GearExpert

Putting the MOD in Modular!

May 2 • News • 8025

I’m adding my latest in what’s proving to be a long line of “New OPMOD Product” articles here on GearExpert. We just debuted some new OPMOD Modular Bags that will satisfy a number of different types of users. And that’s pretty cool. I’ve had a chance to check out these bags a few times now, and they’ve impressed me thus far. The #1 thing we focused on when developing these bags was quality. Sure, they have a lot of bells and whistles, but it was quality first and foremost.

OPMOD Modular Brief Case

Probably the toughest of the bunch is the MCS 1.0 Modular Brief Case. As it’s designed to carry your most important documents and electronics, it’s not a surprise we added a water repellent Micro-Ballistic Nylon outer shell. It’ll keep the bag’s contents nice and dry, even if you get caught in a bit of rain. The other bags are no slouches though, with tough zippers and straps that can take a beating.

But the toughness and quality of the craftsmanship is what makes these bags a good buy. What makes them a COOL buy is their modular nature. I know, it’s in the name of the bags, but it’s still a big deal. It’s not as simple as finding different uses for the bags, or them having versatile performance. These bags are the like the Transformers of bags. They have plenty of pouches, but also zippers and straps that allow you to use just a part of the bag when you need it. The Modular Brief Case is like having three bags in one! There’s a laptop pouch, fanny pack and padded iPad case that can all be detached for more uses. This actually makes it perfect for people who are on the run, need a lot of different things throughout the day, but don’t necessarily want to carry everything all the time.

Imagine you’re heading to the office, and you need your laptop, a tablet, some documents and other office essentials (pens, paper, etc.). You get to the office and you have to go to a meeting with a client and you’re presenting something on your laptop. You don’t need your tablet or any papers, just the laptop, but you don’t want to run around town with it in the open. You might drop it, get it wet, or just provoke an unsavory fellow to steal it. Well, it takes just a couple seconds to unzip and detach the laptop pouch, which is well padded and will keep your computer safe. One zipper pull and you’re on your way! The rest of your stuff can sit comfortably in your office until you return for it later in the day! The Modular Brief Case also has a padded iPad or tablet case, and a fanny pack. There’s a ton of various pouches to let you carry your gear the way you want to.

Closed, open and detached tablet pouch

And check out the tablet case. The three photos show it attached to the main brief case, where it gives a nice amount of protection because of the padding and firm hold from the straps, and it opens fully so you can quickly get to and put away your tablet. A second zipper allows you to take the tablet pouch completely off, and the straps give you a nice and comfortable carrying option.

modular brief case fanny pack

The fanny pack is another nice option to have handy. Much like the tablet pouch and laptop pouch it detaches quickly and easily. And like the other cases it has its own strap and great durability.

But there are two other modular bags that I’ve hardly touched on thus far. They both offer similar flexibility as the brief case.

OPMOD Tri-Modular Sling Bag

First, the Tri-Modular Sling Bag gives you quite a bit of space for hauling your gear in a quick, on-the-go style. I can definitely see a lot of folks riding their bike or going for a hike with the Tri-Mod bag. It has an iPad case, fanny pack and cell phone case, so there’s three options here as well, but when you put them all together you’ll be able to carry a whole lot. I really like that even with the amount of gear you can carry this bag it’s still extraordinarily portable. Properly adjusted it fits snugly yet comfortably.

Three Pouches for three uses!

The picture above shows the three different detachable pouches. The main two on the bag come off fairly easily, and the cell phone pouch on the strap comes off in next to no time. I love having the cell phone case on my chest where I can get to it at a moment’s notice. After all, if someone calls you don’t want to be fiddling with the bag and miss the call, do you?

OPMOD Bi-Modular Sling Bag

The third of our new bags is the Bi-Modular Sling Bag. This is the most portable option. It gives you room for a little more than the essentials, but it’ll keep you nice and light when you’re running around. This is a single strap backpack with both a detachable cell phone case and a fanny pack. This bag is all about helping you when you’re active, so it’s lightweight, has a padded strap and bottom side for keeping you comfortable, and has a breathable mesh backing to keep you cool. I see this as an ideal bag for a day at the beach, or you could use it to store some emergency equipment in your car.

The Bi-Modular Bag’s Cell Phone Pouch is exceptionally convenient and easy to use!

The cell phone pouch is like the one on the Tri-Modular bag, and the fanny pack is a breeze to take off as well. I really like the strap too, which can be adjusted to slip over either shoulder. Check it out in the video!

You’ll find a ton of great options for these bags. In fact, I’m certain you can come up with more than even I’m able to. Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear what ideas you have for your next modular OPMOD bag! And you can always get the bag that suits your style, with a couple colors for each bag that each look great, from a classic black to a coyote tan or a grey (grey is only for the brief case at present).

OpticsPlanet • 1 Comment on Putting the MOD in Modular!
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4 Quick Tips for Buying a Handgun

Apr 30 • How-To, News • 10804

We may not sell handguns at OpticsPlanet.com, but we certainly know a thing or two about them. We have thousands upon thousands of accessories for all sorts of firearms, and you can be sure we think long and hard about the various ways you can equip your handgun, but we also know how important it is to find and buy a quality gun. After all, if your gun doesn’t shoot straight it won’t matter how cool the laser sight is or how perfect the holster fits, right?

So I thought I’d toss out 4 Quick Tips for Buying a Handgun. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, since that would take several thousand words, or even a whole book, to fully complete. There are so many models, with so many different factors that you need to consider, so instead here’s an abbreviated list of important things to look for when buying a new or used handgun. I’m assuming you have the general type of gun and caliber already selected, so this list should suffice for most purchases.
1. Think accuracy first – Use a shooting rest and really take your time when trying the gun out. Don’t rush your shots. What’s your grouping? I’d suggest testing the gun at about 20-25 yards. It’s a bit far, but if your grouping is good at that range you should have a quality handgun. If you’re not a great shot bring a friend along to shoot for you. A buddy of mine did that when he bought his first handgun, as his aim was less than reliable, but by the time he bought his second gun he was more than capable of testing the gun’s accuracy.
2. Reliability is crucial when buying a gun you expect to last – And who doesn’t expect their firearm to last? Your handgun should last several years with few problems. Part of determining reliability has to do with the handgun itself. If you’ve done your homework you should know a fair bit about the model and manufacturer. Proven reliability based on decades of performance in the toughest conditions in the world is a good place to start. 1911’s, the Beretta M9 and a number of other service weapons are usually good choices. Check each part. If the springs aren’t perfect that’s okay, as you can replace them. In fact, you might look for a handgun that’s a fixer-upper, in which case you need to check the frame and slide. If they fit well, you’re on the right track. Check for cracks in the slide and frame rail, and for peening. Any moving parts should move freely and easily. Check the safeties but don’t worry if everything isn’t perfect. Fixer-uppers are all about the journey of taking your handgun to the next level. The main thing is to look for an unusual level of wear and tear. Used guns are bound to have a few rough edges, but that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy taking a closer look at.
3. Accessories – I’m not being (too) self-serving here. Yes, I want to help you buy handgun accessories like laser sights, holsters, night sights and more, but I also want to make sure you make the most of what you have. So ask yourself what you already have in your arsenal. Do you have a Crimson Trace Rail Master? That’s a universal laser sight, so you can attach it to a number of different firearms. You’ll need to sight it in each time, but it’ll save you some money in the long run. Most of the time your holster is going to fit one firearm, but if you have other carry options, such as a concealed carry bag (like the new OPMOD PAC Bag) you can use that for various handguns dependent on how you feel on a particular day.
4. Buy the handgun you’re comfortable with – In many cases one of the best ways to determine if a handgun is the one for you is to hold it in your hands, take a couple shots, and see how it feels. You can read all the articles in the world about the frame material, caliber, safeties and more, and ultimately if you don’t like the grip or the way it handles you won’t like the gun. This is a personal process, so even if you have a friend help you test the accuracy or even take the gun apart to ensure all the parts are in proper working order, be sure to get a feel for the firearm. You might be a Glock fan, or you might prefer the Springfield XD (we have a video on that very argument here), but make sure you try a few different options out and see how they feel. You’d be surprised how different handguns that appear similar can feel.
Yes, I know this isn’t a super long list, and there are certainly more things to look for. Part of knowing which handgun is for you is experience. The more firearms you own in your life, you’ll learn what things to look for and why. Two smart shooters with years of experience will approach the same firearm, try it out the exact same way, and come away with different opinions. Always give the gun a test drive and be as critical as possible. You’re going to invest some serious money in that gun, so you want the right one that’ll last for years to come.

Do you have any tips for buying a handgun? Let us know in the comments!

OpticsPlanet • 2 Comments on 4 Quick Tips for Buying a Handgun
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Gun Safes Big & Small – What do I need?

Apr 26 • How-To, News • 19310

A lot of questions cross the desks of us here at GearExpert. One product type we’re always having people inquire about is the gun safe. There are a ton of things to consider, but let’s focus on one of the aspects you should decide on first: size. “How big a gun safe do I need?”

It’s a good question, and you’ll need to take a number of things into consideration. I suggest watching the video above. So much of what I know comes from Steve Ledin, our Director of Product Intelligence, and he takes you through a lot of the different aspects of figuring out the dimensions of the safe that’s best for you.

I think his best piece of advice is to always go bigger than you think you need. This makes a whole lot of sense. First, firearms will generally last quite a long time, and you may buy more. If you do, that safe you bought that was a perfect fit today will be woefully inadequate tomorrow. But buying a size up is about more than just thinking of tomorrow. Think of all the stuff you have right now. All the gun accessories, as well as your ammo. You probably won’t store a hard gun case in the safe, but you may have ammo, gun cleaning kits, straps and more. And those may not be in nicely packaged boxes. You’ll likely want to store your AR15 or shotgun with the optics still mounted on it (after all, you don’t want to have to keep sighting them in, do you?). Yeah, it’s best to check that they’re on target later, but taking them on and off every time you take the gun out of the safe is going to use up a lot of time.

But you’ll also likely have gun safe accessories. If you have a dehumidifying rod it’s going to take up space, as are gun racks, pouches and more. Check out the photo below. There’s a ton of gear in that gun safe. I see a rifle, handgun, holster, bipod, ammo, magazines, a couple travel cases, a knife and that’s not even close to full up. Think about what you have and might want either protected by a case or at least kept with your guns. Your bipod will most likely not be nearly as expensive as your rifle, and it’s certainly not as necessary to safeguard it from falling into the wrong hands, but you might still want it next to your rifle so you don’t forget it on your next hunt.

Inside of a Gun Safe – Think of all your guns and accessories

There’s far more to consider when it comes to buying a gun safe, from whether internal or external hinges are for you, the type of lock, fire protection and more, so I’d suggest checking out our new Gun Safes Buyer’s Guide. Steve wrote it based on many years of experience selling safes, and he didn’t write it to sell one particular safe in mind. The only bias he has is in helping your get the best safe for you. Get the safe that’ll last for a couple generations and you’ll be a very happy safe owner.

OpticsPlanet • 2 Comments on Gun Safes Big & Small – What do I need?
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New Steiner Tactical and Hunting Scopes

Apr 15 • News • 12120

How much do I love Steiner? And how much do they love the GearExpert and OpticsPlanet team? A whole bunch, apparently, and for good reason – there’s a lot to love from the new scopes we’ve got from Steiner. This includes their Military Tactical Rifle Scopes and a line of NightHunter Xtreme scopes, which OpticsPlanet has gotten an exclusive first look at. I want to give you the rundown on these new scopes because, as we’ve established, I love Steiner.

The Steiner Military 3-15×50 Tactical Scopes are packed with new features while still maintaining the quality that you’ve come to expect from Steiner – you know, rugged, durable, waterproof, just generally cool-looking. In general, everything the military demands in a package fit for the civilian market. What sets these Tactical Riflescopes apart are the superior optics. Everything from the lenses to the reticles have been honed to a T through sophisticated and complex engineering. And speaking of the reticles – they feature 11 different illumination settings, allowing you to fine-tune your shooting experience. Plus, these Steiner riflescopes are built for use in tactical situations, so the turrets are tactile and easy to adjust without fear of jogging your scope out of zero. Get your hands on one of these Steiner Tactical Riflescopes and you’re going to see exactly what I mean.

The Steiner 3-15x50mm Tactical Riflescope is packed with features

And so we move from tactical applications to hunting, and I’ve got some great news – OpticsPlanet has gotten an exclusive look at Steiner’s newest offering. Their NightHunter Xtreme Rifle Scope line will blow you away. Available in four zoom and objective choices, the NightHunter Xtreme series has plenty to love. From quality optics, Steiner NoNoise and ComfortUse operation, to Diamond-Night-Coating, you truly get amazing image quality with illuminated reticles that allow for low-light hunting (hence the NightHunter).

What sets the Steiner NightHunter Xtreme Riflescope line apart from the pack is an auto intelligent illumination system that can automatically adjust your reticle’s brightness. This means you’ll spend less time fiddling with your scope and more time eyeing that prize buck that just crossed the field. All four scopes have this feature and are packed with many more, so if you’re thinking of hunting in the evening or even at night, you’ll want to check out them out when they hit the shelves.

I’m excited for both of these scope lines. Whether you’re looking for tactical or hunting applications, Steiner’s got a scope for you. “But what’s your favorite?” I hear you asking. How am I supposed to choose between such awesome scopes? I will say that I like to be able to take longer shots, but it’s all personal preference. But why don’t you let me know which scopes are the most appealing in the comments? I myself am having a hard time choosing between all these Steiner scopes, and I have been trying to plan a hunt for a while now…

admin • 1 Comment on New Steiner Tactical and Hunting Scopes
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How do you Pick a Gun? Springfield Vs. Glock Debate!

Apr 5 • News, Videos • 118860

How do you pick a gun? That’s a good question. I can’t really take on the entire issue here without going for thousands and thousands of words. I’m honestly getting a headache just thinking about it. I’m not even going to go into the various reason to go into a gun, from the basic style (shotgun, rifle, handgun) and what those are good for. There’s just too much info.

No. Today, I’m just going to think about two of the most popular and amazing guns in the world: The Springfield XD and Glock. I know there are different models and calibers, but the design of these handguns, and their quality, is what’s up for debate right now.

So which is better? Well, I suggest watching the Springfield Vs. Glock video above. Mark and Trevor are two of our product specialists, and while they love both guns, I’ve heard them argue the merits of each over and over recently. I can’t really give you a better look at these two great guns than it provides. Learn about the history of both guns, and the features they share, and differ on, so you can make your choice.

The Glock is older and a classic choice, but the Springfield XD is certainly a well made gun with a lot of good features.

I’m trying to decide which I’d like for my next gun. Maybe one of each? (I just need that big raise first!)

OpticsPlanet • 59 Comments on How do you Pick a Gun? Springfield Vs. Glock Debate!
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