Issue 47 New Products: Issue 47 Recoil Staff Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More While the butterfly knife — or balisong as it’s called in its birthplace of the Philippines — is far slower to deploy in a self-defense situation than a traditional pocketknife, it’s still a popular genre because of the fun and skill involved with twirling it open. No doubt it’s one of Bear & Son Cutlery’s most popular product categories, which is why the Alabama-based company invested premium materials into its recently released Bear Song VII. Its 3.375-inch blade features a hollow grind and is made from 154CM stainless steel, which provides an excellent balance of toughness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance. Meanwhile, the handles are made of stonewashed titanium, making them lightweight, strong, and easy to use (thanks to an assist from the ball-bearing washers). Make: Bear & Son Cutlery Model: Bear Song VII Butterfly MSRP: $300 URL: bearandsoncutlery.com The first time we saw an image for the Prohands Tactical, we thought it was an online meme someone created by Photoshopping a hand exerciser with a laser pointer. Turns out it’s a real product with real benefits. Unlike other grip strengtheners, Prohands has spring-loaded pistons for each finger, allowing you to work each digit more effectively and realistically. The “Tactical” in Prohands Tactical comes courtesy of the red laser, which is used to practice trigger control and by showing hand steadiness. Fix the laser’s dot to a target that’s 10 to 15 meters away, then keep the dot steady while exercising your fingers. It’s available in 5-, 7-, 9-, 11- and 13-pound pull weights and comes with batteries and suggested exercises. Make: Gripmaster Model: Prohands Tactical MSRP: $35 URL: prohands.net Who knew something so small could offer so much convenience? The VariArc Helmet Mount from Thyrm allows attachment of a weapon light to your helmet in the forward index position. With a firm twist, it unlocks so you can rotate your light through eight positions. For example, you can have it locked downward for admin or task lighting or pointed upward to illuminate a room or for IR strobe signaling. Made from durable reinforced polymer with steel hardware in the USA, the VariArc was conceived by Josh Jackson, the head of LMS Defense and a longtime SWAT police officer. Make: Thyrm Model: VariArc Helmet Mount Compatability: Dovetail helmet mounts and 1913 Picatinny rail lights MSRP: $30 URL: thyrm.com There are cigar cutters and then there’s the Condor Cigar Cutter. Not only will its chisel-ground blade slice your stogy with precision, it’ll continue to do so over a long period of time because it’s made from M390 — a premium stainless steel providing a superior balance of sharpness, toughness, and corrosion resistance. This cutter has ceramic bearings to ensure a smooth action and cuts cigars up to 58 gauge. The Condor’s body is made of lightweight titanium while the inlay can be either carbon fiber or G10. And if all that’s still not enough, its brilliant design means it can double as a bottle opener or vicious brass knuckles depending on how you hold it. Make: Red Horse Knife Works Model: Condor Cigar Cutter Colors: black, blue, or OD green MSRP: $285 URL: redhorseknifeworks.com Having a watertight pouch might not seem important while you’re at the range or on a hike … that is, until an unexpected downpour turns your wallet into a soggy paperweight. The RunOff Waterproof Medium Packing Cube from Nite Ize keeps your vital items dry — be they cash, electronics, or first-aid supplies. The cube’s TRU Zip technology, durable TPU construction, and RF welded seams all prevent both dust and moisture from getting in. In fact, it’s IP67 rated, meaning it’ll withstand being submerged in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes. The RunOff also has user-friendly features, such as a reinforced carry handle, a translucent front to see the contents for better organization, and integrated anchor points for easy attachment to larger packs. Make: Nite Ize Model: RunOff Waterproof Medium Packing Cube MSRP: $45 URl: niteize.com With winter in full effect, warm beverages are often the first order of the day. Enter the Hot Cap, a 20-ounce travel mug that’s vacuum insulated to ensure your tea, water, or coffee stays toasty for hours on end. Vacuum insulation means the container has two walls, with the air sucked out of the space between them. While not a true scientific vacuum, that void reduces the amount of heat transferred from your hot drink to the first wall and through the space to the second wall. The bottle is made of 18/8 stainless steel and has an innovative cap featuring a leak-proof, rotating valve that twists open to drink from any side. Make: CamelBak Model: Hot Cap MSRP: $29 URL: camelbak.com If you don’t know Varusteleka, do yourself a favor and check out its hilarious YouTube channel. Social media aside, Varusteleka is world renowned because it’s the largest military supply store in Europe. It’s grown so popular since its 2003 inception that it’s launched its own brands. The Wool Field Shirt comes from its Sarma lineup of gear and apparel, which are intended for both everyday use and hard-core performance in the field. This “shacket” (a shirt that doubles as a jacket) is made from a blend of recycled wool and polyester, providing excellent heat retention in cold weather — even when wet — but also breathability and moisture wicking when the temps rise. Plus, wool has natural anti-odor properties, so you’ll rarely have to wash this shirt. Make: Varusteleka Model: Sarma Wool Field Shirt MSRP: $92 URL: varusteleka.com Sure, if you live in truly frigid climes, you’ll want sturdy footwear with massive lugs and plenty of insulation. But for more moderate winter conditions, you might like paw protection that’s a bit more mobile and aesthetically pleasing. Enter the Molveno GTX Mid from Lowa. It’s a sneaker-inspired boot for everyday cold weather that’ll keep warmth in, but rain and snow out, thanks to premium materials and excellent craftsmanship. The upper is full-grain leather and fabric, the lining is made of Gore-Tex Panda, and the outsole is constructed from lugged TPU for greater traction, but less weight. These Lowa boots are functional, versatile, and fashionable. Make: Lowa Model: Molveno GTX Mid MSRP: $210 URL: lowaboots.com Leupold’s scope mounts and rings are made in the company’s Beaverton Factory, and they’re serious about it. They aren’t a rebadged profit play; they’re as well-made as any aftermarket mount. The company just released a ring top mount for its Deltapoint Pro red-dot that pairs perfectly with the Mark5 HD line. The mount puts the DPP’s dot just above the Mark5 turret so it’s visible by sliding up from a cheekweld to a chinweld. You can zero the DPP for close-in engagements, or zero it out at 800-plus yards and use it as a quick way to line up your reticle on a difficult-to-find target. We run one at the 12 o’clock spot, but it mounts at both 45-degree angles, too. Make: Leupold Model: Deltapoint Pro Ring Top Mount Compatability: Leupold Mark 4 rings, Mark IMS, AR, and Mark 4 IMS mounts, 1-inch, 30mm, 34mm, 35mm MSRP: $80 URL: leupold.com Unity Tactical’s latest push in the never-ending battle for carbine, electronic, and human harmony is the Hot Button. It’s a single button that activates a light, laser, or both. There are already plenty of remote switches out there, but the Hot Button stands apart as the first one with an angled face. Pushing forward is easier and feels more efficient than squeezing a flat tape switch or horizontal button. Aside from ergonomic superiority, the Hot Button also takes up a lot less room on a rail than a tape switch. It comes in two versions, one for M-LOK and another for Pic rail, and each can be ordered with single or a combo of dual leads for SureFire plugs, Streamlight’s ProTac HL-X tail switch, or Crane’s laser plug. Make: Unity Tactical Model: Hot Button Mount: M-LOK or 1913 Rail Compatability: SureFire plug, Streamlight ProTac HL-X tail cap, Crane laser plug (B.E. Meyers, Holosun, Insight/L-3, Steiner, Wilcox) MSRP: $99 to $119 URL: unitytactical.com NEMO Arms’ secret sauce is finally in the wild! The recoil-reducing guts that make NEMO’s OMEN and XO large frame AR rifles such soft shooters are now available as a kit for your building or upgrading pleasure. At the rear of NEMO’s bolt carrier is a spring piston that absorbs the first 25 percent of the recoil impulse before the rifle’s buffer begins moving. The piston comes into play again as the buffer bottoms out, taking the bite out of the buffer weight’s motion reversal. The BCG features a high-pressure bolt, Ti firing pin, POF roller cam pin, nickel boron diamond-like carbon and chrome coatings, and the kit includes a full suite of custom buffer parts, minus the castle nut and receiver plate. Make: NEMO Arms Model: Recoil Reduction Bolt Carrier Group Compatability: Armalite, DPMS Pattern Receivers (not DPMS Gen II or POF Revolution) MSRP: $799 URL: nemoarms.com Magpul’s latest addition to its drum magazine line are its D-50 GL9 and D-50 EV9. Each puts 50 rounds on tap for your Glock magazine compatible PCC and your CZ Scorpion EVO-3, respectively. The 9mm versions work the same as their rifle cartridge siblings. Pull the lever to take the tension off the spring and stuff the drum, then expect reliable feeding and last round hold-open. The GL9 works in Glock-based PCCs, but the mag tower is too short to fit in Glock pistols. Magpul didn’t rule out a pistol compatible drum in the future, but they say the D-50 is too heavy for Glock’s mag catch, so they deliberately designed pistol compatibility out. That, plus the long mag tower looks dumb and is just awkward in a PCC. Make: Magpul Model: PMAG D-50 GL9 (shown) and D-50 EV9 Compatable: Pistol-caliber carbines and similar; not for use with Glock pistols. MSRP: $120 URL: magpul.com Explore RECOILweb:Noteworthy Gear from CONCEALMENT Issue 17Dead Bird Cold Wx HoodyRECOILtv NRA 2018: New from B&T DesignBawidamann Gotham V2 Pistol Holster Review NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.