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Wincent Biometric Gun Safe
Wincent sent me their π1 Biometric Portable Gun Safe Lock Box to test and evaluate. I was hesitant after reading some negative Amazon reviews. Some early models of this safe had issues with the biometrics lock, which would unlock using any body part.
But this new lockbox worked correctly. I set the biometric reader to my right thumb and was unable to open it with any other finger (or palm). It opened every time with my right thumb. As with any gun accessory, two is one and one is none. Biometric reader may fail at the most inopportune time. That’s why it come with a key to open the box manually. So keep the key hidden but accessible.
The box had enough internal space to fit my Glock 17 with an attached Streamlight TRL-1. It would not accomodate my O-Light Valkyrie or Surefire X300. But there was ample enough room for 2-3 spare magazines and a backup EDC light, in addition to my pistol.
This safe is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3HHujV2
Shot Show 2022: Aguila Ammunition
For most of last two years, Aguila ammo was absent from my stores in Northern California. I had read rumors of big-rig shipments getting hijacked in Mexico by the drug cartels. So when I went to Shot Show this year, I thought I’d ask the source.
Aguila had one of the largest booths at Shot Show. While not a well known brand in the US, it is one of the largest ammo producers in the world. Super Extra HV has been my go-to plinking ammo in my Ruger 10/22, H&K G36/22, and Marlin 60 due to it’s better than average groupings and relatively low CPR versus CCI Mini-Mags or Federal AutoMatch. Chatting with Kaleigh at Aguila’s large Shot Show booth, I was surprised to learn that Aguila makes 22LR match ammo. Though it really shouldn’t surprise me since outside of the U.S., they are the largest munitions manufacturer in the rest of the Western Hemisphere. But their match grade 22LR was never sold in California as far as I know.
I’m hoping that more of Aguila’s wide line of ammo, especially 22LR, makes to my local gun stores.
Pinty 4-12×50 Scope Kit
This Pinty scope is the epitome of Tacticool tropes, featuring a decent 4-12×50 rifle scope but tacking on both a full-sized reflex sight and a green laser designator to create a top-heavy scope/optics package. This is an example of the whole being less than the sum of its parts. Any one of these three accessories would be fine on its own but together it is ridiculously unnecessary.
Still, if you buy the package you can detach and use each part separately for good effect. The scope isn’t bad optically; well not great. It held zero with a .22. Will it hold zero on a .308? Who knows, but would you expect it to?
A big shortcoming about the scope is when you attach the reflex sight, you can’t read the elevation knob. And the reticles is the generic Chinese “range finder” that was common in the 70’s and 80’s for buck hunting but that never adequately explains how you use it to determine the range to your target for other applications.
Purchased separately the various pieces would cost more than buying this package. Is it a “bargain” well… my daughter won this in a fun match so yes, I guess it was since it only cost $10 for her to enter the match. Your milage may vary. This scope is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/30k8GdE
RESOLUTION
Group: -2
Element: 3
OVERALL RATINGS (out 5)
Build: 3
Glass: 2
Reticle: 2
Holds Zero: 5
Box Test: 5
Turrets: 2
Eye Box: 3
Value: 3
Shot Show 2022: Leupold Patrol 6HD
I was fortunate to get an early look at the soon-to-be released Patrol 6HD LPVO scope at the Leupold booth. This +$1200 scope features Leupold’s legendary glass and quality in a lightweight LPVO with a choice of illuminated reticles. Old school hunters will prefer the simple firedot duplex but most modern shooters will prefer the tactical CM-R2 reticle which is perfectly usable for hunting as well. The additional advantage to the CM-R2 is that the illuminated horseshoe is bright and fat enough to be usable as a red dot at the scope’s true 1x power setting.
Arken SH4 6-24×50 FFP Gen 2
No, these are not AS GOOD as a $2000 Leupold, Nightforce, Zeiss, or [INSERT HIGH END BRAND HERE]. The glass is about as good as a Vortex Diamondback/Viper but the Arken SH4 is almost too good for a FFP scope under $500.
Without a huge advertising budget, through word-of-mouth and YouTube reviews, Arken has earned an outsized reputation. Claims by other YouTubers of high quality glass and top quality turrets seemed almost unbelievable. After meeting them at Shot Show 2022, Arken sent me a sample of their new Gen 2 SH4 to test and evaluate and spoilers: the turrets do live up to the hype (they are outstanding!) But the scope itself is not without flaws.
The scope uses Chinese HD glass which is bright and sharp, resolving down to Element 4 in the Group -1 in the USAF optical resolution chart. This placing its x24 resolution in the same league as a Vortex Diamondback Tactical or an Athlon Helos. But subjectively, it’s detail and contrast seem slightly below those scopes. At magnifications higher than x12 I could see a gradual cloudiness and drop in brightness. At x24 the lack of contrast and detail made it hard to pick out .22cal holes on paper at 100yrds.
It makes up for these optical shortcomings with its amazingly precise, high-quality turrets. Adjustments were audibly clear and extremely tactile positive. They built in zero-stop was well designed and precise, using a set screw to engage and stop-bar inside the elevation turret. My only nitpick is a lack of a turret lock, especially with windage.
The biggest complaint people seem to have is imprecise range markings on the parallax focus. But this should be a non-issue; you shouldn’t be using them as a range finder at this price tier. Anybody who depends on range markings on a dial more than their own eye’s sense of focus should return these scopes; they don’t deserve them.
Reticle preference is largely personal. But I found this scope possibly my favorite reticle design of any U.S. scope maker. Designed by former US Navy S.E.A.L., Arken’s reticle strikes a perfect balance between data and reference points for long range adjustments at high power, while keeping the center clear and focused. The Gen 2 SH4 utilizes the same reticle design of the EP4/EP5 with the addition of the SH4’s illuminated center cross-hairs. This aids finding the reticle in dusk and low light situations though is not “daylight” bright even at i’s highest magnification.
And no, the optics are not as good as a Leupold Mark 5 but its turrets are. Like everything else, Arken’s scope prices are going up slightly (Post-Pandemic Inflation) but they are still below anything comparable on the market. One of the ways they keep costs down is by not spending money on marketing or advertising and only selling their products direct to consumers online. Their current promotion offer is a free Combo Pack when you register which is an awesome deal with a set of 34mm scope rings, scope covers, throw lever, spirit level, and pouch.
From what I’ve read, some Gen 1 SH4’s and EP4’s had quality control issues. While rare, even big name brands like Vortex and Leupold put out lemons or experience “user accidents”, which is why they are so well known for having no-hassle returns and lifetime warranties. Arken is no different.
To their credit, while Arken is a small company, stand by their lifetime warranty and are responsive to customer service issues. The first sample of the SH4 that Arken sent me, had an off-center reticle and a tiny near the top left edge of the image (most people wouldn’t have noticed it). I emailed their general customer service page, just like any other customer, and the next day they emailed me a return label. I sent back the scope and the next week I got brand new scope at no cost.
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ONLINE RETAILERS
Amazon https://amzn.to/3PPVWPO
RESOLUTION
Group: -1
Element: 4
OVERALL RATINGS (out 5)
Build: 5
Glass: 4
Reticle: +5
Holds Zero: +5
Box Test: +5
Turrets: +5
Eye Box: 3
Value: 5
SH4 Gen2 Specs
ARKEN SH-4
Eye Relief: 3.5 inches
FOV: 20.88-5.22 ft @100 Yards
Tube Size: 34 mm
Turret Adjustment: 1/10 MIL
Reticle: First Focal Plane
Reticle Details: VPR MIL
Zero Stop: AZS
Elevation Adj. Range: 32 MIL
Windage Adj. Range: 10 MIL
Adjustment Per Revolution: 8 MIL
Parallax: 25Yds – Infinity
Illuminated Reticle: Red
Battery included: CR2032
Length: 14.1 inches
Weight: 36.6 oz
Shot Show 2022: Harris M-Lok Bipod
Just a few months ago, I reviewed a budget Feyachi bipod which at the time was the only Harris-style direct-attach M-lok bipod on the market. Well at Shot Show 2022, I discovered that it won’t be for long. The original, Harris Engineering, was showing off their prototype of a low-profile direct-attach bipod with a beefed up base that allowed for cant/tilt; a feature that cheaper clone makers do not have.
Shot Show 2022: Black Hound Optics
At the Black Hound Optics booth I got a chance to take an early look at their new Emerge and Evolve line of scopes which aren’t scheduled to be released until later this year. To be honest, I’d never heard of Black Hound until I saw a Cyclops Joe video review of one of their Genesis about 2 years ago and I hadn’t actually seen one until my visit at Shot Show.
These new scopes differ in design to their earlier Genesis (which looked similar to Athlon Argos or Chinese knock-off-Zeiss scopes) with turrets that are reminiscent of Vortex’s higher tier scopes. The Emerge’s turret cap has a similar pop-up rotation indicator to the Leupold Mark5HD but at far less than the Leupold’s price. Black Hound’s construction and materials appeared top shelf. I hope to get my hands on one to test out.
Shot Show 2022: Hawke Frontier34
Break barrel hunting airguns are notorious for destroying even the highest end scope because of their jarring 2-way recoil. So any scope that can hold zero on an airgun has to be exceptionally well built. Hawke Optics may not be as well known in the US as Burris, Bushnell, Vortex, and Leupold but this British optics brand is the largest maker of airgun scopes, which says a lot more about their durability than a mere warranty (and yes, they too have a “No-Fault Lifetime Warranty”).
At their Shot Show booth I got a chance to inspect their newest scope in the Frontier line with a 34mm tube. This scope’s feature set and price put it in competition with Vortex and Leupold top-tier offerings for long distance optics. I hope to get my hands on one when they release it later this year.
Shot Show 2022: Smith and Wesson M&P 12
The Smith and Wesson created a stir with their launch of the M&P 12 last Fall. A high-capacity dual magazine-tube pump bullpup design which competes with the KelTec KSG. Superficially it appears similar to the Standard Manufacturing DP12 but is lighter due to its single barrel design. It’s pistol grip incorporates the changeable back straps found in it’s M&P pistols though grip size has really never be much of an issue with shotguns (which aren’t precision weapons to begin with) as they are with pistols, so that seems to be more of a gimmick.