I’ve worn them for about two weeks, and so far I am impressed.  They are very comfortable, lightweight and seem to offer a lot of support.  I’ve worn my pair for hikes, on asphalt and around town.  It is not a complete review, but so far I am really liking these boots.

I’ll have a full review on these boots in about a month.  That should give me plenty of time to really get a good feel for how they hold up to my initial impressions.  Make sure you check out Original SWAT for more information on these boots.

Terry, for those not familiar, was a Border Patrol agent who was killed with a firearm that the ATF allowed to be illegally purchased and smuggled out of the country in a criminal operation known as “Fast and Furious.”  Another US federal agent was killed in Mexico with some of the same guns the ATF conspired to smuggle, as well as hundreds (thousands?) of Mexican citizens.  The same guns are now turning up on crime scenes throughout the southwestern United States.

Leave questions in the comment section and we will answer them the best we can.  Keep in mind that your state laws and courts may deviate one way or another from the information presented here.  You have to talk to your department’s legal advisor and local prosecutors to be certain of where you stand.

The Saiga-12 has been popular with three-gun competition shooters and firearms enthusiasts, but I have not heard of any US law enforcement agencies purchasing the Saiga-12 as a issued firearm.

While the Saiga-12 offers some advantages when compared to traditional pump and semi-auto shotguns, it also presents a number of hurdles that would rule it out for most police departments.  Some of the disadvantages include:

• limited options available for securely mounting some models in a patrol car
• different manual of arms that what is taught in majority of police academies
• significantly more expensive that the classic Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 shotguns
• questions about the availability and speed of service and warranty work
• politically incorrect: not made in the US and resembles the AK-47

I’ve never felt under-gunned with a pump-action 870 and four rounds of buck with slugs in reserve.  It is hard for me to imagine a department of any significant size stepping away from the defacto-standard for a shotgun that is largely unproven.

If an agency is looking for greater firepower, and they aren’t hampered by political correctness, I would expect patrol rifles to be a better choice.

Does anyone know of any US agency that

• currently issues or maintains Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose,
• has ordered Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose, or
• is seriously considering the purchase of Saiga-12 shotguns for any purpose?

If so, please send me an e-mail or post the information in the comment section.  Also, if I’ve got it wrong, and the Saiga-12 is a great choice for a police shotgun, sound off below also.

Tip o the fedora to my friend Steve at The Firearm Blog for the information about the Saiga-12 and US law enforcement.

Essentially, this product is a pair of sunglasses with a built-in video recorder.

The camera records at 720×480 resolution at up to 35 fps, with about four hours of video fitting onto a single 4 GB MicroSD card.  The recorder is rechargeable via USB, and will run up to five hours on one charge.  Yes, it records audio with the video.  So, it is perfect for recording field interviews and the like.

I’ll be testing these on duty and in training.  I think that they will offer an awesome “first person” view of some of the training we are working on.  As I use the glasses over the coming weeks, I’ll post video samples here on the site.

However, as technology advanced, the SL-20 didn’t seem to hold its own.  For the past five years, I don’t even carry it in the car any more.  Lighter weight, brighter flashlights, specifically the Streamlight Strion LED and the SECUTOR PEL-6, now ride full-time on my duty belt.  I’ve longed for a brighter version of the SL-20, but have been disappointed…until now.

Streamlight officially introduced the SL-20L at the 2012 SHOT Show.  The SL-20L is a new version of the classic light that utilizes the powerful C4 LED lights found in Streamlight’s other hi-power flashlights.  Here’s how it breaks down:

In high-power mode, the SL-20L offers 350 lumens and 60,000 candela peak beam intensity for a usable beam of light good to about 490 meters.  Nice.

Like the SL-20, the SL-20L uses a rechargeable battery.  In high-power mode, Streamlight states you can expect about two hours of runtime.  Lower output levels can extend run time to 50 hours.  The SL-20L uses the same charging system as the original lights, so no need to upgrade to all new chargers.  This can be a real cost savings.

The new SL-20L has an aluminum body, but can also be had with a polymer body in the SL-20LP.

I don’t have a new SL-20L yet, but I hope to get one soon and run it through its paces.  The small lights are great, but I have always liked having a longer light that I can easily tuck under my arm during a traffic stop, or to use as an improvised impact weapon.

The Americans for Effective Law Enforcement (AELE) have a great article in this month’s AELE Monthly Law Journal that attempts to answer these questions.  The article, Disturbed/Suicidal Persons — Part One, touches on when force can be used, self-defense and defense of others.  Part two will cover restraining EDPs and more.  I highly recommend clicking the link and reading the article.

Aaron was able to get a great demonstration of the RCB at the 2012 SHOT Show:

Also, as many of you know, I also publish GunsHolstersAndGear.com.  For all things guns and holsters make sure you check out that site as I will have all of the details on the new gear straight from the floor there.  Click here to see the special 2012 SHOT Show page I have set up to bring all of the news to a single place.

The boots have a MSRP of $84.99 for the low cut and $109.99 for the 9″ model.  Shipping is expected to start in March 2012.  The waterproof model will retail for $119.99, and it will be available in the Fall of 2012.

I’ve never worn a pair of Original S.W.A.T. boots.  Anyone want to share their experiences with their footwear?

From Original S.W.A.T.:

The product launch will be at the 2012 Shot Show held in Las Vegas, NV from January 17-20th. The Chase line of tactical footwear features the latest in tactical technology: an outsole that is more durable, more slip-resistant and more comfortable than other tactical footwear in the industry. The Chase series has been designed, engineered and tested for Law Enforcement, Military and EMT’s.

Ty Fitzgerald, Director of Marketing at Original S.W.A.T.® stated “We are very excited to launch the Chase series after many years of research, development and testing in the field. We utilized upgraded materials, construction and engineering which place the Chase series as our top of the line in tactical footwear.”

The Chase line is available in a 9″ Side Zip, in both black and tan versions, a Low black version, and a 9″ Waterproof black version. All styles feature Electrical Hazard Protection, an airport friendly Texon stability platform insole, and a quiet rubber outsole that features improved slip resistance with “siping” which delivers increased traction in wet conditions. Every boot in the Chase series incorporates industry leading PORON® cushioning pads for all day comfort. In addition, the 9″ Tan version features Scotchgard™ protection. The Chase series from Original S.W.A.T.® also features our legendary fit and comfort to create a new series of athletic products so advanced that you may never take them off.

The Chase series begins shipping on March 1st, 2012. The MSRP of the Chase series is $84.99 for the Low version, $109.99 for the 9″ Black or Tan version, and $119.99 for the Waterproof black version. It is offered in sizes from 4-16, and 7-16 Wide. The Chase series ranges in weight from 32oz in the Low version to 44oz in the 9″ Waterproof version, making the Chase series some of the lightest boots available in the market.

According to Teijin Aramid, the maker of the new Twaron LFT SB1 material, they are able to use four layers of fabric in various orientations to achieve the same, or greater, results than the use of stiff anti-trauma materials used in other body armor.

For all of you that have worn vests before the current crop of NIJ-certified body armor, I think that you would agree that the new stuff is far less comfortable than the old.  While I understand the new standards are designed to provide a greater degree of protection for officers, it would seem little or no thought was given to balancing protection against wearability.

I recently was issued a new vest that is less comfortable than anything else I have worn during the past two decades.  My “old” III-A vest is far more comfortable than the “improved” level II vest.

Teijin Aramid will be at the 2012 SHOT Show, and I look forward to seeing the new materials.  I hope that we will see more comfortable body armor in the near future.

Awareness is the best way to avoid an attack.  Once the attack happens, even under good circumstances, you are likely in for a world of hurt.  This comes to us from Gabe Suarez’s Warrior Talk newsletter:

Fred was temporarily assigned to county jail until he caught the chain for a nickel at CDC…probably Soledad. He was a convict, and the ink on his arms was a resume of murders and other miscellaneous violence. Fred worked for me. His main goal in life was to be able to write to his wife and kids while he was inside. Funny what a pad of paper and a few pencils and envelops can get you.

I asked him once when we were out of earshot. He had stabbed plenty of enemies in his life, many never accounted for in the legal system.

“You grab the shank like this”, he showed it held in forward grip close to the body. “Slap ‘em in the face like this…then run it in hard and fast until he drops. Shank ‘em in the guts and in the balls”. He explained how that worked well against one target…specially if he was bigger than you.

“If you have two or three you need to take, grab it like this”, he showed reverse grip. “Attack the face, then when they block, trap the hand and stab hard into the neck…leave that guy and go for the next one, then come back for seconds”.

Most guys that study the knife study from the perceived notion of defending against the knife. They begin with the premise that they are unarmed and that the bad man has the knife. In reality that is as difficult a place to begin as facing a skilled gunman already pointed in at 5 yards, finger on the trigger, and you have no gun. Why do we do that to ourselves? If at the beginning of the fight, you are thinking, “Oh me … oh my…I am going to get in legal hot water for this”, you have already lost.

Perhaps its time to get the mind right about this subject and leave the nonsense and foolishness aside. If we change the point of view to a man armed with a knife, the entire table changes. Perhaps it is time to leave the “Unarmed Good Guy facing The Knife Armed bad Guy” illusion and look at reality through different, darker, and more violent eyes.

My thanks to Gabe Suarez for the permission to reprint the article here.  I strongly encourage you to check out his training and to sign up for his free Warrior Talk newsletter.

A guess, however, might suggest a 12″ and 16″ length for the P12 and P16 respectively.  I don’t think that ASP currently makes a 12″ baton.  That would be a very short baton, and I would not think it would be geared for patrol officers.  Perhaps it will be something akin to a kubotan that can expand?

Regardless, we will be at the ASP booth at the Show and bring you the details.  Make sure you check back here for law enforcement gear updates from the show.  Click here for new guns at the SHOT Show from our sister site, GunsHolstersAndGear.com.