SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range

Posted by rlaufer2013 on January 25, 2020
Posted in: Guns and Knives. 3 Comments

Ahhhh it is so great to be back in Vegas…and even greater to be back at SHOT Show!!! I had such an amazing time at SHOT Show 2018 that it will be hard to beat but I am confident that I can do it!

As in the case of 2018, I have done an enormous amount of planning, even though I am more familiar with the layout. Why all the planning? Well, the main show is 690,000 square feet or 12 squares miles (the same as the base of the Grand Pyramid in Giza). It now extends to secondary venues and includes over 1,600 exhibitors on the show floor but that increases to over 2,400 if you include the Supplier Showcase and Pop-Up Preview. Access to SHOT is limited to 65,000 industry folk and 2,500 media members.

To put the size in perspective, consider that if you spend just 10 minutes at a booth (to take pics, handle guns, wait for your turn to handle them, talk to reps, get swag etc.), you could cover 6 per hour or 48 per 8 hour shift. That means in three days you would cover roughly 150 booths. But of course, you have to factor in walking time, breaks etc. so maybe 75 is more realistic. Per SHOT Show’s fact sheet, if you wanted to visit all booths, you could only spend 22 seconds at each!

Thankfully I have a co-author this year and collectively Tom and I plan to cover at least 100 booths. If we post just 10 pics per booth, that would result in a review with 1000 pics (our goal) that covers only 100/2400 or 4% of the show!!!! SHOT is BIG!

In preparation for SHOT, I picked up some cool gear such as this Otte Patrol Parka…thanks to Chris Costa for providing feedback on jacket options and to Parabellum Prime for the super speedy delivery!

I got some shirts made too…gotta look professional!

Along with a few other things that may show up during my review.

Monday Industry Day at the Range

Apart from being able to take pics, one of the greatest benefits of a Media Pass is that you get to attend Industry Day at the Range and shoot everything from super compacts to full auto to suppressed with no limits on ammo.

And the amount of ammo consumed is staggering! Consider that there are 2,500 media folks and if each one shoots 20 guns with 10 rounds each, that would be half a million rounds! I can’t remember the exact round count but from what I recall, it was even higher than that.

Here is an aerial view of the incredibly beautiful range, courtesy of SHOT. I will have more of my own range shots below.

Industry day was awesome! We shot a ton of guns and many exceeded our expectations. Tom and I took about 400 pics and shot lots of vids. I suspect you are anxious to see them so I will start with some of my pics and let Tom chime in with his.

We started at the Geissele booth expecting to see some AR15s fitted with their legendary triggers…we were half right! I was not aware that Geissele soft launched their own in-house made AR15 last year and is fully launching the lineup at this year’s SHOT show. Needless to say, the triggers on them were great.

Next, OSS suppressors…I opted for one mounted on an AK and it was one of my favourite guns of the day.

It was great to get an explanation of the internals of the OSS suppressors. I dare say that I enjoy shooting suppressed firearms more than full auto!

My absolute favourite of the day though was the B&T USW-A1 with its collapsible stock and platform specific Aimpoint site. It made such a difference to shoot it with the stock extended! I will definitely get one of these!

The Alien was certainly the most unique gun of the day…it has the lowest bore axis on the market with the fixed barrel and the interchangeable slide top allows you to swap optics in a breeze (with 90% zeroing)…it can also reliably fire any load of 9mm with its piston system. It is an expensive gun for sure but a lot of thought went into the unique features.

I was quite anxious to try the re-introduced Colt Python…it was available with 4” and 6” barrels and I opted for the longer while Tom shot both. It was nice but not something I would buy.

Another re-release high on our “must try” list was the HK SP5…available in several configurations, Tom and I opted for the traditional profile with iron sights….so satisfying to do that HK slap lol…and it shot great!

No surprise that the Glock booth was all about the new 44 in .22lr…now I have shot Glocks with .22 conversion kits so I kind of had an idea of what it would be like but I have to say the 44 exceeded my expectations! It was lighter than I expected while the trigger was better…I would not hesitate to buy one.

We also ran into Glock shooter Michelle Viscusi

I have read a lot of good things about the sub-compact Springfield Hellcat…it offers the largest mag capacity (13+1) in the smallest package. I tried variations with red-dot and iron sights and I actually shot better with the irons. I really like micro-compacts like the Glock 26 and the Hellcat felt just as good.

It was great to meet Rob Leatham at the Springfield booth

During the course of my research for SHOT, I came across the Rock Island Armory TCM22…a very intriguing round! It is essentially a .22 that moves at 2000 fps!

Here are some 1911s chambered in this round

It creates quite the fireball with no felt recoil!

Next we visited the long range section where I was happy to meet Rob Furlong, who has EXCELLENT taste in jackets lol

He must have given me some good luck as I hit both of my shots on target at 1090 yards out of a Cadex in 300 Norma Magnum…three times longer than I have ever shot before! That Cadex is quite something…and thanks to the Cadex team.

Tom and I were both impressed with Ruger’s latest offerings. First, the 5.7…it is much thinner and easier to hold / control than the FN

Next the Wrangler revolver…an aluminum (very light) frame .22 single action at a very affordable price (under $300 I believe)

Speaking of .22s, how about those long barrels!

More nice Rugers

By now you must have heard of the new Kriss Vector in .22LR…it does not use the Vector recoil mitigating system, rather a more conventional design. However, with a .22 you really don’t need it as there is no recoil anyway. Also, the quad rail allows a light to be mounted on top without obstructing the sight. It costs about a 1/3rd of a centre-fire Kriss.

Vs. the centre-fires in 9mm, 10mm, and 45acp

Just next to Kriss at Maxim Defense I ran into Kris “Tanto” Paronto

Pics of the spectacular range

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range
https://rlauferblog.com/2020/01/25/shot-show-2020/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-1-coverage/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-2-coverage/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-3-coverage/

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage

Posted by rlaufer2013 on July 20, 2021
Posted in: Guns and Knives. 3 Comments

Let me start today’s coverage with yet another gun that far exceeded my expectations…the Full Conceal Glock 19! My first impression is that it is far more “solid” than I anticipated…also the way it is designed, it is completely safe to carry with one in the chamber as it is impossible to fire when it is in the folded
position. One of my favourites of the show.

Easily fits in the pocket

This year Full Conceal introduced a more economical model built off a proprietary frame instead of a Glock.


As I mentioned earlier, B&T has been my favourite booth of the show so far…I knew they had a second booth but I didn’t actively look for it so was pleasantly surprised to come across it. It was great to have another look at the USW and SPR 300…and to finally see VP9 pistol as well!

Team Wendy has a stellar reputation for helmets. In case you were not aware of the back-story of the company, it was founded after the owner’s daughter died from a head injury suffered while skiing. Their comfort and safety features were quickly noticed by law enforcement / military and the rest is history.

They had a set-up showing how some testing is done.

I tried on an Exfil Ballistic helmet…super comfortable and Level IIIA protection

The “Team Wendy” comfort can now be retrofitted to your other brand of helmet via their “cloud liner” system…note the strategically placed cushioning and ratchet tightening system

My timing for visiting the Winkler knives booth was great as both Daniel Winkler and James Williams were at the booth!

James puts his martial arts / combat training to good use designing application specific knives…

such as this one

More great Winkler knives

My personal favourites were the Tactical Cleaver

And weapon retention tool

For fans of Alien and Judge Dredd, digital round counters are now a real thing! The Radetec system requires changing three components of your Glock, the slide, backstrap, and one internal part of the trigger group as well as the follower on your mags.

They also offer a rail mounted “armourer’s tool” which is meant to keep track of shooting sessions…not only does it count the number of rounds fired over the life of the gun, it also keeps track of every shot to the 1/100th of a second…so you could check your splits etc. with the mobile app

Another cool piece of high tech gear, the new Trijicon Ventus …it uses Doppler LIDAR to measure headwind, tailwind, crosswind and vertical wind components at six different distances up to 5000M and includes a ballistic calculator as well

In case you were wondering what a $100,000 1911 looks like, Nighthawk has your answer!

Nighthawk is continuing their collaborations with Agency Arms

Their double-stack is much thinner than others on the market (such as STI) and features a full dust cover and compensator

Some new finishes such as this “triple black camo” with three shades of black…and nice stippling on the top of the slide (like the Bob Marvel model)

This is actually a Colt tuned by Nighthawk

Nice Officer sized gun, the Counsellor

Nighthawk Korth revolvers

Including this 8 shot .357

Ok ok HK HK….in my review of SHOT Show 2018, the HK booth seemed to get the most response so here
is another picture dump lol….first some military hardware

my favourite was the M27, which is based on the 416

My favourite handgun, the Mark 23 SOCOM

And from the civilian line…

.22LR

.556

Last but certainly not least of my booth coverage, Kalashnikov!

The new Komrad semi-auto shotgun

Vs. the KS12

Lot’s of variations of KR-9s

And the new American made AK, the KR103 (on top)

Ok that’s it for my booth coverage. I will follow up later today with random cool things, more celebrity spottings, and yes, food pics.

Tom is also working on additional booth coverage and I will add that when ready as well.

Random Cool Stuff and More Celebrity Sightings

The Press Room for those with a media pass

The famous “back pack”

The Throne of Freedom

Mini-gun at Elite Defense, the Official Sponsor of the Good Guys

GPNVG-18

MTM watches, including my favourite, the RAD with its built in Geiger counter

Gun DMC

I ran into the Ballistic Ink guys at Cabot guns…LOVED that Gustav shirt so much that I already ordered
one lol…along with another hoodie…such great designs! Note: I ended up ordering two of the Hawaiian shirts!

The 1 Millionth Sig P320

Bullpup Beretta

The Magnum Research BFR with 17” barrel!

Serious truck

I ran into a buddy and he got the prototype for the CRKT Provoke Stormtrooper edition! Let me know when you are ready to sell bro!

It was a real honour to meet Jerry Miculek and his family at the Mossberg booth..such nice people! And I am sure my shooting performance improved exponentially just by shaking his hand!

JM Edition Mossbergs

Glock’s new spokesperson, Chuck Norris!

All done with SHOT Show, we headed to PVK, an incredible knife store.

Thanks to PVK for letting me have a look at the Microtech John Wick special edition set

My second favourite was this Microtech OTF rescue hook prototype…with a $4800 price tag to reflect its
rarity

I also liked this Microtech fixed blade…pretty nasty

I picked up a Strider SLCC by Warren Thomas in his signature carbon fiber laminated and bonded to titanium and impregnated with carbide lol

And a set of John Wick assassin coins!

The obligatory swag pic

Coming up, the food of SHOT!

Friday

Despite all my planning, Mother Nature threw a bit of a curve at us with the biggest snow storm of the season. As a pre-caution, we flew out two days early to beat the storm. That is ok as we wanted to get some “Vegas time” and this gave us two extra days of that and I will be covering some of that as part of this review (we will see if I have time to make it to the Adult Video Awards lol).

The first thing we did after arriving was to have our first Vegas meal at In-N-Out burger!

How fitting that I was customer #1 lol.

Saturday

Today we started with lunch at Jack in the Box, my first time eating here. I had the classic buttery burger, which is essentially like an egg Chalah bun.

Then we headed over to Boot Barn to pick up some Lucchese boots that I pre-ordered for delivery to the store. I have always wanted Lucchese cowboy boots and when I saw their new hybrid cowboy/work boot I had to pull the trigger. I love the concept! Although everyone raves about the Lucchese fit, I had never tried on a pair so was a bit worried and sure enough they were way too tight!

So I ended up buying these Dan Post boots in rough suede.

I also got a proper cowboy hat, a Rodeo King in “grizzly” style fur. It was an open crown

So I had them custom form it to a Gus crown with Rodeo brim…very cool to watch that being done!

I have to say Boot Barn has AMAZING customer service!!!

Next we went to the Shelby Museum. I had been to their old location and compared to that, I would say their museum is smaller and more focused on older cars while the factory and store are bigger.

We both signed the wall

Our nice tour guide

Lots of gear in the store including clothing, travel goods, signs, and even knives.

I got a few things.

Finally we went to watch the UFC bout between McGreggor and Cowboy at Tilted Kilt. It was quite surreal to watch it here knowing that the fight was going on live down the street! The crowd went bananas (I have some vids I may post later). We also ran into some guys headed to SHOT Show from OSS Suppressors, Sig, and a company that makes custom hearing protection.

Food at the Tilted Kilt….mozzarella sticks

Wings with Kilt Burner sauce (not very hot)

The Celtic Knot, a giant pretzel (the best part of the meal)

Our lovely server

$5 shots

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range
https://rlauferblog.com/2020/01/25/shot-show-2020/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-1-coverage/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-2-coverage/
SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage
https://rlauferblog.com/2021/07/20/shot-show-2020-day-3-coverage/

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage

Posted by rlaufer2013 on July 20, 2021
Posted in: Guns and Knives. 3 Comments

Wednesday SHOT Show 2020 Day 2

First stop on Day 2, Silver Shadow to check in with Lovie and see the Gilboa double AR-15!


I liked it a lot more than the Arsenal double 1911

I knew about the Gilboa but a big surprise was that Silver Shadow also brought a Corner Shot, which I have always wanted to see in person so I was pretty happy about that!

Lovie doing some demos of how it works to shoot around corners

I always feel safer when Lovie Malespin provides cover

I have a Battle Blades Tops Wolfhawk mounted to my HK MR223 and there are a few disadvantages to the design. In my opinion, the Gripknife is a much better way to have a blade mounted to your gun. The intriguing design is a spring mounted blade that deploys out of a rail mounted fore-grip.

It comes in two sizes in multiple finishes

Thanks to Lovie for demonstrating as well

And thanks to the Gripknife team as well…great guys.

I love catching up with old friends at such shows…such as knife designer Liong Mah…I have a few of his older, more radical designs

His new lineup is geared more toward EDC and utility

For example, the Field Duty with drop point, flat ground blade and frame lock

It looks like an integral but is actually made of two pieces…either way, super solid

Next, the Lanny

KUF

Warrior 2

Forgot the names of these two

It was also great to see Michael Janich again…and update our comparison pic lol

Spyderco now offers an all black version of Michael’s Yojimbo 2…I really like how the lock-bar on the compression lock is coated black as well

Shown here with the Chinook 4

The Chinook 4 closer to James Keating’s original design (I have a Chinook 1 with box signed by James)

Another new interesting knife from Spyderco, the Nightstick single edged dagger

As I have reported in the past, F-1 Firearms are my favourite AR15s. I dare say I like them more than my HK MR223! They are known for feeling “light” when you shoot them and I had the same sensation whenever I have shot one.

They are also known for their wild finishes, although those have been toned down this year.

This finish changes colour depending on the angle of light

More examples

PCC

Their newest model is more discrete and geared more toward law enforcement than competition

Shown here by Tom, who tests / tunes the guns that go out (thanks for all your time!)

My favourite is the Dynamis Alliance collaboration…I should add that since SHOT Show I have purchased some gear from Dynamis and they are AWESOME! Quite apart from the quality and design of the gear, they are a great company…I really like their attitude!

Here was a big surprise for me…F-1 is getting into handguns! Right now they are based off Shadow Systems guns but they are gradually transitioning to completely in-house.

And suppressors!

A Cabot would be a good pairing with an F-1 lol…sadly they did not bring their $4.5 million meteorite guns of even the Trump gun they had at SHOT Show 2018. Fortunately they brought my personal favourite, the Ultimate Bedside gun

Of course, if you are going to buy a Cabot, you may as well buy a pair to benefit from their clone technology…their guns are made to the thousandths of an inch and unlike other custom guns that need to be hand fitted, you can interchange the parts on a cloned pair.

Some of you may know that I have a fetish for trainers, even going so far as to have custom knifemakers build training versions of their live blades for me. In the world of firearms trainers, Blue Guns is on top. There is a Blue Gun for EVERYTHING, and if not, they will custom make one for you! In fact, Blue Guns makes props for movies as well as mock ups of prototypes before they are launched. They do not use lasers, rather they make physical molds of products.

Love the 249

And the pipe wrench! Lol

Black Aces Tactical was not on my original list but thanks to online coverage of the show, I found out about their new lever action shotgun…it also caught my eye as I passed by their booth (I guess I am susceptible to shiny new things at SHOT show after all!)

While this bullpup looks similar to others on the market, it is actually 2 inches shorter

As I mentioned in my intro, I got an Otte Patrol Parka in anticipation of this show. I discovered this great piece of kit through some past SHOT show videos showing Todd explaining its various features so I wanted to stop by Otte and meet him in person. Todd gave me a similar rundown on the HT Insulated Parka that he is wearing.

Also in terms of tactical clothing, I am a big fan of Crye Precision…I have a G3 Combat Shirt and am waiting (for six + months!) for my G3 Combat Pants. It was great to see their Loft jacket in person and I have to say that G4 Field coat looks awesome (sadly I did not get a pic).

I left the show a bit early today in order to attend Doug Marcaida’s seminar on karambits…it was very educational! Once again, it was great to update a comparo pic lol

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage

Posted by rlaufer2013 on July 20, 2021
Posted in: Guns and Knives. 3 Comments

SHOT Show 2020 Day 1

The Media room is open an hour before the show so I hung out there for a bit

…and ran into none other than Hickock45!!!!

Per the SHOT Show 2019 fact sheet, the total weight of goods delivered for the show exceeded 7,000,000 pounds! This included more than 15,000 firearms, which were all inspected and tagged before being put on display. Did I mention that SHOT is big?

STI was the first booth that I visited in 2018 so I thought I would keep up the tradition, especially since there was a chance of seeing the actual movie gun from John Wick 3! Of course, I love my own JW3 gun but handling the real movie gun is still a special experience for me.

Sadly it was not there but I would get a related surprise later on in the day. In the meantime, STI briefed me on their totally new lineup of no less than 7 Staccato variants! Based on customer demand of people wanting to carry their competition guns, STI is moving more toward “tactical” as opposed to a pure competition gun. They have even brought back a single stack!

From a quality standpoint nothing will change as the guns will still be hand fitted and will retain features such as island barrels.

Next on my list, B&T, which was my favourite booth of the show so far. As I mentioned, I REALLY liked the USW-A1 at range day so I wanted to have a closer look.

I also REALLY liked this in SPR in 300 blackout with integrated suppressor!

As well as this grenade launcher.

Just great product from B&T.

I shot IWI’s T12 shotgun at 2018’s Range day but I missed their booth at the show to get better pics and to see a real UZI in person so I wanted to correct those issues.

And here is the micro Uzi!

The Tavor shotgun with rotating magazines.

Loved the cut-aways

I visited the Ed Brown booth to see two things in particular…first the new “Fueled by Ed Brown S&W M&P collaboration…while there are lots of custom Glocks out there, not as many people are doing custom M&Ps…this one has Ed Brown parts and is hand fit just like a custom…US$1,999

And second, the Jeff Cooper re-release…the last time this model was available, I chose my Molon Labe over it…glad that I can have another chance

I got to meet / re-meet a lot of celebrities and industry icons today….such as Les Baer (he was not at the booth when I visited in 2018), who I also ended up seeing a second time in the hotel elevator later in the day lol.

I am holding the new American Handgunner

While he is holding this one

I also got to meet the founder of Freedom Arms…who had this very special set made in his honour

To me though, all of their great big caliber revolvers (and a single action) are works of art

I know a lot of people are into chassis systems, when I hear the words “precision rifle” I immediately think of the H-S Precision HTR. I especially like the take-down version.

H-S was showcasing many new, lighter hunting models in various finishes.

I especially liked this one.

That having been said, I’d be very happy with a Desert Tech lol…especially the Covert

Or for larger calibers…

The MDR is now available in multiple calibers.

I stopped at the Kel-Tec booth mainly to check out their KSG line of shotguns. Yes, they introduced some new handguns but the focus of my review is on things that I like not necessarily reporting on every new introduction lol.

I liked the ultra compact, which would be prohibited here I think but there is a version with an extended barrel that I handled recently at Bulls Eye London

Speaking of, look who I ran into at the booth! None other than Scott from Bulls Eye.

I knew that Tom was visiting Cadex so I wasn’t sure that I would but their booth sure caught my eye! (that happens at SHOT lol). LOT’S of great new products here.

The Sheepdog was introduced last year

…and now there is a lighter version for hunting.

The Kraken with interchangeable calibers…you can see the take down tools to make the switch in the second pic

And if you think that suppressor on the Kraken is big, check out the one on the .50BMG Tremor!

My personal favourite, the C.P.S with quick release stock

New colours

New two stage trigger (vs. single stage)

New rail mount

New bi-pod

And new shotgun accessories!

As you may know, I am just as much into knives as I am into guns, maybe even more so! I did visit several knife booths, such as Benchmade.

I took the opportunity to look at their latest Balisongs, since we don’t really see those here. The handles on these three are G10, steel, and titanium respectively. The magnetic latch on the titanium model was pretty cool (pretty much pops open when you squeeze the handles).

Apart from their Balisongs, my favourite Benchmade of all time is the Stryker designed by custom knifemaker Allen Elishewitz (who is at SHOT as he designs knives for Hogue), now only available as an auto.

I did like their new out the front auto a lot though

SHOT exclusive scales and S90V blade steel on this one

This gentlemen’s folder is expected to be their biggest new introduction…no pocket clip, it comes with a sheath

Continuing with knives…I was hoping to see Ernie Emerson and update our comparison picture but sadly he was not at the show.

I did get to see the new smaller Sheepdog, shown here next to the original size.

Other interesting knives at his booth…the Seax fixed blade neck knife

CQC-7 fixed next to the folding version

The P-SARK trainer

And my personal favourite, the Super Commander

Back to guns….I put myself on the “the list” for a Springfield FBI gun almost 2 years ago without ever having handled one in person…now I can say that my instincts were right because it is stunning in person

Next stop, Colt

Of course all the talk about Colt is around the re-released Python, but as I mentioned after shooting it at Range Day, it didn’t excite me enough to want to purchase one.

The cut-a-way was pretty neat though

The King Cobra

Or if you prefer your revolvers to be more dressy

To me the most interesting gun at Colt was the M16

Vs. the more modern M4

And M5

I started the day with a celebrity sighting and will end with a few more…Lou Ferrigno at Brownell’s booth

Taran Butler at Benelli with the actual John Wick movie guns!

On the way to dinner at Gordon Ramsey’s Steak (which I will cover later) I ran into Lovie Malespin in the parking lot!

Then at 11:30 at night I went down to the convenience store in the hotel lobby to get a drink and ran into Royce Gracie!!!

Quite a good start to the show!

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range

SHOT Show 2020 – Industry Day at the Range


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 1 Coverage


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 2 Coverage


SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage

SHOT Show 2020 – Day 3 Coverage

SMITH Optics Elite Eyewear

Posted by rlaufer2013 on June 10, 2021
Posted in: Gear. Leave a comment

SMITH Optics is a great company for sure. They offer a lifetime warranty and based on two recent experiences, I can say they honour them very well.

The first issue was with my Aegis Arc. I have had these for years and the inside layer on the gray lens started bubbling up in a few spots so I filled out their online warranty claim and got a whole new pair of Arc IIs with two new lenses!

The second issue was with the Gray Man’s I just ordered…these are MilSpec safety rated but couldn’t survive the clowns at UPS who crushed them! Seriously the box arrived crushed and even had a hole through the top! The frames on the glasses were actually bent and so were the arms to the point that it was unwearable. But again, Smith came through and I got a replacement within days!

With that out of the way, let’s move on to the glasses themselves!

As I mentioned in my Revision eyewear review, the two APEL qualified spectacles that rise to the top in safety / torture tests most often are their Sawfly and SMITH’s Aegis Arc. Assuming they are equally capable of protection, the Aegis Arc does have a couple of advantages. First, the shape of the lens appears to offer more coverage. It also sits closer on my face, providing more protection from any fragments coming in through the bottom, side, or top. Perhaps the coolest feature is the “PivLok” locking system that uses two flip up/down levers to lock the lens in place.

Here it is with both lenses (note this pic was taken before the bubbling issue)

And on my face.

Box for my new Arc IIs

Very nice case

Extra lens in the microfiber, no fog cloth, and headstrap

I opted for the Arc IIs in Tan499. The lens shape is different from my Arc, particularly the bottom edge. As such it offers a bit less coverage

When you need ballistic protection in a more discrete setting, The Gray Man (love that name!) may be the perfect option.

The Gray Man is billed as “the world’s first MilSpec ballistic aviator” but I am a little confused by this as I have also seen the Oakley Ballistic Crosshair described as “the world’s first ballistic wire frame glasses.” Perhaps there is a nuance I am missing. In any case, the Oakley is the nearest competitor and I happen to have those as well so will draw some comparisons. The only other similar option I can think of is the Wiley X Klein but that one is only ANSI, not MilSpec.

The Gray Man lenses are wider than the Ballistic Crosshairs (63mm vs 61mm) but the Oakleys are taller (47mm vs. 43mm).

On the face, the Gray Man has more of a wrap shape while the Oakley is more of a classic aviator. Note also how the arms are more flush on the Gray Man while they jut out to the side a bit on the Oakley.

In terms of feel, the metal on the Oakley is definitely thicker or chunkier and the gunmetal finish is definitely flashier. From that perspective, it is not as low profile as the Gray Man.

Ultimately that’s what makes the Gray Man so interesting. How did they manage to achieve a MilSpec ballistic rating with such a thin wire frame? Very impressive!

SMITH also has a few goggles on the APEL list. I plan to get the Outside the Wire (OTW) but for now I picked up the lower profile legendary Boogie SOEP! Wow I have heard so many good things about them. As the name suggests these are Special Operations Eyewear Package authorized and meet US MIL-DTL-43511D goggle impact level clause 3.5.1

No fancy box here

But something far better…an NSN number!

Nice soft case

Like the Boogie Regulator, it has SMITH’s slotted ventilation technology and adds 35MM strap with pivoting attachment to make it easy for helmet wear.

for size comparison against the Wiley-X CQC (discontinued) and Revision ExoShield (note that was in-store and the strap not fully adjusted)

Some family pics.

All in all I am very impressed with the SMITH Elite lineup. The Gray Man is currently sharing daily rotation with my SPY General and I plan to wear the others in my next trips to the gun range.

RL

Revision Ballistic Eyewear

Posted by rlaufer2013 on May 28, 2021
Posted in: Gear. Leave a comment

After doing extensive research I ordered a pair of Revision Sawflys based on their impressive specs alone. At the time, they were one of the few MIL-SPEC ballistic rated spectacles and APEL certified (Authorized Protective Eyewear List). Sawflys always seemed to come out on top in online reviews and video torture tests.

And compared to another stellar performer, the SMITH Aegis Arc

While the Sawflys gave me lots of confidence in terms of protection, they were one of the few pairs of eyewear that I have found too big! Of course they are available in a smaller size…but the look of the larger one has grown on me.

Years later, as part of my gun store tour, I visited Rangeview Sports and they carry the whole Revision line.

Once again, I was impressed, especially after handling test lenses that withstood shotgun blasts!

Having the opportunity to compare the models in person was very helpful and I landed on a pair of Hellflys, which are also ANSI and MIL-SPEC rated!

Although they are a tad small for my face, I love the look of the Hellflys and they feel ROCK solid. I have worn them a lot and currently keep them in my bug-out bag.

Lately I have been revisiting my eyewear collection and doing more research to see what is new in the market. Once again, Revision keeps coming to the top in terms of ballistic protection. I was just blown away by a Youtube video where a pair of Sawflys withstood multiple hits from a shotgun without any pellets penetrating and without the lens separating from the frame!

Since I already have something from their sunglass and spectacle lines, I decided to go with goggles this time. Specifically, the dual lens Bullet Ant.

It appears that the Bullet Ant has been re-designed at one point as you can see the corners have gone from round to square.

I actually prefer the look of the more ant-like original as it is much more unique.

As it happens Rangeview had Bullet Ants on sale. Given the low price I assumed they were Gen 1 but I was not sure and ordered them anyway. Let’s see if my instincts were correct…

So glad I was right!!

the full kit with clear lenses and cleaning cloth

ooo I love the look

The inner liner is rubber instead of the usual foam you might find in goggles. This is said to last longer. Of course, the main feature of these goggles are the hex-vents and Ocumax anti-fog coating, which are reputed to be stellar in keeping them fog free. I haven’t had a chance to put that to the test yet.

I will say they are very comfortable, “cover” my vision completely (meaning I cant see the edge of the fame out of the corner of my eye) so my eyes feel protected from all angles. Once again, they feel ROCK solid. I cant wait to wear them at the range.

Finally a family comparison pic.

The bottom line is that if you are looking for protective ballistic eyewear, I cant think of a better choice than Revision.

RL

Wiley X SG-1

Posted by rlaufer2013 on May 21, 2021
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I bought the Wiley X CQC goggles several years ago. At the time I was very intrigued by the concept of a low-profile goggle that can easily be converted into glasses by simply swapping out the headband for conventional arms.

However, the CQC mainly sat in my drawer unused. The main reason is that I found them too stiff and not super comfortable.

That having been said, I know that Wiley X has a great reputation for making safety eyewear and I have been meaning to give them another chance. The SG-1 seemed like the perfect candidate.

The SG-1 has been around for a while and is in active duty all over the world. This is not surprising considering the impressive specs: (from their website).
• designed to eliminate tunnel vision, keeping your view unobstructed
• The changeable lenses include a Facial Cavity™ that protects your eyes from dust and dirt.
• Shatterproof Selenite™ Polycarbonate lenses that meet the MIL-PRF-32432(GL) ballistic standards: ANSI Z87.1 optical clarity and high mass/high velocity impact standards: as well as US Federal OSHA 1910.133(b)(1)(1) standards
• 100% UVA/UVB protection with distortion free clarity
• T-Shell™ Lens coating resists scratching
• Foil™ lens coating provides anti-fog protection
• Sleek Night Vision Goggle (NVG) Compatible design

To put things in perspective, an ANSI Z87 rating is obtained by firing a 0.15 caliber steel ball at 150 FPS at the lens without penetration. The MIL-PRF rating requires resistance to a projectile of 0.15 caliber and 5.85 grain at 650 FPS for glasses and 0.22 caliber, 17 grain at 550 FPS for goggles. So four times the velocity for the MIL-PRF rating!

Once again, I reached out to my good friends at Select Shooting Supplies and was able to score a pair of SG-1s.

Wow that is a serious case

It comes with extra (clear) lenses, SG-1 Elastic Strap, and SG-1 Beaded Tactical Strap to convert them to goggles

While it is not for everyone, I LOVE the look of the SG-1.

Side view

The Facial Cavity foam inserts

My first impression is wow this is the exact opposite of my CQC in terms of stiffness…these are so supple and flexible!

They are much smaller than the CQC though

Clear size difference

Still I much prefer the SG-1 to the CQC. Also, I think I will leave them as sunglasses for now (as opposed to installing the goggle straps). I can’t wait to try them out at the gun range.

RL

SPY Optic Standard Issue The General

Posted by rlaufer2013 on May 20, 2021
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I had heard of SPY Optic but didn’t know much about them until just a few days ago. An ad from Tactical Distributors Canada featuring SPY’s Standard Issue line popped up on my Facebook feed and that prompted me to do some research. Simply put, I liked what I saw!

Actually, there were three things that drew me to the lineup. First, the concept of their “Happy Lens” (which btw is being re-branded to HD+). Happy Lenses are said to “create a colour enhancing and colour contrasting experience you can see and feel,” or as their motto says “See Better, Feel Better.” Basically, the technology blocks out “negative” sun rays like short-wave blue light and UV that cause eye strain and fatigue while emphasizing “positive” rays like long-wave blue light that boost mood and alertness. The net result is that you are supposed to feel more balanced and in a better mood! Not sure how well that could work but in these shitty lock-downs, I can use all the help that I can get!

Secondly, SPY offers several models that are ANSI RX safety rated and pass Z87.2 standards for impact resistance, which is a must for me as I like to use my sunglasses at the shooting range. The “.2” and RX part of the rating means they will retain their ANSI safety even if you insert prescription lenses.

Their ANSI safety glasses are divided into two categories, rubberized and non-rubberized. Models like the General, Tackle, Flyer, Sprinter, Rover, and Quanta 2 all have rubberized temple tips and nosepads that become sticky when you sweat to ensure the glasses are kept in place when you are active. In the case of the Tackle, which is designed for fishing, the tacky rubber extends all the way across the bottom of the frame. Non-rubberized safety glasses include the Dirk, Bounty, Logan, and the Jackman, the last of which also passes Canadian CSA standards.

Thirdly, they have a Standard Issue line designed for military and LEO. All SOSI (SPY Optic Standard Issue) glasses are blacked out (matte or regular) and have a small flag next to the SPY logo on the inside of the left temple.

Based on all the above, I ordered a General right away from one of my favourite gun stores, Select Shooting Supplies. While the General is available with polarized lenses, Select only carries the non-polarized as this is what is approved for their LEO clientele. Hey if it is good enough for our local Blue, it is good enough for me!

The General is one of SPY’s biggest frames with the thickest temple for the most side coverage from light and potential debris. I really like the look of the very square frame, something a bit different. It is also rubberized and I wanted to see how well that works. Hey, if you are going to try a new brand then you may as well try all their features!

So without further ado…the SPY Optic General SOSI ANSI Rx Matte Black with Happy Grey-Green lens!

LOL I have watched Youtube unboxing videos going back over 10 years and SPY sunglasses always come in tissue paper

The General in all its glory

The massive temple coverage

Closeup of rubberized temple tips and nosepads

Closeup of Z87.2 rating and SOSI flag

And on the face! Also shown in this picture, an All Skill No Luck California Combat Hoodie, T3 Gear Defender Mask with Digi-Camo mask cover, and a Kel-Tec toque I scored at their booth at SHOT Show 2020.

and without the mask

I tried a through the lens pic but don’t think I did it justice

So am I in a better mood? Well, I am definitely happy I got these…look at that, it worked after all!

RL

MyEdge Seminar with Doug Marcaida and Fred Mastro

Posted by rlaufer2013 on February 1, 2021
Posted in: Guns and Knives. Leave a comment

NOTE: THIS IS A REPOST FROM MY SHOT SHOW 2018 REVIEW

As if going to SHOT wasn’t exciting already, I was thrilled to get into Doug Marcaida’s MyEdge seminar for 8 hours of training in knife fighting! Well actually the session was more than that…first we got to design our own knife, which they printed for us using 3D printers ahead of the training session, then we trained with not only Doug Marcaida but also Fred Mastro.

Some of you may know Doug Marcaida as one of the judges on Forged in Fire but he was well known as an edged weapon specialist in the knife community long before then.

Getting back to my knife design, I combined the blade and handle of two of my favourite knives, the REKAT Pocket Hobbit (which is based on the Bob Taylor Warrior) and the Emerson Karambit.

Here is the design that I submitted

And this is what they produced! I will have a knifemaker make me a real version 😊

We weren’t allowed to take pics of the actual training (they will send us a video including drone coverage) but I did manage to get a few good pics.

The venue for our training

Doug Marcaida

And btw, I got a chance to do a comparo pic at SHOW Show 2020!

Fred Mastro…i really like his “what works in the dojo does not work in the street” approach

ABS Mastersmith Jason Knight (who said my design is cool)

They also had knifemaker Charly Mann on hand forging a knife live.

Now for our swag.. 5.11 hat as Doug now represents the brand, foam and electronic training knives, the later of which chirps when you stab or slash your training partner

Best of all, a signed Kali stick

All in all a phenomenal experience!

All Skill No Luck Drug Rug

Posted by rlaufer2013 on January 30, 2021
Posted in: Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Finally got an All Skill No Luck Cali Combat Hoodie, aka “drug rug” (named after California surfer culture) in 3XL…I have wanted one of these for a long time! These are released in limited numbers and 3XL is especially hard to get. Although these are offered in 5-6 colours, they only drop one colour at a time and I was very happy to score a diamond green (I also want the black and white). They weren’t kidding about the length though, wow those are some long sleeves!

Great kit! The Velcro panel behind the front hand-warmer pockets can fit a few extra AR15 mags and the chest pocket is handy too. There are also pockets on each arm with lots of Velcro for patches.

The material is very thick and robust and definitely feels high quality…and it’s Made in the USA!

I LOVE the look of it…Operator AF

Even when a bit more casual

Again you can see the length of the 3XL against a Canada Goose Constable jacket. BTW, I went outside like this in -9 Celsius and didn’t feel cold at all.

A little shout out to Fred Mastro

I like it a lot and will definitely get more kit from All Skill No Luck!!

RL

Mossberg 940 JM Pro Finally Lands in Canada!

Posted by rlaufer2013 on December 19, 2020
Posted in: Guns and Knives. Leave a comment

I first saw the Mossberg 940 JM PRO at SHOT Show 2020

Where I had the opportunity to speak with Gilles Stubbins, the Canadian rep as well as the two people who had considerable input into the design, champion shooters Jerry and Lena Miculek! (though very sadly I missed Jerry’s demo during Industry Day at the Range)

The re-designed 940 JM PRO has considerable advantages over the previous model that I saw on display at CSAAA 2020.

For example, both the fore-end and magwell have been completely redesigned to allow for quad reloads. Compared to the previous version, it also now has an adjustable length of pull and a cleaner running gas recoil management system that can go 1500 rounds before cleaning.

Many have been anxiously awaiting this gun to reach Canada and it is finally here! I was lucky enough to photograph one of the first 20 in the country at one of my favourite dealers, Select Shooting Supplies being one of the first.

With a Mossberg Nightstick for comparison

I like the full size Mossberg Retrograde and I think the look works well in the Shockwave style

More comparisons…my Wally Hayes Ninjato

And the original Unbreakable Umbrella lol

Now for some closeups (supported by Armageddon Gear Game Changer and Rear Squishy Bag)

I like the gold accents everywhere such as on the huge knurled bolt and bolt release as well as the safety and magazine cap.

Front sight (there is no rear)

Finally some in-hand pics…

Tom also saw it at SHOT Show and has been awaiting its Canadian arrival..i see one in his future

We didn’t get to shoot it today so we are really looking forward to doing so!

some people were asking about how the mag tube is plugged so i reached out to the Canadian Mossberg rep and got some pics for you…

So just to recap, the 940 JM PRO was great to handle…ultimately a shooting test will seal the deal. Given that Jerry and Lena use the 940, that test may not even be necessary lol.

RL