Gear Reviews

The evolution of red dots has made many improvements in the last few years, and now having an experienced company like Springfield Armory providing its influence is sure to help that trend continue. Red dots are here to stay so get out and try the new models from HEX Optics.

This week, we are taking a look at what I am calling my best investment of 2020. I am prepared to call the Advantage Arms 22LR conversion kit an absolute winner.

At first glance, Benchmade’s 945BK-1 Mini Osborne made me a little skeptical as to whether it would be able to stand up to the rigorous work I have put knives through over the years. After weeks of use, however, I have found that it is a fantastic everyday carry knife!

The MDT Gen 2 CKYE-POD bipod is, in my opinion, the pinnacle of bipods. There is literally not a bipod that is more versatile or that has more useful adjustments than the CKYE-POD.

If you live in an environment where a full-up variable power scope is too much, but sometimes a red dot alone isn’t enough, the combo is an excellent gap filler. At $1400 for the set, it isn’t cheap. But it does fill a wide variety of needs, and being from Trijicon, you know it won’t let you down.

After shooting these nine suppressor configurations, I faced the tough decision to decide the optimum balance of lowest weight, shortest length and best suppression capabilities. Part of me is tempted to go all out and choose the largest configuration tested, the Raptor 10 with 5″ Reflex.

Its rugged waterproof, shockproof, and fog-proof design protect it even in the harshest elements, and its battery life means it’ll keep going and going and going no matter how long you use it. If you’re in the market for a new red dot, I’d give the Vortex SPARC Solar a look.

There are a few things in life that you don’t want to find yourself in need of which make the extra hassle or bulk of carrying them around worth it. In this category, I’d put a gun for self-defense, extra cash, and a first aid kit among some other things.

Since it is a fact that most deadly force encounters happen in dim light where it is hard to see, having a light source you can use to illuminate your target is essential.