It’s almost time! In a few short days, I will be loading up my stuff and heading to SHOT Show 2024. I have already been in contact with some of the vendors for a sneak peek at what’s in store.
Here are three product reviews I managed to snag just before the show.
1. Fenix
Fenix has made tactical lighting for a few years, and they respond well to the industry. The GLO6-365 is designed specifically for rail mounting on the SIG P365 and its variants. It fires a 140-meter beam and is IP67 waterproof rating.
The GLO6-365 uses a rechargeable CR 123-sized cell. It is a pretty good piece of engineering. The 700 mAh3.6v cell has a mini USB port near the nose. To charge the cell, the user removes it from the torch and plugs it in. The advantage is one can insert another Fenix cell into the light to continue the shift.
The fact that the self-contained emitter unscrews to remove the power cell means that the light does not have to be dismounted to recharge, nor is it dead in the water because of a discharged cell. The Fenix-manufactured 16340 rechargeable cell that comes with the torch fires 600 lumens of intense white light. A standard CR 123 cell fires 400 lumens, which is bright enough for serving warrants. The beam has a good center concentration with diffused edges and a generous spill beam. It uses a reflector with a textured surface and what looks like light-shaping optics in the center of the lens.
The rear of the emitter assembly and the rear of the battery compartment both have spring contacts. For many weapon-mounted light assemblies, this is ordinarily a recipe for disaster as recoil will slam the cell forward, then backward in a complete firing cycle. Before I mounted the light, I banged it around a little. It appears that the cell is held firmly in place on both ends, with the spring action only facilitating the contact, not allowing it to move under recoil. It did just fine using real bullets.
The emitter is a pretty solid piece itself. It has O-ring seals, and Fenix supplies an extra O-ring. The emitter is a one-piece unit, screwed together so that only the spring that contacts the cell protrudes from the battery side of the component. It’s the kind of design that allows the user to swap cells in the field, without having to worry about losing parts or installing things backward.
The mounting system is unique to the SIG Sauer P365 and variants. Unlike most guns with a rail, the SIG P365 doesn’t have a rail key slot. Instead, the P365 uses a standard-looking rail that is closed near the muzzle of the gun. This means that standard lights can’t just be slipped onto the front of the gun. Additionally, the lack of a key slot prevents a standard light from staying in place.
The GLO6-365 uses a cammed lever to clamp the rails in a vise-type of grip, whose jaws fill the full length of the rail. This gives the light a quick detachable system, and a consistent, repeatable mount. The rear of the light fits right into the recess of the front of the trigger guard, adding to the locking action. The 69.4 grams (2.45 oz) is barely noticeable.
The GLO6-365 has intelligent overheat protection, which reduces the output when the temperature of the bezel goes over 55°C. Normal runtime use doesn’t get it up there, but I did get it to reduce output after leaving it on for a while. It also blinks to signal that it needs to be recharged. I have been getting a little less than an hour of constant run time from the cell.
When mounted, the light protrudes .916” from the muzzle. Fenix instructs users to use fine steel wool or Froglube CLP if one should fire live ammo and the lens gets dirty. I’m not kidding: Froglube. Just so you know, the gases that emit from shooting tend to coat the weapon light with a pretty stubborn coating. This is something everyone should know. I’ll go one better than that: Put a light coat of Froglube CLP on the lens before going to the range, and it wipes off easily later. If you are a light-bearing user and you do not shoot with your light, or at least a dummy light in training, you’re wrong.
The GLO6-365 has push-button switches on both sides of the unit that can turn it on or off from either side. Pressing both switches at the same time puts it in strobe mode, which flashes at a rate that still allows good target acquisition.
You can press either button to turn it on or off. The buttons are slightly recessed and have a protective rib near the trigger guard which prevents accidental presses, even if the gun is laid on its side.
The switches are perfect. For those who control their torch with the trigger finger, they are easily accessed. For those who use their support side thumb, they are accessed with very little movement, and you can do it while maintaining a good grip. Grabbing both buttons for the strobe is almost natural. If I was going to design a switch mechanism for this purpose, this would be the design.
Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m not a fan of dedicated (weapon-mounted) lights on handguns. You’d be surprised that after testing this one, I’m excited. There are dozens of P365 holsters designed for lights, and I’m shopping around.
2. HEXMAG
One big announcement is that Hexmag (and Sentry Solutions) has been acquired by Optimus Arms, which is part of a group that provides defense and contract product lines. This probably won’t mean much at the agency or contractor level, except we can expect a smooth transition and a wider array of products.
If you have not tried HEXMAG magazines, you probably are unfamiliar with their unique design. Made of POLYHEX2, a polymer composite and carbon fiber polymer, their magazines have a completely different strength/weight ratio than metal ones. I like them because the POLYHEX2 has a natural lubricity. HEXMAG makes gun grips and similar products, but they are my “go to” for AR-15 magazines.
Visit HEXMAG at Shot Show in Booth
3. Spyderco
I know that you know I love to look at knives on display at SHOT Shot. Of all the new product releases I have viewed, the most exciting is the Spyderco Bodacious (C263G). This is a Sal Glesser design, which should tell you a lot about it already.
The Bodacious has a leaf-shaped blade with a flat grind. It will be available in CPM S30V. The leaf shape is reminiscent of some of Bob Lum’s earlier folders, but the Bodacious take on it is broader, with tapered G10 scales. This is a Compression Lock folder, which allows the user to access the locking mechanism without having the digits in the pathway of the blade when closing.
Bonus content
Beretta has invited some of us to their private range before SHOT Show. My plan is to run some rounds down range in their new Squalo, which is a 92XI or “9211” competition-ready handgun. Squalo means “shark” in Italian, which really adds to my interest.
See you there!
