Manford from United States, WA Public Profile

As a general tool these picks lose one star because they have limited function compared to the conventional steel picks they imitate, however they're still a great piece of kit (especially for the price). Because they're polymer, they can't always dislodge very hard deposits, and will deform if pressed beyond their capability. For stubborn carbon or rust, a brass or steel tool may be needed. HOWEVER...the weakness of these picks is also their saving grace, because the polymer material isn't as likely to scratch metal surfaces. That a huge advantage when you're trying to clean something valuable and don't want to scar it up. For me, that means these picks are the first go-to for the vast majority of picking tasks. So, yeah, good to have. Tip: you can resharpen or re-contour the tips of these picks with sandpaper. Oh, and the included brush is a classic, useful one.

This unit is very well-thought out and easy to use, and I've come to appreciate it over cheaper headlamps, and over more expensive units with complex operation systems (I hate having to remember complex button codes to change settings...I'm looking at you, Black Diamond...). To be honest, most of the time I use a headlamp I don't need much light and prefer the low setting, but having the flexibility to choose between spot and flood is a huge advantage, depending on what I'm doing. And, on those rare occasions that I need a bright light, the Enduro's high setting can reach out pretty well. I also have a Streamlight ProTac HL headlamp that I use when I need powerful illumination, but the Enduro is the one I end up grabbing most of the time because it's bright *enough* and so much more comfortable to wear than a big chunk of metal like the ProTac. And I like that I can just reload it with standard batteries rather than having a built-in rechargeable cell. That's handy for extended wilderness use.

So yeah, for a basic hiking, camping, nighttime yard chore, glovebox headlamp, the Enduro Pro is the best I've yet found.

TL;DR This is THE affordable entry-level lightweight red dot. Start here.

It's the lower threshold of acceptable quality, features, and performance in a minimal form factor, IMO, yet it's a good value (especially on sale!).SO if you're on a tight budget, either get this or save until you can. Don't bother with anything less, and I say that not as a snob, but as someone who learned the hard way by incrementally climbing the quality ladder until the rungs quit breaking. If you start too low on the quality spectrum, you'll only end up wasting money as you inevitably upgrade beyond your $40-$70 RDS that won't hold zero. Just skip ahead to this unit if you want to do more than just dry fire at the far wall of your room and fantasize, mmmkay?. Even if it means you make do with irons for a while (Which is healthy, valuable learning time, anyway). You're not a poor, my friend, you're just being the best, sensible you that you can. Take you time and get there.

This is not a military-grade sight that can take an ongoing beating out in the field, but it's tough enough for range and HD use. Doesn't add much weight and the option to mount it at two different heights means you can use it on a variety of platforms, so it's a flexible investment. Low mount is great for anything from .22 plinking to shotgun to AK use. High mount is industry compatible for flat-top AR use, and co-witnesses with various BUISs nicely. Most importantly, the all-critical shake-awake feature takes this sight from

This UTG sling mount point has pretty obvious function, but what may not be apparent at a glance is just how clever it can be. For one thing, it's light and small, which is always good (ounces make pounds, pounds make pain). But the angle of the QD socket makes it very well-suited to mounting on the top rail of a receiver or railed handguard. If mounted on a top rail just behind the balance point, the rifle tends to hang nicely, grip down, in a readily accessible way when using a single-point sling. When placed farther toward the front, it works well with a 2-point sling setup. So yeah, it is what it is, which is an excellent quality, medium-duty, versatile QD mount point for a great price.

Everyone has different preferences when it comes to sight picture, but there's no denying that a finer front sight post can be an asset during slow, carefully aimed fire. If you're the type of person who enjoys the challenge of stretching out your irons to longer ranges, consider trying this post. It will help you place your shots more precisely, especially on smaller targets. AT 100+ yards, a larger post can just block out something like a can of soda.

But be warned, the finer post is harder to see, so you might take a bit longer to gain your sight picture. It may not help your rapid drills.

Given that's it's not much more expensive than a basic USGI charging handle, I think this is a great upgrade. Fit, finish, and quality are tops, and the extended latch handle is easy to find and grip in a hurry. You wouldn't think it'd be so much better than a stock handle, but it is. So if you want a functional upgrade but balk at the high cost of premium charging handles, give this one a try. Well worth the money.

I have messed around with cheap flashlights for years, and despite a few low-priced exceptions with limits, you usually get what you pay for. That's the case here; meaning, these are worth every penny. I have three and plan on getting more, as they work great for me as a a general use handheld flashlight. Not too big or heavy, and the brightness settings make them versatile. Recharge is easy and I don't miss buying batteries.

This bolt catch lever is a nice middle ground between big, protruding competition-style latches, and a standard style latch. It lets me release and lock the bolt a little bit faster without getting in the way. If you want a subtle tactile advantage at a low price, then this might be a good lever for you to try. Fit and functioned well in both Anderson and PSA lowers, for what that's worth.

Super easy to install, which was a major bonus in my opinion. Edges aren't as sharp as USGI metal covers, as well. Overall I think this is an example of a part that's better off made with modern plastics than aluminum; it's more forgiving and useful, overall.

I'm not sure why anyone would opt for aluminum pins like this if weight wasn't a factor...but then again, weight often IS a factor. If your AR rides your pack or shoulder more often than a sandbag, it shouldn't weigh you down like a sandbag. I know what you're thinking; with clever writing like that, this can't possibly be a real review from a real customer. But it is. You're welcome.

I have used these pins in a couple of lightweight builds, and even though they're small parts, every gram counts. So, as a part of a system-wide weight reduction strategy, I think these pins are great. Plus, it's one less steel part to corrode. Fit and finish are excellent as you'd expect from this company.

As far as durability, the way that AR upper and lower receivers mate prevents much range of motion between them, other than the intended pivoting for bolt access. Meaning, there's not much leverage to challenge the pins' strength. Time will tell, but I'll be shocked if this part fails due to wear.