Big Jim from United States, TX Public Profile

I’ve used the Bianchi 21 for my Sig for years in hot climates and it has worked great. When I got a VP9 I discovered its mags didn’t fit in the same pouch as the Sig. When I looked in the Bianchi catalog to see which one fits the VP9, none of them are listed as compatible! Seriously?! So I compared the VP9 mag to some other mags and while none of them are a match for shoulder height and slope, the Glock looked close enough, so I rolled the dice on this model. As a new, stiff, leather pouch, it took some cramming, but it went in all the way, with the base pad sinking about 1/8” below the sweat shield. So far it works as expected. Would I be happier if it was made specifically for the VP9? Yes. Until then, it works.

Great modification if you don’t want another entry point for gunk into the unnecessarily complicated workings of the slide. Free advice: there is a black plastic sleeve (under very firm spring tension) that wraps around the striker. THAT is what must be pushed back to relieve tension off the cover plate you’re trying to remove. I went through three videos of guys showing “how to disassemble” before I finally found one that showed the sleeve. Once I pushed that back with a small flat-head screwdriver, I flipped the slide over and the plate fell out. It’s easy when you know!

I bought it on closeout, so I got a great deal. I gambled and won on this one! Wanted to use it primarily as a monocular, but the scope ability is nice too. The downside is that even though it says the minimum power is 1x, it isn’t. I can’t tell what the minimum magnification is, but looking at things within two meters is difficult and navigating is impossible. Lag is minimal. The image quality is great, but the focus is finicky/precise; meaning if I look around at various distances I have to constantly adjust the focus to keep a crisp image. The field of view is tighter than I wanted, but I was more concerned with the image quality. It tends to refresh itself more often if I do a lot of rapid looking around. Not annoying, but noticeable. Navigating the menu takes practice, but gets easier with time. Same with the function buttons. I accidentally discovered this thing has a built-in laser and flashlight. The range finder has it’s place and I like the variety of reticles and the option of no reticle. I can’t comment on the mount since I haven’t used it. I wish it was a quick release. Then I’d be more likely to mount it. The battery has been great in the month I’ve had it. It holds it’s charge a long time.

I decided to “buy once, cry once” and get these because of reviews I read where people were having problems with the plastic ones breaking. To their credit, I’ve done a lot of dry firing in the month I’ve owned them and they’ve held up. Tolerances seem to be good and they don’t seem to be dragging on the frame. The “primers” show slight dimples. I’ve left them in the cylinder, so i don’t know how well the finish holds up from a lot of loading and unloading. Took a star off because the price is ridiculously high, even on sale.