Category Archives: Ancillary gear

Accessories needed for shooting

Surefire X300V-B Vampire: A Weapon Light for Night Vision

August 4, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewsurefire, vampire, w300v-B, weapon light, x300coldboremiracle

Introduction

Weapon lights are a very valuable accessory that can sometimes make the difference between life and death. Being able to see a threat is a must have in the dark, and Surefire has illuminated the path becoming the gold standard of weapon lights. Today we are taking a look at one of their models that exemplifies their quality; the Surefire X300 Vampire weapon light. The X300V-B is a dual spectrum weapon mounted illuminator, the Vampire designation is both chilling and applicable.

Springfield Armory, prodigy, DS prodigy, 2011, 9mm, steiner, mps, red dot, surefire, x300, vampire, — the **X300 Vampire** on its **Springfield Armory Prodigy** host, also sporting a **Steiner MPS red dot**

The X300V-B Vampire

What do they mean dual spectrum? The Vampire has options to produce both visible while light from its LED source, as well as IR illumination. Infrared light is not visible to the human eye, so IR illuminators are often used by law enforcement and military for covert operations. IR is perfectly visible when using night vision, it looks just like any other flashlight. Whereas visible light from a typical weapon light would blind the night vision.

surefire, x300, vampire, control, dual source,

You can select which type of light the Vampire produces by simply twisting the emitter housing to the preferred light source. Then, like any X300 you can power it up either momentarily by pushing the ambi switch, or permanently by toggling the switch.

Again like other X300’s, the Vampire is powered by two CR123 lithium cells. Giving you a couple hours of working time in the dark to find your prey. With the same footprint as other X300 models and the same mounting options, your Vampire will fit neatly into your holsters and other accessories. Surefire also makes IR illuminators for rifles, you can see those here.

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Specifications

HIGH OUTPUT 350 lumens
IR OUTPUT 120mW / 860 nm
PEAK BEAM INTENSITY 11,500 candela
BATTERIES Two 123A lithium (incl.)
SWITCHING Ambidextrous push / toggle
HIGH OUTPUT 350 lumens
HIGH RUNTIME 2.5 hours
IR OUTPUT 120 milliWatts / 860 nm
IR RUNTIME 16.75 hours
DISTANCE 214 meters
CONSTRUCTION Aluminum
FINISH Mil-Spec Hard Anodized
LENGTH 4.0 in (10.0 cm)
WEIGHT w/ BATTERIES 4.0 oz (113 g)
BEZEL DIAMETER 1.06 in (2.7 cm)
WATERPROOF IPX7

Shooting with the X300 Vampire

Obviously, to truly test the Vampire, I would need to shoot in the dark. I’ve shot in the dark plenty of times using my other X300 weapon lights, but this would require at least one tube’s worth of night vision.

At first, I compared the Vampire’s output with my other X300’s for the visible light. Which definitely show a difference. I assume that the Vampire has a lower candela rating than standard X300’s because of the complications of dual light sources. The Vampire uses the same lens to focus both the visible light and the infrared beams.

night vision, ir illuminator, surefire X300V-B, vampire, — taken in urban darkness, tree approximately 40yds

So while the visible light of the Vampire is less than what I’m used to, there is a good reason for it. And even though it has a lower candela rating, it is still very useful in the dark.

Into Complete Darkness

Then it was time to turn out all the lights, and fire up the non-visible units. This is where the Vampire’s namesake makes sense, as there is a creepy feeling slinking around the darkness where only you can see.

The IR beam of light from the X300 Vampire was very bright in the green glow of night vision. And for all practical purposes, it looks just like a flashlight in the dark. The difference of course is that only you can see it, while your potential prey is completely unaware as they sit blindly in the darkness. Blood coursing through their veins in the earie green light of the Vampire.

Its a good idea to learn the functions of the Vampire before the lights go out. Turning the bezel of the light the wrong direction could give you visible light when you wanted IR light. That is not a good situation when you are trying to be sneaky.

Pros and Cons

While the X300 family is the gold standard of weapon lights, I am a little frustrated with its control panel. It works great as designed, but I wish they would update it. There are many other copies of the X300 that have better controls, allowing button lockouts, strobe features, and more. I wish Surefire would update the X300’s to do the same.

Also if you’ll allow me another, I am not a big fan of the Rail-Lock System. While it does work, and is quick for install or removal of the light, I’ve had several of them that fit loose. Resulting in a little slop, allowing the light to rattle slightly. I much prefer the clamping style attachment that you can cinch down on the accessory rail.

the **P320 X5** ready for the dark, with a **Vortex Defender XL** and **YHM suppressor**

Enough complaining already, as I still love the Surefire X300 lights. The Vampire like its non-blood-sucking siblings is built very well, and looks as good as it performs. You can tell they put a lot of work into designing and building these lights, and their function shows it well.

My Verdict

Should you get a Vampire? Well, if you don’t use night vision at least occasionally, it’s probably nothing more than an expensive cool looking accessory. But for some people thats all that matters. If you do use night vision occasionally or even frequently, then its a slam dunk. I would absolutely get an X300 Vampire as it will make your nights brighter and feel a little less creepy. And if you use night vision often, I wouldn’t even consider the standard weapon lights over the Vampire.

-CBM

Check out more weapon lights here

Nightstick TWM-30-GL Weaponlight

July 24, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewLaser, light laser, nightstick, twm-30-gl, weaponlightcoldboremiracle

Illumination

Weapon lights are a recent development in firearms accessories. Once flashlight technology reached the ability to put high lumen power in something small enough to attach to a firearm, the stage was set. A natural combination of bringing light to your aim point was a guaranteed win for gun owners. Allowing defensive shooting in dark places to broaden your defense. Today we are looking at another weapon light option from the Nightstick company. This model is the Nightstick TWM-30-GL, which combines a 1200 lumen LED emitter with a visible green laser.

These two features together give you a bright beam of light on your target, coupled with a laser point to aid in aiming. We’ll put this weapon light under scrutiny to see just how it can enhance your shooting experience.

Continue Reading Here

interchangeable recoil lugs make customizing the fit on your pistol

My Girsan 2311 CMXX 9mm made an excellent host for the light

the TWM-30-GL has a similar profile to the Surefire X300, and will fit most of the same places

zeroing the laser is done using an Allen wrench

the laser will only line up with your point of aim at one distance, I chose a close distance where it would most likely be necessary

the TWM-30-GL fit nicely in my **Safariland holsters** made for the X300

The **Taurus TX9** also made a good host for the Nightstick

Specifications

Flashlight Lumens: 1200
Multi-Function: Yes
High Lumens: 1200
Low Lumens: 1200
High Beam Distance (m): 218
High Candela: 11920
Drop Rating: 2 m
Water Rating: IP-67 Dustproof/Waterproof
High Runtime (h): 2.0
Strobe: Yes
Laser Color: Green
Light Source: LED
Serialized: Y
Case Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
Body Color: Black
Quantity of Batteries: 2
Power Source: CR123
Package Contents: Light, 3 cross-rail inserts, 2 cross-rail mounting cap head screws, Allen wrench, 2 CR123 Lithium batteries
US Patent(s) : 9713217
Warranty: Limited Lifetime Warranty

Dimensions

Length: 3.9 in (98 mm)
Width: 1.5 in (38 mm)
Depth: 1.5 in (38 mm)
Weight: 5.6 oz (159 g)
Head Diameter: 1.2 in (30 mm)

Locked in Retention: BlackPoint Tactical Slick Duty Holster

April 24, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewblackpoint tactical, duty, duty holster, holster, retention, service pistol, slickcoldboremiracle

Preface

Handgun holsters are a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. I really enjoy having a selection of holsters to accompany my handguns, it diversifies the way I can carry them. Today’s topic is another new to me product, and one that competes with some of my favorite holsters. That holster is the BlackPoint Tactical Slick Duty Holster, a polymer duty-grade holster designed for the professional. The Slick duty holster provides both protection and retention for you chosen sidearm.

most of my testing was done using the **Ruger RXM**

The BlackPoint Tactical Slick Duty Holster

With a molded polymer design, the Slick holster has a perfect fit for whatever model pistol you have; as long as it is a Glock, P320 or Echelon. Only duty pistols need apply here. The Slick Duty holster uses two methods of retention, first is the adjustable friction. And the second is the auto-rotating hood, actuated by pressing the release button. The button itself is tucked away discreetly between the holster and your belt, and is very obscure to the onlooker.

disassembled to show the mounting options and **QLS Fork**

When released, the hood folds out of the way. For pistols with mounted optics, the hood covers both the optic and the back of the slide. The two-piece hood is very robust, giving great protection to both slide and optic. Its not even a little bit exposed.

Note: here you can see the hood release button

According to the manufacturer, this holster is the result of years of feedback on holster design. And after using it I can see exactly how good ideas were incorporated into this holster. Its also compatible with other very popular brands like Safariland, BladeTech, Blackhawk, and True North Concepts. Allowing you to seamlessly add this holster into your kit.

In the Field

As I unboxed the holster, I was quickly impressed with the robust rigidity of the design. This is not some flimsy quick mold, it is a strong .125″ Kydex molded holster. The holster can be purchased with several connection options, I chose the Safariland QLS fork option because that’s what my belts use. You can adjust the cant and ride height with the mounting screws, which are all installed with thread-locker to avoid coming loose.

the **Blackpoint Tactical Slick Duty holster** fit perfectly into my belt configuration

Mounting

The Slick Duty holster snapped right into my belt using the QLS system. After making a couple adjustments on the angle, everything felt right. I dropped my Ruger RXM pistol into the holster, and it was a perfect fit. I only slightly adjusted the friction screw, mostly to reduce any slop within the holster.

attaching the holster to the Safariland QLS mount

Compatibility

I used a variety of different Glock styled pistols with this holster. Mainly my Ruger RXM with both the full size G17 frame, and the compact G19 frame. I also tried my PSA Dagger which fit slightly tighter than the RXM. Several other Glock clone pistols also fit perfectly into the holster.

I was also pleased to see that Blackpoint had left open the end of the holster. Even including an opening for threaded barrels to nest neatly in the holster.

Other Glock clone pistols like the PSA Dagger also fit nicely

Quality

I already mentioned how well built this holster is, but lets get into more detail. The .125 inch thick Kydex is much tougher than most other Kydex holsters I’ve seen. And it is fastened with quality screws and rubber grommets. The hood that covers both the back of the slide and your optic is also quite tough, not just a little flip open cover like some others. I expect you would need a hammer or large pair of pliers to break or remove it.

The two-piece hood also features a little integrating tooth that keeps the two pieces locked together when closed. In a similar fashion, the attachment point for the holster is also reinforced and uses a variety of different screw hole patterns to allow various mounting solutions.

Durability

While I haven’t used this holster as long as many others, I have been immediately impressed with it. Wearing it on a belt all day, getting in and out of chairs, vehicles, ATV’s and such has quickly proven how tough and resistant this holster is. I fully expect it will last for years even with daily wear.

Pros and Cons

For a duty minded holster, I came up with few things to dislike about this holster. Using the QLS fork as I did makes it very easy to remove from your belt for comfort during longer drives. I really like how well it protects my optic from getting contaminated. Even riding ATV’s down muddy roads where everything got messy, my Vector Frenzy red dot stayed pristine. And though I’m glad it hasn’t happened yet, I would fully expect both my gun and holster to stay put even if drove off the steep embankment.

The quick release button is covert and out of sight mostly, but is still quick to blindly hit with my thumb. All while keeping a solid grip on the pistol. Furthermore, it is only a slightly different motion than what I’m used to with my Safariland holsters that I also use frequently.

Additional equipment seen here: my Lead Devil gunbelt and my **WGE Razor hearing pro**

My Conclusion

Holsters are as much about preferences as performance I suppose. After all, if you don’t like the way it fits or functions it can be annoying and even dangerous. The Blackpoint Tactical Slick Duty Holster is an excellent choice that is well worth your consideration. You will likely find, like I did, that it will meet your convenience, retention and durability requirements. With prices starting around $160 I think it is well worth the asking price, I may need to get another one that allows use with my Surefire X300…

-CBM

Check out more holster reviews here

Listen Up: Walkers Game Ear Razor Slim Ear Muffs

April 17, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewear muffs, hearing protection, razor slim ear muff, walkers game earcoldboremiracle

Introduction

Even inexpensive hearing protection is better than none. I went most of my shooting career using foamies, mainly because I wanted to spend my money on things besides ear protection. But times have changed, and I am the happy owner now of several good head sets to protect whats left of my hearing. Today we are going to take a look at one of the most affordable sets I have, the Walkers Game Ear Razor Slim Ear Muffs. These are battery powered ear muffs that amplify normal sounds so you can talk and listen to whats around you, without going deaf from gunfire.

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The Razor Slim Ear Muffs

Walkers Game Ear Razor (WGE) Slim muffs are available in a surprising variety of color and even patterns. The use a wire-band spring to hold the two muffs together, padded to fit the top of your head. The unit is powered by two included AAA batteries.

walkers game ear, razor slim muffs, hearing protection, battery compartment, battery installation,

The muffs use dual omnidirectional microphones to pick up sounds from all directions, and their .02 second compression time means you’ll only hear safe levels of sound. Full range speakers are used in the muffs to provide clear sounds while you are shooting. This all results in a 23dB reduction in noise.

Bergara, premier action, custom rifle, 7mm PRC, pure precision, carbon fiber, osprey barrel, us optics, TXH 4-24x50, suppressed, cole-tac, walkers game ear, razor slim muffs, — the Razor Slim muffs kept down the noise while shooting my Custom 7PRC

Powering up the unit is done using a dial on the left side, you can simply roll it with the tip of your finger. It has definitive click when it reaches the off position, so you dont waste battery life. As you roll the dial it adjustes the volume. These also have WGE’s typical input jack, allowing you to add your own sounds to the mix. Or it can be used together with WGE’s walkie talkie attachment to enhance communication between people.

On the Range

In no time I was on the range, shooting both rifles and handguns. Even though I often shoot suppressed, the fact that other shooters don’t often requires me to wear hearing protection anyways.

With the Razor Slim muffs powered up, I could comfortably hear people talking around me on the firing line. Even little things like bouncing brass and footsteps on the dirt would come through. This gives you much better situational awareness while shooting, and that can be important around others.

Bersa, m2xi, 9mm, 2011, pistol, walkers game ear, razor slim muffs, holosun scs carry, surefire x300, shooting pistol at gun range with open valley and lake behind, — shooting handguns woth ear pro is a must, this Bersa M2Xi is a blast with the **Holosun SCS** and the **Surefire X300**

Wearing the muffs for an hour here and there during the course of my shooting gave a good impression. Some other muffs often give me a headache from squeezing too hard. The soft cups of these muffs felt fine, and even sealed up over the temple arms of my glasses well. To be sure they were comfy, I even wore them around the office for a few hours.

Pros and Cons

These muff are perfectly serviceable for most shooting purposes. Whether you shoot indoor or outdoors like me, they will keep you hearing safe from gunfire. I will say this, when shooting extra large guns like the 50BMG, you may want to double up by adding some foamies underneath the muffs. I love the various color patterns, allowing you to get your own custom look. Additionally it is much less likely to get your muffs mixed up with someone else’s. They fold up nicely, and fit easily into your shooting bag.

I am not sure if my demerits for these muffs are fair. I have several other pairs of hearing protection, but they are significantly more expensive. While the others might be more comfortable, and have added tech like bluetooth, that comes at a cost.

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Whereas the WGE Razor Slim muffs are obviously meant to be more for the mainstream. If you need those additional features that come at a higher price point, you can certainly look at WGE Recon or Firemax muff sets.

walkers game ear, hearing protection, ppe, razor slim ear muffs, electronic ear protection, — drawing my **Ruger RXM** from the Blackpoint Tactical holster, you can read more about it here

Final Words

Unless you are some kind of professional shooter, these WGE Razor Slim muffs are more than enough hearing protection for most American shooting enthusiasts. And even if you are a professional shooter, they’d still probably work. I am going to make sure they are always in my shooting bag, in case I need them, or someone needs to borrow a set. With a street price under $60, its a small price to pay to keep your dirty shooting fingers out of your ears.

-CBM

Check out other hearing protection options here

Comfortable Carry: Blackpoint Tactical Leather WING OWB Holster

April 15, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewblackpoint, blackpoint tactical, concealed carry, holster, owbcoldboremiracle

Preface

Holster options are as diverse as the spectrum of pistols they carry. And the different options that people use for carrying handguns can be quite subjective as well depending on the situation. Today we are looking at another new to me holster, like many modern holster designs this one has some unique design features. Our topic today is the Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing OWB holster.

My Ruger RXM fit perfectly in the holster, note belt loops and their diameter

The Blackpoint Tactical Leather WING Holster

Blackpoint Tactical is an American company based in Georgia, with a focus on making holsters that are comfortable and concealable. They manufacture various different holsters but our focus today is on their Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing OWB holster. It uses both traditional Kydex and as its name idicates, Leather Wings.

This dual material construction has its advantages. The traditional Kydex gives that perfect fit and retention, while the leather gives the durability and dexterity that handgunners have enjoyed since the beginning of carrying a gun. Extremely durable metal belt loops are attached using steel fasteners, the same ones are used to attach the leather to the Kydex as well. The leather wings give a natural flex-point for comfort when moving, sitting and other activities.

These holsters are available for a variety of popular pistols, mine is made for a Glock 17 pattern pistol. You can order the holsters molded for specific weapon light combinations, and since I usually use the Surefire X300 thats what I got.

When you order the holster you can specify much more. Different color patterns of both Kydex and leather can be specified for customization, as well as right or left-handed. You can also select a canted angle or straight depending on how you like to carry your gun. Different belt loops are also available, allowing you to fit whatever belt you plan on using.

Features

Leather Wings– Allow for ultimate comfort, reliability, and concealment by allowing the leather to curve naturally to the body.

Metal OWB Loops– Eliminates a common failure point on many OWB holsters.

Sweat Guard– Standard option that extends from top of holster between body and firearm. Protects gun by providing a sweat barrier from the body. Protects body from gun when holstering. Provides touch point for ease in holstering.

Cant Options– Available straight up and down or at a 15° forward cant.

OWB Concealable– The thin mounting profile of the holster allows for OWB concealment.

Thread Locker– Applied to all screws to prevent loosening over time.

Additional OWB Loops– Available in 2.00”, 1.75”, and 1.5”. Our adjustable loop is 1.75” and allows for adjustments in ride height.

OWB/IWB Conversion– All OWB holsters can be converted to IWB by removing the OWB loops from the back of the holster and attaching IWB loops to the front of the holster.

Wearing the Blackpoint Tactical Leather WING Holster

Over the course of several weeks of daily carry, I familiarized myself with the Lether Wing holster. My main pistol for carrying in the holster was a Ruger RXM. This pistol is also configurable using either a G19 sized grip or the G17 sized grip. I used both during my testing but as you might imagine the smaller grip was more concealable. I also used another Glock clone pistol, this one was the BCA Grizzly 9mm. A full size G17 clone.

Comfort and Fit

For this type of holster I prefer carrying behind my right hip. But I did try different variations both further towards the hip and further towards the back. As always with such things, this greatly depends on the comfort and preference of the person doing the carrying.

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The flexibility of the leather on this holster did make it a little more comfortable, allowing it to move just enough. I did notice when worn more towards my hip, the natural pivot point when sitting did cause a little pinching sensation. As clothing/holster flex when I sat, there was sometimes a little bit of a squeeze where I didn’t want it. This also could be related to my physical shape (more round than not), and will of course depend on yours. In the end I found it wasn’t a problem by moving the holster further around towards my back.

There is a Kydex “ear” that extends up to prevent the slide from riding against your clothes or skin. This is always a nice touch, especially for those of us who aren’t as slender as we once were.

Retention

The tight fitting Kydex kept my pistol secure in the holster. There is a definititve snap sensation when the pistol is seated or pulled from the holster. I wouldn’t call it a hard pull, it felt like just the right amount of retention to keep the pistol safely secured. Without making it hard to access. The retention varied obviously with different pistol designs. Friction alone should be plenty to keep a CCW pistol like this secured, and the clutch of the Kydex is just right in my opinion. Unless you plan on riding roller coasters or doing tuck and roll dismounts you shouldn’t have a problem.

Blackpoint Tactical, blackpoint, tactical, leather IWNG, holster, ccw, concealed carry, kydex, glock 19, glock 17, leather, ruger RXM, drawing from holster on pistol shooting range, — the **Ruger RXM** and **Surefire X300** combination fit perfectly in the Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing holster

Due to the two sided Kydex clam-shell design, there is a natural split at the bottom of the holster. Left open to prevent accumulation of debris and the dreaded CCW fuzz-ball. The gap is almost enough to even use my RXM with the threaded barrel installed. Even if I needed to trim it slightly it would still work.

Quality

Blackpoints build quality is great, with quality fasteners holding the whole thing together. The screws do not come loose, and there are strong rivets holding the individual pieces together. The nicely finished edges make it less likely to snag on clothing, or harsh against skin. And the handsome different patterns available allow you to match your holster to your style and tastes.

Pros and Cons

Almost all of my complaints when it comes to CCW issues stem from comfort and printing. Both of these issues should be reason enough for me to get in better shape, which should fix the issues. But as it pertains to this holster specifically, there is little to complain about.

Other Glock patterned pistols like this **BCA Grizzly** also fit nicely, even with large optics like the **Gideon Omega**

I mentioned the slight pinching issue I had, but I already mentioned how that can be remedied. I suppose the only other thing I would change about it if I could would be to make an option for thinner belt loops. I found there was just enough slop between my belt and holster loops to allow some movement. Not a big deal, but something I would prefer given the chance to change it.

Blackpoint Tactical, blackpoint, tactical, leather IWNG, holster, ccw, concealed carry, kydex, glock 19, glock 17, leather, ruger RXM, — My **Ruger RXM 9mm** fit perfectly with both **large and small frames**, you can read more about the Vector Optics Frenzy red dot here

This holster gives a very secure place for your CCW pistol. With great retention and placement, without giving up some dexterity in how you wear it. It also allows plenty of room for pistol mounted optics, like the Gideon Omega seen here.

Final Thoughts

As I mentioned at the beginning, a holster is a lot like a ladies purse; which one you use depends greatly on what you intend to put in it that day, what you are wearing for an outfit, and where you plan on going. I have found that this means you are bound to end up having various holsters for different occasions and activities. I have found that the Blackpoint Tactical Leather Wing OWB holster is a great asset to have in my inventory.

-CBM

Looking for more holsters? Click here to see other options

Walker Game Ear Suppressor Bluetooth Earbuds

March 30, 2026Ancillary gear, Electronics and Tech, Product reviewbluetooth, earbuds, earplugs, hearing protection, suppressor earbuds, walkers game earcoldboremiracle

Preface

Technology continues to work into our shooting experience. And today I present to you another new to me product that brings more electronic gizmos into the shooting realm. Our subject today is the Walkers Game Ear Suppressor Bluetooth Earbuds. These are electronic bluetooth earbuds that have the noise cancelling Walkers is famous for, with all the added benefits that your typical earbuds also give.

Walkers Game Ear Suppressor

Walkers is famous for the ability to not only protect your hearing, but amplify your surroundings at the same time. This has typically been more for hunters than shooters. The Suppressor Bluetooth Earbuds offer the next level of both protection, situational awareness, and even entertainment.

With omnidirectional stereo sound from four microphones, the Suppressors give you 25 DB protection from gunfire. While also providing you connection to your surroundings, and even the ability to enhance those sounds.

Not only does it come with various sizes of foam and silicone tips for maximum comfort, they also allow four different frequencies of sound to customize your hearing experience. All this in a wireless rechargeable earbud set much like those all the cool kids are wearing these days. And like the popular kids, you can charge these up to three times in their discreet battery powered case. The case can also be charged via a USB-C included cord.

As if all that wasn’t enough, you can customize your listening experience on the fly using the Walkers Link 4.0 application on your phone to adjust balance, volume and the differential between your favorite tunes playing by bluetooth and the ambient noise around you.

Controlling the Suppressor Earbuds

Aside from directly operating the earbuds through the app, you can also adjust the volume, skip songs, and change hearing settings all by touching the control surfaces on the exterior of the earbuds.

You can also adjust the auto-off setting between 2, 4, and 6 hours. Or not at all. You can balance between your ears if you choose as well.

Sound Quality

As an earbud, these are fantastic. The quality of the music sound played from my phone is as good as other comparably priced earbuds I borrowed from my wife.

Additionally, the sounds picked up by the microphones are also impressive. As I type this out, I can hear the keystrokes over the music playing at an aggressive volume. I could also hear my wife’s phone playing a video inside another room with a closed door.

walkers game ear, suppressor earbuds, bluetooth, earbuds, hearing protection, ear plugs, mueller, mueller optics, tachunter, 6-24x50, scope, riflescope, — Shooting my **Quattro 15 rifle** with the **Mueller Optics** TacHunter 6-24 scope

Fit and Feel

The various ear canal gaskets give you various options. I tend to prefer the foam ones as the silicone ones seem to work loose on me. The foam plugs are a bit stiffer and keep a good grip inside your ear, aided by the rubber rib mounted under the plug. If you have sensitive ears, the silicone plugs might be better as they don’t press out against your ear canal as hard.

These Suppressor Earbuds do stick out a little further than I’d like. Its not like I’m gonna be snagging them against tree limbs or something. But they are out there enough that you could brush them loose when adjusting your beenie or glasses. This is certainly not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of.

walkers game ear, suppressor earbuds, bluetooth, earbuds, hearing protection, ear plugs, Girsan, witness 2311, 9mm, eaa, 2011, vortex, vortex optics, defender CCW, enclosed, red dot, — shooting my **Girsan 2311**, seen here with a **Holosun SCS Carry** and **Surefire X300**

On the Range

I’ve used these earbuds on the range several times now, in addition to my wearing around the house and office to listen to music. They do a great job keeping the noise of firearms down. As someone who wore foamie ear-plugs for the majority of my shooting career, these feel like they cancel the noise just as good as any foamie might. With the added benefit of being able to hear those around you, in stereo. It also allows me to listen to John Wick Mode by Castlevania while I do reloads with my Staccato.

Pros and Cons

There are very few cons that I found with these earbuds. I mentioned the slight protrusion from the ear, and the possibility of the foam pressing out against your ear canal. Other than that I can confidently say they knocked it out of the park with these earbuds. I remember nearly a decade ago paying twice this much for custom fitting electronic ear protection. Only to find within the first few minutes that they were slightly worse than foamies, and were always dead with expensive batteries.

In Closing

My conversion to electronic hearing protection is fairly recent. But I don’t think I’ll be using foamies anytime soon short of an emergency. I quite enjoy these earbuds, and look forward to more days at the range wearing them. If you are looking for electronic hearing protection, these might be right up your ear canal, especially if you like accompaniment.

-CBM

Check out other ear protection here

GPS Pistolero Backpack

March 9, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewbackpack, GPS, Pistolero, pistolero backpack, rangebagcoldboremiracle

A Pistolero

While I have wandered the southwest, and meandered on either side of the border, it may be a stretch to consider myself a pistolero. But I do love shooting handguns, and the GPS Pistolero Backpack adds some organization and security to my handgunning. The Pistolero Backpack is designed for a handgun enthusiast headed to the range with a variety of pistols.

GPS, pistolero, backpack, rangebag, pistol, handgun, — fitting handguns into the Pistolero was easy, here you can see my **Ruger RXM**, and the BCA Grizzly 9mm pistols

Inside the Pistolero

Five internal handgun storage cases with magazine storage
4 outside zippered pockets for mags and other accessories
Larger top storage for ammo
Free standing backpack
Visual ID storage system
Waterproof pullout cover
Each side pocket holds 6 mags. Total of 12 mags in both side pockets!
Internal frame for rigidity of the pack
MOLLE webbing system that is triple stitched

Carrying just about everything but your bulk ammo stash, the Pistolero keeps up to five handguns individually cased. While allowing you to keep all your other stuff in there too, with magazines storage pouches on either side, and personal protective equipment. The adjustable shoulder straps allow you to customize the fit while the various zippered pouches allow you to separate equipment. Many of the pouches are labeled if you need help with that, And there is even a pullout rain-fly to cover the pack in poor weather. Various surfaces on the pack also incorporate velcro for adding your favorite accessories (even if they are just goofy patches) as well as molle for attaching other accessories to the pack.

GPS, pistolero, backpack, rangebag, pistol, handgun, ppe, — the ammo storage pouch up top seemed better suited for my **Safariland Liberator headset**

Loading up the Pistolero

With room for up to five pistols, I figured it was worth a trip to the range. Each of the pistol pouches is padded and zippered to keep your guns safe. There is a separator between them to keep each pouch secure and upright. The pouches themselves are pretty simple, but provide ample protection, especially when in the backpack.

Average size handguns fit just fine in the pouches. I can even fit my 5-inch 2011 pistols in them, so anything smaller than that should fit easily. If you run big oversized red dots it might be a tight fit.

The PPE pocket has a spot for ear plugs, and shooting glasses with a fuzzy lined pocket for the latter. I usually wear a headset, which fits nicely in the top pocket. The top pocket is supposedly for ammo, for which it will work I guess. But if I’m bringing five pistols to the range, I would likely have a separate ammo can. As the top pocket would probably fit around 6-7 boxes (50rnd) of 9mm, and thats barely over a box per pistol.

The magazine pouches are nice, giving you room to organize and store up to 12 magazines neatly. Obviously one of those could hold a suppressor instead if you’re that kinda guy.

Pros and Cons

At first I felt the Pistolero was a bit bulky because of its wide base. But after a few range trips, I can see it was made that way to make it a stable base to prevent it from tipping over. You can set it on a table or bench and work out of it much like a tool box. The padded pack is comfortable, and the smooth zippers don’t have that cheap catchy feel. And the material this pack is made of is more robust than expected, not that thin flimsy nylon but sturdy and rigid, giving the pack some structure.

GPS, pistolero, backpack, rangebag, pistol, handgun, magazine,

The pistol bay in the bottom also incorporates a lockable zipper, in case your range is in the hood. Allowing you to put a small lock through the zipper, possibly more for keeping unwanted children away than actual thieves. On the bottom of the pack, you will find a rubberized bottom. This I found to be optimal, not only for resistance to wear. But also to keep dirt, snow or other debris from getting picked up and carried back into your vehicle or home.

My Recommendation

There is really very little to critique about this pack as long as you see it for what it is. The Pistolero is for transporting handguns to the range, it’s not meant for traditional backpack duties. I suppose you could fit a ham sandwich in one of the pistol cases, and it might even keep it cold for a minute. But this pack is meant for serious pistol shooters, or Pistolero’s as my father might have said.

You can pick this pack up at Palmetto or Midway USA for under $120, which makes it pretty accessible for a serious pistolero. I think it is worth that price, and it will certainly be accompanying me on my pistol outings henceforth. You’ve heard the saying about bringing a knife to a gunfight, but bringing a Pistolero like this to gunfight will certainly give you and edge.

-CBM

Looking for a different range bag? Look at this one

Shell Shock Ultimate Eyes and Ears Combo pack

February 4, 2026Ancillary gear, Product reviewbluetooth, EXO Pro, eye protection, glasses, hearing protection, shell shock, shell shock protection, Switchcoldboremiracle

Preface

It would be foolish of someone who shoots often, to not take proper precautions for their safety. When I was younger, I didn’t think about it much and looking back I sure wish that I had. Protecting eyes and ears while shooting has never been more easy, with technology and materials giving us many options. Today I am bringing you my opinion of another one of those options. Shell Shock Protection is a manufacturer of safety equipment for shooters, and today I present to you their Shell Shock Ultimate Eyes and Ears Combo. Just like it sounds, this kit comes with everything you need for shooting protection.

shell shock protection, eyes & ears combo, hearing protection, headphones, eye protection, glasses, eye pro, ruger rxm, — we did quite a bit of shooting with the **Ruger RXM**, you can read more about it here

Shell Shock Ultimate Eyes and Ears Combo

The Shell Shock kit comes with a set of their EXO PRO Bluetooth Earmuff’s and a pair of Switch Ballistic Glasses. These items come with a few additional accessories in a tidy little soft-case lined with foam and enclosed by a zipper.

shell shock protection, eyes & ears combo, hearing protection, headphones, eye protection, glasses, eye pro,

The EXO PRO Bluetooth Earmuff

Pulling the EXO Pro muffs from the case, I was happy to see they use a gel cup for comfort. My other headsets also have this feature so I was both aware of and pleased by it. The ear cups fold out from the wire headband making them compact to stow and quick to deploy. The headset came with a set of AAA batteries and an AUX cord for plumbing in audio to the headset.

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In addition to the dual omnidirectional microphones, the EXO Pro also has a Bluetooth connection feature. This allows you to connect your phone or other device to the headset to listen to music or in my case a conference call while sitting on a shooting bench. There are two individual volume knobs to adjust the BT volume and the ambient sounds.

shell shock protection, eyes & ears combo, hearing protection, headphones, eye protection, glasses, eye pro, controls

Switch Ballistic Glasses

The Switch Ballistic Glasses come with two lenses, a shaded one for bright sunny days, and a clear lens for indoors. The lenses can be switched out of the frame by unlocking two levers on each side of the frame before swapping the lens. There is also a handy protective cinch-close carry liner to protect the glasses from being scratched or damaged.

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The lenses are coated to prevent fogging, and of course they are rated Z87 for protection against flying debris that could damage your eyesight.

On the Range

As I shoot pretty often, it wasn’t long before I put the kit to use. Both indoor shooting and out door shooting would be involved. I typically shoot suppressed, which arguably doesn’t often require hearing protection. But I like to shoot handguns unsuppressed, and you definitely want ears for that.

I found the headset to fit just fine, and the gel cups felt soft against my face. One of the nice things about the gel cups is that they easily form around the temple arms of the glasses. I dislike when a headset crushes the temple arms of my glasses causing discomfort of the ear. The gel cups balanced the pressure against your head without pressing too hard, and still making a good seal.

The dual microphone pickups on the EXO Pro do a great job of picking up the sound around you, and blocking out what you don’t want to hear. I did notice that there seemed to be a bit higher frequency of sound picked up by the microphones, making it sound slightly more shrill sounding than I’d anticipated. Of course I had to fire up the BT receiver on the EXO Pro, so I could listen to my jams while I shot.

With the Switch Ballistic Glasses on, I found something that is typical of personal protective equipment. Not everybody’s face is the same, and I found that the glasses rode a smidge high on my nose for my taste. Requiring me to keep them further out on my nose, this leaves a little more gap than I’d like around the eyes. I think I can correct the issue by altering the removeable nose-pad some. Either way, glasses always fit depending on how your face is built. The lenses were nice, and the dark lens wasn’t as dark as many of my other sunglasses which made it easy to find targets. Switching out the lenses was quick and easy, though I am afraid I’d be more likely to lose one of them. Perhaps I should just get another frame.

shell shock protection, eyes & ears combo, hearing protection, headphones, eye protection, glasses, eye pro, desert tech, MDRX, WLVRN, Huxwrx, flow, 7.62, — Using the Switch glasses, I could see clearly through the **Vortex Razor 1-6** mounted here on my Desert Tech MDRX

Finding pistol sights and red dots through the lenses was easy, and it does feel good to have something between my eyes and all the bullet spall and debris flying around the range.

Pros and Cons

I mentioned the fit of the glasses not being perfect for my face, but that’s just life when you look like I do. It certainly wasn’t a big deal. On the EXO Pro headset I felt just a slight let-down. I’d expected the dual mics to give better awareness of sound direction. I also had hoped they had a rechargeable internal battery option. But to be fair the battery life is pretty good, so maybe I’ll just keep a couple AAA batteries in my shooting bag.

On the positive side, the headset does a great job of protecting your ears from the noise of shooting. They are comfortable even after several hours, and I love the Bluetooth option. For the street price of around $135 dollars, I think these are a pretty solid buy.

Conclusion

If you are ready to step up to a set of electronic ears, or just need another set of protective equipment to keep in your vehicle this would be a good option. It comes in a handy case ready for the range making it a slam-dunk for shooters on the move.