Scope Review: Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose Scope

May 17, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

The Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi Purpose Scope plays well with others

Somewhat like Captain Jack Sparrow, the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope easily adapts to all sorts of situations. Originally designed as a crossbow optic, people quickly realized that it was fit for more combustible applications. As I’ll show in more detail, it has 3 easy-to acquire aiming points which you can use to identify both near and far zeros for your particular rifle, crossbow or shotgun.

The Hawke 1×32 Multi Purpose Scope plays well with others. Crossbows, AR-15′s and shotguns to name a few.

Just the facts about the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope…

	The left side-wheel operates the illuminated reticle. Both red and green illumination is available and each color offers five levels of brightness. The “crosses” illuminate – see the reticle image below for detail. The illumination feature is powered by a single CR2032 battery – available most anywhere. Just unscrew the reticle brightness control knob cap to replace the battery.
	As this is a 1x optic, you’re probably not going to use the windage and elevation controls while shooting. They’re more for adjusting your zero as you change rifles and ammunition types. You might even move this to a crossbow! Each click adjusts the point of impact by 1/2 MOA, or just a hair over a half an inch at 100 yards. I found this to be plenty of granularity to get my favorite .223 load on target. The turrets are finger adjustable, and once you get your settings right, just screw the protective caps back on.
	Clarity of the scope was really good, with no discernible loss of focus or brightness as you look to the edges of the scope. The photo here shows a view at a berm about 110 yards away. The long horizontal and vertical bars made targeting fast and easy. Also as this photo shows, the cross aiming points show as black when illumination is not turned on. There’s really no need to use the illumination feature unless you’re in early or end of day low light conditions. One more thing – the top of the vertical bar is another aiming point – we’ll talk more about that below.
	Lenses are multi-coated and I found visibility to be good. While the objective is 32mm, the tube is 1 inch in diameter.
	Keeping this an all Hawke Optics solution, I used the Hawke 1″ 2-Piece, Reach Forward mounts. As you can see in the photo, this left quite a bit of remaining adjustment play both on the rail and in the scope rings. The eye relief in the Hawke Optics 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope is very generous so you can put this scope pretty much anywhere on the receiver rail. The specs indicate that eye relief is 8 inches. It’s not intended to be a scout scope so you’ll get some shadowing if you try to put it on the front rail. While testing, I placed the scope so the rear lens was about an inch forward of the rear of the receiver. This provided great visibility and unhindered access to the charging handle.
	Hawke Optics offers free ballistics software for Mac, PC, iPhones and iPads and Android devices. The BRC software has the Hawke reticles and a bunch of cartridge profiles built-in, so you can quickly tell it you’re using the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope with an AR-15. As I was using practice hand loads, I adjusted the actual velocity to 2,700 feet per second instead of the default 3,250. As this is a 1x optic, and I’m half blind, I chose a 200 yard zero. not to actually shoot at 200 yards, but because the “near” zero point for the primary aiming cross works out to 42.2 yards. You can see on the image here that the left columns shows near zero distances while the column on the right shows far zero distances. Using my specially calibrated tennis shoes, I paced off 42 yards and added a bit more. Sure enough, I was right on target with the primary (top) aiming point in the reticle.
	Here’s where it gets interesting. The Hawke BRC software tells me, that for this reticle, with my specific load and velocity, what the aiming points are for the lower cross and the top of the vertical post – 6.3 and 4.3 yards respectively. So I moved my target in to 6.3 yards, again using my Imperial system calibrated shoes and paced off 6.3 yards. Again, right on target. same with the top of the vertical post aim point at 4.3 yards. Depending on where you set your primary zero, and which load you use, you can develop a useful scenario where you know point of impact for both very short and very long-range. This is particularly handy with AR-15 applications. As the center of AR-15 optics is generally about 2.5 inches above the bore, you normally have to compensate for short-range shots. With the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope, you simply use one of the lower two aiming points to put you right on target at “inside the home” distances.

The Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose BRC software comes preloaded with all of the Hawke Optics reticles so you can easily work out point of aim and impact solutions. Here’s the data we used for AR-15 testing with a 2,700 foot per second .223 Remington load.

Closing Arguments

The practical flexibility of this optic is just plain cool. I’ve been using it on an AR-15 with great success. My daughter just got a Barnett Jackal crossbow, so the weekend project will be to equip it with the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope and see how that works. Our first step will be to configure the Hawke BRC software with the Jackal’s ballistic data. Here’s the initial report based on the bolt velocity of the Jackal. By the way, crossbow data is preloaded into Hawke BRC software and you can tweak variables like velocity.

The Hawke BRC Software give us this projected aim point and range data for the Barnett Jackal crossbow.

So, looking at the right column of far aim point data, we see that the three default aim points correspond to ranges of 20, 40 and 50 yards.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t touch on the value of this one. Retailing at $129.99, the Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose scope is a great option to consider if you’re on a tight budget. Add the benefit of moving it around from rifle to crossbow to shotgun and you’ve got a winner.


Available Here	Hawke 1×32 Multi-Purpose Scope

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EOTech 300 AAC Blackout Holographic Site – Coming Soonish!

March 11, 2013 By Tom Leave a Comment

The EOTech XPS2-300 features two 1 MOA dots positioned inside a 65MOA circular reticle.

We had the pleasure of spending the past few days at the 2013 Professional Outdoor Media Association annual conference in Columbia, South Carolina. One of the joys of the annual POMA gathering is spending quality time with corporate members like EOTech. Away from the bedlam of SHOT Show or the NRA Annual Meeting, there is opportunity for lot’s of questions. Even better, the range day event allows more leisurely trial of new products.

One of this year’s range day highlights was the new EOTech .300 AAC Blackout holographic sight. On the outside, it shares primary features with other XPS models.

The EOTech 300 AAC Blackout reticle looks something like this.

For example, it uses a sideways mounted CR123 battery. There are two reasons for this. The sideways mount helps to shorten the overall length of the optic – handy for AR platforms with limited rail space. This is especially important if you also want to mount a magnifier or backup iron sights. The hidden benefit of the sideways mounted battery is increased resistance to adverse recoil effects. As the rifle fires, the battery does not move back and forth against the battery contacts. The result? Longer life and improved reliability. Clever.

The XPS2-300 model also features rear mounted on/off and brightness buttons. This is primarily for true ambidextrous operation. Windage and elevation adjustments are 1/2 MOA, or about 1/2 inch per click at 100 yards.

The real deal with the EOTech 300 AAC Blackout is the multi-dot reticle. Like most other EOTech models, there is a 1 MOA center dot. With the XPS2-300, there is a second dot below the first. This is intended for an additional range zero with the 300 AAC Blackout cartridge. The idea is that you choose either subsonic or supersonic 300 Blackout loads and establish two range points corresponding to the two dots. For example, most 300 Blackout subsonic rounds, if zeroed at 50 yards, will have the lower dot corresponding to 100 yards. In all likelihood, supersonic rounds will match the top dot at 50 yards also and depending on your specific load, you can establish a range that corresponds to the lower dot. Or, with the wide variety of 300 AAC Blackout loads, you could zero the upper dot for your choice of supersonic load, then determine the range for your choice of subsonic load sighted with the lower dot. This will be a fun optic to experiment with if you’re a reloader.

The EOTech models for .223 / 5.56mm also have a 7 yard aim point. This is where the bottom post intersects the 65MOA circle. This aim point should also apply for the 300 AAC Blackout optic as there is minimal trajectory influence at just 7 yards – most of the difference between aim point and point of impact is a result of the height of the center dot over the barrel. We weren’t able to test this, but it should be pretty darn close.

We’re anxious to get one of these in so we can experiment with a variety of both subsonic and supersonic loads and report on the reticle function. According to EOTech, the unit will be out sometime in the late spring / early summer of 2013.

More to follow.

Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: 300 AAC Blackout, Aac, ar15, Blackout, eotech, Holographic, holographic sight, Holographic Weapon Sight, optics, poma, red-dot, Reticle, reviews, scopes

Laser Review: Crimson Trace Green Laserguard for Glock LG-452

August 15, 2012 By Tom 1 Comment

The Crimson Trace Green Laserguard for Glock Handguns

Green with envy. The brand new Crimson Trace Green Laserguard for Glocks

My Glock 31 Gen 4 with Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrips is now green with envy. Because of my Glock 17 Gen 4 that is now sporting the hot off the line Crimson Trace Green Laserguard LG-452.

Following up on the sneak previews at this years NRA Annual Meeting, Crimson Trace is just about to release a whole slew of green laser models. In September, we’ll see Laserguard models for Kimber and Smith & Wesson 1911′s, GLOCK Full-Size & Compact, and Springfield XD & XD(M) pistols. Based on our earlier experience with the Lightguard for 1911′s, we’ll bet it will fit the Springfield 1911 models as well. Also on the soon to hit the shelves list is the Rail Master unit with a green laser. We just finished reviewing a Rail Master with a light and found it to be versatile enough to fit every gun in our safe that is equipped with a rail. AR rifles included.

Crimson Trace Green Laserguard Specs

As stated, the Crimson Trace Green Laserguard will run for about 2 hours of continuous use. Considering that the unit is equipped with a positive on/off switch that disables the instinctive activation button, this is plenty. Going to an outdoor range to plink or practice? No problem, you decide if you want to chase the dot. If you would rather work with iron sights and save your battery, just flip the switch off and shoot normally.

Note how bright the Crimson Trace Green Laserguard is compared to a red laser in broad daylight

The Laserguard also features windage and elevation adjustments so you can set your laser zero to preference. When I mounted it on the Glock 17 Gen 4, the green dot was just above the front sight, so it had a usable zero right out of the box. The included tool is dual purpose. It fits the mounting screws that fasten the two halves of the Laserguard together and is used for windage and elevation adjustments.

The Crimson Trace Green Laserguard LG-452 uses a single CR2 Lithium battery. The first one is included with the unit. For future replacements, CR2 batteries are available at most any grocery or drug store,

The Living Daylights

The whole point of green lasers is visibility. The human eye picks up green easily – more so than other colors. In the same manner that human eyes are immediately drawn to members of the opposite sex, so it is with green lasers. It’s simple biology.

Installation of the Crimson Trace Green Lightguard LG-452 is easy

Installation of the Crimson Trace Green Laserguard is easy

The big benefit to the Crimson Trace Green Laserguard is high visibility – in all conditions. While operating indoors, the green laser really shines – noticeably more than a traditional red laser.

The biggest difference, however, is visibility in daylight conditions. I generally don’t bother trying to practice with a red laser at outdoor ranges unless it’s getting to be end of day and the light is fading significantly. You just can’t see that red laser dot more than a few feet away in direct sunlight. The green laser is an entirely different story. I had no problem clearly seeing the green dot, in broad daylight, on targets 100 feet or more away. It’s an amazing difference that you have to see to believe.

Our Review Rating

Four Nuns! Green lasers suck power like Rosie O’Donnell sucks at talk shows. But somehow, Crimson Trace has figured out how to pack 2 hours of super bright runtime into this small package. That’s plenty and batteries are cheap. We can’t wait to see what’s next…

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: crimson trace, glock, green lasers, laser review, Lasergrips, Laserguard, new products, sights

Red Dot Sight Review: Aimpoint PRO Optic

July 28, 2012 By Tom 1 Comment

The Aimpoint PRO is beautifully designed. Note the transparent rear lens cap.

Sweden has invented some pretty useful things over the years. Ingrid Bergman. Greta Garbo. Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite and that goofy prize for well-connected politicians. And of course, Sweden is responsible for bringing us the swingin’ pop sensation ABBA. Oh, Fernando, you dancing queen…

As if these contributions were not enough, Sweden also produced Aimpoint. As we discovered with our review of the Aimpoint Micro H1 red dot sight, the new Aimpoint PRO over-delivers. But is it the best red dot sight?

The Aimpoint PRO Red Dot Sight goes from tactical to civilian

The Aimpoint PRO is actually a new packaging release. The Law Enforcement only product, the Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (PRO) was released in 2011. It was the latest iteration of sights based on the popular Comp M3 design. The Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic had a few key differences to the Comp M3 line:

3 year battery life
Included flip up lens covers
QRP2 mount
Nifty lens cap (interior) sticker for battery replacement and in-service date reminders

In 2012, the Aimpoint PRO was made available to the civilian market. Got it?

High points – Is the Aimpoint PRO the best red dot sight?

Like the Aimpoint Micro H1 red dot, the Aimpoint PRO red dot sight runs 75% of forever. The single 3 volt lithium 2L76 battery runs for 30,000 continuous hours. That’s longer than the movie The English Patient. Although The English Patient seems longer once you’re trapped in the theater and doomed to hours of $14 cokes. In case you haven’t seen The English Patient, 3,000 hours equates to about 3 years of continuous use. We’re pretty comfortable with a design that runs for 3 years without switches or maintenance. Even if you’re really paranoid, just replace that single battery every New Years Eve before the festivities start and you become forgetful. Of course there is a real benefit to this longevity other than an exceptionally low battery replacement budget. Just leave this red dot sight powered on. Always. Then it’s ready to go without switches or any other manipulation. As we’ll see later, you don’t even have to open the lens covers.

The Aimpoint PRO red dot sight features a 2 MOA (minute of angle) red dot. Intensity is adjusted by a knob at the 2 o’clock position from the rear lens. The knob is designed with deep grooves for easy grasp, even with gloves, and allows 10 levels of dot intensity adjustment. We found that you can adjust it easily with your weak hand without obstructing the lens.

The QRP2 mount does not require tools – and is self torque limiting

The mount has also been updated from the Comp M3 offering for effective use on AR / M4 type platforms. The QRP2 system accomplishes two objectives. First, it places the optic at such a height where the iron sights on an AR platform line up in the bottom third of the optic window. This allows easy use of the red dot without iron sights getting in the way – even if your rifle has a fixed front sight. Second, the mount features a large snap knob for mounting the optic on the rail. Simply place the optic on the rail and tighten the knurled knob until it clicks 3 times. This applies exactly the right amount of torque so your rail will not be damaged. And you can easily mount and unmount the optic without tools. Please sir, step away from the vise grips!It’s a really handy mount that proved to be solid over time and use. The height spacer of the QRP2 mount is removable if you want to mount the Aimpoint PRO on shotguns or sub-machine guns.

Both front and rear lenses are inset into the optic body for extra protection. The front tube is threaded inside in case you want to mount an optional anti-reflective device. By the way, the Aimpoint PRO red dot sight is compatible with all current generations of night vision devices. It also can be used with Aimpoint’s 3x magnifier if you need to reach out and touch someone at greater distance.

Like other Aimpoint products, the Aimpoint PRO is built with attention to detail. For example, windage and elevation caps, and the battery compartment cap, are all connected with a rubber strap so won’t lose any pieces. Aimpoint even includes a sticker to record battery changes and service dates. This round sticker fits on the inside of the front lens cap so you won’t lose track of it. And you’ll see it every time you open the lens cap.

Optical illusions

One of the first things we noticed about the Aimpoint PRO is the design of the included (and pre-installed) flip up lens covers. The front lens is made from black rubber and has two tabs that allow for easy opening. The front lens cover is spring loaded, so a light tap on either tab opens the cover all the way, and spring tension keeps it well out of the way once opened. The rear lens cover is particularly interesting. The cover itself is clear, so you don’t necessarily have to open it for use. As the Aimpoint PRO is designed for ‘both eyes open’ shooting, you can literally pick up the rifle and aim it accurately with both lens covers closed. The rear cover is clear, so you will see the red dot. Your offside eye will see the target. Your brain will put the two together and you’ll see a red dot on target. Of course, the sight picture is not as clear as with the lens covers open, but we found this scenario to be perfectly usable. This seemingly minor feature could make all the difference in a scenario where one has to react immediately. Obviously it could make a big difference in combat or defensive applications. Or it can help you avoid embarrassment in that upcoming 3 gun match.

You too can re-enact scenes from Act of Valor

We hear much internet wisdom about how quality optics are expensive. And how you can get the “same exact thing” from some other company. Some folks insist that the actual optic is made in the same factory as a knock off and different brand names are applied as the units are shipped out the door.

Aimpoint PRO Patrol Rifle Optic Red dot sight cowitness iron sights

The mount co-witnesses perfectly with iron sights.

Not so with the Aimpoint product line. They are made in Sweden by Aimpoint, for Aimpoint. Period. And the attention to quality engineering is apparent.

The Aimpoint PRO is constructed from a solid anodized aluminum housing. Watertight screw caps for the battery housing and windage and elevation adjustments ensure that you can completely submerge this unit up to a depth of 150 feet. If you’re engaged in activities that cover your optic with sand and salt spray, no problem, just dunk it in clean water and you’re good to go. Do make sure the caps are on though.

The Aimpoint PRO Red Dot Sight at the range

Of course the real test was at the range. We mounted the evaluation unit on a DPMS Panther A3 Lite 16 AR15 rifle. This model features a front sight post and rail on the back. We have it equipped with a Magpul flip-up rear sight. Even with the rear sight flipped up, the Aimpoint PRO’s red dot was easy to see. The front and rear sights lined up just about 1/3 of the way up the glass. Perfectly positioned in our opinion.

As the Aimpoint PRO is parallax free there was no sensitivity at all to position of your head and eyes. As long as you can see through the tube, you’ll see the dot on target. We found this sight very fast to acquire.

Just for kicks, we did try shooting some 25, 50 and 100 yard targets with the both lens covers closed. Remember, the Aimpoint PRO has a semi-transparent rear lens cap, so you can see the red dot without flipping the rear cap out of the way. With the front cap closed, your brain relies on your other eye to acquire the target. The eye looking through the optic will see the dot and your brain does a reasonable job of putting the two together. We found 25 and 50 yard targets easy to hit with the front cap closed. The 100 yard targets were a little harder to acquire accurately in this manner. The bottom line is that this feature works as intended. If you need to fire a quick shot, you can do it accurately without even opening the lens caps.

All in all, this is another excellent optic and mount from Aimpoint. We’re going to have to buy one.

Our rating

Four Nuns! Built like a tank. Clear and easy to acquire. Those little details that Aimpoint considers make all the difference. We highly recommend this one.

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Shop for the Aimpoint Pro at Brownells.com

Aimpoint Patrol Rifle Optic (Pro)
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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: aimpoint, ar15, optics, optics review, red-dot, review, riflescope, scope, sights, tactical

Pistol Light Review: Crimson Trace Rail Master Tactical Light CMR-202

July 17, 2012 By Tom 14 Comments

I may be slow at times, but I haven’t yet sunk to the mental aptitude of what we here in South Carolina call “pluff mud.”.

Crimson Trace Rail Master Tactical Light

You see, it recently dawned on me why Crimson Trace named its new product line “Rail Master.”

They could have gone with “Rail Light” or maybe “Rail Flashlight Thing” or perhaps “Rail-ey Tactical.”

But they didn’t. I think it was because the Rail Master was intended to represent a family of products from the get go. Back in February of this year, Crimson Trace launched the Rail Master Universal Laser Sight. Now they have applied the same idea to a tactical light. Add a green laser version and an infrared laser version, and Rail Master becomes a family of products. A series of related products that become “master of the rail” with their respective functions.

We’ve had a new Crimson Trace Rail Master CMR-202 for testing and evaluation the past few weeks. So far, I’ve worked with it on two different pistols – a Glock 32 Generation 3 and a Beretta PX4.

Highlights (How about that pun?)

The Crimson Rail Master Tactical Light is one tiny little thing. It weighs in at just 1.5875 ounces (with battery) according to my Frankford Arsenal handy dandy portable scale. Since this scale has a selectable units setting, you could also call that 694.5 grains, 225.05 carats, or maybe 45.01 grams. Just saying.

Crimson Trace Rail Master Tactical Light on a Beretta PX4 Pistol

We also mounted the Crimson Trace Rail Master on a Beretta PX4

The Rail Master Tactical Light uses a single standard CR2 lithium battery – available at most any store starting with “Wal…” I’ve found that most drug stores and quite a few grocery stores carry this batter as well. With a full battery, the Rail Master Tactical Light gets just about 2 hours of continuous light. It’s got a five minute inactivity timer so it turns itself off in case you forget or it gets inadvertently turned on some other way.

The Rail Master is fully ambidextrous and is turned on with either of two paddle levers that will end up just in front of your trigger guard. I found that it was convenient to reach with either my trigger finger or weak hand thumb on the opposite side.

The Railmaster installs on most any pistol with a rail mount. It also can install on rail equipped rifles – just be sure that placement on a rifle allows for natural activation of the switch as the unit does not include a remote on/off option. Not yet anyway.

According to Crimson Trace, the CMR-202 Rail Master fits the following:

Fits pistols, rifles, and shotguns with M1913 Picatinny or Weaver Accessory Rail including: • 1911 Government or Commander with Rail • AR-15/M16 or similar rail-equipped long guns • Beretta PX4 Full Size and Compact, 92Vertec • GLOCK 3rd Gen 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, 34, 35, 38 • GLOCK 4th Gen 17 and 19 • Heckler & Koch (HK) P30, 45, 45C • Ruger SR9, SR40, SR9c, SR40c • Sig Sauer P220, P226, P229 • Smith & Wesson M&P Full-Size and Compact • Smith & Wesson SD • Springfield Armory XD and XD(M) • Taurus Millennium Pro, 24/7 • Most other rail-equipped pistols with a minimum of 1 1/16″ from recoil lug.

Check out the light show…

The Crimson Trace Rail Master Tactical Light has three modes of operation. The basic idea is that you set the desired mode using a very deliberate step. Then, each time the paddle levers are activated, the light operates in the pre-selected mode. The Rail Master can be set with the following options:

Constant On: Either button turns the light on. It remains on until you tap one of the two buttons a second time. Or, after five minutes of inactivity, it turns itself off. The inactivity timer applies in all three modes.

Momentary Activation: You need to keep pressure applied to either one of the paddle levers for the light to remain on. Removing pressure from the switch turns the light off. This mode is good for quick on / off scenarios. Like hunting rats in the garage. Oh yeah, or being discreet while defending your home against sneaky ninjas.

Strobe Mode: Tapping one of the paddle levers will turn the light on with a rapid strobe effect. It remains on until the paddle is tapped again.

I like how you switch modes on the unit. Simply hold down both paddles at the same time for a few seconds. The light will now change modes. Release and it “sticks” in the selected mode. It’s not too easy to change modes – you have to be very deliberate about it. That’s a good thing as you don’t want the lamp turning on in an unexpected mode at the wrong time.

Installation

Installation was simple, but read the instructions first. The unit includes 4 different adapters to optimize the fit to specific guns. The following steps show installation on a Glock 32 Generation 3, but we also installed it on a Beretta PX4 with no trouble.

	The Rail Master comes as three components: the body, the custom size insert (upper right in this photo) and the rail clamps. if yours comes assembled, loosen the two clamp screws and slide the clamps completely off the light body.
	The insert will now slide out of the body.
	Four inserts are included with the Rail Master to create a custom fit on your pistol. Refer to the enclosed chart to see which is designed for your pistol. Basically, the insert controls the distance that the light is mounted from the trigger guard. There are not necessarily hard and fast rules here. If you want the Rail Master to be be mounted more forward or back, feel free to experiment with some different inserts.
	For the Glock 32 shown here, the number 3 insert was the right fit. Slide it in from the left side as shown.
	Slide the rail clamps back on to the light body, making sure that the screws are still loose.
	Rock the assembly into place and check to make sure the light is positioned where you want it. Note how the insert fits into the rail slot on the gun to firmly position the Rail Master.
	The battery is accessible from the front. Simply remove the two screws next to the light lens and the battery cover slides off towards the front.
	Install the battery as shown. It won’t work flipped the other way around as we found out the hard way. It pays to follow the instructions carefully… Reinstall the cover and two front screws and you’re good to go!

Does it hunt?

I did not have any home invasions during the evaluation period, so I was unable to test the unit in a genuine tactical emergency. So I resorted to the next best thing. Garage hunting.

Here in South Carolina, many houses located near swamps are raised. ‘Raised home’ is a fancy way to say that your house is built on top of your garage, so you have to climb steps to get anywhere. Realtors sell these homes by advertising the swamps as scenic wetlands. But let’s face it. A swamp’s a swamp. Anyway, raised houses have two benefits if you’re into rodent hunting. First, the semi-enclosed garage is humongous as it’s the size of the house floor plan. Second, being a semi-enclosed garage, located next to a swamp, you tend to get the occasional rodent visitor.

What better way to test a tactical pistol light than stick it on a pistol, load a few CCI Shot Shells, and go rat hunting?

To get a better feel for the illumination pattern, we tried a few different options: The Crimson Trace Rail Master Tactical Light mounted on a Beretta PX4, the Crimson Trace Lightguard mounted on a Glock 31, and a Streamlight TLR 1 mounted on a Glock 17.

From the photos below, note the different beam patterns. The two units from Crimson Trace throw a fairly broad and even pattern which gently diffuses farther from the center. The Streamlight is a much more focused beam. Wandering around the swamp garage at night, I really preferred the broader pattern of the Crimson Trace units as peripheral view was much better.

Crimson Trace Rail Master comparison - Streamlight and Crimson Trace Lightguard

Left to right: Rail Master, Lightguard, and Streamlight TLR-1. Not the slightly brighter 130 lumen beam of the Lightguard and the narrow beam of the TLR-1. Distance is 21 feet and columns are 8 feet apart.

Closing arguments

This is a nice little unit and especially handy for guns that don’t have a Crimson Trace Lightguard option. While I’m still experimenting, I think I like the Constant On mode best – hit one of the paddles and the light stays on until you turn it off. The small size and light weight is a real plus as well. I’m looking forward to testing this out on a rifle. Unfortunately, during this review period we did not have one handy equipped with a bottom or side rail.

Our Rating

Four Nuns! Simple. Positive activation. Light. Great mounting flexibility. Useful light pattern.

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: crimson trace, rail lights, tactical lights

Review: TruGlo TFO Tritium Fiber Optic Sights

July 2, 2012 By Tom Leave a Comment

We’ve owned a set of TruGlo TFO Tritium Fiber Optic sights for a Glock 32 for years. As we wrote in our Buyers Guide, these have become our favorite handgun sights. Bar none.

A Clever Acronym: TFO

The idea behind the TFO sights is to combine fiber optic tubes with tritium power sources. This accomplishes two things:

Provide outstanding visibility in daylight conditions. The brighter it is outside, the more your sights jump out at you. Using the high-tech ruler etched into our Leatherman Wave Multi-Tool, we estimated each of the fiber optic tubes to be just about 1/2 inch long. The tube collects available light from the top and concentrates it at the base of the tube, thereby creating a really, really bright dot sight.
Provide outstanding visibility in low or no light conditions. This is where the tritium comes into play. At the muzzle end of each fiber optic tube is a tritium lamp which emits light through the tube. This creates a glowing dot powered by tritium instead of light collected by the fiber optic tube.

So now you know where the TFO (Tritium Fiber Optic) name comes from.

Yellow For No, Green For Go

TruGlo TFO sights are now available in either all green (front and back sights) or a combination of yellow and green. The combination unit we tested on a Glock 26 Gen 4 features a green fiber optic tube on the front sight and yellow tubes on the rear sight. The yellow sights on the rear are deliberately less bright than the green. This helps the front sight to visibly stand out from the rear sights – which is especially important in low light conditions. With a bright green dot flanked on either side by yellow dots, there is simply no way to confuse sight alignment. After using the all green version of TFO sights for years, we noticed that the front sight is noticeably faster to pick up when the rear sights are yellow.

Built To Last

We’ve only been using the new Yellow / Green TFO’s for about 2 months on the Glock 26, and not surprisingly, have not had any durability issues. However, we’ve been using an older, identically constructed, set of TFO sights on a Glock 32 for several years. The Glock 32 is a daily carry gun and has many thousands of rounds of fairly snappy recoil .357 Sig ammunition through it and we’ve had no issues with the TFO sights. They are as solid as they were day we installed them.

The Fiber Optic tubes are enclosed on three sides by CNC machined steel frames so there is minimal risk of damage to the tubes. We should also note that the sights are closed at the muzzle end, thereby preventing anyone from seeing the glow – day or night.

Installation

If you’re installing these on a Glock, this screwdriver tool set from Brownells greatly simplifies the process. You’ll need the proper Glock front site tool to remove the factory site and install a new one anyway, so it’s a good time to invest in the complete Glock toolkit.

To install the rear sights on the Glock 26, we used a Glock compatible sight pusher tool from MGW. If you’re doing the installation yourself, we highly recommend using a proper sight pusher tool. If you don’t have one, or can’t borrow one, any gunsmith can install the sights quickly and easily. This is not an appropriate time to break out the hammer!

Our Rating

Four Nuns! The green front sight, yellow rear sight option is fantastic. Day or night, it’s very easy to pick up the front sight rapidly.

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: night sights, sights, tritium, truglo

Sight Review: Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911′s

June 19, 2012 By Tom 8 Comments

John Moses Browning didn’t invent this, but that’s OK. Of course if low power LED technology and CR2 batteries were available at Walgreens at the turn of the previous century he would have. All that aside, we think most 1911 aficionados will appreciate having the option of mounting a combat light on a traditional, no-rail, 1911 platform. Even if it was not originally built by John Moses Browning. May he rest in peace.

Close on the heels of the Lightguard for Glock full size and compact pistols release, Crimson Trace is expanding the line with the Lightguard LTG-701 for 1911 pistols.

Crimson Trace has recently started shipping this newest member of the Lightguard family. It is designed to fit select 1911’s including Kimber, Ruger, and Smith & Wesson – either full size or compact – non-railed models. Bobtail 1911 designs from these manufacturers are OK too according to Crimson Trace. We didn’t have an appropriate bobtail 1911 around to test this however. But we trust Iaian – that new media relations guy at Crimson Trace. As long as he’s not wearing a kilt.

Since we did have a Springfield Armory TRP 1911 Armory Kote (no rail) in for evaluation, we decided to give the LTG-701 a try. Fit on this particular pistol was perfect. However, 1911’s vary, so be sure to check with Crimson Trace to find out if your particular pistol will work with the Lightguard for 1911’s if it’s not on the pre-approved list.

The neat thing about the Lightguard for 1911’s is that it does not require a rail equipped 1911 to mount it. It’s sized perfectly to fit in clamshell fashion, leveraging the trigger guard, and wraps around the bottom portion of the 1911 dustcover.

Installation

Like Lightguards for other pistol platforms, installation for the Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911 is easy and requires no modifications to the pistol itself.

	As with other models in the Lightguard series, the Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911’s has everything you need for installation – including battery and tools.
	The Crimson Trace Lightguard is a two piece assembly. If it’s not already separated, pull the two halves apart and insert the included battery as shown. Be sure to orient the battery correctly. As we all learned from Ghostbusters, crossing the streams is bad. Very bad. While we did not dare to try this, it’s rumored that reversing the battery causes your $3,000 custom 1911 to morph into a Hi-Point. Or so we hear.
	The Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911’s fits over the front and bottom of the trigger guard. Install the right half with the battery first. A small ridge will end up inside the trigger guard.
	While keeping the battery half in place, snap the left half into position. You’ll need to position the end near the grip first as it has a notched fit.
	Using the three included screws and provided hex tool, fasten the two halves of the Lightguard together. Not too tight or you’ll strip the threads.
	Not the positive on/off switch on the right half of the Lightguard. This is particularly handy if you do a lot of daytime practice or recreational shooting and don’t want to kill your battery.
	The Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911’s has the activation pressure switch on the base of the trigger guard instead of the grip face. This allows you to use a Crimson Trace Lasergrip in conjunction with the Lightguard. With a normal grip, the side of your middle finger will exert enough pressure to turn the Lightguard on. Neato.

Features & Function

The Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911’s was perfectly solid on our test pistol – the Springfield Armory TRP. We shot it with a wide variety of practice and full power self defense loads and experienced no loosening of the mount.

If you choose to carry this configuration, you’ll need a holster sized to accommodate the Lightguard, but other than that, it adds no appreciable weight or bulk to the gun. It’s natural and unobtrusive.

The Crimson Trace Lightguard for 1911’s uses a single CR2 battery. This drives 100 lumens of LED light for just about 2 hours. That’s plenty for all but the most drawn out home invasions. And like the Lightguard for Glocks, we found the light pattern to be excellent. Even and with no dead spots.

Closing Arguments

We recently took a look at the Crimson Trace Lightguard for Glock full size and compact pistols and found it a necessary component for the perfect nightstand gun. If you’re a .45 ACP 1911 fanatic, now you’re set too. Even though the light is mounted forward of the rear sights, and underneath the pistol, we were able to see the sights clearly in pitch dark with the Lightguard turned on.

Our Rating

Four Nuns! The form factor is smooth, slim, and elegant – like the 1911. And it will light up your world.

AVAILABLE HERE: Crimson Trace LightGuard for Full Size 1911 Pistols LTG-701

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: 1911, crimson trace, lightguard, tactical lights

Review: Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrips for Glock

May 12, 2012 By Tom 2 Comments

Plays Nicely With Others…

www.crimsontrace.com

Suggested Retail Price: $279.00

The Good	The Bad	The Ugly	Our Rating
The LG-850 for Glock Gen 4 pistols is easy to install, easy to use, and foolproof.	She now wants the Glock 26 Gen 4 compatible model…	We’re gonna have to buy the Glock 31 in for evaluation. That with Lasergrips and Lightguard make a compelling nightstand gun.	Four Nuns! Simply put, it’s hard to find any fault with this setup.

The Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrip for Glock full sized and compact models is designed specifically to play nicely with others. With it’s rear-of-frame-mount and backstrap pressure pad activation switch, it is designed to complement the Crimson Trace Lightguard which we covered in an earlier review. As the Lightguard features a front activation switch, using both units concurrently is an option. Of course, all this stuff is mounted below frame level so it does not interfere with your personal choice of iron sights either.

The rear mounted pressure activation pad is reliable and consistent. We had no problems with intermittent activation with any sort of normal grip. The nice thing about placement on the back of the back strap is that there is virtually no chance of holster interference with the switch. On occasion, with side mounted switches, we’ve had some trouble with certain holsters activating lasers while the gun is holstered. None of that here.

A noticeable difference with the Glock Gen 4 models is the design of the side panels where the batteries are housed. More angular in design, they are placed low enough that your firing hand thumb and trigger finger ride well above them, preventing an real change in the perceived trigger reach. While the middle of the grip is wider due to the panels, we found very little change in trigger finger placement.

Features

Rear activation pressure pad
Master On / Off switch
Battery life: 4+ hours
Windage and elevation adjustments
3 year warranty
Dot size: Approximately 1/2” at 50 feet

Clap on, clap off

Well, not quite, but one of the things we like about the Crimson Trace LG-850 lasergrip is the Master On/Off switch design. The master switch completely disables or re-enables the grip sensitive pressure pad switch. This is particularly useful for general practice, plinking, competitions, or any other shooting situation where you don’t want the laser to operate and burn down your batteries. It is operated with a pressure switch on the back strap that is protected by a small circular ridge. This makes it very unlikely that you will power the unit on or off inadvertently. Simply hold the button in for a moment and the laser is disables. Repeat to re-enable the laser. It’s easy to operate and we had no issues with accidental activation – you have to be pretty intentional about turning it on or off.

Installation

Installation of the Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrips on our Glock 17Gen 4 and Glock 31 Gen 4 was a snap. We used only one tool, which was included, made no trips to Wal-Mart for batteries, and had no parts left over when all was said and done.

	The Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrip kit includes everything you need to install them on a Glock Gen 4 Model 17, 22, 31, 34, or 35. Remember, this unit is for Generation 4 models only! Included with the kits are (2) Lithium CR 2025 batteries, a punch tool to remove the grip back strap pin, a longer back strap pin used to mount the lasergrips, a windage and elevation adjustment tool, a couple of laser lens cleaners, and a set of instructions.
	After insuring that the gun is unloaded, and double checking both magazine and chamber to verify, simply push the trigger housing pin out as shown using the provided punch tool. This takes very little pressure, so leave the hammer in the toolbox.
	Next, install the two provided batteries. They just snap into place. Be sure that the flat side of the batteries are oriented towards the grip of the Glock. If the light turns on, you’ve got it right.
	The Crimson Trace Lasergrip model for the Glock Gen 4’s does not require the two different back strap spacers as do the Gen 3 models – so you can just push it into place with no additional adjustment.
	Now take the provided trigger housing pin, which is a tad longer than the Glock factory pin, and place it all the way through the lasergrip and Glock back strap. You can use the punch tool if you need.
	Voila! Installing the Crimson Trace Lasergrips for Glock Gen 4 models is insanely easy. It literally takes about a minute and a half. As you can see by this photo, the Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrip and Crimson Trace Lightguard work together beautifully. the Lasergrip uses a rear-activation pressure switch and the Lightguard uses a front activation pressure switch, so a firm grip on the gun activates both. With a little practice, you can easily reduce hand pressure to turn one or both off.

All in all a successful project.

Closing arguments

Installing the Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrips on a carry gun is a no-brainer. There is no interference with a holster, and depending on how you adjust the laser relative to iron sights, there is no distraction of the laser dot when using iron sights. We preferred setting the dot low enough that it was covered by the front sight when they were perfectly aligned.

Where the Crimson Trace LG-850 Lasergrips really shinse is in combination with the Crimson Trace Lightguard. These two accessories, mounted on a pistol with good night sights, make a fantastic home defense gun. No switches, levers, or gimmicks to worry about. Just grip the gun and you’ve got light and laser with the option of using tradition iron sights.

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Filed Under: Optics and Sights Reviews, Reviews Tagged With: crimson trace, glock, Lasergrips, lasers, reviews, Self-Defense

Review: Let There Be Light! The Crimson Trace Lightguard

March 15, 2012 By Tom 5 Comments

Review: Crimson Trace Lightguard

www.crimsontrace.com

Suggested Retail Price: $149.00

Find the Crimson Trace Lightguard at Amazon.com

The Good	The Bad	The Ugly	Our Rating
The Crimson Trace instinctive activation feature is outstanding on this unit. No levers or stretching of the digits – it just gets turned on easily. Like Tiger Woods.	While easy to remove and reinstall, if mounting on our carry gun, you’ll need a new holster.	We’re really tempted to get yet another Glock to dedicate to a ‘nightstand’ configuration – Lightguard plus Lasergrips. Maybe a G31…	Four Nuns! This is a bright and effective light in a small package. Couldn’t be more intuitive.

We’ve used a Streamlight TLR-1 rail mounted light on a Beretta PX4 Storm as the ‘nightstand gun’ for several years now. The TLR-1 is a great piece of equipment – tough, bright, and intuitive to operate.

But now we’re spoiled.

With the new Crimson Trace Lightguard mounted on a Glock 17 Gen IV, we’ve got more light, less weight, and even simpler activation.

What’s the big deal?

The Crimson Trace Lightguard is designed to mate seamlessly with it’s respective gun model. The polymer (OK, plastic) color and texture are close to a perfect match with the Glock frame. The two halves of the Lightguard unit join together over the front and bottom of the trigger guard, and also clamp onto both sides of the Glock’s rail. Once installed, it’s solid – there’s no wobble or shake. The integral activation button is depressed with your middle finger – with no road rage gestures required.

In short, once you pick it up, it’s turned on. If only dating were that easy.

Features

The Crimson Trace Lightguard features a 100 lumen output – plenty to see, and potentially disorient
The light is LED for long life and durability
Approximately 2 hours of continuous operation
Positive on/off switch to deactivate the pressure switch
Battery type: (1) CR2 lithium
3 year warranty
Compatible with the following Lasergrip models: LG-617, LG-619, LG-850, and LG-851

Installation

Installation of the Crimson Trace Lightguard on our Glock 17 Gen IV was a snap. We used only one tool, which was included, made no trips to Wal-Mart for batteries, and had no parts left over when all was said and done.

All in all a successful project.

	Crimson Trace Lightguard includes everything you need for installation in the box: battery, hex tool, lens cleaner, and directions.Note to the Crimson Trace marketing team: Clever you are, making the boxes white on for the Lightguard series. We noticed!
	The Lightguard attaches to the Glock like a clamshell which covers the trigger guard and part of the rail.The first step is to insert the battery in one half of the clamshell and fit it over the frame as shown.Hint: Make sure the activation button portion of pushed hard into place. That makes alignment of the other half of the Lightguard much easier.
	Insert the second half of the Lightguard into the lamp end of the first half and close as shown.If you experience difficulty lining the two up, don’t force things. See the hint in the previous step. It fits like a glove when everything is lined up properly.
	When both halves snap into place, insert the two included screws and tighten them down using the enclosed tool.
	That’s it!See? No parts left over.This photo shows installation with the Lightguard compatible LG-850 Lasergrips.

The light show

With 100 lumens of light, the Crimson Trace Lightguard offers plenty of instant visibility indoors. We found that the residual light splash allowed us to easily get a sight picture with standard Glock sights – no tritium. Using the light and LG-850 Lasergrips together worked quite well. As the included photo shows, the light does not tend to wash out the intensity of the red laser dot. Both light beam and laser point of aim were clearly visible.

Closing arguments

While the jury is out for us as to whether we would want to equip a carry gun this way (holsters are available) it sure makes for an impressive home defense gun setup. We still keep a hand-held flashlight on the nightstand for looking around, but for night shooting, this combination can’t be beat. Target illumination, laser sighting, and no levers, buttons, or switches to fumble with.

Nice.

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BUY NOW: Crimson Trace Lightguard For Glock 17 19 22 23