22 December 2009
Each year (and this still amazes me) I write 52 "tactical" equipment evaluations. Although I know some of you fully understand that challenge of this task, others may not. The largest part of the challenge is simply getting enough new (or different) kit to test. Inevitably there are times when I have to produce something via the anal aperture extraction method, and I do my best to still produce a review that will, in some way shape or form, benefit all of you who work behind guns. This week I'm going to take a look at some of the items I reviewed in 2009 that I feel are worthy of a second mention; the really cool stuff I thought represented the best of our industry. Each item is introduced by its first paragraph, a photo and a link to the original review.
Okay, I admit it: I am a prejudiced person. I LIKE my guns to have BIG holes at the end of the barrel where the bullets come out. It probably has something to do with my first issue weapon being a 1911 pistol thanks to Uncle Sam's Army MP Corps. The down side of that big hole is the usually attributed weight, size and limited capacity of the associated pistol. For certain it's a challenge to find a compact, comfortable, easy to carry, easy to conceal weapon in .45ACP. Enter the Kahr CW4543 in .45ACP. I wasn't sure I was going to like it when I first got it, but it's grown on me. Here's why.
The rest of the review on the Kahr CW4543.
A friend of mine - also a police veteran - once told me that for emergency response work what he really needed was a small pry bar with a sharp edge. He also needed it to be small enough to comfortably carry in the center of his vest (where he could reach it with either hand) but large and heavy enough to chop through walls or doors if need be. Well, pry bars are easy to find. Cutting tools are easy to find. But a tool to do both that is small enough to put in that center chest position (on the average size guy)? Not so common. Enter the KA-BAR Becker TacTool or BK3.
The rest of the review on the KA-BAR Becker TacTool.
So... I've been a Glock armorer since the early '90s. Simple guns that work right - reliably. They aren't difficult to disassemble or maintain with the exception of one thing: Sometimes the magazines can be a pain in the backside to get apart, clean and reassembled. The toughest part is squeezing the sides just the right way. I always wondered why someone didn't make a tool to help with that, and now they have. Enter the GTUL (said "G-tool"). Currently made to fit the 9mm/.40S&W size Glock magazines, this tool makes disassembly and cleaning much easier.
The rest of the review on the GTUL.
When I first started in police work the rescue tool was a tire iron. It was used to break out a window so that someone could be extricated from a burning car. When I needed to justify carrying my knife, THAT became my rescue tool so that my Chief wouldn't tell me not to carry it. I had to be able to cut that seatbelt for the person stuck in the burning car (wink, wink). Now Buck Knives has come out with a specifically designed folding lock blade knife that actually IS a rescue tool: let me introduce you to the Buck Bravo Rescue.
The rest of the review on the Buck Bravo Rescue.
One of the things many people face challenges with is staying motivated to exercise. Too many routines are exactly that: ROUTINE. People get bored. They get in good enough shape that what they're doing is no longer a challenge. Keeping things fresh can help maintain motivation and interest. Enter the FitDeck products. Essentially a set of "playing cards", FitDeck offers an easy way of keeping your exercise routine continually changing and challenging. Their expansion specialty packs help you tailor your workouts more to your own needs. The most basic FitDeck program is the FitDeck Bodyweight set. The set contains 50 exercise playing cards and six cards I refer to as support cards. The support cards contain all of the usual warnings about checking with your doctor before starting an exercise program (especially if you're over 35 according to the cards), information on the FitDeck philosophy, how to use the exercise cards, categories, warming up, stretching, and cooling down.
The rest of the review on FitDeck.
Since the attack that occurred in Columbine, "Active Shooter" response training has been a primary focus in law enforcement agencies nationwide. Part of that training always includes information on what type of gear an officer should have available and ready to go when the fit hits the shan. From Specter Gear comes a simple, modular "kit" that provides an officer the ability to prepare what should be considered bare minimums in equipment needs for such response. I got one; assembled it; packed it and tried it out in a few training exercises. Here's what I found out. Setting aside the argument about augmented body armor for response to such events, no one ever debates that an officer needs more than just his (or her) handgun. Shotguns are better, as are carbines, but true fighting rifles are best. Speaking in general, the AR-style rifles dominate the law enforcement patrol rifle market (although other rifles would also serve the purpose equally well).
The rest of the review on the Specter Gear Active shooter kit.
In the ever evolving world of hand-held and weapon-mounted flashlights the competition keeps driving lights to higher and greater performance. When the LED-driven lights were engineered to produce enough light to be "tactical" things got better. LEDs are harder to break (and we're good at breaking things). When versatile functionality was designed in through digital switching or programmable tailcaps, things improved again. LONG gone are the days of simply turning your flashlight on and off. This week I'm reporting on the tests I've performed on the HX120 and the WX120 from Insight Tech Gear. First off, any light that is comfortable in my hand and uses only one CR123 3V lithium battery is starting out strong in my book - BUT it must provide acceptable levels of light. I mean, almost any manufacturer can design and build a light that uses one battery and provides light. Heck, they could probably make an LED-driven light that provides 10 lumens for decades if they wanted to using just one battery. The challenge is getting decent levels of light using only one battery for any appreciable length of time.
The rest of the review on the Insight Tech Gear HX120.
From the team of RAT Cutlery and DPx Gear comes the H.E.S.T. knife. HEST is the acronym for "Hostile Environment Survival Tool". RAT stands for "Randall's Adventure & Training". DPx alludes to the knife serving best in the world's most "Dangerous Places". I'm not quite sure why the X was added, but I THINK it means "extreme". All that laid out, I was slightly surprised to get such a small knife designed as a survival tool. Of course, I had to test it, learn about it and so on. What I've learned is interesting and I'll share it with you.
According to the information disseminated about it and available online, the knife is manufactured from 1095 steel hardened to a measurement of 57-58Rc. The entire length of steel, with the exception of the sharpened edge, is powder coated black and it's one of the most evenly applied, fine finished powder coating jobs I've ever experienced. On the left side is laser engraved the DPX Gear logo and on the right side are the initials of the designer, Robert Young Pelton (RYP). The scroll is fancy, as if he'd written them on there himself. Near the pommel on one side is "RAT - USA" and on the other, "H-E-S-T".
As I measure it the overall length of the knife is 7.625". Blade width (all but the front 1.25" of the knife) is a full 3/16ths of an inch. The blade accounts for 3" of the overall length leaving the handle at just over four and a half inches. The grip is fairly ergonomic with a nicely integrated finger groove near the hilt. The sharp projection you can see at the pommel is an intentional design feature put there to serve as a pry bar. In my case, due to my medium sized hands, as I hold the knife I can just feel that pry bar pommel projection on the side of my pinky.
The rest of the review on the RAT HEST.
So... That's my review of what I consider to be the best products I tested and evaluated throughout 2009. I hope you found them of interest and will check them out further in the future.
Stay Safe!
