Yesterday I noted an NRA-ILA post about a potential ban on lead ammunition in Washington state. Here is part of what the NRA-ILA said:

The lead ammunition you use for hunting as well as target and competitive shooting will be banned from purchase, use and ownership in the state of Washington if the state’s Department of Ecology has its way.

Tonight I got a comment from Kathy Davis, who turns out to be the media contact for the Washington Dept. of Ecology’s Lead Chemical Action Plan:

Ecology’s plan does NOT recommend any new ban on lead ammunition. The agency wants to reduce lead in the environment to protect the health of people, and wildlife. The plan proposes working with hunters and shooters on a voluntary, educational program to promote the use of non-toxic alternatives to lead. Read the lead plan and our fact sheet about how the plan address ammunition on Ecology’s webpage.

And checking out the summary on the official Dept. of Ecology site seems to bear this out. Here are some excerpts:

The CAP does not include any recommendations to ban or regulate lead in any type of ammunition beyond current law. This includes all shotgun, rifle and handgun loads. Currently, lead shot is banned for hunting all waterfowl, coot, snipe, and in specific hunting areas (see below)…

The CAP is not a law or a regulation. It suggests ways for reducing sources of a specific toxic chemical, in this case lead. The draft Lead CAP calls for the use of non-toxic alternatives to lead ammunition wherever possible…

Non-toxic alternatives to lead ammunition are now available in most places. Ecology favors a voluntary, educational approach to promoting their use.

I remain skeptical of the end goal of at least some of those backing this plan, but it does seem plain, at least from this version, that the proposal does not call for any additional bans on lead ammo.

If anyone has more detailed knowledge about this issue, I’d love to hear from you.

On a Glock 29. With pictures.

Murdoc doesn’t have one of these but he likes the low power setting:

On its “low” setting, the E1B generates five lumens of light that’s perfect for reading a map, checking an ID, or navigating a dark pathway, and generates useful light levels for 37 hours.

More info here.

Got a couple of high-res shots from PentagonLight of the new K2 Porcupine (mentioned yesterday) and will toss them up for your review:

And another:
(more…)

Got this baby in the mail a few weeks back and have been playing around with it a bit. The K2 Porcupine Light by PentagonLight is a 70 lumen xenon with an, um, twist ending:

Unlike ordinary tactical lights with crenellated bezel that can often inflict unnecessary harms to oneself, K2 features sharpened spikes around the bezel that protrude outward only when the spike protector is lowered. With the spikes protected when not needed, the fast turn threading allows the rapid retraction of the spike protector. These spikes are sharpened far more than those ordinary crenellated bezel light. Together with its powerful 70-lumen eye-blinding white light, the sharpened retractable spikes make K2 a powerful self defense tool.

Here’s a quick video of the K2 Porcupine in action:

Gizmodo called it an “all-in-one gadget for the frightened” and said “I’ve got no idea who’d carry this creepy thing around: I guess you’d have to be pretty scared indeed if something like this in your bag made you feel safer.”

Bill Quick at Daily Pundit responded with

In case you’re wondering where the mother-lode of namby-pansy gun-fearing wussiness comes from, behold it here in all its florid, fevered glory.

Only “frightened” people would want a flashlight that might be useful in self-defense. It’s a “creepy thing,” and you’d “have to be pretty scared indeed” to even think such a thing might make you feel safer (than what? Having cops perpetually five minutes away when you actually need them?).

Look. First of all, a powerful flashlight can be a weapon indeed if used properly. It can blind an attacker for a moment, giving you a chance to escape. If there’s no opportunity for escape, you’ve got a split second to do something before your semi-blinded attacker regains his wits, and hitting him might not be a bad idea. Even better if you can hit him with something sharp. Bonus points if you don’t have to look around for it first.

Using a flashlight for personal defense in a dangerous situation certainly isn’t ideal, but one does what one has to. Perhaps you want to visit one of the gun-free-zones that seem to attract mass murders. Maybe you just don’t feel comfortable carrying a gun. Maybe you have no intention or ability to ever carry a gun, but still would like to be armed with more than hope in the event things go south.

Whatever the reason, a good light can be a good friend. And if your friend is multi-functional, so much the better.

I’ve had one of these babies for a while now, and I love it. Designed to work with military MOLLE gear, the heavy duty clip is also great for a belt, pocket, or backpack. The little guys are powered by a single AA battery and make a great back-up, map reading, and general utility light. The LED delivers 30 lumens, which is not enough for a main light but gets the job done in a pinch or when you don’t need major illumination.

This year PentagonLight is offering additional colors and more screw-on filters:

I’ve had great success using “dead” batteries from remote controls in my MOLLE light. The AAs are no longer strong enough to run my television bu they power my MOLLE Light just fine and last for many hours. Since the life left in those discards is obviously limited, I carry a number of them in my pack in case I need the light for extended duty.

Brillianter.com points out a James Rummel post on emergency flashlights.

The number of options for hand-powered LED lights these days means everyone should have a few around the house, one in the car, and probably a couple in your grab-n-go emergency bag. (You have a grab-n-go emergency bag, right?)

For general back-up lighting on things like camping and other outdoor activities, I prefer my MOLLE Light by PentagonLight. It’s small, bright enough to help get you out of a tough spot, and powered by standard AA batteries. Of course, this little guy isn’t intended to be a primary light and you’ll want something a bit more substantial if you’re planning on needing it.

As Brillianter says

One can never have enough flashlights.

Like ammunition, flashlights are something you’ll rarely have a reason to say “Boy, I sure bought too much of this stuff…”

Murdoc got a cool little gadget in the mail recently: The new MOLLE Light compact personal light by PentagonLight.

Borrowing it’s design from the angled-head lights of the past, this LED makes a nifty little miscellaneous light that fits easily in a pocket or range box.

As its name implies, though, it’s designed specifically for the MOLLE (MOdular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) webbing on today’s combat gear. The MOLLE Light comes equipped with a positionable high-strength retention clip and a switch located on top which allows the light to be used without being removed from the webbing.

Shown in the second pic (from the PentagonLight website) is the red low-visibility filter, useful for map-reading and other after-hours activities where you might not want the neighbors noticing you. When not in use, the color filter screws onto the base of the unit, which contains an optional compass. The unit also come with a hook for an optional lanyard.

I’ve been playing with the MOLLE Light for a couple of weeks and I’ve got to say that I’m impressed. First off, the 0.5 watt LED’s 25+ lumens are good for most general activity and not so powerful as to draw unwanted attention. Second, I like the fact that it’s powered by a single standard AA battery. It only makes sense for a lower-power light like this. Finally, the webbing clip works just fine on a belt or in a pocket, and this is a lot of light in a little package that you can carry without really noticing. The button can be used as a momentary (hold down for on, let up for off) or can be pressed farther for to stay on, pressed again for off.

I’m going to have to brush up on my Morse code so I can signal someone with this.

It seems to Murdoc that the MOLLE Light would make a very useful small utility light and a great back-up light. The MOLLE Light retails for $32, Government pricing comes in at $24. It’s available in desert (shown) and black. The black MOLLE Light comes with a blue filter instead of a red one.

Note: Murdoc would like to thank PentagonLight for making a sample MOLLE Light available for his review. This will get a lot of use.

Note 2: This was originally posted on Murdoc Online last April. Since that time, it’s got a lot of use and served well. Thanks again to PentagonLight.

One of the things I’m hoping to do on a regular basis here at GunPundit is keep readers aware of the latest and greatest guns and gear that hit the market as well as alert you to special deals and offers.

So today we have the eX2 Xenon Light from Pentagon Light:

eX2 has all the core elements of our higher end X2 tactical handheld light. Whether you are using it for low light tactical maneuvers or as a backup light, eX2 meets illumination requirements of a tactical operator to the needs of a patrol officer. Utilizing similar xenon light source of X2, the B-eX2 xenon lamp assembly produces 65 lumens of light output with its optimally focused micro textured reflector.

The eX2 uses CR123A batteries and has a number of accessories available.

I’ve not had the opportunity to check out the eX2, so I can’t give it a personal recommendation one way or the other. But the other Pentagon Light products I’ve used have been top-notch, so, if this light looks to meet your requirements, now is a great time to pick one up.