New from TNVC: Torch PRO MKII IR Illuminator

Tactical Night Vision Company’s (TNVC) “The Torch” has long been a value leader in stand-alone, weapon-mountable IR illuminators. It has been through a few revisions over the years and they have just released the latest version in the form of the Torch PRO MKII Illumintor.

Torch PRO MKII Illumintor

The hallmark of the Torch has long been its clean, smooth, focusable beam. The beam on the Torch PRO MKII Illumintor can be adjusted as wide as 12 degrees and as narrow as 3 degrees. This gives the Torch the ability to illuminate objects further than 1000 yards away. This ability to fine tune the focus allows the torch to be adjusted to illuminate objects at a variety of distances while minimizing bloom.

The Torch PRO MKII Illumintor also allows the user to adjust it’s wavelength based on their needs. It comes standard with a 810nm LED but a 910nm LED module is available for purchase separately.

Torch PRO MKII Illumintor Output

It is powered by 2 CR123A batteries which give it a runtime of 10-12 hours. The CR123A battery form factor also allows the Torch to fit in any standard flashlight mount for 1″ diameter lights.

As if all of that isn’t cool enough, the Torch PRO MKII Illumintor is compatible with Surefire C-series tailcaps and light bodies. That means you’ll have no problem finding the perfect tailcap for your setup whether it is a tape switch, clickie, or momentary only.

Check out the Torch PRO MKII Illumintor at TNVC.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from me and mine to you and yours!

Isaiah 9:6a

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;

Luke 19:10

for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.

SHTF Gear Protos Holster

The SHTF Gear Protos Holster is now available for the Glock 43 with other models coming soon. At first glance, this may look similar to SHTF Gear’s other hybrid holsters but the Protos has a few key differences.

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The Protos is more compact than SHTF Gear’s ACE-1 Gen 2 holsters thanks to its single, centrally mounted belt clip. It offers adjustable ride height and cant via multiple mounting positions for the previously mentioned clip. It also offers a slightly flared opening for easy reholstering and all the comfort you expect from a hybrid holster.

The really clever part of the Protos can be found in the trigger guard area of the kydex shell. Hybrid holsters never really feel quite as positive in how they retain your handgun because of the flex in the leather side. SHTF Gear has solved this by wrapping the kydex completely around the trigger guard of the handgun which is generally where a full kydex holster retains a handgun. This offers the comfort you expect from a hybrid with the positive click in and out of a full kydex holster. It’s a very simple and very clever concept.

Check out the Protos Holster at SHTF Gear.

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Free Resource: Range Drill of the Day from Telluric Group

If you are in the vicinity of Brunswick, Georgia and a holder of a Telluric Group Range Membership, you can go shoot the Range Drill of the Day (RDOD) at their facility just about any day you want. Even if you aren’t a member and no matter where you are located, you can still shoot Telluric Group’s RDOD! They provide it free of charge via their website.

RDOD_Header

Drills like the RDOD are invaluable because they provide an easy way for you to make your training more repeatable and measurable. If going to the range without a plan and not tracking the results, then you are likely not maximizing your time. Even if you were getting the most out of your time, how would you know without the ability check times and scores? The RDOD provides a standard that you can train to and track over time.

Every drill specifies the target, distance, load, and other variables spelled out in simple terms. They even provide a link to a printable target.

The drills are also structured to work well with dry fire for those days that you can’t make it to the range. The Telluric Group Pro Shop even offers a kit that will help you get the most out of your dry fire.

Telluric Group makes accessing handgun drills easy. The challenge is completing them. Check out the RDOD at Telluric Group.

Review: Suarez “Flat and Straight” Tactical Grade Trigger

When I first received the Flat and Straight Trigger, it was the only option that Suarez International (SI) offered. Since that time, SI introduced a “Patrol Grade” version and the original became the “Tactical Grade” version. There will be more on these distinctions later.

Overview

The Suarez Flat and Straight Trigger is very aptly named. It is a replacement trigger for Glocks with a flat and straight aluminum trigger bow. The Tactical Grade version that I tested completely eliminates pre-travel.

Suarez Flat and Straight Trigger 2

Observations from Use

I have just under 1200 rounds on this trigger. All of those rounds were split between 2 guns: a G19 an G35 with KKM 9mm conversion barrel and ALG Defense 6 Second Mount.

I’ll cover the pre-travel elimination first because it is sure to cause the most controversy. Pre-travel is usually a fact of life with Glocks and, at first glance, it sounds great to completely eliminate it which this trigger does. There is almost no pre-travel – only an impressively crisp break. However, savvy Glock shooters will know that, as with other triggers on the market that eliminate pre-travel, this reduces engagement with the drop safety shelf. On my example, there is still some engagement with the shelf and the firing pin safety is still completely functional along with the trigger safety.

In order to test the safety of the trigger, I installed an orange Glock armorer’s plate to allow me to view the drop safety shelf from behind and then proceeded to drop my G19 onto the back of the grip and back of the slide several times from waist height. The trigger never budged. Satisfied with the results, I chambered a primed case and repeated the test from shoulder height. I dropped the G19 ten times onto the back of the slide and the primer was never ignited.

In my experience with this trigger there is enough engagement with the drop safety shelf and enough redundancy with the other two safeties to render this trigger safe. However, it is understandable that some users would want to avoid even a reduction in a safety feature which is why SI came out with their Patrol Grade version of the same trigger which leaves the pre-travel intact. Options are a very good thing in this case.

Moving on…

Suarez Flat and Straight Trigger

Everything about this trigger feels great. The trigger face is not only flat and straight, it is wide and the trigger safety tucks away into the trigger bow completely flush. The trigger safety is also considerably wider than the OEM trigger safety which makes very comfortable under the pad of your finger. You might notice that this trigger is also a touch shorter than most which eliminates the pinching between the trigger and trigger guard that some users see with the OEM trigger. All of these things combine to make this the kind of trigger you can use all day for several days in a handgun course with no discomfort.

There is almost no pre-travel at all. If you really pay attention, you can feel just a bit but you will never notice it at speed. I can’t really impress how little pre-travel there is with words. You place your trigger finger on the trigger and feel a solid wall which just breaks as you apply pressure. When combined with all of SI’s trigger parts, my G19 averaged 4 pounds exactly over 10 trigger pulls measured with a Wheeler Precision trigger scale.

The reset is very Glock-like in how positive it is but the aluminum trigger bow gives everything a crisper, more mechanical feel. It is very perceptible and easy to find. This crisp reset coupled with the pre-travel elimination makes this trigger impressively fast. When it resets, you can’t miss it and you are right back on the break point of the trigger – click, bang, click, bang, click, bang, and so on. This is the type of trigger that will make you want to find the limits of your recoil control so you can keep up with it.

I also found that this trigger does a great job of basically forcing proper trigger finger engagement. It is wide enough that it will feel strange if you use anything other than just the pad of your trigger finger. It’s flat trigger bow means you can place your finger anywhere on the height of the trigger bow and have a similar feel. This trigger isn’t a replacement for training but it does a good job of reinforcing the fundamentals.

Suarez Flat and Straight Trigger Face

Wrap Up

I have tested my particular example in my particular gun enough to be satisfied with its safety. If you are going to use a trigger like this, I highly suggest that you do the same. In fact, that is a good policy with any piece of gear.

If the Tactical Grade version of this trigger and its pre-travel elimination gives you the heebie-jeebies, consider the Patrol Grade version. Both versions offer a lot of value in the form of a well shaped trigger bow, a satisfyingly mechanical feel, and a very competitive price. This is a great trigger.

Check out the Suarez “Flat and Straight” Triggers.

Disclosure: This trigger was provided to me for review by Suarez International.

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