Decoding Darkness

The Nocpix RICO 3 PRO H50R brings reliable autofocus, intuitive ocular zoom, and sharp 640 thermal imaging into one premium hunting optic. We ran it through hot, wet nights, hammered hogs, doubled on coyotes, and found technology that actually made the hunt easier.

The Nocpix MATE Ultra is the first civilian thermal clip-on I have tested with the image quality to make serious long-range shooting through a conventional day scope realistic. We pushed it all the way to 1,000 yards in complete darkness.

The ATN ThOR 6 Mini 256 comes in small, tough, and priced like it wants to start a fight in the budget thermal scope aisle. It found pigs, handled real hunting use, and packed smart features into a compact optic, but its 256×192 sensor still fails to meet buyers earn their expectations honestly.

The DNT Hydra HS335R tries to pull off the night-hunting equivalent of a five-tool magic trick. It is a thermal scope, clip-on, scanner, laser rangefinder, and ballistic calculator packed into a 15-ounce unit selling for under $1,800.

Today we are going to look at modern micro weapon lights available for little pistols. Specifically the subcompacts, the Micro Compacts, and the single stack 9mms.

Infitac’s Fast Mini FML19 brings a sharper 384×288 sensor and a 19mm F1.2 lens to the same tiny footprint. We ran it on pistol and as an offset rifle thermal to see where the extra clarity actually matters.

The adaptive, modular rifle handguard is responsible for a great many jobs and small businesses in the United States. Who knew attaching a rail to a rifle could launch a number of industries?

EDC lights are extremely handy tools and sit beside pocket knives in their usefulness. Most people will probably get more use from their EDC light than they ever will from their guns.

The Nitecore NPL35 is stupid bright for a semi-compact pistol light, with a clever mounting system and enough throw to make steel past 100 yards feel easy. It also has one aggravating control quirk and a proprietary battery setup that keeps this otherwise impressive light from being an easy no-brainer.