Category Archives: Gadgets

Gadgets, Product Reviews

Monstrum Tracer 1000LM EDC

At SHOT Show 2023 I visited the Monstrum Tactical booth where they introduced me to a green prototype of their new Tracer EDC EDC flashlight. Monstrum told that this new rechargeable flashlight and laster had a max output of 1000 lumens and included a green laser pointer. A few weeks later the Tracer was released and Monstrum sent me a sample to test and evaluate.

The Tracer is an all metal, flat rectangular box that weighs slightly less than 3oz and is 4.5″ long, 1″ wide, and a half-inch thick. The far end from the LED emitter (base) has embedded Neodymium magnets which allow the light to self-mount on metal surfaces. The unit includes a pre-installed clasping clip.

The controls are two flat rubber pads which control the flashlight and laser respectively. A small silicone rubber flap on the side of the unit protects a USB-C charging port. The Tracer is IPX6 rated and it survived a high-pressure water hose spray.

Testing the unit in my DIY Lumen Testing Rig, I recorded an approximate value of 1300 lumens at its highest output mode, higher than the 1000 lumen max number Monstrum advertises. In a battery Runtime tests, the unit lasted the 30 minutes (± 0.75 minutes) at maximum brightness; at which time the unit was uncomfortably too hot to hold.

In many ways the Tracer exceeded expectations. But where it falls short is in its lack of a brightness-output mode-memory. The Tracer always activates at max brightness (1000LM) which is potentially blinding if you turn it on while looking in a small dark space; such as under a car seat.

Furthermore, the green laser and the flashlight can not be activated at the same time; activating one turns off the other. While this is not an issue when using the Tracer as a business presentation pointer, but if you’re in a out in the woods walking a fence and want to use the laser to use the laser to identify one tree from among a forest, you’re out of luck.

One question comes to mind: is the Tracer a copy of the Arkfeld. My first impression of the Tracer was that it looked suspiciously like an OLight Arkfeld, which is also a 1000LM rechargeable light. Is this a copy of the OLight or an EOM factory custom variant? It doesn’t really matter, the Tracer feels and performs like a solid EDC light. The primary difference is that the controls of the Tracer are digital pressure pads and the USB-C charging port which I find more practical than the custom magnetic cables used by OLight.

The Monstrum Tracer EDC is available through these Affiliate links which support my channel:
Amazon https://amzn.to/49vpE7J
Monstrum.com https://alnk.to/8PBuQJC

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

Athlon, what’s with the Greek names?

Athlon is the name of a Greek city which is one of the oldest cities in Europe. But no that’s not what the company was named for. So what’s the deal? I asked the staff at the Athlon booth this question and got their answer.

The answer was more straight forward and aspirational. The engineers who left Bushnell to found a new company named it after the Greek word for a “prize or sporting competition”; where we get the root of many Olympic sports like Decathlon and Biathlon. They wanted a name that sounded like they were a contender in a competitive market. And in the world of sporting optics they are.

Gadgets

RapidStop Tourniquet

At a quiet corner SHOT Show 2023 next to the Media Lounge we came across the the RapidStop booth. The RapidStop design was inspired by the need for a rapid self-deployable tourniquet after horrific Boston Bombing. This innovative tourniquet features a quick release buckle and ratchet system, which doesn’t require the hand strength to turn a windlass/stick.

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

New NexTorch Products 2023

NexTorch is a flashlight and tactical accessory company that most consumers aren’t aware of. Primarily its because they primarily market to law enforcement, military, and first responders. And they’re German, preferring to promote themselves more by reputation than advertising.

NexTorch’s new TA30C is a tactical light outputs 1300 lumens with a rechargeable lithium battery. While these specs are pretty standard for flaghship tactical lights, what sets the TA30 apart from the category is its controls. Instead a memorizing a series of tailcap clicks or side button taps, the TA30 has a clear and intuitive control ring on the tail with power level symbols.

What isn’t as obvious from the photos but you can perceive when holding NexTorch flashlights, is the quality of their materials, construction, and thoughtful design. The TA30 can also sport a tactical carry ring that functions like an accessory handle and “brass knuckle” in melee. Unlike some gimmicky metal rings, their carry ring is made of polymer and can break away to reduce the risk of injury to the user if the flashlight is caught or trapped.

This practical design extends to their NEX security baton. This steel baton telescopes from a foot long steel rod and extends to 28″. It can accessorized with a 4 section cross-guard designed to defend the user from blade wielding assailants (England much?)

NexTorch is designed in Germany but produced in China to lower costs. Their products are priced at a premium compared with mass market Chinese brands like Olight and Fenix. But are still only half the price of comparable SureFires tactical lights.

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

Howard Leight at SHOT Show 2023

I’ve been longtime owner of Howard Leight Impact Sports electronic earmuffs. I’ve tested and reviewed many budget price headphones (around $50 or less) and Howard Leights have performed the best for ambient sound quality. I thought it would be a good to find out what was new with Impact Sports, at the Howard Leight booth at SHOT Show.

Erica at the booth showed me options for smaller head profiles and two new color options. They now offer a Bluetooth model which sorely needed as most new smartphones lack 3mm audio ports. Disappointingly, very little has changed with the Impact Sports line. But perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise because the basic model works as well as it does and has few faults (other than needing a lower pivot point for a tighter ear seal).

As more shooters switch to earbud electronic hearing protection, we will probably see less innovation in the over-ear hearing protection. Still lacking IMHO, is a set of earmuffs that truly offers music performance like the cheapest consumer headset. For travel, working, or just momentary peace and quiet, the Sound Canceling Earphone market has been huge (just look at BOSE, Sony, and Beats). There’s a missed opportunity here for Howard Leight or Walker or 3M to create a cross-over product.

Gadgets

New Streamlight Products for 2023

Streamlight is one of the oldest makers of EDC and weaponlights. This year marks their 50th Anniversary and at SHOT Show this year, I got a chance to see some of their new products. They’ve updated their ProTac flashlight line with version 2.0 models that all output 2000 lumens for over an hour. Unfortunately they accomplish this using a proprietary high capacity battery which may be a deal-breaker for some but most will still work with standard sized lipo batteries but with a lower light output.

One of the most interesting products I saw was their Pocketmate, a 300 lumen keychain mini-light which really was literally shaped like a key.

These flashlights are available through my Amazon Affiliate links

ProTac 2.0 flashlight https://amzn.to/3Zs8e62

Pocketmate keychain light https://amzn.to/3kB6hWo

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

Hawkway Green Laser Bore Sighter

https://youtu.be/IJDmq_K65Cc

I was sent a Hawkway green laser bore sight tool to test and evaluate. This battery powered laser it shaped like a .223/5.56mm cartridge and fits inside the chamber of your rifle projecting a visible laser dot through your bore that you can use to aim and calibrate your scope or optic reticle. The case and cartridge appeared to be identical to the Marmot laser bore sighter I reviewed last year, except this emits a green colored laser which is much more visible in daylight.

The unit is powered by a 3x of LR41 which are wrapped together into a convenient battery pack. The kit comes with 3 sets. Battery pack fits into a chamber in the back of the unit, who’s screw on cap is shaped like the rim of a bullet cartridge. There is no off button and the unit will stay on until you remove the battery pack. While I did not test overall battery life of each pack, I used my test unit for well over 45 minutes without completely draining a battery pack but your millage may vary. It’s always a good idea to cary spares of any button battery.

Unfortunately the laser, while brighter than the Marmot red laster, wasn’t bright enough to see in bright daylight. It was bright enough to see in shade or indoors at 10-15yrds which makes it quite usable in your garage, basement, or at an indoor gun range. The unit appeared to be aligned well enough to use as a reference point with which to achieve a rough zero with your optic that you could reasonably get on paper at 100yrds and refine your zero.

The green laser’s performance is still disappointing when compared to the highly visible green laser dot projected by stem type laser bore sighters that fit onto the muzzle of your barrel. The muzzle-type use a larger CR2 battery to power their lasers and are visible at 100yrds.

Where the Hawkway and similar bullet cartridge sized laser is unequaled is in safety. Because they fit into your gun’s chamber, there is absolutely no risk of accidental discharge when it use, as the laser takes the place of any bullet. In addition, its small size makes it easy to store and transport. The entire kit fits into a mag pouch, your pocket, or tossed into a range bag. It weighs next to nothing and you can take it with you anywhere.

The Hawkway is available through my Amazon Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3EXIWVS

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

New Monstrum Tactical Flashlights

Monstrum Tactical is mostly known for their budget oriented tactical optics, LPVOs, and exceptionally good value scope mounts. They have also carried a line of weapon lights that maxed out at 400 lumens, which by today’s standards is low power. At SHOT Show 2023 Monstrum introduced their new Tracer EDC laser and flashlight which has a max 1000 lumen output. And they showed me a prototype angled foregrip with an integrated laser and weaponlight that outputs 2000 lumen. At time of filming, it didn’t have a name but maybe they’ll call it the Moondog.

Monstrum tactical lights is available through this Affiliate link: https://alnk.to/8PBuQJC

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

Lucid Optics at SHOT Show 2023

SHOT Show is a great opportunity to meet the people at a brand face to face. But it’s not often that you get to meet a company’s CEO and have him personally walk you through their new products. At SHOT Show 2023 at the Lucid Optics booth, I did just that. Lucid’s CEO, Jason Wilson, showed me their newest Prism scope, red dot, monocular, and spotting scope.

Their products appear to be well made and have impressive specs (and impressive premium prices). I hope to test their products later this year to see if they live up to it.

Gadgets, Shooting Sports

New Third Bay Ounce CCW Pistol

At an undecorated, non-descript booth in the lower level of the Venetian Expo Hall, my crew called my attention to what is possibly the most interesting new pistol at SHOT show. At the Third Bay booth, they were displaying the OUNCE, the most compact and lightest 10+1rnd semi-auto pistol I’d ever seen. I got a chance to talk with its inventor and company owner, Bill Osborne.

The story of the OUNCE’s invention is tragic. After the inventors relative was raped at home was inspired to create this pistol. Bill set about using his experience as a mechanical engineer to create a solution to the common issues with CCW pistols: reliability, safety, weight, and printing (showing the shape of a gun on your clothing). Bill designed a pistol that could fold into a wallet sized profile that could easily be carried and deployed without the need of a specialized carry holster.

In its folded state, the OUNCE is 4.75″ x 3.85″ and about an inch thick, which is about the size of a Beretta Bobcat. But unlike that classic pocket gun, the OUNCE is a 1/4lb lighter, holds 3 more rounds, and has a normal length grip. In addition, in its folded state the OUNCE presents a silhouette that looks nothing like a gun.

A folding self-defense pistol isn’t new. The LIFECARD 22LR folding pistol is about the same size as the OUNCE but the LIFECARD is a single-shot .22LR weapon that requires a manual reload. Unless you’re 100% sure of your aim, using a one-shot gun is problematic. The OUNCE carries 10+1 rounds of 22LR is a quantum leap in terms of firepower and assurance when used for self-defense.

Like many, I was a bit dubious of this pistol’s reliability due to the OUNCE’s unconventional design. It’s mostly polymer body seemed almost toy-like. The action and internal magazine are unique with an almost vertical loading of the cartridges.

Because it is chambered for .22LR, I asked about the manual of arms for emergency clearing of a dud round. Folding and unfolding the handle manually clears any cartridge in the chamber and loads the next round in the magazine. With a bit of practice, this can accomplished in about the same time as racking and clearing a slide; which isn’t all that easy either given the size of conventional micro-compact pistols. As with all CCW firearms, practice and familiarity and vital for reliable use.

Legal restrictions on CCW sized pistols varies widely by municipality, so be sure to check all of your local laws before ordering. The pistol is not cheap at around $900. It’s not a Glock being churned out by the thousands in a factory. All the guns are made by the inventor in his workshop and so are essentially, a made-to-order custom gun. Currently this pistol is available directly from Third Bay https://ounceoz.com/