Tactical Yellow Visor has an article up that you have to check out. I was led there by Soldier Systems but the issue is the same...whether you're talking clothing or flashlights.
Whats important?
Value, Cool Guy Factor or are you stuck on (as TYV says) Moar?
Lets talk flashlights for a second. The Maelstrom S12 goes for a little under 100 dollars and puts out 800 lumens. Nothing at that price point is available from SureFire.
So am I doing as the author says just wanting Moar? Or am I being a smart consumer and wanting the most value for my money? And what does it say if I bought a SureFire instead of another light? Does it mean that I'm more into Cool Guy Factor? Does it mean that I want less? We know it doesn't mean that I want the best value for my money so what does buying more expensive but less value dollar wise really mean?
The gear guys are tying themselves into knots. The gravy train of SOCOM guys showing up and buying shit loads of stuff is over and everyone knows it (same applies to conventionals too). So they turned to civilian buyers and guess what! They're meeting some resistance because the average guy (at least the guys that I know) aren't going to put down big bucks on something just because someone says its cool. A bit of comparison shopping is going to happen and companies like SureFire are getting there asses kicked.
We're on the verge of gear price wars and you're going to see a bunch of these guys go out of business. That might not be an entirely bad thing.
Whats important?
Value, Cool Guy Factor or are you stuck on (as TYV says) Moar?
Lets talk flashlights for a second. The Maelstrom S12 goes for a little under 100 dollars and puts out 800 lumens. Nothing at that price point is available from SureFire.
So am I doing as the author says just wanting Moar? Or am I being a smart consumer and wanting the most value for my money? And what does it say if I bought a SureFire instead of another light? Does it mean that I'm more into Cool Guy Factor? Does it mean that I want less? We know it doesn't mean that I want the best value for my money so what does buying more expensive but less value dollar wise really mean?
The gear guys are tying themselves into knots. The gravy train of SOCOM guys showing up and buying shit loads of stuff is over and everyone knows it (same applies to conventionals too). So they turned to civilian buyers and guess what! They're meeting some resistance because the average guy (at least the guys that I know) aren't going to put down big bucks on something just because someone says its cool. A bit of comparison shopping is going to happen and companies like SureFire are getting there asses kicked.
We're on the verge of gear price wars and you're going to see a bunch of these guys go out of business. That might not be an entirely bad thing.
I'm personally well served by an inova with some 100+ lumens. My own testing shows that under less than daylight conditions (for instance, office lights), it _does_ give the other guy pause. Ie, it buys you some seconds. I don't need, nor could I justify, to melt his eyes. No serrations either, nothing like Surefire's Defender. IMO, that's asking for trouble, both in court and in the street, since it actually makes you _expect_ a CQC situation which I'd rather avoid.
ReplyDeleteTake care.
Ferran