THYRM Switchback-EDC Ready, Costa Approved

Jul 2 • News • 12949

It’s not often that us guys in the shooting community can all agree on a single thing . I guarantee that all of the trainers, influencers, companies, Youtube personalities and bloggers alike will all confirm that a flashlight and a pistol are like peanut butter and jelly; they just go together. What brand of peanut butter or jelly is better? Well that’s where we all get into a heated debate, like Glock versus M&P or Streamlight vs. Surefire. The point I’m trying to make is that if you’re going to have a pistol on you or in your home, you need some sort of light to accompany it.

Until about a decade ago, the approved way to fire a pistol while wielding a light was extremely awkward. It meant taking one hand off the pistol and performing a myriad of maneuvers with an outstretched arm or crossing over your primary shooting arm. Luckily some smart guy somewhere came out with an affordable light to attach to our guns. We all know how important it is to get as much meat as possible on the grip of the gun, and that old school way of shooting with a light severely hinders follow up shots and accuracy. While weapon-mounted lights fixed this issue, they presented some new ones themselves, including holster fit and use of a light without revealing your firearm.

This is where the THYRM (pronounced “theorem”) Switchback  bridges that gap between the best parts of a WML (weapon mounted light) and a tactical flashlight. To break it down for you, the Switchback is a polymer collar that when installed on the correct flashlight, allows the shooter to use a flashlight in a modified but still extremely effective shooting grip. What do I mean by modified? Unfortunately the world’s an imperfect place and in order to activate the tail cap on the light you need to apply forward pressure with your support hand thumb. After shooting my Glock 19 while using this grip and the light, I can tell you it’s a non issue.

Why I like the  Thyrm Switchback:

Price. At a mere $16.99 for the small version or $18.99 for the big boy, it’s one of the cheapest accessories shooters can buy.

It’s Cool. Unless you have two grand to shell out for training with Chris Costa, this Switchback (which sports the Costa logo and is endorsed by Chris) is the closest many of us will ever get to the bearded wonder.

It works with some of the best flashlights on the market. The small Switchback aka the Backup, only works with the stellar Surefire EB1 or EB2 lights. Which is fine with me because I’m a diehard EB1 fan. The Switchback Large works with a huge assortment of lights : Surefire G2X, P2X, P3X, 6PX, Z2X, G2ZX–Streamlight Polytac current models–Pelican M6 Series–Nitecore P12, P15, P25, SRT7, MH25–Elzetta Bravo–Klarus XT-11–EagleTac T200C2.

Kill two birds with one stone. The only time you’re going to use a weapon light is when your life is on the line or training in low light/no light scenarios. This means that if you want a light as part of your EDC (Every Day Carry) you’ll have to carry an additional one in your pocket. The Switchback gives me the ability to use the light for regular uses all the while keeping my pistol tucked away nice and concealed. If the situation were to arise where I would have the need to draw my gun, the Switchback is easily deployed and integrated into my shooting grip.

Great to play with. Yeah, you read that correctly. The reason we like to mess around with a balisong (butterfly knife) is because its a fun time waster and it looks cool. I’ve been doing a bunch of different spins and flips especially while writing this blog, that would give me enough reason to justify the purchase of one.

Why I don’t like the Thyrm Switchback:

I wish it was metal. As much as I like polymer, I think when paired with the Surefire EB1, it should match the construction of the light. Heck I’d even shell out considerably more money for a cool titanium version.

It needs better traction. The ability of the end user to deploy the light and activate the tail cap switch, relies on you pressing firmly forward with your support hand thumb. I don’t have the sweatiest hands in the world but in my testing I often had my thumb slip off while shooting. I can’t imagine what it would be like on a hot summer day and a life threatening situation  was unfolding. Although a little bit of stippling or some grip tape could quickly fix this issue.

The Switchback large is too big to carry. Maybe I buy different pants than everyone else that’s used or reviewed the Switchback large with a Surefire G2X but I cant justify putting this huge setup in my front pants pockets nor will it fit without a good bit of force.

You need to train with it. As with anything that you plan to use in a self defense situation, you need to train extensively with it. Unfortunately a vast percentage of the people that buy this will become familiar with messing around with it and train rarely if ever while drawing and live fire. I wish that wasn’t the case but we all know that’s the truth.

Overall I think the Thrym Switchback is worth the money. It allows you to use your EDC light as a weapon light and still maintain the proper shooting grip. I personally like the smaller version Switchback paired up with the Surefire EB1 because it gives me enough light and fits in my pocket easily. Your experience with these may differ but for under $20, they’re worth you trying out for yourself.

 

Would you use one of these instead of a weapon mounted light? If you would and  do end up purchasing a Switchback make sure you tell them Jeremy L from GearExpert sent you.

 

THYRM.COM

 

Jeremy L • No Comments on THYRM Switchback-EDC Ready, Costa Approved

Read More

ATN Shot-Trak and X-Sight

Jun 30 • News • 9345

Like it or not, times are changing. These past 10 years have given way to remarkable technological advances like smart watches and the awe inspiring Tesla Model S. The firearms industry is also making significant leaps and bounds. Who would have ever thought you’d see a 300 Win Mag fired out of an AR platform like with the Nemo rifle? We can thank a recovering economy and the might of American ingenuity for the latest gadgetry from our friends at ATN.

I’ve personally witnessed a huge jump in the amount of people recording themselves shooting at the range. The consensus is pretty much split down the middle as to whether or not that should be allowed or not. Personally I think as long as you follow the four rules of safety and the ranges rules, then knock your socks off! That’s where this neat little product  from ATN comes in.

The all new Shot Trak is a gun Youtuber’s best friend offering the user the ability to clip a camera on to any standard 1913 Picatinny rail. Of course they are not the first ones to think about attaching a camera on a gun and in fact a few of the guys at OpticsPlanet have done it before with a Go Pro. I think the Go Pro is great and all but its size makes it really awkward when mounted on a pistol like the Glock I shoot. The ATN Shot Trak isn’t much bigger than the Crimson Trace Rail Master Pro that I own and love.  Not only does it make the firearm handle similarly but you have the ability to draw from a universal holster. Try that with a Go Pro on the end.

Remarkably enough, this little power house pumps out 1920x1080p for a true “full HD” at 30 frames per second. You also don’t have to worry about quickly filling up any internal hard drive because the Shot Trak takes removable micro SD cards for quick and easy video storage. Another great feature is both the memory card and the easily replaceable CR123 battery can both be swapped out while the camera is still mounted on the firearm. However much I like that feature you need to remember “TREAT EVERY GUN AS IF IT IS LOADED” , meaning that you need to watch the muzzle of the gun if you’re going to change out the battery and memory card while it’s mounted.

ATN didn’t stop there with the latest and greatest gun gadgets. If you’ve ever felt the disappointment of some of the night vision devices on the market, then pay attention to the X-Sight night vision rifle scope. Keep in mind, to call this a night vision scope would be like calling a Michael Jordan just a basketball player. This wonder scope does things most of us never thought were possible in a scope.  Features including perfect crystal clear images in day and night, WIFI, GPS, geo-tagging, a compass, gyroscope and the ability to record video and take still images, have you wondering “is there anything this scope can’t do?”.

All of these features would be pointless if you couldn’t keep them safeguarded from the bumps and bangs while hunting or hiking through your land. That’s why the folks at ATN built the X-Sight with a tough aluminum housing to keep those instruments protected. The included Picatinny mount allows you to attach this scope to most of the firearms on the market today. Offered in either a 3-12x or 5-18x digital zoom, there is something for any rifle or carbine shooter out there.

The Shot Trak and X-Sight from the optic gurus at ATN are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with our weapon accessories. The excitement that I have for these products is miniscule compared to the rush of ideas that these products allow me as a shooter and outdoorsmen to do.

What would you guys mount the Shot Trak or X-Sight on? Let me know in the comments below!

 

KellyB • No Comments on ATN Shot-Trak and X-Sight

Read More

OPMOD Gear For Your Gun Guide

Jun 27 • News • 5846

Being a complete and utter gun nut has its advantages and its disadvantages. One of the biggest disadvantages about being passionate about firearms is that when you see something whether it be a good looking pistol or the latest red dot, you go absolutely bonkers over it. That is of course until you pull out the credit card and it shows up at your door a few days later. Another disadvantage of owning guns is you start to care about the safety and well being of these inanimate objects like they’re part of your family.

What I’ve started to notice about many of my fellow gun buddies is that they do nothing to protect the firearms they care so much about. For example, one time I went to the outdoor range with a buddy and he was still carrying his Mossberg 930 around in the cardboard box that it came in. Upon seeing this I immediately said to him “you spend $600 on a shotgun, then another $220 on a Burris Fastfire for it and you carry it around in 50 cent cardboard box?” I’m sure some of you are guilty of the same thing.  Forgive me but if you are, it is complete lunacy. You need to invest a little money in protecting your guns!!!

Luckily for us, we don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on gun cases and still get the high quality protection you need. This is where the carefully crafted OPMOD gun cases come in.

This is the perfect case for any number or rifles or shotguns but where it really shines is with an AR15  platform rifle or what many of us like to call “modern sporting rifle”.

Need a way to transport two long guns in the same bag and still have them protected? This double rifle case has you covered with some of the toughest nylon I’ve ever seen.

If you’re in to shooting pistol competitions or just want a secure way to haul ammo, you wont find a better range bag than the OPMOD PRB.

Safeguarding you guns also means taking care of them too. No matter what new revolutionary cleaner you decide to use, taking your gun apart can be a tricky situation. Granted I’m well versed with Glocks and their minimal 27 total parts, but it is still extremely easy to lose track of the little springs and roll pins. I’ve used a plain old towel before and while it is readily available, it ends up leaving tiny fabric particles on my gun sometimes and that is not what you want. I’ve switched over to using the OPMOD GCM gun cleaning mat and have been extremely pleased with it. The cleaning mats come in a pistol size and a carbine size to fit a wide range of different weapons. What I like most is that if I happen to spill some Hoppe’s gun solvent on the mat, it wont leak through and damage my nice oak table.

I forgot to mention that when you clean your guns you should wear eye protection. You can’t find a better pair of protective glasses for the money than the OPMOD ZRG+ shooting glasses. Not only are they a sweet pair of glasses to keep your eyes safe at the range but they also work great for when you have to get underneath your car for routine maintenance.

Don’t be that gun owner that carries their guns to and from the range in a cardboard box. If you care about your guns as much as you claim, then it’s time to take a look at a way to protect those weapons and keep them running smoothly. Lucky for you the OPMOD brand has you covered, with plenty of products to accomplish these tasks without breaking the bank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

KellyB • No Comments on OPMOD Gear For Your Gun Guide

Read More

Vortex’s New Spitfire AR Specific Red Dot Sight

Jun 27 • News • 26106

If you’ve ventured in to your local gun store or have taken a look at some of the online gun dealers websites, then you’ve probably seen the record low prices of America’s rifle, the AR-15. You never would think that these rifles were going for three times the price back in early 2013. Hopefully you were lucky to already own an AR and bypass the frenzy. The reason I bring up the AR is because of a sweet new red dot sight from our good friends at Vortex Optics.

We all know that finding that perfect optic for your AR can be a pain. At one end you don’t need that much magnification for the 556/223 round and on the other end some little scope is too hard to use quickly. This is where the Vortex Spitfire comes in.  The guys at Vortex spent many long nights coming up with the perfect fast acquiring red dot sight specifically for the AR-15.

What sets this red dot apart from the 100 different red dot sights on the market? For starters its offered in two different magnification a 1X version and 3X model.  “Did you just say 3x?” Yes 3X, believe it or not a fixed 3 power red dot in my opinion gives you the best field of view and range for what you would need in CQB/ tactical shooting. Call me crazy but I prefer 3 times magnification for these uses over the popular 4 power red dots on the market like the cough cough ACOG. If you’re not a fan of the 3 power, then the true one power is just as good.

It’s worth pointing out that this red dot has a very unique look that I can’t seem to put my thumb on. Don’t let its good looks fool you, this is one rugged optic. Not only is it waterproof and fog proof  but after my handling it and  an accidental drop to the floor, it was unmarked. Heck you really know it’s one tough piece of hardware when Vortex gives it their VIP Unconditional Warranty, meaning they’ll take care of you no matter what series of unfortunate events your optic goes through.

The best feature of the Spitfire in my opinion is the etched dual illumination reticle. In laymen’s terms, the reticle is scratched into the glass so what you have is a reticle that is a lot stronger and will survive the bump and bangs of hard use. The DRT MOA reticle is pretty awesome in itself. What you have is a small 3 MOA center dot, followed by two rings. This allows guys like myself who aren’t professional shooters, to only have to put the smaller 44 MOA ring on close range targets and mash the trigger for fast shots.

What’s nice is they gave this red dot a built in high base, providing you with the exact height for the AR platform. No need to run out and pick up lens caps either, Vortex wants to keep their high quality glass safe as much as you do, so they include a nice pair of flip up caps. The Spitfire also comes with a CR2032 battery, which on low power will run for 3,000 hours. One of the features that often gets overlooks is the battery cap and of course they didn’t skimp out here, it comes with a super tough tether so you don’t lose it in high stress situations.

I’m not exactly sure if they chose the name for this optic from the famous British WWII fighter plane with the same name but it would make sense. The plane was known for its high speed, high performance and short range effectiveness. After using the Vortex Spitfire, these attributes are dead on. I have a feeling that this new red dot is going to fly off the shelves because its truly an excellent high value optic for short range work.

If you were to get your hands on this Spitfire, what would you mount it on? Let me know in the comments below!

 

KellyB • 3 Comments on Vortex’s New Spitfire AR Specific Red Dot Sight

Read More

Canon “Capture This Moment” Sweepstakes

Jun 25 • News • 5927

Whether you’re just getting in to photography or your Jedi photo shooting skills have left you wanting more than what your current platform is capable of, this prize pack will have you drooling. Lets face it most of us are no Jimmy Chin (click here if you don’t know who that is) and we’re not scaling cliffs to get that perfect shot.  Although your photography skills may not be pushed to the limits, you still want to have the best gear possible. This Canon sweepstakes isn’t some collection that we just randomly threw together, it was carefully selected to give you the ultimate photography bundle for no matter what  you’re shooting.

The Canon EOS 70D camera body is the brains of the bundle offering outstanding features while still remaining relatively lightweight. This camera is great for shooting stills but where this unit really shines is when you’re shooting video. There is auto-focus and autofocus, the system in this model is the latter. It offers unprecedented smooth transitions for shooting video that few other cameras can match. To put this in to perspective for you, all of those action shots and stunning pan shots will be smooth as butter.

A newly designed CMOS (APS-C) sensor is positioned neatly in the body to give you the pinnacle of optical performance. With 20.2 megapixels, every blade of grass, every freckle and every grain of sand, will jump right off your final prints. Did I mention the awesome ISO range? While covering a wide gamut of lighting conditions, a range of 100 to 12,800 will allow you to shoot in the deepest darkest locations.

Now you can have the greatest camera in the world but if you put a junk lens on it then you will still have sub par photos. With that in mind , we paired this EOS 70D with a lens pack that puts the eyes of an eagle to shame. The Canon EF-S 18-135mm lens is perfect for any number of run and gun situations. The Canon EF 70-300mm is the premier choice for your long range shots but leave any up close up shots to this next lens. The last lens that we’ve put in the giveaway is the Canon EF 50 mm  which gives you a great shallow field of depth but may take some time to set the shot up since its fixed magnification. These lenses also all come with the correct lens hood to keep the suns rays out of your photos.

What good is a camera that is dang near perfect if you have no way to get the steadiest shots imaginable? Yeah we thought the same thing too, that’s why we’re also throwing in a sweet Manfrotto 190 Series Carbon Fiber Tripod . Don’t let its fancy looks fool you, this tripod means business. The ultra lightweight legs make this the go-to choice for those photo shoots that’ll have you carrying your gear on foot a long distance.

Honestly this is one of the most expensive giveaways we’ve done at OpticsPlanet. Whether you’re in to photography or just a point and shooter, this is one crazy awesome giveaway package.  You only have until June 30th to enter in for this sweepstakes so click this link here for the chance to win this Canon camera bundle!

 

KellyB • No Comments on Canon “Capture This Moment” Sweepstakes

Read More