This is a review of the Schmidt & Bender 5-45×56 PMII High Power Riflescope. I’ve reviewed almost all of S&B’s PMII riflescopes, and as the “top bird”, the 5-45x holds a special place. It was (and still is) my Holy Grail of riflescopes. The 9-power magnification range makes this optic quite extreme, as you can go from 5 power up to 45 power. Most of the time I use it around 20-30 power, but I love to have the ability to spot, observe – and engage – targets up to 45 power. I’m sure there are some disadvantages, as always within the laws of optics, but I wouldn’t say that stopped me from liking the overall performance.

I do my best to avoid flying. I’m much more of a road trip person. Sometimes, seeing the country from 30,000 feet is my only option, though. I also have a family, which means that traveling involves bringing a ton of crap. Lately, I’ve been searching for luggage that can handle all of the above considerations. I was browsing the 5.11 Tactical website and realized they had a luggage section. Considering the performance I have experienced from their backpacks, I figured it was a good place to look for a durable travel companion. One thing led to another, and a Mission Ready 3.0 90L found its way onto my doorstep. 

Mystery Ranch is one of the biggest names in outdoor backpacks. They make a wide range of hiking, hunting, wildfire, and military bags. Recently I found myself in need of a dedicated backpack to haul my writing gear to the range. The 2-Day Assault Pack looked like a good option so I picked one up. This review will cover my experiences using it on and off the range over the course of the last year.

After almost one year of ownership, here is my review of the Pulsar Krypton 2 FXG50 Thermal Clip-On. The Pulsar Krypton 2 models (there is a “budget” FXG35 model as well) were released last year at IWA in Germany. Since thermal riflescopes (digital sights with reticles) are forbidden in Germany, and some other countries, the only way to get thermal capability for your hunting rifle is to connect a thermal clip-on to your ordinary day scope.

For quite a few years, I considered the Glock 19 to be the gold standard by which all concealed carry handguns should be measured. I carried the G19 almost exclusively – first a Gen 2 model, then I later updated to a Gen 4. Anytime I tried a different handgun, the question I always came back to was, “Taking all factors into consideration, from shootability and reliability to concealability and capacity, along with every other facet of everyday carry, would I rather use this gun than my G19?” While I tried out some excellent pistols, many of which were highly capable of sufficiently fulfilling that concealed carry weapon role, time after time I returned to my trusty Glock 19. After swapping out the sights for a set of Hackathorn-style aftermarket upgrades and housing the gun in a quality Kydex IWB holster, I called it good and never left home without it. Before the advent of the slim-frame revolution with models like the G43X and G48, along with other manufacturers’ takes on skinnier carry guns, this double-stack 15+1 9mm setup served me exceedingly well in a gamut of training classes and my everyday life.

I bought my LV 119 in 2019. If I did the review right away, I would probably start the review by explaining why a citizen would feel the need to have a plate carrier. But the times changed. 2020 riots in the US and the horrors of the full-scale war in the middle of Europe changed a lot of minds when it comes to disaster preparedness, firearms, and gear. For most people the question now is not why you would need body armor, but rather what body armor will be the right tool for the job. I will try to explain why I chose this style of body armor and what considerations I think are important when choosing body armor for disaster preparedness/civil unrest scenarios.

9mm PCCs have been one of the fastest-growing sub-sections of the firearms industry and with so many offerings out there already, it’s hard to stand out. When I first heard about Extar USA and their virtually all-polymer firearms, I was almost certain that they had to be cheaply made import guns. To my surprise, it was the exact opposite and it’s the first reason why I really like the EP9 for what it is. Extar USA was founded in 1995 and was one of the first manufacturers of molded polymer rifle caliber receiver sets. The Extar EP9 was released just a short while ago, and the much anticipated and desired EP9 Carbine followed shortly afterward. With the recent release of the EP9 Carbine, I thought it was finally time to give you all my review of the EP9 “large format pistol” that I’ve been shooting for the last several months. Today I’ll give you some insight into where the platform excels, what I think it’s good for, and where it might fall short for some shooters with specific shooting tastes.

Right before Christmas, I received an exciting call from my local FFL. They had just received a TYPE-A EG-19 with my name on it. Naturally, I dropped whatever “probably important” task I was doing at the time and rushed over there to see this beauty in person. Once I got to my destination and talked to the woman behind the counter, she then retrieved a Pelican case from the back of the store and placed it on the counter in front of me. At first, I thought she must have grabbed the wrong item but then when she unlatched the case and spun the opening to my view, I was delighted to see the EG-19 was within my grasp.

It says it there in the title and long story short, I haven’t killed it yet. Today we’re talking about a familiar yet new(ish) face to the enclosed red dot world – the Riton Optics 3 Tactix EED (Enclosed Emitter Dot). This optic is new for Riton but may be familiar to those who are also familiar with Nutrek Optics who is the OEM manufacturer for both the new 3 Tactix EED and Viridian RFX45 Enclosed Green Dot. While I think it’s personally fair to call the two optics more or less the same, they do differ in a few ways besides the color of the dot, and to better showcase those differences I was able to get Riton Optics to send me a copy of the EED for testing and evaluation. After testing some of the most durable products in optics like the new Trijicon RCR, and RMR HD, I wanted to see what a more “budget-friendly” option like the EED could offer me as a pistol shooter. Country of origin aside, I think it’s worth testing out the EED to see what it’s capable of and how it holds up to my level of destructive range antics.

This is a review of the Pulsar Axion 2 XQ35 and XG35 Thermal Monoculars. These models are available with or without a side-mounted laser rangefinder. A thermal monocular can be any hunter’s best friend. Whether you’re hunting wild boar or coyotes at night, elk or deer, or perhaps trying to establish were your friend or your dog is located, these devices will help you spot any hot object a lot better than the naked eye.

We are very blessed in the times that we live in – and I’m not referring to modern medicine, running water, and Door Dash – rather, if you are a concealed carry advocate there are countless options for actual good quality holsters. There are colors, schemes, designs, accessories, and infinite combinations to fit anybody’s preferences. I personally have a short list of my favorites just like anybody has their favorite X, Y, Z handguns that they like the most, and Bravo Concealment cracks my Top 5 for reliability and affordability. Today, I am going to review the Bravo Concealment LINKed IWB Holster for my tried-n-true, Gucci Glock G17 Gen4 topped off with a Trijicon RMR and a Streamlight TLR-1 HL. This will be the 4th Bravo Concealment holster that I have reviewed on TFB, but let’s see if it is the best, thus far. Let’s dive in!

This is a review of the InfiRay Outdoor Mate MAH50 Thermal Front Attachment. There are many reasons to consider thermal “clip-ons” for your ordinary day optic, and the MATE MAH50 is one of the best on the market in terms of image quality.

Stand 1 Armory is a boutique ammunition manufacturer based in north Texas, nestled in the rolling plains just over an hour’s drive west toward the panhandle from the western side of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The company’s story is a tale of resurrection, with the brand’s original ownership having shut down operations in late 2017. After approximately three years of dormancy, 2020 saw the re-emergence of the Stand 1 name under new ownership. They’ve been going strong ever since, thanks in no small part to their signature 9mm “Chubbies”. Among the Stand 1 product catalogue spanning a wide variety of options for both rifle and pistol calibers, the Chubby is offered as a flagship item, purpose-built primarily for competition shooting.

Walther’s striker-fired PDP pistol series carries the slogan, “It’s your duty to be ready.” Ready for what? By the tone of their video marketing, duty. Whether that be to family and self for protection, or the public in the case of uniformed officers, PDP marketing is designed to appeal to those who feel the call to protect. But the latest addition to the series is a full-size “match” model, with features more suited to the competition set. Is the PDP Match still suitable for duty? I had the chance to try one out to see.

This is TFB’s review of the Spuhr SICS chassis (Spuhr Ideal Chassis System), or “6” for short. This high-end chassis was invented, designed and produced by Spuhr in Sweden. Having followed the project somewhat before its introduction, I know that the development progressed over a long period of time, and there were huge investments made to realize this project. Apart from the pistol grip, the cheek rest and the recoil pad, everything is machined from aircraft aluminum.

The sun is about to set on this Friday and you know what that brings, Friday Night Lights. Your source for night vision and thermal-related content. Tonight we take a close look at the Nocturn Industries UANVB-R, the metal ruggedized Katana dual tube night vision housing.

I’ve carried the G20 Gen3 at work and as an EDC for years.  I even killed my first mule deer with it about two decades ago.  It’s been reliable, faithful, and in thousands and thousands of rounds fired and hours in the field, I only had one spring fail.  In other words, it’s a Glock.  Accurate enough, extremely reliable, and easy to maintain.  When Glock gave me the opportunity to review a Glock 20 Gen5 MOS, I took them up on the offer because I’ve had so much time and experience with my old G20.  You know what you’re getting with a Glock, but is it worth it for people who have previous generations of the G20 to upgrade to this latest and greatest Gen5?  I have carried and shot it extensively over the past nine months, so let’s find out.

You are here so you know what tonight means, esoteric night vision content! We started this year’s Friday Night Lights looking at the B2 Spirit with cooled MWIR thermal imaging. Tonight we look at the Rheinmetall/Oerlikon LLM01 (Laser Light Module 01) which various European militaries use on their service rifles.

Roller delayed blowback pistol caliber carbines are extremely popular. Everyone wants an MP5 clone. But there are not many MP5-SD clones. HKBryce came out with a 3D printed SD handguard adapter that allows you to use an MP5-SD rubber handguard on a full size MP5.

Aimpoint is often a name that is synonymous with the terms “expensive” and “high quality.” While many will more likely know them for just being plain expensive, I’ve come to recognize the Aimpoint series of red dot optics to be some of the best in the business in terms of durability, flexibility, reliability, and features. The Aimpoint Duty RDS was announced at SHOT Show 2023 and was billed as being a more affordable alternative to the more expensive Aimpoint Micro T-2. I’ve had a ton of recent experience with the Micro T2 through a couple of carbine classes I’ve been fortunate enough to take, and today I’m going to use that recent experience to compare it to the newer, and more affordable Aimpoint Duty RDS to see if the reduced price (MSRP of $499) is worth the reduction in performance that this particular optic offers.

Did the featured image catch your attention? Do you want to know more? Well, come on in. I acquired a somewhat obscure straight pull bolt action shotgun made by C-MORE called the M26 CMC. It is a competition variant of the more popular M26 MASS.

Lone Wolf Arms emerged in the early 1990s as a response to the demand for high-quality, customized firearm parts in the United States. Founded by brothers JD and Kurt Devine, Lone Wolf initially began as a small business focusing on manufacturing replacement barrels for Glock pistols. Through their engineering, Lone Wolf Arms rapidly expanded its product line to include slides, frames, and a diverse range of firearm components. Back in May of this year,  Hop and I were invited down to Georgia to take a look at a few new products from Lone Wolf. The star of the show for Lone Wolf was their Dusk 19 pistol. Lone Wolf Arms has been known for a long time for creating aftermarket parts for Glocks, and until I was invited to this event, that’s all I thought they did. The Dusk 19 is their new Glock pattern pistol, and their aim is to solve some of the out-of-the-box issues that most people have with the Glocks and deliver it at a reasonable price point with a broad feature set.

Welcome nocturnal enthusiasts. Do you crave esoteric night vision-related content? Then you have come to the right place. Last week we took a peek at the Insight ISM-IR. Well, we end this year with some even more obscure weapon-mounted lasers. Specifically, the Laser Devices DBAL-Compact and GLIS.

LA Police Gear has been around since 2001, and they have established their own brand in addition to supplying other popular brands of duty gear to law enforcement and citizens. The LA Police Gear Terrain Flex Jeans are a departure from duty gear that ventures straight toward the concealed carry market that features NINE pockets, but without looking tactical whatsoever. As a longtime concealed carrier, I can say that the LAPG Terrain Flex Jeans answers questions that should’ve been asked a long time ago. Let’s dive into these pocketses.

Well hello there. Are you looking for Sarah Connor? Well, she isn’t here. Just us firearm enthusiasts. Earlier this year I came across an AMT Hardballer at my local gun store. I bought it and transformed it into the iconic “.45 long slide with laser sighting”.

For anyone in the market for plate carriers and NIJ Level IV rated ballistic plates, LA Police Gear has options available, and today we’ll be taking a look at the LA Police Gear Atlas Plate Carrier, as well as the LA Police Gear Level IV plates. Both products from LAPG are affordable options when looking for ballistic protection gear. Let’s take a look.

Every year, I find myself having the same conversation with myself. Is it time to stray from Glocks? I’ve tried a few handguns that I can see replacing the system of pistols, mags, holsters, and bags. Then, like clockwork, something happens that sends me right back into Gaston’s embrace. This time, it was the article I wrote where I compared a factory Glock 19 to a parts build. For the parts build, the slide and all of its parts came from Strike Industries. Though I work with Strike often, I can admit that I appreciate their ability to innovate and produce, but not every part is a winner. I was quick to write off their LITESLIDE but ended up loving it so much that I used it to replace my factory slide. I know I gave away my opinion early, but if you’re still with me, let’s spend some time getting to know this Strike Industries LITESLIDE assembly.  

LA Police Gear has been distributing gear and clothing to law enforcement and civilians for over 20 years, and they’ve created their own product lines of clothing and protective gear as well. Today we’ll take a look at their Urban Ops Tactical Pants and see what they have to offer, and how they held up for me, on and off duty.

This is a review of the Infiray Outdoor Tube/Bolt TL35 SE Thermal Riflescope. While thermals aren’t exactly cheap, the luxury has become a lot more affordable in the past few years. This model is one of those that will probably show up on your radar if you’re looking for a budget thermal riflescope. Read on to learn more about it.