Concealment #21 2021

RECOIL Presents: Concealment

For the Modern-Day Gun Enthusiast

RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
On The Cover
SAFARILAND www.safariland.com MSRP: $210 ($265 with optional FirstSpear Tube system upgrade) SAFARILAND www.safariland.com MSRP: $315 to $750 GERBER www.gerbergear.com MSRP: $50 GERBER www.gerbergear.com MSRP: $73 C&G HOLSTERS www.candgholsters.com M
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Editor’s Letter
According to the NSSF, around 8.4-million Americans decided to buy their first gun last year. We suspect that the majority of those purchases were handguns, followed by a healthy smattering of shotguns and semi-auto carbines — in short, pretty much w
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
RECOIL Presents: Concealment
Editor-in-Chief/Iain Harrison Managing Editor/Laura Peltakian Features Editor/Dave Merrill Senior Editor/Tom Marshall Contributing Editor/Steven Kuo Network Manager/John Schwartze Director, Video Production/Calvin Coulthard Web Editor/Forrest Cooper
RECOIL Presents: Concealment4 min read
Uncovered
www.superessestraps.com DIMENSIONS: 2 by 1.06 by 0.44 inches MSRP: Starting at $28 NOTES: What do you get when you mate together a box of mints, a prepackaged survival kit, and Rick Moranis’ shrinking machine? Whatever it is, it’s probably not going
RECOIL Presents: Concealment4 min read
Cybercrunk
The middle of a pandemic-inspired firearms panic rush isn’t a convenient time to be looking for a self-defense-oriented handgun. Especially if you’d prefer it to be chambered for a reasonably common modern caliber and not be made of recycled Matchbox
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Options
phlsterholsters.com FITS: Glock 19, 17, 34, 43x, 48 MSRP: $119 NOTES: At first glance, the outside-the-waistband Summit seems a bit out of character coming from a company that made its mark with appendix holsters. However, this odd lineage actually a
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Conrad Bui
www.tigatactics.com Profession Doctor of Chiropractic, BJJ and Muay Thai instructor at World Team USA, Chief Training Officer at Tiga Tactics Current job title Owner of Aim High Chiropractic, Cofounder of Tiga Tactics Describe your residence and its
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Keleah Brown
@missheraux Profession Entrepreneur Current job title: Co-owner of Pew Army Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making. Myself, my husband, Dennis, our two children, and our family Cane Corso re
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Cameron Carden
Profession Health care worker, nursing student Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making. I live in a second-floor, two-bedroom apartment in a complex. Home defense planning is complicated due
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Quoc Ha
@q_concepts Profession Design & Photography Current job title: President, Q Concepts Design & Photography Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making. We are a new family of four and pup, with a
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Jon Skubis
www.sierrawhiskeyco.com Profession Owner, Sierra Whiskey Co. Current job title Founder Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making. We (myself, girlfriend, and dog) live in a luxury apartment in
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Shawn Wilson
www.mayhemsolutionsgroup.com Profession Security Contractor / Investigator Current job title CEO of Mayhem Solutions Group Describe your residence and its occupants as it relates to protective or defensive decision-making. My residence is a single-st
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Deltapoint Micro
www.leupold.com FIT: Smith & Wesson M&P, Glock (non-MOS models) MSRP: $520 ($400 shelf) A model-specific micro red-dot sight that attaches to the rear dovetail. Up until now, micro red-dot sights on handguns have followed a certain trajectory: Pistol
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Rmrcc
www.trijicon.com FIT: Various MSRP: $699 A reduced-footprint version of the venerable RMR for use on subcompact and slimline pistols. The Trijicon RMR arguably set the standard for bet-your-life-on-it reliability and durability for handgun red dots.
RECOIL Presents: Concealment6 min read
Why Choose?
At this point, there isn’t much new to be had in the way of defensive duty pistols. The dilemma is understandable, as the formula is clear: • High capacity (over 12 rounds)• Striker fired (reliability and ease of operation)• Chambered in 9mm (ammo di
RECOIL Presents: Concealment4 min read
Sig Mpx Sd
It’s no secret that pistol-caliber carbines are an excellent choice for home defense or as “truck guns.” In that class, there are a couple of great options available — with the SIG MPX being a Cadillac offering. The original 8-inch-barreled version w
RECOIL Presents: Concealment7 min read
Taming A 12-gauge
When the subject of recoil management comes up, we’ve noticed that an element of machismo often comes with it. Who cares if a weapon kicks like a mule? Lean into the recoil and suck it up, princess! say the self-proclaimed experts with their chests p
RECOIL Presents: Concealment7 min read
Sealed Red-dot Sights
At the risk of repeating ourselves ad nauseum, it’s clear that red-dot sights on handguns will become as common as optics on rifles. They’re fast and precise. With a red-dot sight, simply superimpose the dot on your target and press the trigger — no
RECOIL Presents: Concealment6 min read
Grandpa’s 1911 Didn’t Have Moxie
The 1911 pistol is often compared to a classic Corvette. At one point in history, both were ahead of their time. They both have gorgeous lines; looking at an older 1911 from the early to mid-20th century evokes thoughts of a time when parts were forg
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
LIGHT & BRIGHT
As winter gives way to spring and summer, so too comes a natural variation in wardrobe. Warmer weather leads to lightweight clothing and increased physical activity, neither of which is conducive to pockets crammed full of gear. It’s for this reason
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Rapid L1
NOTES: This light serves as a replacement to the discontinued 5.11 Tactical TMT L1, which produced 212 lumens from a Cree XPG-B LED. Using a newer Cree XP-L2 V5 LED, the Rapid L1 now offers 290 lumens, and also features a revised switch design and sh
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Xp6r
NOTES: After seeing the brand-new XP6R at SHOT Show in January, we immediately wanted to get our hands on one. When we started working on this article, the production version of the light wasn’t quite ready, but Coast kindly sent us this pre-producti
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
E18r
NOTES: This impressively tiny light is the smallest in our guide by a substantial margin, with dimensions that are comparable to a USB flash drive or mini BIC lighter. Despite this, it packs in an impressive amount of features. There are four brightn
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Edc Tactical, 325 Lumens
NOTES: At most companies, engineers work within specific constraints and budgets set by project managers. At HDS Systems, the engineer runs the company. This is clearly evident in every aspect of the EDC Tactical light, starting with its straightforw
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Ec11
NOTES: The EC11 accepts a CR123 battery, but after using it, that starts to feel like an afterthought. The first sign of this is the spec sheet, which shows that the light produces 900 lumens with a Nitecore IMR 18350 3.7V battery, but 430 lumens wit
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Protac 1l-1aa
NOTES: As much as we appreciate the power and reliability of the CR123 battery for our EDC flashlights and weapon lights, we still recognize that it has some downsides. The biggest among those is availability. You can’t always walk into a gas station
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
D3ft Combat Light
NOTES: This light was conceptualized by Haley Strategic Partners, the company founded by Force-Recon-Marine-turned-shooting-instructor Travis Haley, and manufactured by SureFire. Its D3FT designation stands for Disruptive 3nvironments Firefly Techniq
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Stiletto Pro
NOTES: While the other lights we evaluated are powered by a CR123 or similarly sized rechargeable cell, SureFire’s Stiletto Pro doubles down with a fully integrated, non-removable rechargeable lithium battery. What you lose in end-of-days flexibility
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Pimp-hand Strong
PNW-based Killer Innovations isn’t new to machining, nor are they new to machining firearms parts. In a story that seems more and more familiar, the bulk of their business comes from OEM and private label work. But Killer Innovations aspires to be an
RECOIL Presents: Concealment2 min read
Mrds Buyer’s Guide
There was a time when even the very best micro red-dot sight (MRDS) would only last a couple thousand rounds on a pistol before the violent reciprocation of the slide shook it to pieces. Incremental improvements over the years resulted in some extrem
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Atibal Mrd V3
In CONCEALMENT Issue 19, we got our first look at a preproduction MRD V3. One of the changes you’ll see between the preproduction and full production is the inclusion of a rubberized cover around the optic window. Though we’re told it helps make the
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Burris Fastfire 3
As you may have divined by the name, Burris has been continually improving and updating their MRDS offerings. Our example is well-used, having spent time on everything from a 22LR Ruger pistol to an offset mount on a scope to an airsoft training gun.
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Bushnell Rxs-250v3
First introduced in fall 2020, the RXS-250 packs a ton of quality into a street price just above $200. It has a ruggedized body without the cheap Chinese anodizing feel of many others on this list. We’ve seen one dropped several times on concrete tha
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Crimson Trace Cts-1250
Though they’re certainly still making lasers, Crimson Trace began dipping their toes into the optics game a couple short years ago. We began seeing their MRDS pop up as OEM options on other pistols (see our review of the XD-S Mod 2 OSP in RECOIL Issu
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Nc Star Flipdot M2
Yes, this is the cheap red dot with a neat flip-out action. This giant ball of fail is so bad even NC Star has discontinued it because of constant issues. It has since been replaced with the FlipDot Pro. What surprised us is that the NC Star FlipDot
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Sig Sauer Romeo Zero
SIG Sauer has long since jumped into the optics game, and they developed the Romeo Zero with their P365 XL in mind (see CONCEALMENT Issue 15). The Romeo Zero is well-sized to ride on top of subcompact pistols as well as 1911s. Though the body is poly
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Hex Optics Wasp
You probably haven’t heard of Hex Optics before, but you’ve definitely heard of Springfield Armory. Springfield started Hex to not only have OEM options for their own pistol line, but to also sell them independently. Along with the launch of the micr
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
Swampfox Liberty
Swampfox is a newer company, but they’re very ambitious about regularly releasing improved optics. Their first pistol MRDS was the Kingslayer, a not-so-subtle hint at trying to take down the Trijicon RMR, with which it shares a footprint. Their lates
RECOIL Presents: Concealment6 min read
Phlster Enigma
As PHLster heads into its 10th year, it’s changing the concealment game. And yes, we’ve heard statements like that over the years too. Jon Hauptman, the founder of PHLster, has been supplying us with Kydex for more years than any of us care to count,
RECOIL Presents: Concealment1 min read
The Weapon-Mounted Light Bearing Engima
SOURCES PHLSTER ENIGMA phlsterholsters.com The additional weight and burden of carrying a weapon-mounted light on their concealed carry gun is a bridge too far for many. But plenty of people carry with WMLs every day, including several RECOIL staffer
RECOIL Presents: Concealment7 min read
Pulled-over Promulgations
Red and blue lights pierce the darkness behind you. Great. You’re being pulled over by a local law enforcement officer. Your concealed carry pistol is holstered inside your waistband, and your AR-15 is in the rear compartment of your SUV. You’re driv
RECOIL Presents: Concealment7 min readCrime & Violence
CONTROLLING FEAR & MAKING SOUND DECISIONS
When a responsible person first begins going armed, he is usually haunted by two recurring questions, or self-doubts: 1. If I’m really attacked, and my life is at stake, will I be able to handle it? 2. What if I screw up and kill an innocent person?
RECOIL Presents: Concealment7 min read
Forever Armed
Although the concept of using improvised weapons for personal protection is far from new, it has taken on a whole new meaning during the past few years. After the tragic events of September 11th and incidents like the shootings at Columbine and Virgi
RECOIL Presents: Concealment3 min read
Driving The Gun With The Code Breaker Drill
In this installment of Skills & Drills, we focus on driving the gun from target to target while varying the number of rounds fired on each target. There’s also some target identification layered in, with some attention to the cadence of fire. You can
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Sign On The Dotted Line
If you look in the top drawer of your desk, I bet you’ll find an assortment of pens — if you’re like me you have no pens, because somehow they get lost regularly. Which makes a pretty good argument for why I have no business carrying this as a concea

RECOIL Presents: Concealment

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