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Upon initially getting the Viridian RFX 35, I was skeptical about the durability of the optic. Testing it for the last 6 months has alleviated any of those fears.  The Viridian RFX 35 has a window size that matches that of the class leading Trijicon SRO but weighs 20% less. It features push button brightness adjustment and an “INSTANT-ON®” feature similar to shake awake technology of competitors. With a claimed battery life of 30,000 hours it will last far longer than similarly priced green dots like the Crimson Trace RAD. The housing is made of 6061-T6 aluminum and the window is glass, not something that can be said for many sub $300 pistol mounted optics. The differentiator that most people will focus on is the green dot vs the more common red. To be honest, I like them both and each has pros and cons. After receiving the RFX 35, I mounted it to a Glock 17 with a Primary Arms slide cut for an RMR. The RFX 35 uses a bottom mounted battery just like the RMR and popped onto the slide with no issues. This particular Glock is dedicated as a loaner gun for pistol classes and sees rain, dirt, dust and hundreds of manipulations using the sight to run the slide. The optic is IPX6 rated and I haven’t had any issues even with heavy rain.
 The glass is nicely recessed in the housing allowing for vigorous slide manipulations off of holsters, barricades, and anything else you might need to use, without worrying about scratching the lens. While a minor point, one of my biggest surprises is how well the finish has held up. Even after dozens of impacts while manipulating the slide and rubbing against gear while carried in an open top holster, it looks practically new. For recreational, competition, and concealed carry, the RFX 35 could be a great option. It offers many of the benefits you get from large window optics like the SRO while coming in at less than half the price (MSRP). As for “Duty Use,” I'll leave that up to Aaron Cowen in his infamous drop tests.
Class Review
Sentinel Concepts Critical Handgun Employment Instructor: Steve Fisher Oct. 20-21 2017 Background I have been a firearms instructor for 15 years and taken classes from many big name instructors in the tactical and competition world. When I take a shooting class, it is as much to learn how to get better at shooting as it is about how to be a better teacher. I’m happy to report that Steve is an even better teacher than he is a shooter and he is a pretty damn good shooter. The class was well paced and kept all the students’ attention without making anyone “drink from a firehose.” The short version:
Your issue with trigger control is really an issue with grip: Steve talked about and demonstrated that when pressing the trigger, the things we normally think of as trigger jerk or anticipation is actually sympathetic contraction of the hand. The drill he had us shoot to drive the point home was shooting at 2” circles while only gripping the gun with our thumb and trigger finger. The students all shot tight groups in the center of the circle. The drill eliminates the bottom three fingers from the equation, thus eliminating their ability for them to throw the shot off. Steve’s solution for this issue is to grip the gun harder and focus pressure on the pinky finger of the firing hand. Hold yourself to a higher standard: It is easy to delude ourselves into believing because the average shooting happens at close range, our lack of ability to make fast accurate shots at distance is acceptable. Steve stresses shooting very strict standards at 25-50 yards. If you can make those shots, 7-10 yards becomes much easier. I consider myself a good shot and regularly shoot at 25-100 yards with a handgun. Steve’s standards shined a bright light on my inconsistency at these ranges, especially at speed. Since the class I have been focused on shooting at distance under time standards and it has really improved my ability to make fast hits at distance. This came in handy when I had to make a 50 yard shot on two targets during a recent USPSA competition. It seemed almost natural and I was able to achieve solid hits. Conclusion: If you are a serious student of the gun, this class is worth your time. It was equally applicable to LE/Mil, CCW and competition. You will find very few instructors as competent and dedicated. I hear people say, "What can one person with a pistol do against multiple attackers with rifles?" Well, this should give you a good idea. Skill, Training, and Mindset, trump equipment every day.
Here is the story of one man who did make a difference: "The passenger was Elton Simpson, one of two radicalized American citizens who had come to attack the crowd at the Culwell Center, shortly before 1900 on May 3, 2015, in the name of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Wearing soft body armor and load-bearing equipment (LBE), and carrying a pistol and an ominous backpack, Simpson exited the car with a smile and began firing the rifle, which fed from a 100 round drum magazine. Witnesses said the rifle was fired so quickly it sounded as if Stevens and nearby Garland Independent School District Security Officer Bruce Joiner were taking automatic fire. The smile on Simpson’s face gave Joiner the impression it was all a joke, but when Stevens saw the rifle barrel poke out of the car, he immediately recognized the threat for what it was, and also recognized that his tactical position was poor. Stevens was standing in the open, with no hope of reaching any kind of cover, when Simpson tracked the rifle toward him and the unarmed security officer to his left rear. Stevens instantly recognized that the only way he was going to prevail in the coming fight was to aggressively engage Simpson and the driver, who was now exiting the vehicle on the far side with a drum-fed, AK-pattern rifle of his own." Read More...  Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll and St. Paul Police Federation President Dave Titus recently returned from a law enforcement conference in Las Vegas.
Both union leaders said it was a surreal experience to be in Las Vegas the week after a deadly mass shooting, and both said they are well aware that the incident has rejuvenated debate over stricter gun laws in the state and across the country. Neither longtime law enforcement officer, who between them represent more than 1,000 street cops, think stronger gun control laws are viable solutions to reverse a spike in gun violence in their respective cities. Read More...  MILWAUKEE -- FBI officials announced on Tuesday, January 26th that Milwaukee resident Samy Mohammed Hamzeh, 23, has been charged with possessing machine guns and a silencer. According to the criminal complaint, Hamzeh had been under investigation since September 2015. The investigation revealed that, in October 2015, Hamzeh planned to travel to Jordan, enter the West Bank, and conduct an attack on Israeli soldiers and citizens living in the West Bank. Hamzeh later abandoned those plans and began to focus on conducting an attack in the United States. According to the criminal complaint, Hamzeh has engaged in extensive conversations with two confidential sources (referred to here as CS-1 and CS-2). Those conversations, which were in Arabic, were monitored, recorded, and translated by the FBI beginning in October 2015. During those recorded conversations, Hamzeh explained that he wanted to commit a domestic act of violence and, earlier this month, he settled on a Masonic temple in Milwaukee as his target. Hamzeh also explained what his objectives were in committing the attack:
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