Gear Reviews

The debate between rail-mounted options for lights for handguns or handheld is similar to asking: What came first? The chicken or the egg? It’s a topic that can make even the calmest pistoleros wound up. Luckily companies like CrimsonTrace, Viridian, Laserlight and many others offer high-quality options for whatever a shooter’s preference may be.

The first thing that comes to mind when someone says Steiner to most U.S. veterans is the ubiquitous Steiner 10×50 binoculars. These were a staple in every unit I ever served in, and had a great reputation for clarity and toughness. German glass is legendary in sniper circles for clarity and lack of imperfections. I was never issued a Steiner, but I had enough of the other Kraut options to know I should jump at the chance to test a myriad of Steiner glass.

Once in a great while, a product comes along that is so good that it is actually hard to review. The new SIG KILO 2400ABS is one such device. I could close, right now, just by saying: “It’s perfect” and walk away leaving nothing on the table.

Trijicon is one of the most respected and recognizable names in the optics industry. In fact, you would be hard pressed to go anywhere in the world and not be able to find someone who recognizes the ACOG optic. Trijicon launched a new electro optics (EO) division to lead the industry in “no-light” aiming systems. The new EO division features a complete lineup of thermal imaging monoculars, helmet sights, rifle sights and clip-on sights.

The evolution and revolution of the 1911 are both alive and doing well. Modern machining and the lessons learned from 30 years of competition means even these classics can get the best triggers, sights, finishes and magazine wells available. These may be the Classic Division guns but they are leaps and bounds better than most of the 1911s of old.

Need a super lightweight knife that is easy to carry, conceal and that won’t break the bank? You should look no further than the Spyderco Positron.

The Vortex Viper red dot sight pushes the envelope on “how low can you go?” when mounting a red dot sight on a handgun. This low-profile red dot sight also has a low-profile price.

I don’t envy the Aimpoint engineer who drew the Micro S-1 assignment. Developing a plug-and-play red dot for a wide variety of shotguns must have been a nightmare. Most shotguns aren’t designed with optics in mind. Fortunately for us, Aimpoint’s engineers figured it out.

Camelbak has been in the military backpack game for quite a while and they do it better than most. It might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think tactical, but it should be.