Reports have come out that the Russian-made Saiga-12 shotguns are being sold to US law enforcement agencies. For those not familiar, the Saiga-12 is a detachable-magazine-fed, semi-automatic shotgun that has a passing resemblance to the AK-47 rifle. The Saiga-12 has been popular with three-gun competition shooters and firearms enthusiasts, but I have not heard of any US law … [Read more...]
Fighting Hallucinogens
Twice in two nights this week, my officers had to fight people who were out of control on hallucinogenic substances. These drugs are a serious cause for concern for law enforcement. In the first instance, an officer rolled up on an unknown situation in the middle of a large intersection. A Good Samaritan was trying to hold down an out-of-control girl who was … [Read more...]
FLIR Debuts Entry Level Thermal Imagers
FLIR Systems, Inc. has released a new line of thermal imagers that are affordable (by thermal imaging standards). The Scout series is initially aimed toward the civilian hunting market, but will branch into the law enforcement and maritime markets this year. I stopped at the FLIR booth here at 2012 SHOT Show and checked out one of their Scout PS24 imagers. This model is an … [Read more...]
Streamlight SL-20L LED Flashlights
The Streamlight SL-20 was one of two options when I was looking to buy a quality flashlight when I first entered police work some 14 years ago (the other being the MagCharger). For me, the Streamlight was a much better choice than the MagCharger, as I preferred the pre-focused beam, lighter weight and charging sleeve the SL-20 offered. However, as technology advanced, the … [Read more...]
SWATSCOPE Surveillance Tool Review
Tony Leonti is the designer of the SWATSCOPE by Micro-Times, LLC. He took time out at his very busy booth at SHOT Show 2012 to give us a tour of his tactical periscope. The SWATSCOPE is a hand held tactical sniper periscope that extends 22 1/2" above the operator and provides a safe view of hostile territory with a 4X to 9X zoom lens. The aluminum body of the scope is … [Read more...]
New ASP Batons
Two new batons, the P12 and P16, will be officially introduced by Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) at the 2012 SHOT Show. At this time, there are no details on the specifics of the two new batons. 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 … [Read more...]