COP’s Holiday Gift Guide

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Get ‘Yerself A Goodie To Go.

Yeah, I know, what’s gun oil and a red dot sight doing in the Carry Options column? Well, Her Editorship Suzi told me to write about “some good stuff” for the holiday season, and she said it was okay to color outside the lines for this one. So, as you head into the holidays, maybe you want to get something nice for your sergeant (yeah, right) or maybe you need to leave some subtle hints around the house for your better half to sort of stumble onto? “Hey, who wrote ‘I need a new duty flashlight’ in crayon on the living room wall?” Either way, here’s some gear we’ve personally used at American COP and can vouch for. I hope some of it finds its way into your own goodie bag. Stay safe, keep winning and learn to print neatly with that crayon before you drop that hint …

When you hear the name EOTech, most of us think of holographic sights, but EOTech also produces weapon lights. One of their best is the Integrated Fore-end Light (IFL) for Remington and Mossberg pump shotguns. This is a complete fore-end replacement unit housing a 250-lumen LED light. Featuring dual pressure pads, constant on/off capability and high/low settings, the IFL has everything you need in a shotgun weapon light. One of the coolest features of the IFL is the light does not protrude from the fore-end. It sits flush, making this the most compact fore-end light I have found, while still running for 120 minutes on two CR123 batteries. www.americancop.com/eotech

Russian Spetsnaz forces have had a decade-long reputation for being among the best in the world, renowned for their toughness and capabilities. So it makes sense a group of former Spetsnaz soldiers founded SpetzGear with the purpose of creating top-quality, battle-tested products. Their specialty is Kydex holsters and pouches and let me tell you, they’re rugged. I have a belt holster for a Glock that fits the gun precisely, rides comfortably and is built for abuse — kinda like the real Spetsnaz soldiers. The mag/light combo pouch is a great piece of gear for plainclothes wear and balances the holster well. Check out their IWB low-profile holster for deep concealment work. www.americancop.com/spetzgear

Safariland’s latest holster is the 7TS Series and is constructed of SafariSeven, a DuPont nylon blend. Safariland claims the 7TS Series is impervious to the elements, with very high tolerances to heat and cold while being extremely rugged and lightweight. I guess I can vouch for all of that since the holster arrived sealed in a bag of water! Mine has the ALS feature and came with both a belt slide and paddle. I have worn it both ways and found it very comfortable. The ALS works great, as usual for a Safariland product, and I found the new plastic to be very easy on the gun. The weapon is retained tightly, and the draw is still very smooth. Currently available for Glocks and Berettas, more fits are expected soon.
www.americancop.com/safariland

Ballistol is an environmentally-friendly cleaner, lubricant and protectant that has been around for over 100 years. It’s safe to use on just about everything, including your firearms, leather gear, zippers, plastic, car paint and even wood. It will brighten your silver or brass snaps and keep them working smoothly. I keep a can of this in my locker as well as on my workbench and use it constantly. It will work in wet areas, as it emulsifies in water, but when the water evaporates, the lubricant is left behind. You can even polish your fiberglass boat, treat a minor cut and even unclog those calcium-locked faucets. Just because it’s been around for 100 years doesn’t mean it’s out of date! www.americancop.com/ballistol

The Redfield name has been synonymous with top-quality hunting optics for over 100 years; now they have entered the tactical optics arena with the Counterstrike Tactical Riflescope red-dot-type sight. This one is truly different from most red-dot sights, and gives you remarkable features for your money. The Counterstrike is designed to mount on a flattop AR, but will mount on any Picatinny rail. It comes with the mount already built in, putting the optic at the ideal height. It’s a 1x30mm and has the traditional internal red dot, but with the press of a button the dot color can be changed to green. The unique part is the built-in laser situated between the optic and the mount. A separate button turns it on/off, giving you just about everything you want in one affordable package. It has a 4 MOA red/green dot reticle, is water/fog/shockproof, comes with flip-up lens covers and is impact tested. What’s not to like? www.americancop.com/redfield
By John Russo