 . The Claridge pistol s and carbine rifles were based on this design . In 1990 , Claridge Hi - Tec , Inc . was created by Joe and Gail Claridge who incorporated Claridge Hi - Tec , Inc . in Northridge , CA . Claridge used this design to produce pistol models S , L , T , ZL - 9 and ZT - 9 , and carbine rifle models C , LEC - 9 and ZLEC - 9 . However , the property rights of the design and rights to produce the weapon came under dispute . In 1993 Claridge Hi - Tec was forced to cease operations due to the Government out lawing the guns in the state of California . No firearms based on the Goncz design have been produced since then . Design . The lower receiver / frame is a one - piece machined design integral with the pistol grip and trigger guard . It houses all the firing components and the safety mechanism . The magazine is fed through the pistol grip . 16 , 20 and 30 round magazines were made for the weapon , but since 1993 none have been produced . However , re - notched Beretta 92F magazines can be used , and many of those found on the market today are in fact modified Beretta or SIG magazines . The upper receiver is a one - piece tube with a screwed in match barrel . Goncz Armament utilized heat treated 4130 solid chrome alloy for the receiver tube . On the Goncz GA and Claridge T and L models , and all rifle s , it also acts as a barrel shroud . The receiver tube houses the bolt , guide rods and guide springs . All Claridge Hi - Tec and Goncz Armament firearms utilize match barrels manufactured in - house that are button - rifled . The Goncz action is an original design and does not copy other actions . This design utilizes a blowback - operated telescopic bolt system housed in the upper receiver tube . The bolt travels on a firing rod which protrudes through the bolt , left of center , next to the firing pin , and a guide rod located at the top of the bolt . Both rods and their corresponding springs are attached to the spring holder base plate . A recoil buffer sits on the base plate to prevent damage to the bolt when cycling . The firing pin is a totally unique design . It is attached to a striker plate that travels in a channel on the left side of the bolt when cycling . This design ensures the firing pin remains exceptionally sturdy compared with other designs . The iron sights consist of a square notch in the rear , and a vertical hooded post in the front . There are no accessory rails and no adapters have been produced for the use of a scope or other aiming devices . Operation . The Goncz action cycles as a closed - bolt mechanism . The user operates the bolt with a knob on the upper - left side of the gun similar to a Tec - 9 . When Claridge Hi - Tec began production they modified the Goncz design by adding a bolt hold - open button on the left side of the frame . None of the guns produced by Goncz Arms had this feature . However , this is only for inspection as the bolt cannot travel forward from this position with a magazine inserted . The user must insert the magazine with the bolt closed and cock the gun in order to chamber a round . Variants . Claridge produced 5 models of the Hi - Tec pistols and 3 models of the Hi - Tec rifles : Pistols . S9 - Similar to the Goncz Armament GS - 9 , with the exception of the bolt hold open ; there was no bolt hold open on any Goncz Armament model . A model marketed as a " sub - compact " ( although this is misleading as it is far from being subcompact ) with a 5 " threaded barrel capable of receiving various attachments . These include a threaded barrel protector , a smooth 3 " barrel extension , a ribbed 3 " barrel extension , and a shrouded extension . Ostensibly , a silencer could also be attached , but there are none available for the thread type . S45 - Same design as the S9 chambered in . 45 caliber . T9 / L9 - Similar to the Goncz Armament GA - 9 , these 9 mm target / long models utilized a 9 . 5 " shrouded button rifled match barrel . These pistols are highly accurate , therefore " target model " is apt in this case . These pistols came either all blued or with a blued upper and silver frame . T45 / L45 - Same design as the T9 / L9 except chambered in . 45 caliber . ZL - 9 - Unknown . ZT - 9 - Unknown . Rifles . All Hi - Tec rifles were semi - automatic carbines with 16 " shrouded button rifled match barrels . C9 - Walnut stock and forend chambered in 9 mm . C45 - Walnut stock and forend chambered in . 45 caliber . LEC9 - Black synthetic stock and forend chambered in 9 mm . LEC45 - Black synthetic stock and forend chambered in . 45 caliber . ZLEC9 - Unknown . Goncz Armament Models . The Goncz Hi - Tech Models were introduced in 1984 in the following Models : GS - Goncz Special : GS - 9 ( 9 mm ) , GS - 4 ( . 45 ACP ) and GS - 3 ( . 30 ) Mauser with 5 . 5 inch threaded barrel is able to accept silencers with a 3 / 4 - 13 thread ; also will accept a barrel extension or a thread protector . GA - Goncz Assault Pistol GA - 9 ( 9 mm ) , GA - 4 ( . 45 ACP ) and GA - 3 ( . 30 ) Mauser has a longer barrel at 9 . 5 inches and a barrel shroud for looks and heatsinking . GC - Goncz Carbine GC - 9 ( 9 mm ) with walnut forearm . GCL - Goncz Carbine with Laser GCL - 9 ( 9 mm ) has the Laser as an integral part of the gun . GCLight - Goncz Carbine with Light GCLight - 9 ( 9 mm ) , and the light is integral part of the gun frame . Use in Popular Culture . Due to its unique " space gun " appearance the Goncz pistols have been used in several movies produced by the major Hollywood studios .