Articles by Herschel Smith

Outdoor Life.

Holosun is known for making reliable, affordable red dots, and their new line of red dots is designed for use after dark. There’s a digital night vision model and two thermal models (standard and high definition).

They optics have a small footprint, a little larger than their AEMS, and are affordable compared to competitive offerings. The night vision optics will be about $1,000, and offer a 1024×768 resolution digital night vision sensor with up to 60 fps. They’ll also have features like 8x digital zoom, video recording, and are powered by two 18350 rechargeable batteries.

The DRS-TH Pro is the high-definition thermal red dot, and it will have a 384×288 resolution with white hot, black hot, highlight, outline and fusion display. The high-definition thermal will be around $2,300. For comparison, Steiner makes a thermal red dot that will set you back $7,500. The bad news is that these new optics aren’t available yet and you likely won’t be able to buy one until the end of the year.

They’re taking a smart approach to the product.  They are overlaying the thermal image over their red dot.  This will be effective for not only night hunting of game like hogs, but for home defense as well.

For $1000.  I see it coming now.  Lawsuits brought by Trijicon and Steiner and whomever else wants to join.  “We thought of it first and wanted to patent it but they beat us to it, we don’t want that product to be legal in the U.S.”

For companies that jack their prices up out of reach to the ordinary citizen and go whoring after military and LE contracts, this is the first reaction.  It all pays for their boats and college for their children, don’t you know.

On the other hand, companies like Holosun keep building products people want for a reasonable price.

New @holosunoptics Thermal (DMS-TH) spotted today. Check out how it overlays! You can have the thermal off and simply use it as a red dot sight, or turn on and have the thermal overlay the live image. Estimated launch late 2023. #shotshow2023 #thermal pic.twitter.com/vY8LagGBc8

— Top Shot Dustin (@TopShotDustin) January 19, 2023

It’s good to see both the demand and response by Ruger/Marlin. It’s good that the 30-30 is finally coming out. I expect they’ll be scarce as hen’s teeth for a while.

He says it’s the best combat shotgun available.  I agree.

Recoil.

NEW from Sightron comes their first 40mm main tube optic!

While 34mm and 35mm have become standards in the industry, rarely is a 40mm tube seen. The SVIII from Sightron comes with ED glass, their ExacTrack W&E System, multi-coated lens, and a ton more features.

It’s a 5X40 with a 40mm tube.  It will sell for $2900.

Maybe I’m underestimating your prowess as a hunter, but it seems to me the only people who can use a scope like that are professional snipers.

How about this idea instead.  Build robust and durable scopes with a large tube for good light and clear glass for a reasonable price?  Comparatively few people live in an area where they will need 40X magnification.  Except for maybe .50BMG, what cartridge would be effective on game at a distance where you need 40X magnification?

BLUF.  Your form has 88 days before it turns sour and gets automatically rejected.  In other words, it times out.  The ATF can’t complete approvals at their normal pace in < 88 days, much less with millions of gun owners submitting forms for SBRs.  When your forms time out, it creates enforcement action for the ATF since you now have an unapproved SBR, for which you have sent your name, pictures, address, SS # and virtually every other piece of identifying information. Read that again. ENFORCEMENT ACTION.

It’s a trap.

Introduced at Shot Show.

This is a nice looking handgun, with an optics ready slide, a rail and a frame mounted safety. They were responsive to customer demands. This is also made in America for around $1200.

From a friend, these words, pages 22-23 on the ATF website.

“Because these types of firearms were never designed to be fired from one hand, this rule, as described in the NPRM, does not apply to firearms commonly referred to as pistol grip shotguns.29 86 FR at 30828–29. The 2014 classification described above and any classification that provides that a pistol grip shotgun is not an NFA firearm is no longer valid or authoritative as of [INSERT DATE OF PUBLICATION IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER], and the firearm should be resubmitted to FATD for evaluation.”

Do you own a Benelli M4 for home defense?  If so, you may be rolled into the ATF clown show they’ve created for themselves and you with their awful pistol brace release.

Or based on the caveats, they may be referring to bullpup shotguns, or AOW.  Who knows at this point?

I know a bit more about this incident than what’s contained in the video (and cannot share at the moment), although the video itself should be disturbing enough to watch.  Basically, this is an execution for no good reason whatsoever.

As I’ve said before and will continue to say, “You’re never in more danger than when the police are around.”  And by the way, if you love someone, don’t ever send the police to their home to conduct a “wellness check.”  If they were well before the police arrive, they won’t be afterwards.

Travis Haley and Chris Costa go over height over bore very well in Art of the Tactical Carbine, but if you’ve never thought much about this or seen the series, this is a good explanation of what you should think about in CQB concerning the axis of the bore versus the axis of the optic.

Proverbs 30:21-23 come to mind.