Gear Reviews

Check out Tac-Con’s new Raptor AK Trigger. Boy that thing flies.

After I blew a hose while checking game cams deep in the Arkansas woods, I had the unexpected opportunity to use some of the contents of the Henry Survival Kit. Obviously I made it back to write this review. Here’s what I found.

When it comes to shooting gadgets it is very seldom that I want to jump up and down on my roof and yell “look at this look at this look at this!” But this is the way I feel about the Leatherwood M-1000 scope. I almost wish it was a $2,000 thing, because people would take it more seriously, but though it is based on technology going all the way back to 1970, and the MSRP is $459, with a generalstreet price under $400, it is one of the most excitingly nerdy thingamajigs I have ever encountered in the shooting world. It may be a little ugly compared to the more elegant scopes of today, but this largish awkward looking scope can give you the ability to “frame, aim and shoot, ” point of aim, point of impact between 100 and 1000 meters without ever having to lift your eye from the eyepiece. And you can change from one load to the next, or even one rifle to the next with two minor adjustments. Does that totally rock or does that totally rock?

Reloading a shotgun quickly is one of the skills that marks an experienced shooter. Staying organized is key, as is accessibility. SOE Gear makes chest rigs that keep ammo front and center, right where you need it. The Micro-Rig is a great option for hunting and home defense, and a no-brainer for the tactical shooter.

Less than a decade ago the standard for military assaulters was a 2.5 inch thick super stiff belt, to which you attached your pistol and pistol mags. Usually with duct tape. They were heavy, uncomfortable, and had a bad habit of rubbing your body raw when you wore them over 2 hours. In short, they sucked, but they were all we had. You don’t know what you are missing until you get an awesome piece of gear. And the VTAC Brokos is that.

Most coverage of concealed carry guns focuses on thin, polymer framed autos that try to pack increasingly larger rounds into smaller packages. Revolvers are treated as antiquated. But Smith & Wesson hasn’t given up on the wheel gun, and the new M&P Bodyguard with an even more effective Crimson Trace laser is making a compelling case for the old-school five shot.

If you are a serious shooter, a good spotting scope is a must. I see people shooting long range all the time, then trying to check their shots through a rifle scope. But if I were to make a list of gear I have to have to do my reviews efficiently, this would be in the top five, right up there with my ear protection, my bench rest, and my box of screwdrivers. Lately, it has been the Meopta MeoPro 80 HD.

If you are serious about training, you will eventually stop punching paper and seek out moving targets. Umarex has been making huge strides with realistic versions of popular guns, and now you can train force-on-force, without the consequences of actually getting shot. But I’m here to tell you that you don’t want to get hit. It hurts much worse than I’d imagined.

Hand guards are typically the first thing I want to swap out on a stock AR. How a gun feels in my hands makes a serious first impression, even before I’ve pulled the trigger. A*B Arms, a veteran owned company who manufactures here in the states, has made a deceptively simple hand guard that improves the ergonomics and heat dispersion of the carbine length rifle.