Gear Reviews

When GunsAmerica ran a review of the readily available (but discontinued) Blackhawk Xiphos NT Night-Ops weaponlight, the company sent an e-mail indicating an all-new version was going to be available soon, and offered to provide one of the first for testing. The earlier model works extremely well, but several retailers carrying it still claim the rail-mounted light is waterproof to 10 meters, despite the fact it quit working after 60 minutes in a glass of water during our testing. The new Xiphos NTX Night-Ops, however, survived the same “water torture” test when it arrived, despite its billing as only water resistant to 10 meters.

The nightstand has always been the default position for an after-hours home-defense handgun, but it can be less than ideal. Parents may be concerned that a young child will wake up in the night, wander into the room undetected and discover it. And in the case of a home invasion, a sleeping spouse or adjacent rooms make it a real challenge to keep the gun pointed in a safe direction as you bring it into play.

Even if you’re only driving to a nearby destination, there’s no reason to risk your long-term investments on a bargain-basement rifle case. There are some great deals out there, but if you value your firearms and gear, a good case for travel is the least expensive “insurance” you can buy. Pick the right one and it will pay dividends for years.

If you think the only advantages to a gun-mounted laser aiming system are the confidence it inspires and intimidation factor when you paint the perp, then you’re sorely in need of a free copy of Crimson Trace’s “The Laser’s Edge” DVD. Sit down for 40 minutes and you’ll see how any laser’s instant feedback can be used to improve trigger control, maximize your safety if detaining a criminal until authorities arrive, and much more.

Yes, the company’s products are showcased, and you’ll also receive a Crimson Trace catalog with the DVD, but this is anything but pure marketing hype. A panel of six of the nation’s foremost firearms experts was assembled to discuss and, better yet, show viewers exactly how to use handgun-mounted laser systems to improve their self-defense skills.

It wasn’t long ago that Vegas would have given you better chances of capturing Yeti and domesticating him into a beer-fetching manservant than finding a decent American-made riflescope for around $200. The Redfield Revolution 2-7×33 mm beats the odds, but its performance proved far from flawless after finding the scope’s mechanical zero proved an elusive, time-draining challenge during testing.

If you’re a gun enthusiast, odds are good you’ve either used or are using Hoppe’s No. 9 Solvent, but did you know it’s considered a “hazmat” material? You can’t send it airmail, probably one of the reasons Hoppe’s No. 9 Synthetic Blend was introduced in January, billed by the company as a non-flammable, polymer-friendly and biodegradable version.

The tactical flashlight market is fiercely competitive, and although I haven’t inquired as to why the Xiphos NT Night-Ops is no longer listed on its website, I do know Blackhawk has a policy of producing the very best, or the SKU goes away. I surmise with the huge number of companies now offering chip-driven tactical flashlights, this may have been a strategic withdrawal.

In the midst of the gun grabber legislative chaos, ATI Gunstocks had some pretty neat stuff for this year’s SHOT Show 2103. Their big new product is set to ship in April and they are taking pre-orders now. It is a complete replacement stock system for the Benelli M4 called the Raven. Like all ATI stocks, it is modular and you can buy one piece or the whole system. All ATI stocks are what is known as “992R” compliant as well. On foreign made high capacity weapons, you must have at least 5 parts that are made in the USA if you want to use a pistol grip, and they have to be one of a core list of parts on the gun. For the Benelli, there are 14 parts, and ATI makes the five that you need for compliance. The kit retails for $374 on their website (again, currently in pre-order). The extra part you see here in the pictures is that front rail system, which they call the “magazine tube shroud,” and that isn’t available yet on the website.

Scope alignment is something that most of us take for granted. If you don’t plan to shoot a rifle at more than 100 yards or so, it’s not such a big deal, but at long distances it can make a big difference to make sure that your scope reticle is perfectly aligned with gravity. Gravity pulls straight down for the most part (Coriolis effect is far outside our purview of this article), and your drop calculations are only going to work straight down from the bore axis if your scope reticle is perfectly straight up and down and perpendicular to your bore axis. At 300 plus yards, if your reticle isn’t perfectly aligned, your shots are going to hook somewhat, like a golfball, from where you think they are going to go. That is the purpose of this “Professional Reticle Leveling System” from Wheeler Engineering. It gives you two levels that reference each other to your bore axis and gravity, so you can make sure that your scope is aligned to the exact same shooting plane as your bore. If you have invested a lot into an extremely precision made and accurate rifle, this MSRP $54.99 kit is a cheap insurance policy to make sure that your scope is lined up properly for long range and extreme long range shooting.