Guns of the Special Forces is a recent publication by Pen & Sword Press written by Leigh Neville, an Australian defense and military author. The book is inspired by Guns of the Elite written by George Markham, an in-depth look at the history and then current (1990s) usage of small arms by special operations units in the world. Neville is essentially bringing the SF narrative of small arms knowledge and development up to date, in an extremely well written, 244 page publication filled with excellent description, discussion, and amazing photographs. In fact, I think the photographs are some of the best to appear in print from this secretive community the world over. I’m very used to being awed and seeing a number of photographs from OIF/OEF of SF weapons, but even for me the book blew it out of the park with the selection of pictures.

Chad Enos of Kel-Tec is posing with his Gen 2 Sub2000. It has a red dot and Kel-Tec flashlight attached to the side. I like the framing of the side view mirror so you can see what he is aiming at. It is clever mise-en-scène.

SureFire, LLC known for their world-class lights, suppressors, and various accessories, has announced the release of their latest lighting product, the FirePak. The FirePak is designed to pair with one’s cell phone and provide illumination to “…shoot vibrant, high-definition video with your smart phone in low-light situations, something never before possible.”

CrossBreed Holsters has been designing and manufacturing quality handcrafted holsters for more than a decade now and they continue to add to their product lineup. Now they’ve announced the launch of their latest addition which is designed for gun owners with the Streamlight TLR-6 mounted to their pistols. The Streamlight TLR-6 is a laser-light combination compatible with a number of subcompact handguns including brands such as Glock, Smith and Wesson M&P Shield, KAHR, SIG Sauer, and Kimber. It features a C4 LED illuminator and 640-660nm red laser and runs on two CR1/3N lithium batteries. The light is mounted to the pistol’s trigger guard.

To some hunting season is right around the corner and for others it’s year-round; whenever and wherever you hunt, this new bag might interest you. This is more than just a bag for toting stuff around, though. It’s the ScentPURGE BigMOUTH Bag, and if it delivers as promised it would be a welcome addition to my own must-have hunting gear.

Jiang Wen portrays Baze Malbus in the new Star Wars movie: Rogue One. A SureFire X300 was spotted on his prop weapon. It is just as bad as the ATI stock that was on Captain Phasma’s gun in Force Awakens. At least the SureFire X300 is small and you probably won’t notice it as much as an AR stock on a Stormtrooper Blaster.

High quality gear and accessories do not have to be expensive. Over the last couple years I have had the pleasure of getting to use some outstanding products that were fairly inexpensive, yet yielded an incredible amount of value and utility. Below are 4 quality products that will not break the bank, and will perform very well.

Earlier this week, Lasermax has started shipping out their new Spartan laser light. It is a small pistol rail mounted light and laser that runs on a single AAA battery. The Spartan comes in either red laser or green laser. The LED is not a white led. It has a mint green tint to the light. The LED produces 120 lumens. According to Lasermax this is the most visible wavelength of light. The red laser Spartan retails for $175 while the green laser Spartan is $215. Check them out at Lasermax.com. I think the Spartan might be rather competitive against SureFire’s XC1 which is a single AAA weapon mounted light.

For those not familiar with the ARES SCR, it is a lower receiver that has a buffer system similar to a semi auto shotgun. Check out James Reeve’s review. The reasoning for this is help those in restrictive states have an option that is not a Nike Swoosh stock or manually operated system.

L3, parent company of EOTech, also has quite a few successful brands of products that the warfighter can depend on. One of their most well-known products us the Insight AN/PEQ-15 laser designator system also known as the ATPIAL, which has been popular with special forces and various Tier 1 groups.

Found this gem on Instagram @axis_and_allies45

Remember the old original Coleman lanterns? Remember lantern fuel, mantles, etc.? A bit of a hassle, but they got the job done.

If you’ve ever taken that shot at twilight, you might agree that tracking a wounded animal in the woods as the sun disappears over the horizon can be a tough task. Even after a well placed shot with good quality ammo, a hog or deer may run a hundred yards before dropping. Finding it in the dark can be a chore indeed.

The Crimson Trace Corporation announced the release of new Laserguard Pro modules for the following subcompact pistols: Glock 42, Glock 43 and the Springfield Armory XD-S line. This extends the company’s Pro line for small pistols that currently fit the extremely popular Smith & Wesson Shield handguns.

(Note – this light was supplied for review by Fenix Lighting. I am in no way endorsing the light nor the company and I am not compensated for doing the review. But it is only fair to recognize and thank them for sharing a sample so that TFB readers can learn about the product.)

Leapers Inc. announced the company upgraded the UTG Compact Grip Light to offer more power and increased efficiency. This is a weapon light designed for use on AR-15 and similar rifles with a Picatinny type accessory rail.

The footage is a little bit washed out and you don’t really see that much. A U.S. Special Forces Operative is working with Afhan National Army soldiers. They break into a house and a firefight ensues. According to American Military News, the ANA solider that breached the building was shot off camera.

Yes, I am a gun writer – or an outdoor writer, to use the proper term. If you assume this means I read quite a bit, you’d be right, but not every gun writer out there is also a reader. For me, reading is paramount. The only thing capable of fighting my desire to get out and shoot is a good book. So I was pleased to find fellow outdoor writer Bryce M. Towsley’s newest book “Prepper Guns” is both well-thought out and detailed.

Browning released a number of shooting related products at the SHOT Show in January. Among them were a number of flashlights including the Hellcat. Browning labels the Hellcat as the “Ultimate Hunting Flashlight” and equips it with a variety of features and switches that may appeal to you.

SIG SAUER is now selling a weapon light designed specifically for handguns. The new light is called the FOXTROT1.

An announcement was made during this year’s NRA Annual Meeting (NRAAM) regarding a number of firearms industry businesses banding together for a common cause. The organization is called VFOB, which stands for Veteran’s Family of Brands. Of course, their name is also a reference to the military term FOB, Forward Operating Base. In the military an FOB is a secure base meant to provide support for operations. They’re important for a number of reasons, including the fact that they increase reaction time to the surrounding area. When VFOB’s founders sat down to discuss finalizing the name on the last day of SHOT Show 2016 they made it clear they wanted the organization to be seen as a source that could be trusted by consumers and relied upon by the military community: a firearms industry FOB. Now, in just a matter of months, their vision has come to fruition and is growing by leaps and bounds.

ShootingSightLLC modifies firearms in a different way than most. He adds LEDs inside the firearms to give them a futuristic look. He says the guns are 100% real and functional. However he does not know how well the electronics will fair with live fire. Kind of defeats the purpose if you ask me.

With just shy of 500 years under their gun belt, Beretta has announced the opening of a retail store here in the United States. The firearms industry magnate is known for its well-made, reliable long guns and pistols, but that isn’t all they make. In fact, there is an entire line of products available bearing the Beretta family name.

Whether you’re a bush pilot, a hunter, or simply an outdoors aficionado, you should have a good quality survival kit. When you picture that kit in your mind you undoubtedly envision a first aid kit complete with tourniquet and HALO Seals with a side of knives and fire starters. But there’s more to an all-out survival kit than only those smaller tools – there’s so much more. For example, you’ll do far better in the mean woods if you have a good gun on your side. Make that a lever gun and you’ve definitely attained bush pilot survival status. That’s just what Skinner Sights is after with their new Bush Pilot Survival Kit: survival with a side of badass (am I allowed to say “badass”…I suppose I just did, twice).

Considering the popularity of laser / light combination illuminators in the market, I was always perplexed with the various laser manufacturers opted to to only release lasers for the sub-compact and non-railed handguns in the market. With the cost of LEDs being near nothing, it was boggling, especially with common handgun usage being in low-light situations.

Celestron announced a new line of flashlights that are designed for hunters and other outdoor folks. Called the ThermoTouch line, these new lights offer illumination, heating and a charging source for all of the electronic gear you probably should have left at camp.

The guys over at Fire Mountain Outdoors have put together a Steam Punk themed AR15! The idea was for a gift to the wife of one of the owners, she is apparently a big time welder and thus would appreciate the steam punk themed rifle. It certainly is an interesting project build, with such features as a watch on the buttstock, a copper pole for the handguard, with copper rods wrapped around it, to various other smaller fixtures such as a sort of gears inside the now ventilated lower receiver. Their commentary in the video is absolutely great, with “On the left I’ve included a green laser, why? Because it’s Steam Punk!”. The gears inside the lower receiver are from a fellow in Russia that sells parts of clocks. The grip panels are actually 1911 grip panels, to add some wood to go along with a Steam Punk feel. The buttstock has both a compass and a watch on either side of it, with a clear material that allows you to see the mini gears working inside the watch from the other side of the stock. The maker choose a Centerpoint scope from Walmart that wouldn’t have been a good fit for any of his other firearms as well.

When the subject of the gun making markets in the village of Dharra, within the autonomous region of Peshawar, Pakistan comes up, most of us wouldn’t be wrong to think of the copying of older firearms designs, such as your typical Peshawar Kalashnikovs, Martini Henrys, Tokarevs, and the list goes on and on. However, recently the gun markets have been pushing towards modernity in their new designs, much like any firearms community the world over. These designs have some interesting characteristics and twisting of various old time features alongside the new. Whether that means they are safe to fire is a whole other ball game but just from an enthusiasts perspective, the rifles and handguns coming out of the gun markets are some kind of eye candy, and makes me wonder what is going on in the minds of some of these guys! The majority of variants appear to be AK based platforms, including an interesting twist on things with incorporating an AR charging handle into the top cover of an AK. This modernity doesn’t seem to have reached handguns yet, as most of the handguns sold appear to be Turkish imports from the various Turkish companies out there. A really interesting note is that these gunmakers are putting alot of effort into adding design elements of the AR15 into their rifles. Such as charging handles, carrying handles, entire rail systems, stocks, etc… You would think that in a part of the world where the AK has been the most reliable, more people would want to stick with the status quo. However, similar to the Iraqi Army wanting M16s over AKs, or even the Karen Hill tribes in Burma wanting M16s as well, the AR platform turns up in the oddest of places. Either way, the ingenuity put into these designs is quite something, and remember that most of this is being made by hand in Peshawar.

Photo by @manzokazi_designs/@geckokazi of Scott Johnson. You can follow him on instagram under @arbunker1

For 2016, Streamlight introduced a pair of new lights they are calling Dualies. The new lights feature two light sources in each torch and are intrinsically safe.