Range Day is now history. A gun writer retires to his room, pours over his or her poorly taken photos and starts to think about headlines. A savvy gun writer spends an hour or so at the Circle Bar first and then writes while tipsy to give Dan something to do. Dan can let you know if I’m a savvy gun writer or not.
What I’ve already done is write about some of the best guns of Range Day for the Outdoor Wire and SNW. I decided to also pick out my favorite pieces of gun-related gear.
The C&H Precision EDC Enclosed
The C&H Precision EDC Enclosed optic warms my heart. I like competition and the market for micro-sized enclosed red dots is small. I carry a SIG P365 most days with an optic. Currently, the Holosun EPS-Carry satisfies my needs, but more options are better.

Enclosed emitters tend to be more reliable, and while plenty of folks are right to ask if you really need that, I’m quick to answer, yes. As a resident Florida Man, I need my optic to work in hurricane season and enclosed emitters don’t let water, dirt, and other garbage get between the emitter and lens.

C&H precision has been producing red dots for a minute and I’ve been pleased with their products. The C&H EDC Enclosed gives us a multi-reticle optic with 50,000 hours of battery life, shake awake, and an affordable price point. Direct from C&H, the optic costs $248.99. Plan to see a full review of one sooner than later.
At Range Day, I didn’t notice any lag or refresh issues. We get a clear lens and a bright reticle, and in my limited shooting with it, it seems to be a worthy competitor.
Colt’s Optic Mount
Colt, now part of the Colt CZ Group, has decided to dip their toes into the revolver optics world. I don’t want to say they’re following Taurus’s lead, but Taurus did it first. The Colt optic mounts are designed for new Colt revolvers that come with adjustable sights. At the range, they had the Diamondback, the Kodiak, and the Grizzly equipped with red dots.

The mount replaces the rear sight and sits fairly low on the gun. Well, it’s low for a revolver, anyway. Currently, they are using an RMR pattern plate, but they plan to offer more in the future. I think a red dot on the Diamondback would be an excellent steel challenge gun and on the bigger guns, we have a good hunting revolver with more precision added to it.

The fact you can retrofit the Colt Snake guns for optics is a great option. I also loved shooting the optically enhanced Kodiak and that might need to find a way home with me.
Woox Bravado Stock and Handguard Kit
Woox is following the tactical lever action bandwagon with the Bravado Stock and Handguard kit for Henry Rifles. Unlike everyone else, Woox isn’t dependent on anodized aluminum and polymer. They’re using wood and a little metal and polymer. That gives the efficiency of the tactical stuff with the style of a classic rifle.

Lever actions are classic rifles, so it just looks right. The Woox handguard also looks beautiful and features three sides of M-LOK slots for all the accessories you could ever want. The handguard has a built-in rear and forward guard that keeps your hand from slipping in either direction.

The Bravado stock has a textured, angled pistol grip for excellent control and a comfy way to pull the rifle into your shoulder. You have a few M-LOK slots there too for mounting ammo carriers, sling mounts, and more. The stock looks fantastic and has a super comfy cheek pad. The Woox furniture is also lightweight and well balanced.
Aimpoint COA
I didn’t want to like the Aimpoint COA. I knew it would be expensive. I wasn’t psyched that this is a GLOCK-only factory option and that I’d need a new slide to use, yet I had to try it out. I had to clear my doubts about how the rear sight and a shelf would keep the optic in place.

I grabbed the GLOCK 45 equipped with a COA after being shown how it works and then let loose. Aimpoint got to be Aimpoint because they make such nice red dots. The COA is, of course, clear, and the dot is easy to pick up. It seems far less bulky than the ACRO series and sits so low on the slide that it co-witnesses with normal height sights.

I still have my criticisms and would hate to embrace yet another red dot footprint, but this thing works. I swung a hostage popper left to right over and over. It was almost boring, but it was dull in a very good way since it involved firearm accuracy.
The Aero Precision Tephra-22
Suppressed .22LR rifles and pistols are my favorites. The little rimfire round suppresses so well and blowback actions don’t require boosters on handguns. Subsonic ammo is cheap and widely available, and it can get so darn quiet. I’m always willing to embrace a new .22LR suppressor, one of the latest is the Aero Precision Tephra-22.

The Tephra-22 is a fraction of an ounce heavier than the competition, but it’s also a fraction of the cost. It’s a sub-$400 suppressor that doesn’t make your rifle feel off-balance and annoying. I shot it on a handgun and it felt fantastic in terms of balance.

It’s tough to judge the ability of the can to suppress shots at a sprawling, windy range day with scores of gunshots going off all around you, but I could tell that the noise of the action cycling was louder than the sound of the gunshot. The Tephra-22 can be easily taken apart for cleaning and comes in a few colors. Plus, it’s capable and durable enough to suppress 5.7×28.
As a guy who has only recently gotten into suppressors, the Tephra-22 seems like a fun, very affordable option for my suppressor-ready .22LRs.
It’s Over
Range day is over. My feet hurt, I’m still picking wind-blown sand out of crevices, but I’m ready for the rest of SHOT. Is there anything you fine folks would like to see at SHOT? Let me know below, and I’ll be sure to try to hunt it down.