Innholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2021 i Tactical Life

Maybe we can all remember when Christmas was exciting. Like most kids, I remember the anticipation of the presents under the tree and waking early to tear into a pile of Santa stuff. These days, that feeling of excitement has been replaced with a watered-down version when I get a text message from the local Class III dealer that my latest silencer acquisition got out of “ATF jail.” I wanted to put together a SHTF rig in 5.56, so I went the easy route with a Ruger AR-556 pistol with a 10.5-inch barrel. It’ll get the obligatory red-dot optic, light and laser and a petite can before it can go out and play. The perfect fit for this rig is a Yankee Hill Machine Turbo K suppressor, which just came…

“THE SAME AFOCAL OPTICS AND LARGE VIEWING WINDOW OVERLAY THERMAL IMAGERY ON TOP OF THE OPERATOR’S DIRECT VIEW OF THE TARGET AREA.” “PSST… WANT TO SEE SOMETHING COOL?” WELL, THAT WASN’T EXACTLY HOW THE CONVERSATION STARTED, BUT IT WAS PRETTY CLOSE. I WAS TOLD TO MEET ATHLON’S EDITORIAL DIRECTOR IN A DIMLY LIT BARN IN AN OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH PART OF MONTANA TO GO “EYES ON” WITH A TOP-SECRET OPTIC THAT STEINER STILL HAD IN ITS PROTOTYPE PHASE. It was actually October 2018 during Athlon’s Outdoor Rendezvous. We met with Steiner’s top man to see their cutting-edge “Wraith” thermal sight. What set this unit—now released to the military and to law enforcement as the Close Quarters Thermal (CQT) Sight—apart was that the thermal image displayed an outline rather than blotting out the…

The EVO 3 S2 Micro is CZ’s third and most featured rendition of the Scorpion EVO and is the civilian version of a specially equipped EVO submachine gun made for a narcotics interdiction agency that wanted something short, potent and suppressed. To make that weapon, CZ shortened the barrel on the EVO S1 from 7.75 inches to 4.12 inches, switched to a shorter forend made by HB Industries and supplied a CZ S2 Ti reflex suppressor. The S2 Ti reflex is 9.2 inches long, but extends only 5.8 inches beyond the muzzle because its 2-inch reflex chamber wraps around the barrel to provide the needed volume to cool and slow the combustion gases without adding length. The civilian version tested here is patterned after the narc cop subgun, but is…

The evening hunt had already been a huge success. Armed with an AR that I had built a few weeks earlier, I had scored hits on two large feral hogs and a coyote. One hour after sundown, it was pitch-black dark, and I had yet another hour of hunting ahead, as I was waiting for my host, Bill Wilson of Wilson Combat fame, to pick me up for supper. Crouched behind my stand, I heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps in the leaves as another hog approached the food plot about 70 yards north of my position. I switched on my Laser Genetics ND3 Sub Zero Laser Designator, which cast a faint, green glow over the section of the opening at which the Leupold 2-7x Hog Plex scope was aimed.…

SingleShot 2018 was a military sniper competition organized by the Polish Army at the CSWL Drawsko Pomorskie Polish Army Infantry Training Center, one of the best ranges in Europe. The 2018 edition was a very special event, as it commemorated 100 years of Polish independence. For the Polish military, it was a challenge to make this year a demanding competition, with complex stages based more in sniper teamwork than in extreme long-range shooting. The idea of this competition was born in 2015 after a military seminar for Polish Army snipers. Contrary to what most typical shooting competitions offer, the Polish competition is focused on actual sniper operations, which are far more complex than just shooting targets. After two years, SingleShot was opened for a few approved civilian competitors and ex-military…

Traditional analog night-vision gear has been used since the WWII. We are in the third generation of intensifier tubes, but not a lot has changed since the 1990s. However, digital technology is evolving at an exponential rate. There is an elusive goal for true digital night-vision mastery, and SiOnyx has nearly achieved it with their SiOnyx Aurora Night-Vision Camera. WHAT IS DIGITAL NIGHT VISION? Digital cameras, like your smartphone, and security cameras such as Ring and Nest, use sensors to receive light. The camera sensor can actually see infrared (IR) light, and manufacturers typically use an IR-blocking filter so the camera can take a photo without having IR light ruin the image. Digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras have these types of filters, commonly called hot mirrors. Artistic photographers will…

Speaking of presidential politics, a vote counter in Detroit doesn’t understand all the anger from Trump supporters over what he calls “a few measly thousands votes here and a few measly thousand votes there.” “You’d think they just got cheated out of winning the lottery or something,” said Barnard Smith, substitute vote counter and son of a local Democrat party operative. “The sooner they get over this and we all start getting along again, the better we’ll all be. “After all, you didn’t see Democrats whining like babies, throwing tantrums and threatening violence when we lost in 2016. Suck it up, buttercup. Time to move on!”…

ACCUFIRE NOCTIS V1 Accufire Technology’s Noctis V1 is a 1-16X magnification digital riflescope with an ultra-bright screen that is dimmable to 1 percent, and HD-quality night vision. The Noctis V1 quickly sights in like a traditional scope, and easily stores presets of ballistic solutions for a library of different firearms and ammo types. The Noctis V1 can also be set to record HD footage—regardless of available light—and offers the advantage of built-in Wi-Fi for shareable streaming through a cell phone. (accufiretech.com) ACCUFIRE THERMAL CLIP-ON Accufire Technology’s Thermal Clip-On is a compact thermal optic delivering superior image quality in a modular package. The Thermal Clip-On can operate as a handheld tracker or a forward-mounted clip-on to any traditional scope. (accufiretech.com) AGM GLOBAL VISION PYTHON-MICRO TS35-134 AGM’s Python-Micro TS35-134 thermal imaging riflescope…

I have been fortunate to have worked for Uncle Sam and I have played with some pretty cool gadgets on the job. The handheld thermal camera might not be the sexiest because it isn’t mounted on your rifle or on your helmet, but it is arguably the most useful piece of equipment you will come across for both hunting and law enforcement. Not only can you use it both night and day, but it actually makes your prey glow and stand out in a way that night vision simply does not. I was first introduced to stationary thermal units in the U.S. Border Patrol back in the 1990s. We had a unit mounted on the roof of the Imperial Beach Station and we could see all the way down to…

With its new Novus suppressor, Enfield Rifle Company has solved a serious flaw with the design concept of the currently marketed multi-caliber suppressors. Typically, a multi-caliber suppressor has baffles sized for the largest compatible caliber, and you can shoot any bullet that size or smaller. The only part that is changed is the front cap and possibly the mount, depending on the thread size of the firearm. Yes, it’s doable, but the baffles are larger than required for the smaller calibers, which reduces the suppressor’s effectiveness. With that design concept, a multi-caliber suppressor is fully effective only with its largest caliber. When the caliber is reduced, the suppressor loses effectiveness because, while the front cap is reduced for the smaller calibers, the internal baffles are sized for the largest caliber.…

If you’ve ever been sitting at the range, muttering “I wish someone would make XYZ,” well, odds are that someone is Axeon, and the XYZ will be exactly what you are looking for. Sure, Axeon is most commonly associated with optics, but the truth is they have much, much more to offer. To illustrate my point, I reached out to their marketing department and requested a package of the most mixed-and-matched equipment they could muster. A massive box showed up on my doorstep, and with that, I decided to spend the entire summer of 2020 learning about Umarex’s child company, Axeon. HOLY HEADLIGHTS! Illumination is big business in this country, and people from nearly every walk of life have a use for a compact, high-output light source. The Exude line…

My first introduction to thermal cameras was 20 years ago when three of us would hike in near the U.S./Mexico border with a camera, a tripod and 60 pounds worth of batteries. Since then I have discovered the joys of handheld units. No, you cannot zoom 10 miles to pick up a guy with a load of drugs on his back, but you can track a wounded animal during a hunt, figure out which cars have been running in the last hour during a surveillance, or see clearly where your insulation isn’t sufficient in each room of your house. Sector Optics produces a range of thermal cameras. Its introductory hand-held model, the T20X Thermal Imager, is less than 3 inches long so it will fit in your pocket. It zooms…

Every profession and industry has its own specific language. From acronyms that get pronounced like words to phrases you’d never hear anywhere else, they’ve all got a form of communication that only those who are “in-the-know” will understand. The firearms industry is no different. Even if you’re brand new to this industry and its specific lingo, it’s highly likely that you’ve encountered one, two or even all three of these terms: muzzle brake, compensator and flash suppressor. If you’re a seasoned industry professional, then you’ve definitely heard the terms before. Undoubtedly, you know what they mean and how they differ from one another. For the newcomers: This piece will teach you about the three terms and their different purposes. For the industry veterans: It’s OK to read this article. I…

To fill the need for a highly dependable and effective specialized weapon, Sig Sauer, a leader in providing products for such needs, developed the Sig MPX SBR 9mm subgun. Being a law enforcement officer and having contractor experience in Iraq and Kosovo, I chose to review this compact semi-auto that can be held as a pistol or used as a shoulder-fired rifle. Because of the increased interest in suppressors, things were spiced up with a SIG WSRD suppressor. For testing, I chose the Sig MPX SBR 9mm semi-auto, gas piston subgun with the 8-inch barrel. I chose it over the 4.5-inch barrel since the longer barrel produces higher velocities. SUBGUN USES The little gun would make a great patrol weapon. As you know, the sidearm of an LEO is considered…

Works of science fiction have long depicted a dark and ominous future in which machines rule over their human creators. Decades before The Terminator made Arnold Schwarzenegger an action movie megastar, the 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossumovi Univerzální Roboti, or Rossum’s Universal Robots) was the first to introduce the concept of robots that rise up against their masters. In writer Karel Capek’s story, the robots were made from synthetic organic matter and were designed to do menial tasks. This theme was explored decades later in Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Dick’s story was made into arguably the first true “cyberpunk” film, by director Ridley Scott, as Blade Runner, and while the replicants in the movie don’t exactly become humanity’s masters, it is clear that they could rise…

A rash of boating accidents since the November election has cut the number of privately owned firearms in the country nearly in half. One such victim was Festus Clevenger, whose boat capsized while he was traveling to his favorite small island in the ocean for some “alone” range time. “Damndest thing you ever saw,” Clevenger said. “A rogue orca came out of nowhere—right in the deepest part of water. Lost all of my ARs, six semi-auto pistols, four revolvers, two AKs and a whole box of 30-round magazines. “Sucks to not own a gun anymore, but I guess I’ll just have to live with the consequences. I guess there’s really no reasonable reason for someone to own that dang many guns anyway!”…

Pulsar’s new Thermion XG50 was among several new products showcased at the Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous in Driggs, Idaho, last September. Mounted on a semi-auto rifle, the Thermion XG50 didn’t look much different than any of the gaggle of day scopes up and down the firing line. Tagged as the PR maven for Pulsar, as well as Sightmark, its sister company, former Marine Kevin Reese shared a rundown of the new optic. “The Thermion XG50 has a 3-24X magnification range with a 42mm objective lens,” Reese said. “It features a 640-core sensor with a 12-micron pixel pitch. We’re the only one in the industry to offer a 640/12 thermal. The sensor is a BAE, while our proprietary 640/12 core makes it the only thermal in the industry capable of onboard video.…

Night-vision optics were once the sole purview of military and law enforcement agencies. If your email address did not end in. gov, chances were that you couldn’t afford decent night vision. However, revolutionary advances in inexpensive microelectronics have now brought efficient night-vision imagers within reach of the common man. While the practical applications of night vision for security and surveillance are fairly obvious, the real market is hog hunting. Despite aggressive eradication efforts, the feral pig population in America increased by 20 percent per year between 2006 and 2011. These animals wreak around $1.5 billion dollars’ damage to crops per annum. Thus, pig hunting with night vision has become one of the fastest-growing outdoor pursuits in the country. Streamlight is one of the world’s most prolific producers of weapon lights…

The annual Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, held last September in Idaho, presented an opportunity to thoroughly check out some of the latest and greatest guns, bullets, optics and more. By the time it was all over, I had a coating of rich, black Idaho dirt blasted into and onto every nook and cranny of my carcass. And it was a pretty good test medium to see how well new equipment slated to launch in 2021 would perform after a thorough sand-blasting. Among the equipment items “tested” were a few of SilencerCo’s new “do-all” suppressors. CAN BUYING TODAY The popularity of suppressor ownership has grown tremendously over the past decade. A reputable expert in the silencer industry told me 10 years ago that the number of suppressors made and sold the previous…

With dimwitted Joe Biden apparently set to become the next resident of the White House (recounts are still occurring at this writing), violent criminals are working with body armor manufactures to develop a full set of leg armor to protect them when confronted by law enforcement. Biden repeatedly said during the campaign that instead of shooting to kill, law enforcement officers should “aim for their legs,” in order to simply incapacitate criminals. “I don’t know about everyone in my line of work, but I’d rather have a cap popped in my ass or even spleen than in my legs,” commented Hector Gomez, a gang member on the mean streets of Chicago. “My legs are my most outstanding features, and chicks really dig them. Now we have this new president coming…

After finally reaching their four-year goal of replacing a pro-Second Amendment president with one solidly in the anti-gun camp, Democrats are questioning why so many people are suddenly afraid their privately owned firearms will be confiscated. A Gallup survey released two weeks after the election found that support for more gun control has fallen substantially. According to poll results, Americans’ overall support for more gun control stands at 57 percent, down from the 67 percent in 2018. Over time, that support has fallen even further, as support for more gun control stood at 78 percent in 1990. “I don’t understand why people suddenly think we want to take their guns,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, who definitively said several times during the campaign that she favored banning assault weapons and…

Upon learning from a National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) report that Americans own 150 million magazines the Biden administration considers to be “high-capacity” and wants to ban, Biden Chief of Staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon declared confiscating them all should be no big deal. “With Trump gone and America’s divided nature healed by President Biden and Vice President Harris, I’m sure it will be a piece of cake to get them to turn those horrible devices of war in for destruction,” she said. “We’ve got to all come together and rally around common-sense gun safety legislation, and it’s up to gun owners to do their part and join us in this heavenly endeavor.” In the same interview, Dillon also declared that socialism is compassionate, the Easter Bunny is real and that…