November 20, 2012
By G&A Online Editors
Every year guns guys and gals seem to come up with the same line around Christmas time: My (insert gun-addicted loved one here) has everything, and I'm just not sure what they could possibly need.
While you're right to assume the gunny in your life has everything, there's no reason not to make every effort to add to his or her stash with something brand new . After all, it's the season of giving, and you don't want to get caught giving your favorite shooter a pack of socks or Starbucks gift card. That would be wrong...just wrong.
Here at G&A, we feel it's our job to make sure every gift under the tree is gun-related, so we came up with a few cost effective options to complete your shopping list. Enjoy.
Crimson Trace Green Laserguard Crimson Trace has gone green with the
Crimson Trace Green Laserguard , a new foray for the traditionally red optics. With a more visible green laser for daylight situations, the green Laserguard features a front activation that doesn't alter the physical dimensions of your handgun's grip, plus a two-hour battery life on one CR2 battery. The Green Laserguard is available for the Springfield XD and XD(m), Glocks and 1911s, and modular grips are also available for AR-15s. A universal Railmaster sight designed for any firearm with a Picatinny rail is also available.
Price: $299 (pistols), $649 (AR-15 modular grip), $269 (universal Railmaster sight)
GunVault SpeedVault SVB 500 Biometric GunVault continues to expand their line of biometrically-operated handgun safes with the new SpeedVault SVB 500. Other products in this line are designed to rest inside a drawer or on a flat surface. The SpeedVault mounts to vertical surfaces, such as the interior of a desk or closet, in order to provide both instant access and secure handgun storage. This configuration is amazingly fast, providing access to a handgun in under two seconds. The provided bracket allows this safe to be mounted from the left, right or rear of the storage area. The programmable biometric fingerprint scanner holds up to 120 unique fingerprints and comes with a key lock override. The SpeedVault is constructed of 18-gauge steel and arrives with a limited one-year warranty.
Price: $319.99 Kennesaw Cannon WWII Light Artillery Cannon Those Civil War replicas are fine, but SGN readers like something a bit more modern.
Kennesaw Cannon's World War II replica has a steel .58 cal. barrel and features treaded wheels for an authentic rolling motion when fired! The barrel measures 4.25 inches long, and the cannon has an overall height of 3.5 inches and length of 7 inches. A loading tool included for you to make a joyful noise.
Price: $38
Laserlyte Laser Trainer and Target Regular practice is the key to maintaining critical defensive pistol skills, but it's not always convenient to make the time to go to the shooting range. There is a way to hone basic handgun skills using your actual handgun while saving money on ammunition and range fees. Install
Laserlyte's LT-PRO laser trainer into the barrel (2-inch or longer) of your unloaded .35-.45 caliber handgun. Then dry fire the handgun while aiming at the bull's-eye of the TLB-1 target. The LT-PRO laser will flash with each pull of the trigger, scoring hits on the bull's-eye. Flash the laser at the Display sensor on the lower left corner of the target to see each of your hits light up, then flash the laser on the reset sensor on the right to start over again. The 9.5-inch by 6.5-inch target is small enough to set up almost anywhere so that operators can practice from a variety of locations and positions. It can be used for practice, to train new shooters, or for a bit of friendly competition between shooting buddies. The ammunition savings and convenience of this system make it a worthwhile investment.
Price: TLB-1 Laser Target $219.95, LT-PRO Laser Trainer $109.95
Leupold RX-800i Rangefinder The
Leupold RX-800i rangefinder accurately reads deer out to 600 yards, trees at 650 and other reflective surfaces at 800. The RX-800i also features a built-in Trophy Scale, which allows users to accurately judge the width and height of a target based on a baseline measurement. With a 6x magnification and accurate to within 1/10 of a yard, the RX-800i is compact, lightweight and waterproof.
Price: $279
Ruger 10/22 Takedown Earning
praise from G&A as well as our sister magazines,
Shooting Times and
Petersen's RifleShooter , the
Ruger 10/22 Takedown became a quick favorite for fans of the popular 10/22 platform. Building on the success of Ruger's well-known rimfire rifles, the Takedown's real claim to fame is its portability; the gun can be easily taken apart and stored in a backpack, making it a perfect trail rifle. And of course, it shoots great; nearly everyone in the G&A offices can confidently say it's really a blast to shoot.
Price: $389
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield The
Smith & Wesson M&P Shield is an addition to the M&P line and fills a significant niche. Available in 9mm and .40 S&W, it's a single-stack, polymer-frame handgun built to the ultra-durable standards of the Military & Police line and designed to be carried day in and day out by people who will abuse it and then expect it to perform on demand. It is less than one inch wide and weighs in at 19 ounces. Sights are white-dot front and rear; the firing mechanism is striker-fired, and the trigger sports mild enhancements to S&W's standard M&P line of pistols, offering a quite usable 6.5-pound pull. The grip angle is a natural-feeling 18 degrees — a number settled on after engineers spent an inordinate amount of time studying human anatomy. Such a luxury would have made the grip bulkier, and proved a worthwhile jettison in order to achieve the fantastic slender feel of the Shield.
Price: $449-$469
SOG Paratool We've all seen them: guys who can deploy a multitool .38 second faster than a heavily-caffeinated ninja can wield nunchucks. Well, if you are one of those guys, don't buy the
SOG Paratool . It's not fast, but if you like simple and dependable, the Paratool makes up for it by being the only multitool with jaws capable of operating at different angles from the handle, a very handy feature for reaching around corners. The made-in-USA Paratool also offers a collection of 15 common tools to assist in less-specialized chores.
Price: $93
Thompson/Center Dimension Thompson/Center's switch-barrel bolt-action, the Dimension , is certainly one of the most versatile rifles on the market. Featuring a removable, free-floating barrel, barrels of various calibers can be interchanged--from .204 Ruger to 7mm-08--as well as the appropriate bolts and magazines for them. Tools required for going from one caliber to another come with the rifle. In summer, it's the perfect varmint rifle; come winter, it's your big game buster. G&A's Layne Simpson writes, "Its length-adjustable stock along with interchangeable barrels in calibers generating various levels of recoil make it a rifle that can be used by the whole family."
Price: $679
War Dog Safe Featuring an innovative, stackable drawer design,
War Dog safes are ideal for installing under a bed, in the rear of an SUV, or stacking in the closet. Sophisticated electronic locks are hardened drill-plate protected. Weight, 185 pounds; exterior dimensions are 46.50 wide by 20.25 deep by 6.75 inches high. This is our most expensive gift suggestion listed, but when it comes to preserving heirlooms and protecting family, how much is too much?
Price: [imo-slideshow gallery=264],250 (Classic)
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