If you’re a firearms enthusiast, chances are you have heard of ARMSLIST. In fact, with more than 2 1/2 million users and over 1,300 registered FFL dealers involved, chances are you’ve probably also been on their website.
But how much do you actually know about it?
So What Is ARMSLIST?
ARMSLIST is a private online marketplace, but it doesn’t actually sell firearms. Instead, it works virtually with a huge network of registered FFL dealers to put a wide range of guns in front of prospective gun owners.
This allows people in the United States to list items for sale online, communicating safely, securely, and because you’re working directly with FFLs, you’ll be legally buying with very low risk of scams or fraud. Whether you’re a dealer, manufacturer, or individual gun owner, they provide you with an alternative to auction sites and has drastically lower fees, and zero commission fees.
ARMSLIST has guns and gear, accessories, blogs, and reviews on hundreds of products you’d be interested in owning, all while conducting business easily and legally, with accountability on both sides of a transaction.
Buying or Selling
The main thing to know about buying a gun on ARMSLIST is that you don’t need an account to buy a gun. As a non-subscriber, you can still purchase from the their network of over 1,300 FFL dealers. However, having an account opens up new possibilities for you.
Armslist offers two different account types, the Premium Vendor account, and the Personal account. Each account is adjusted to the seller’s needs, which provides options that many online companies don’t offer.
ARMSLIST Legal Defense Fund
Armslist also helps maintain the ARMSLIST Legal Defense Fund that fights to protect the 2nd Amendment rights of all Americans, focusing on issues regarding the internet. They also provide up-to-date news articles about guns, gun laws, and opinionated articles to educate the public on matters affecting the 2nd Amendment.
Armslist strongly encourages anyone interested in selling or buying guns to try the website immediately. But…if you’re not interested in buying or selling products, you can always support our Legal Defense Fund. Your participation there helps ensure the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans are not taken away.
If you’ve been following my social media feeds then you’ve seen my new patch that I had Patriot Patch Co make for me.
They came out great! As of right now, I have 30 left from the 100 I had for sale. If you would like to order one, please PayPal me $10 Friends & Family to [email protected] and Don’t forget to leave your mailing address in the notes.
I mail them first class USPS the same day or following day. They’re taking around a week or so to arrive and there is no tracking on envelopes. So give it a week or two to get to you.
Aaaargh, what be the best AR dry firing tool of the seven seas? The Mantis X Blackbeard answers the call!
Mantis Tech has been sailing through the industry headlines with their innovative dry-firing devices, and for good reason. Ammo shortages and price hikes have made the already important practice of at-home training with your defensive firearm all the more vital. Filling the void has been the Mantis X series. These devices directly attach to your firearm and offer precise shooting accuracy and technique diagnostics.
Honing in on your shots is the first important step for developing yourself as a competitive shooter. What about consistent follow-up shot training? For obvious reasons, this presents a technical barrier. The natural mechanics of your typical AR platform prevents you from doing so without physically resetting the trigger each time. At which point, you might as well be using a bolt gun.
That’s where the Mantis Blackbeard comes in. The Blackbeard uses a unique design that allows the user to conduct realistic and consistent dry firing sessions.
Following Up on Your Shots
If there’s one thing gun owners like, it’s simplicity. Luckily, the Mantis X Blackbeard is idiot-proof, being as simple to install as it is to operate. The system is a dedicated AR-15 dry firing solution. It replaces your bolt carrier group and charging handle with a solid, drop-in electronic device that emits a laser at the end of the barrel. The red color indicates that the device is a non-ballistic, dry firing tool. This can be seen easily from the ejection port side.
Drop-in, plug-in-play! The Mantis Blackbeard replaces your BCG, charging handle, and magazine.
You can make adjustments using the included Allen key to give yourself some semblance of a zero. Make sure to get as close to your sighting system as possible. Keep in mind there is no such thing as an exact zero to your reticle or sights from a laser bore alone due to the fact you’re matching up a laser from the barrel end and not actual ballistic trajectory from a live round.
The Battery Pack
The separate magazine is a rechargeable battery pack, allowing 100,000 shots per full charge. So you can safely “mag” dump to your heart’s content. With every pull of the trigger, the device’s piston will automatically reset it. The product comes in four different variations: red laser, green laser (what I use since I was feeling festive), infrared laser, or no laser. The visible lasers are great for general use as you’ll clearly indicate shot placement with just your naked eyes. The no laser model is fine for those looking only to get the trigger reset function. The infrared is for the Gucci operator Bois with NODs (jealous).
The package includes the Blackbeard laser device, the magazine battery pack, instructions, and a charging cable in a sleek case.
Zeroing in on Your Training with the Mantis X Blackbeard
So what does the Mantis X Blackbeard actually add to your training routine? As mentioned before, my fellow AR shooters will be delighted to know their trigger will now automatically reset at every pull. Gone are the days of awkwardly breaking your shooting form to rack the charging handle just to make another shot happen. Instead, the user is able to make rapid follow-up shots without any alterations to their technique. This prevents the development of certain training scars. Additionally, no changes are made to the trigger weight, so your pristine Geissele gets to perform in all of its glory.
Show me the green! Always good to see what you’re hitting.
I had a blast endlessly dumping into my makeshift targets and doing my usual routine throughout my testing. It cannot be overstated the importance of being able to pull the trigger multiple times without interruption. Suddenly, the practice of dynamic drills and advanced methods is possible. One of my favorite drills is the Failure to Stop. In this drill, the shooter is tasked with placing two shots to the target’s chest and one to the head in quick, accurate succession. This is simply not feasible in a dry fire setting without the Blackbeard auto-resetting trigger system.
Another subtle but equally important feature is the responsiveness of the trigger reset itself. For those worried about possibly “outrunning” the Blackbeard’s trigger reset speed, fear not. I may not be the Flash, but I did my damnedest to make this thing choke up on me with my trigger finger alone and experienced no issues.
Simple and efficient, the Blackbeard gives you an instant dry firing solution almost immediately out of the box.
Indicating Accuracy
Of course, there’s no use in having a shooting tool that has no indicator of accuracy. The laser emitter feature is essential for at least serving as a reference point for your shot placements. Other than simply tracking your overall groupings, the laser really shined when I began conducting on-the-move target transition shooting and simulated CQB drills. Call it LARPing, but doing my usual room-clearing drills felt cooler than ever before! I, unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to test this alongside the Laser Academy system. However, something tells me I’d spend even more time violently invading my room than usual if I did.
As far as reliability goes, the Blackbeard keeps on truckin’. You may have heard of earlier models failing after a few hundred shots or having tolerance issues. I experienced none of the above after thousands of shots. Mantis has made it clear these errors have been fixed with later generations.
Some Holes Need Plugging
Products are rarely perfect out of the box and the Mantis X Blackbeard is no exception. I will get the obvious out of the way and confirm that you will not be able to perform your standard reloads using this device. Core mechanical weapons manipulations such as racking the charging handle, inserting standard magazines (excluding the Blackbeard magazine battery), or flipping up the dust cover are impossible. Nothing on the device reciprocates outwardly, and the presence of the device in the chamber prevents any magazine from being fully seated. If you want to practice reloads within shooting drills or malfunction clearing, you’ll need to do so with your base BCG and charging handle.
Mantis Tech products should all be compatible with one another (hopefully, you have better luck than I did!).
The second issue I personally encountered was the Blackbeard’s inability to integrate with the Mantis X dry fire software. As it is advertised, the Blackbeard should be compatible with any of the current generation models of the Mantis X Shooting Performance System by using the universal magazine adhesive mount. Unfortunately, despite going through the X3 and X10 models, the most I could get were two or three shots to register in the dry firing diagnostic software. Upon speaking to multiple reps from Mantis, I was told the next generation of the Blackbeard will come integrated with a software feature. Hopefully, solving this problem altogether. However, I do believe I could have a defective model and am in talks with their customer support team to solve the issue.
The Mantis X Blackbeard Verdict
On the whole, the Mantis X Blackbeard is a fantastic addition to any AR owner’s training arsenal. The ability to have a safe trigger reset in combination with a laser emitter elevates the at-home, dry fire training experience. The hiccups I did encounter are not in any way disastrous. Fortunately, Mantis Tech is already improving upon the original design. It’s a pricey tool but think of this device as not just another accessory but as an investment for yourself.
About the Author: Eric is a writer, everyman-level, critic, gamer, martial artist, firearms enthusiast, social media marketer, and desultory, half-assed comedian. When he’s not cranking out good ole fashioned gun content, he’s likely playing one or more of the latest FPS games du jour. That or teaching friends not to shoot themselves in the foot and wishing he had better time management skills. Follow him on Instagram at @ground_floor_korean.
The PDX from Maxim Defense has proven to be an extraordinarily popular design over the last few years, but it has (understandably) never been on the lower end of the firearm price point scale. They have now launched the “MD-1505”, to make a more affordable AR-15 style PDX available. Though similar to the PDX in size and capability, the PDX has MILSPEC forged receivers and a different handguard. With the SCW stock, SCW brace, and SCW pistol system options, there should be a version available for most conceivable needs.
Here’s what Maxim had to say,
Maxim Defense MD-1505
When you’re looking for Maxim Defense PDX ingenuity in a standard AR-15 package, the MD-1505 is your answer. The MD-1505 was engineered to bring our top-tier PDX package to an even more affordable price point.
Starting at the muzzle, each MD-1505 is equipped with the patentedMaxim HATEBRAKE muzzle device, which reduces recoil, decreases flash signature, pushes gasses, and concussion wave downrange away from the operator. All of which improve overall performance in short barrel pistols and rifles.
Zooming in on the Hate Brake muzzle booster (here on a different build, with some drum mag goodness).
For increased comfort and versatility every MD-1505 features our free-floating Slimline Handguard. These handguards provide a monolithic-like upper receiver platform and M-Slot compatibility on five sides. At the rear, the MD-1505S is equipped with our SCW Stock for the ultimate in compactness, comfort, and versatility.
MD is well aware that “affordable” is an extremely subject term. Those who will immediately react negatively to the MSRP, know this: Maxim Defense has never sacrificed quality for a reduction in cost. Their description says more affordable, not “easily affordable” or any other permutation thereof. In the specific case of the MD-1505 vs. PDS, it is more affordable. That said, quality speaks for itself. The price point will not be for everyone.
[Guest author] Over the years, I’ve owned several of the Springfield Armory XD series of pistols. A few standard XDs, a few XDm versions, and an XD-S. One thing they all had in common was that through thousands of rounds (remember back when we could afford to shoot, back in the “Olden Days”?), I never experienced one single stoppage. Even the .40 Caliber XDm that I took to a shooting school right out of the box, never having lubed it, and proceeded to put 1,300 rounds through it in two days, the thing functioned perfectly. Not too long back, Springfield introduced another in the XD line, the XD-E (the “E” stands for external hammer). Here’s a rundown.
Springfield XDE 9mm
XDE 3.3 With External Hammer
by Jim Davis
So why in the world would anyone want an external hammer in this world of striker-fired pistols? Well, maybe that’s the point. Everything new these days seems to be striker-fired.
Not Quite A Pocket Pistol
The way I see it, the external hammer will appeal to a few segments of the shooting community. The “purists” cut their teeth on handguns that had exposed hammers. That crowd likes options, such as being able to carry “cocked and locked,” i.e., with the hammer cocked and a manual safety activated (which this pistol does allow).
That said, there is also a unique, new segment to our firearms community that is glaringly different: new shooters. They’ve arrived in droves, given the recent political developments.
The controls operated smoothly, including the takedown lever (far left), slide release, and safety/decocker. The safety is mounted slightly high for the author’s taste. Here, the XD-E is shown in “cocked and locked” mode.
Finally, it has dawned on a massive segment of the American public that they may need to protect themselves in the very near future. They’ve finally concluded that seasoned shooters have long known, and that is that the government cannot protect us and that anarchists enjoy attacking people.
As a result, new shooters have joined the ranks like never before. I don’t know about you, but I think that maybe a pistol with an exposed hammer might be easier to learn on, and quite possibly, safer in the hands of a newer, less experienced shooter. An example is a revolver; when the hammer is cocked, it is evident that the revolver is ready to fire in single-action mode—the same situation with this pistol.
At any rate, it’s time to take a look at the technical aspects of the XD-E. This particular model has a 3.3-inch barrel, which is hammer forged. The slide is forged steel with a Melonite finish, which is black.
The pistol’s length is 6.75 inches, and the height is five inches. It is relatively thin overall, with the grip being one inch thick, contributing to its concealability. Make no mistake, though, this is not a tiny pocket pistol, by any stretch. Springfield classifies it as a “Compact,” which is reasonably accurate, as it’s smaller than a service pistol. The weight is 24.8 ounces with the nine-round magazine inserted.
The Magazine
There are two basic options of Springfield XD magazines available: eight or nine-round, both single stack. This contributes to the pistol’s thinness.
The eight-round magazine comes with a base plate with a finger rest, although a flush fit base plate does come with the pistol if the owner wishes to change that out.
The nine-round magazine comes with an extended floor plate, making the grip slightly longer, though not dramatically so.
The magazines eject very nicely, in that when the release is pressed, they come shooting out! Magazines are constructed of stainless steel and are sturdily made. The XD-E will fire without a magazine inserted.
A well-rounded carry package. XD-E, spare magazine, Federal Hydra-Shock Tactical ammunition, and a Strider SnG Tanto knife.
The Safety and Mag Release
A nice touch is that both the safety/decocker and the magazine release are ambidextrous. Not that they can be installed ambidextrously, but there is one on each side of the pistol! Southpaws will like that, and it’s handy for when a shooter is using his weak side.
The safety/decocker works well but is mounted slightly high for my taste in that I have to adjust my grip to take the weapon off safe. Not a lot, but enough that it’s not at optimal efficiency for me. On the other hand, my wife wasn’t bothered by this in the least, and it worked great for her. If I had my way, it would be mounted lower in the fashion of the 1911. Being able to carry cocked and locked (that is, with a round in the chamber, hammer back, safety on) is a nice option. Others will prefer carrying with the hammer down and having the choice of the safety on or off.
A loaded chamber indicator is on the top of the slide just behind the breach block that sticks up when a round is in the chamber.
A dual captive spring with a total length guide rod is used in the recoil system, and it does a nice job taming recoil.
The Sights
The sights on the pistol are very nicely done, consisting of a three-dot configuration that is pretty standard these days. The front sight is a red fiber optic that takes the sights to the next level into the highly effective category. The fact that the sights are steel is also a plus. All in all, high marks in this department!
The bore axis on the XD-E is relatively high, unlike many other pistols on the market these days. I prefer a lower bore axis, but this didn’t prove detrimental in actual shooting.
The Trigger
The double-action trigger pull is long and incredibly smooth, stacking at the end, just before the break. The smoothness of the pull is surprising. There is a pleasingly short trigger reset, which will allow quick follow-up shots. The single-action trigger has some takeup before it breaks but is not excessive. Overall, it’s a decent trigger. I wish that my trigger finger was a fraction of an inch longer because the bottom corner of the trigger grabs the edge of my trigger finger.
The Grip
An essential part of any pistol is the grip, and the XD-E will fit a wide range of shooters in this aspect. My hands are on the smaller side, and I found the slim group to fill my hand well. However, shooters with larger hands will probably like that; although the grip is thin, it is also wide enough to accommodate their bear paws comfortably. Springfield was rather ingenious in how they managed to construct a grip that would appeal to so many shooters.
The grip texture is rough enough that it seems to offer a positive purchase and yet not be so abrasive as to chafe the skin when carrying the pistol concealed. It seems they’ve arrived at a sensible compromise here.
Stripping the XD-E
Field stripping is accomplished in the same fashion as most pistols on today’s market; the slide is retracted and locked to the rear, the takedown lever is flipped up. From there, the slide is removed, and then the recoil spring and barrel can be taken out. Reassembly is in the reverse order. It all goes very smoothly with no hidden surprises.
Field stripped, the XD-E disassembles just like most other pistols on the market. Note the double captive recoil spring.
When the pistol is stripped down, the quality of construction that we’ve come to expect from Springfield Armory is in evidence, with no tool marks being apparent. The pistol works very smoothly overall.
Range Time with XD-E
We hit the range with the XD-E on a rare warm day to see how it would fare. I started at 25 yards resting the pistol on a bench to test the accuracy. Well, I won’t post a photo of that group because…I was getting used to the gun! Yes, I’m sure that was the case!
During rapid-fire, it was easy to keep hits inside the target. Headshots from 25 yards were no problem.
After my first dismal group, though, it came into its own. No, it wasn’t shooting one-inch groups at 25 yards. Still, it kept everything nicely centered on a man-sized target at a remarkably rapid rate of fire. Headshots were also possible at 25 yards. I didn’t shoot beyond 25 yards, but I’m sure it would perform admirably well past that range.
I did some drills transitioning from double action to single action. It felt pretty much like every other DA/SA handgun I’ve ever fired, except that the XD-E’s DA (Double Action) pull is smooth as glass. Of course, single firing action was easier and increased accuracy.
The Recoil
The recoil was pleasantly moderate (not light, but far from heavy). The grip offers enough area that the shooter has an excellent surface to grasp, which spreads out the recoil impulse. However, it was not snappy, and the sights settled right back to the target after each shot. As a result, rapid-fire drills with the pistol were easy to accomplish; you can quickly put a lot of lead on target with this pistol.
Rapid-fire drills on bad guy targets. Recoil was quite manageable, with sights returning quickly to the target.
The pistol points quickly, and the sights seem to come onto target naturally to make matters better. That fiber-optic, glowing red sight makes acquiring the sights a no-brainer, and these are easily among the best sights that I’ve ever used in a pistol.
Reliability and Comfort
Reliability was impressive because I put some of the lowest quality ammo that I have ever used through it (“Perfecto” brand, bought at Walmart a few years back for $5/box). Perfecto sometimes has light-charged rounds and is just the junkiest stuff I’ve ever used. However, the XD-E ran through it perfectly, as well as the higher quality ammo that I fed it. So rest easy that this is a reliable handgun.
My daughter tried her hand with the XD-E and gave it high marks; she also thought very highly of the sights. Aside from that, one other aspect of the pistol is enamored here: it is easy to rack the slide. She has a disability with her left hand, and even with that, she could retract the slide to chamber a round. This might be an essential consideration for those who don’t have a lot of arm or hand strength and those who are…ahem…aging. Arthritis in the hands, wrists, and arms can do a number on our strength, and having a pistol that is friendly to our impediments can mean a lot.
Putting the pistol through its paces. It handled very well! Smooth, accurate, and fast.
Post Range Time with the 3.3 XDE 9mm
The XD-E does have an accessory rail on the dust cover for those who wish to mount lights, lasers, and other accessories. It is a standard Picatinny rail.
I’ll be honest; I was lukewarm toward the XD-E when I first unboxed it. In my book, it’s not an exciting pistol for me to look at, sort of a “plain vanilla” pistol. But after getting it to the range and putting rounds on target, my excitement for the XD-E tripled. It’s accurate, 100% reliable, smooth, fast, and user-friendly.
All controls functioned as they should, including the slide release. Usually, I don’t use slide releases because they demand fine motor skills, which we lose when adrenaline affects us. As such, I typically rack the slide using my hand, which utilizes gross motor skills. Those slide releases on many pistols, especially new ones, can be very stiff and difficult to operate. Not so with the XD-E; it was easy to manipulate and large enough to do so comfortably. All controls on the XD-E were smooth and easy to operate; they get a 100% from me.
The XD-E’s MSRP
At the time of this writing, the retail of the pistol is $542, so it will be available for considerably less from suppliers. Nevertheless, Springfield Armory has certainly priced this one reasonably, especially compared to some offerings from other manufacturers.
In summary, the XD-E is a winner; given its ease of use, accuracy, reliability, and comfort, it is a solid choice for defensive carry. I would feel comfortable carrying it for defense.
About the Autor: Jim Davis served in the PA Dept. of Corrections for 16 ½ years as a corrections officer in the State Correctional Institute at Graterford and later at SCI Phoenix. He served on the Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT), several of those years as a sniper, and also the Fire Emergency Response Team (FERT). For 25 years, he was a professional instructor, teaching topics including Defensive Tactics, Riot Control and Tactical Operations, Immediate Responder, and cognitive programs as an adjunct instructor at the DOC Training Academy. He was then promoted to the title of corrections counselor, where he ran a caseload and facilitated cognitive therapy classes to inmates. His total service time was close to 29 years. He was involved in many violent encounters on duty, including incidents of fatalities.
Censorship is nothing new to Instagram. I understand that it is a private company but it is wrong either way. Basically any content that they simply don’t like or agree with is shadow banned, deleted and now they are threatening to delete accounts for violating their community guidelines.
I can assure you that I do not in anyway violate their guidelines, yet they don’t allow for reviews much anymore and are now saying that I’m in danger of losing my account there.
I’ll be posting here more regularly to keep the information flow going and to share my knowledge, which is the entire purpose of what I do; to help the 2A community.
I may start a back-up account but follow me here for updates!
HRT Tactical knocked it out of the park with their RAC Plate Carrier, which I reviewed thoroughly last year. The RAC is still my go-to and preferred plate carrier. So when the guys from HRT Tactical reached out to me about their upcoming chest rig, I was excited to see what they come up with. I got an advanced kit and have had time to test it out for myself.
The Modulus Chest Rig is true to it’s namesake by being very modular in design, just like the RAC Plate Carrier. It makes it very easy to switch out pouches to fit whatever your current needs.
Let’s get into the use of chest rigs. They do have a purpose for certain situations and like any other piece of kit, there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Knowing the capabilities of your equipment is the key. This is from my own experience and usage of gear for over a decade of use in training and at work. Granted, I am not a military veteran or was ever on a tactical team; I’m just a regular Law Enforcement Officer that trains as much as possible and have had the opportunity to use and review quite a lot of plate carriers and chest rigs.
Inside the Admin Pouch.
So why would one run a chest rig over a plate carrier with rifle plates? Everything is mission dependent with many factors in play. With a chest rig, your advantages are weight savings, lower profile (depending on the carrier), ability to carry extra magazines and essential equipment. With a chest rig, you have a higher mobility and agility over a plate carrier, however you must know the disadvantages. The obvious one is the lack of ballistic protection from the rifle plates that are in a plate carrier as well as less surface area for more equipment, this can be either an advantage or disadvantage. Like I mentioned before, it’s all mission dependent and personal preference.
Loaded to my specifications and preference.
The chest rig is perfect for the training environment and I find it to fit in the same category of bump helmets, they both lack ballistic protection but are much lighter. In a training environment, you’re not worried about incoming fire, outside of ricochets or NDs. In the field, they can be used in place of plate carriers if you need a lower profile to blend in or something quick to throw on to have more firepower on your person or are in an environment such as in higher altitude where weight savings is a bit more important than ballistic protection. There will always be a balance between mobility versus protection so each individual has to weigh in and make a determination on which piece of kit to use. If one is more mobile and faster, they are a harder target to hit, you get the picture. These are just examples from my own experiences being in kit.
The mesh panel for the back adds comfort and breathability.The pouches have bottom tabs to add stability when attached to the Modulus.Removing or installing the pouches are simple to accomplish.
Lower profile chest rigs as well as plate carriers are becoming more popular. The Modulus is no different. It’s light weight and has a low and flat profile. What sets it apart from the rest is the ability to quickly swap out the front pouches to fit your current needs and requirements. You have the option to run it slick to carry three AR-15 rifle mags or add an admin pouch or a pistol mag pouch in any configuration suits you. You also have the option to run open top or covered with the pistol mag pouches. This makes it great for the end user to customize their Modulus to work for them. As well as most chest rigs are well designed, they may not work for everyone. The Modulus ensures that it will adapt to any mission that a chest rig can be used for.
Run the Modulus anyway you want!
The Cordura, stitching, zipper as well as the velcro are of high quality. All of the straps have a retention elastic band to help secure the loose ends, which is something that I appreciate.
Side profile.
The Modulus Chest Rig takes after the RAC Plate Carrier in the same form where it too maximizes the modularity of the chest rig platform to a fit numerous parameters for the end user.
Want to run open top on your mag pouch? Just remove the cover. It’s nice to have options!
The guys at HRT Tactical have come out with another hit and these will be available soon after this review is published.
For my profession in Law Enforcement, a handheld flashlight is a must have tool on a sam browne or duty belt. It’s often is an overlooked piece of equipment and it shouldn’t be at all. Over my years on the job, I have heard many excuses for not having a flashlight and none of them were logical to me and to them after I started with some follow-up questions. The number one reason that I’ve heard the most is that, “working day shift, you’ll never need a light!” They couldn’t be more wrong. A handheld flashlight is for illumination, that helps you with information gathering for your eyes and brain to process when you’re in low light or no light conditions. None of us have the ability to control our lighting conditions in every environment so it’s best to be prepared with your own source of light when you need to find something, someone, directing traffic…you get the idea. In this line of work, you rarely get a heads up about what’s going to happen next. So deciding not to carry a flashlight on your person puts you at a great disadvantage. For those who are fortunate to have a weapon light attached to their duty pistol, that light should only be used when there is a reason to have your duty weapon drawn and not for any other purpose. That is why you still need to have a hand held light on your belt. Having a quality flashlight that has performance to back it up is important too. I see too many home depot and in some occasions, dollar store lights in the duty role and that is definitely better than having no light at all but not much at all. Those inexpensive lights usually don’t have much output and weren’t designed for hard use so relying on these with your life doesn’t seem like a wise choice.
Good stuff from ASP
The new ASP Raptor DF (DF stands for Dual Fuel) was designed specifically for duty use. It’s definitely bright and powerful enough to light things up with a maximum output of 1,900 Lumens and has a range of 240 Meters with a runtime of One and a half hours. It also has a low output mode of 15 lumens and a strobe feature with 300 lumens. Those are some really impressive stats for a flashlight. It weighs in at 9.2 Ounces and has a rather large profile with a length of 6.5″ and bezel diameter of 1.57″ making it ideal for duty carry or in a backpack or around your home, it wouldn’t be ideal for an EDC flashlight. As a duty flashlight, it works great, it is easy to grab and takes some features from the ever popular ASP Batons with the foam located at center of body body. The bezel is heavy duty and makes the Raptor DF available as an impact weapon if needed. My sample came with the available Tactical Light Case and it is a nice rotating belt mounted holster that is similar to that of the Baton cases, it allows for an easy draw and reholstering of the light.
Having the option to use CR123s is nice if you run your 18650 dry!
The Raptor DF can be powered by the included 18650 Rechargeable battery or two single use CR123s. This comes in handy if your 18650 dies and you don’t have the ability to recharge it. Just throw in some spare CR123s and continue on with the task at hand. Both the Raptor DF and the included 18650 battery have a micro-usb port to charge. It came with a micro usb charging cable but any would work. This is a great feature for duty lights as it gets expensive to use CR123s and having to replace them over and over. Having a more powerful light and ability to recharge the batteries makes it a very practical and cost-effective light. The bezel rotates to uncover the charging port. It has a color led gauge, it blinks red while charging and displays a solid green when fully charged.
Charging the Raptor DF
The Raptor DF has a unique tail cap that rotates in to three positions. On the far left, marked ‘0’ is for momentary, the middle is Off so there won’t be any accidental activations and on the right, marked with a solid ‘0’ for constant. The push button itself is programmable and I have it on the Maximum Output with the first press and Minimal Output with a quick second press. This works on both momentary and constant positions. There is a strobe mode that can be programmed but I prefer not to use that function on any of my lights. It’s just my preference, however it’s there if you want it.
Evening with some ambient light.Full power from the Raptor DF.A little later that night with near dark conditions.It illuminates a nice large area evenly with a good center hot spot.
The Raptor DF is by far, the most powerful hand held flashlight that I’ve used for work. The beam is wide and it has a good sized hot spot that goes far and it does well at illuminating at closer range at the same time with a decent spill. Some flashlights have better throw and be terrible at spill or vice versa, the Raptor DF does a great job at both. Is 1,900 Lumens too much? I definitely don’t think so, the more, the better. If you’ve heard from anyone who has said that there is such a thing as too bright a light and that you’ll blind yourself; to that, I say get some more training behind the use of lights tactically and then come back at me. The more light output you have, the better you can see, which gives your eyes and your brain more information to gather and then react to. For sure the Raptor DF will be blinding to whoever is on the business end, giving you a brief tactical advantage if you are faced with a deadly force situation.
Raptor DF on my duty belt next to the ASP Collapsible Baton.
I have had the Raptor DF on my duty belt for a good few weeks of receiving it and have taken it with me while outdoors. It has continually impressed me with it’s raw power and ability to illuminate in low light and no light conditions. It’s like having a portable spotlight without in a manageable size and weight.
One serious and heavy duty bezel.
The engineers at ASP know what it takes to make hard-use duty equipment and the Raptor DF lives up to the excellent reputation of tools that are 10-8 everyday all over the world. The Raptor DF is a great light that is also very practical and with the rechargeable 18650 battery, it’s also very cost effective. With all of these features, the Raptor DF is the perfect light for your duty belt as well as any other task that requires a good amount of illumination.
New from Taurus is their GX4 pistol, a lightweight micro compact pistol chambered in 9mm that holds 11 rounds in a flush magazine with a msrp of….$392.42!
The Taurus GX4
Ever since Sig Sauer came out with their P365, something I personally carry everyday; many other companies are following suit and that’s a good thing for consumers. The more options, the better, in my opinion. Not everyone can afford certain pistols and not every pistol works well with every end user. With the current demand for firearms, the more models in production is always a plus.
I have partnered up with another awesome company, Toor Knives. You can save 10% on your order with my code: 50shades
https://toorknives.com/?ref=s6WbLpENaaEwX
The Anaconda in Ranger Green
Toor Knives is Veteran owned and operated in San Diego. They’re known for making quality blades and Tools.
I have a few of their blades to include the Darter, a partnership between Toor Knives and Haley Strategic Partners as well as the Anaconda and their Multi Tool. Those reviews are upcoming. If you’re in need of high quality blades and tools, check them out!
