Those of you who have already used TacStrike steel targets understand what makes them great. Those of you who haven’t might need a little persuasion. Well… this might help. As of yesterday, TacStrike will be including a 1 year NRA membership with every purchase of a 1/4 Scale Steel Target or Full Size Steel Target. If you are already a member, they will make a donation for the amount of a 1 year membership. This is just part of why we are proud to have TacStrike as a partner here on JTT.
Not all flashlights have to be tactical and not all of them have to be expensive. In this review, I’ll take a look at 3 different lights that offer more functionality and usefulness than their cost would indicate. None of the lights reviewed below cost more than $16 each.
The Streamlight Microstream is interesting to me because it seems to occupy the space between tactical lights and keychain lights. It is small enough to carry on a key chain but it has a very useable tail cap switch that lets it serve as a backup tactical light. At just over 1 ounce in weight, it can be comfortably carried as a backup to a larger light.
Streamlight says the Microstream puts out 28 lumens for 1.5 hours which is pretty decent for a single AAA light. You will likely still get useable light after 1.5 hours if you are stuck without a spare battery, but output will be greatly diminished by then. The Microstream will surprise you with how good 28 lumens can look. Streamlight did a great job sorting out the reflector on this light. It has a very useable beam profile with surprising throw for such a small light.
The body of the Microstream is constructed from hard anodized aluminum. The switch is covered with a rubber boot and the lens is made from polycarbonate. Its clip has a two way clip that allows for bezel up or down carry. It is also handy for attaching the Microstream to the brim of our cap to serve as an improvised headlamp.
The only real issue that I have with this light is that the switches are fairly stiff. Momentary activation is easy enough, but if you have to click it on, it takes significant effort.
The Princeton Tec Amp 1L isn’t a tactical light but it is definitely a practical light. Like most Princeton Tec lights, it is made from plastic and very water resistant. It boasts 45 lumen output for 72 hours (72!) from 2 AAA batteries, a large loop for attaching it to your gear, and a built in bottle opener. That’s right. I said built in bottle opener.
The Amp 1L is available in two different versions. The more commonly found version is just the light. There is also a version that comes with a white plastic cone that snaps onto the bezel that turns the Amp 1L into an area light. It works great and while the cone is available separately, it is cheaper to just seek out the combo package that includes the cone. I should note that my AMP 1L that came packaged with the cone didn’t have the bottle opener, but I think the current package lights now include the built in bottle opener.
This light is great for all kinds of outdoor pursuits. It is also a perfect addition to your BOB or power outage kits. It can be used to peer a fair distance down the trail and then, by attaching the diffuser cone, it makes a great lightweight lantern. This versatility along with its durability, run time, low cost ($10-12), and ability to remove the barriers between you and ice cold refreshment make the AMP 1L a great all-around light.
I recently posted about a deal that I found on the eGear SplashFlash and many of you conveyed to me that you were able to pick up several of them. Well, I hope you held onto your receipts because I have good news. The price has gone down to less than $2 a light and if you take in your receipt, they will adjust the price.
This light is a bargain and deserves to be on this list at its normal $8-10 price. The SplashFlash is about the size of a tube of chapstick and yet it has already replaced much larger lights for me. It runs off of a single AAA battery, features plastic construction with a large o-ring to make it submersible, and comes with a small carabiner. It has two modes of operation that are selected by twisting the bezel into the on position. The first time you turn it on, it will be in constant on mode. The second time will put the SplashFlash in SOS beacon mode.
What makes the SplashFlash special is a combination of 4 things: size, weight, run time, and its ability to replace much larger lights. I have already mentioned the size above, but, with the included carabiner, it weighs only about 1 ounce. It will run for 11 hours (I have actually seen more than 12 hours of useful light) on a single AAA and its frosted dome spreads its 25 lumens around the entire room. The result is a tiny light that weighs almost nothing, and can replace a lantern in your kit.
I always used to carry small battery powered lanterns when camping. The term “small” in the previous sentence is relative because the lanterns/area lights that I used before are about the same size and weight as 5 SplashFlash lights. These are a great addition to a BOB or emergency kit.
There is room in any Trigger Jerk’s budget or backpack for lights like these!
PredatorBDU has a new patch this is pretty slick. It was developed for a group of contractors “doing work down in the dark depths of Africa.” The African continent morphing into a skull is an especially powerful image.
Check out the C’est L’Afrique Patch at PredatorBDU.
If you are going to train with Larry Vickers, it pays to join the NRA. Hopefully you are already a member, but if not, this may be motivation for you.
From Larry Vickers:
I am giving every NRA member who can show me proof of membership during any of my classes in 2013 $20 cash back on the spot – if someone isn’t a member they can join the evening of the first day, show me proof on day two, and I’ll give them $20 back.
At that rate the yearly membership only costs the individual $15 or $1.25 a month.
Just another way I am trying to get people engaged in the fight of our lives.
Larry Vickers
There are a number of proposed gun control bills that have been introduced in Colorado including HOUSE BILL 13-1224 which creates a new magazine capacity ban. Colorado also happens to be home base for companies like Impact Weapons Components and Magpul, the manufacturer of one of the most popular M16/M4/AR-15 magazines of all time. So, it isn’t hard to see how this state legislation can have an affect on the entire industry.
Magpul has already released a statement that is worth your time to read:
In addition to the national battle to protect our firearms rights, many states are currently engaged in their own fights. Here in CO, a state with a strong heritage of firearm and other personal freedoms, we are facing some extreme challenges to firearms rights. We have been engaged in dialogue with legislators here presenting our arguments to stop legislation from even being introduced, but our efforts did not deter those of extreme views.
After the NRAs visit last week, several anti-freedom bills were introduced by CO legislators, and a very aggressive timeline has been set forth in moving these bills forward.
The bills include:
HB 1229, Background checks for Gun Transfers–a measure to prohibit private sales between CO residents, and instead require a full FFL transfer, including a 4473.HB 1228, Payment for Background Checks for Gun Transfers– a measure that would require CO residents to pay for the back logged state-run CBI system (currently taking 3 times the federally mandated wait time for checks to occur) instead of using the free federal NICS checks.
And finally, HB 1224, Prohibiting Large Capacity Ammunition Magazines–a measure that bans the possession, sale, or transfer of magazines over 10 round capacity. The measures and stipulations in this bill would deprive CO residents of the value of their private property by prohibiting the sale or transfer of all magazines over 10 rounds. This bill would also prohibit manufacture of magazines greater than 10 rounds for commercial sale out of the state, and place restrictions on the manufacture of military and law enforcement magazines that would cripple production.
We’d like to ask all CO residents to please contact your state legislators and the members of the Judiciary Committee and urge them to kill these measures in committee, and to vote NO if they reach the floor.
We also ask you to show your support for the 2nd Amendment at the Capitol on Tuesday, Feb 12, for the magazine ban committee hearing and Wednesday, Feb 13, for the hearing on the other measures.
Due to the highly restrictive language in HB 1224, if passed, and we remained here, this measure would require us to cease PMAG production on July 1, 2013.
In short, Magpul would be unable to remain in business as a CO company, and the over 200 jobs for direct employees and nearly 700 jobs at our subcontractors and suppliers would pick up and leave CO. Due to the structure of our operations, this would be entirely possible, hopefully without significant disruption to production.
The legislators drafting these measures do so in spite of the fact that nothing they are proposing will do anything to even marginally improve public safety in CO, and in fact, will leave law-abiding CO residents less able to defend themselves, strip away rights and property from residents who have done nothing wrong, and send nearly 1000 jobs and millions in tax revenue out of the state.
We like CO, we want to continue to operate in CO, but most of all, we want CO to remain FREE.
Please help us in this fight, and let your voices be heard!
We have included the contact information for the House Judiciary committee for your convenience:
House Judiciary Committee
Rep. Daniel Kagan, Chair: 303-866-2921, repkagan@gmail.com
Rep. Pete Lee, Vice Chair: 303-866-2932, pete.lee.house@state.co.us
Rep. John Buckner: 303-866-2944, john.buckner.house@state.co.us
Rep. Lois Court: 303-866-2967, lois.court.house@state.co.us
Rep. Bob Gardner, 303-866-2191, bob.gardner.house@state.co.us
Rep. Polly Lawrence, 303-866-2935, polly.lawrence.house@state.co.us
Rep. Mike McLachlan, 303-866-2914, mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us
Rep. Rep Carole Murray, 303-866-2948, murrayhouse45@gmail.com
Rep. Brittany Pettersen, 303-866-2939, brittany.pettersen.house@state.co.us
Rep. Joseph Salazar, 303-866-2918, joseph.salazar.house@state.co.us
Rep. Jared Wright, 303-866-2583, jared.wright.house@state.co.us
You can read the NSSF brief on this legislation here. The previous URL also contains links to contact the Colorado State Judiciary Committee members.
Make your voice heard!
