Two Days at SHOT Show 2026
While a few attendees might still be stuck in Las Vegas because of Winter Storm Fern, SHOT Show 2026 is done and in the books. Last week’s article HERE looked at things that caught my eye during the Law Enforcement / Military range day. This event was hosted by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s firearms training unit at its range complex. Blue Tactical Technology Solutions On the teaching side, I enjoy the ability [...]
Night AWLS – HRT Tactical’s Weapon Mounted Light
Suppose you have a shoulder-fired weapon – shotgun or rifle – as part of your work tools or home defense inventory. In that case, you need to have a way to locate, identify, and evaluate or eliminate potential threats (keeping Rule #2 in mind). Handheld lights should be the norm [...]
Keeping Your Lights and Dots Clean
Weapon-mounted lights and pistol optics both get dirty. Within a range session or three, it is not difficult for a layer of burnt-on crap to begin solidifying on the downrange lens. That crud causes two problems. With a weapon-mounted light, it robs you of lumen and candela that should be [...]
Keeping the Dot on your Pistol
Last month I wrote about how you can attach an optic to your pistol. Using OEM or after-market plates from Glock, S&W, Shadow Systems, Unity Tactical, and others; direct milling from after-market sources like L&M Precision, Atei, C&H Precision, and a couple of manufacturers. Why am I addressing the process [...]
Batteries and the Direction They Seem to be Going
There are so many things that are battery powered I don’t know where to begin. So, I will confine this article to power supplies for handheld and weapon-mounted lights. It was not “in the beginning,” but it was long enough ago that it sure feels like it could have been. [...]
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEK
During SHOT, Streamlight gave several of us the new Pocket Mate task light they're offering. It is a mini-USB rechargeable, one-and-a-half-inch LED light with both a hook on it and a pocket clip. The output varies between 45 and 325 lumens – which is impressive when I think back to [...]
CHOOSING AN EDC FLASHLIGHT
There are several considerations when choosing an EDC flashlight. Every flashlight compromises size, weight, light output, battery type, beam shape, beam reach, and runtime. Flashlights differ significantly in convenience and performance. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed a voluntary specification that standardizes evaluations of flashlight performance. Most major [...]
TAKING AIM ON LASERS | Laser Sights for Handguns
The advent of miniature red dot sights (MRDS) has not made laser sights for handguns obsolete. There are unique advantages and disadvantages to each. The differences arise from how they work. A laser sight is an active sighting system that projects the aiming point onto the target. A reflex sight [...]
INTO THE DARKNESS | Powerful Lighting & Emergency Power Options
Having a high-output flashlight can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Think of the police officer on patrol, the first responder treating an injured individual, or a person lost in the wilderness after nightfall. In any of those situations, having a potent and reliable source of light, and [...]
MANTIS LASER ACADEMY | Affordable High-Tech Firearms Training at Home
It takes time and practice to become proficient with firearms. It’s an art that needs to be developed. And no matter how finely tuned a shooter you have become, shooting is a perishable skill. This is especially true with handguns. DRY-FIRE TRAINING The current ammo shortages and corresponding high ammo [...]
LET THERE BE LIGHT | Carry a Gun, Carry a Flashlight
If you ever have to use your firearm in self-defense there is a very strong likelihood that it will be in low or diminished light. You can’t afford to make any mistakes. The time frame in which the you will perceive danger to when deadly force is deemed necessary will [...]