Bobster Alpha Goggles and Prowler Glasses Review

Last month I posted up about the Bobster Alpha Goggles, and I have now had the chance to run both the Alpha and Prowler safety glasses in a few games of airsoft.

Sure it is airsoft and not real "operating" but it does put them through some good work. I have learned that running different goggles and glasses during airsoft games will show you which ones will fog up under hard use. Also taking a .20g bb at 350-400FPS gives a pretty good idea of just how stout the lenses are.

I will start with the Prowler Deluxe glasses. These have quickly become my favorite (which I didn't expect to happen), they are comfortable and offer better coverage of my face when combined with my smaller face mask. There are no gaps between the mask and the bottom of the lens so I don't have to worry about a bb coming through. 

As far as fogging goes, they do tend to fog up when standing still after running through a room. But they do clear out rather easily, and after treating them with some anti fog cream they do much better.

The lens is really tough, it has taken at least 5 direct hits from under ten feet away and there's no sign of damage. I did manage to mar them a bit when I dropped them after a game, but nothing I won't be able to polish out.

Overall they are extremely comfortable, provide stellar protection for my eyes, and like I said before have become my favorite to wear when playing.

Next are the Alpha Goggles.

These have to be some of the most comfortable goggles I have worn, the padding is beyond adequate and the clarity of the lens is amazing. Both the clear and the tinted lenses offer zero distortion.

The lens is extremely tough just like the prowler deluxe, withstanding multiple hits from close range with .20g bb's. The lenses are surprisingly scratch resistant, even after accidentally dropping them on the ground the lens remained unscathed.

As far as fogging goes, the Alpha does a bit better than the prowler but it still fogs up. This is an easy fix when treated with an anti fogging agent.

Overall the Bobster goggles have been some of the best I have come across, and there have been plenty of people asking about them in between games. I have highly recommended them to other players, and will say that if you are looking for some great safety glasses make sure to head over and give Bobster's site a once over cause they might have something you like.

Glock 42: The Gun We Hate To Love

As I sit down and write this, I look at my .380 resting inside it's holster, and can’t help but laugh at how everything comes full circle.

My first 'carry' gun was a Bersa .380 that was given to me by my father. I'm sure he chose it due to the fact he had just returned home from overseas, and the gun was in wide use by foreign troops he was with. It even had some gaudy gold overlay from the manufacture, meaning a female MUST obviously like it for the bling factor. Each morning as I strapped it on, I felt as though I was part of some horrible 70's movie that included gold chains and leisure suits! I couldn't get it out of my hands quick enough.

Looking for guidance in what to carry, I turned to my younger brother, a former NOLA police officer for help. My brother had an extra Glock 17 in his safe, so I started using that as my CCW. Although fairly larger than the .380, this 9mm felt amazing in my hand. I decided to jump on board. I started shooting with it regularly, and did my first actual training class with this gun because it was with me 24/7. I quickly fell in love with it’s reliability, minimal recoil, and always forgiving genetics. The only flaw, was that the Glock 17 is a BIG gun, and I’m a SMALL girl, so concealing this gun was no easy task. Again, I turned to some folks with much more experience than me on what I should be carrying. Smith & Wesson Body Guard, Ruger LC9, Kahr PM9, Glock 27, M&P Shield, Kel-Tec, LCP, Beretta Nano, Springfield XDs, 9mm, .380, .40, .45…it seemed like the options were endless. I felt like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, with WAY more options than just hot or cold porridge and a soft or lumpy bed. The guns were either too big, too small, too blocky, too heavy, too much recoil, or too ugly…then finally I found a Glock 19. It was PERFECT! Smaller than a Glock 17, fit my hand better, same ergonomics, and seemed much easier to conceal on my person. THIS was the gun I'd have next to me until the day I died. Case closed.

I loved my Glock 19, it was easy to shoot, a popular caliber, lots of upgrades available, but it still ended up being cumbersome to carry. I found myself carrying it in my purse more often than not, which I knew isn’t the best place to carry, but my other options were slim. I felt like I was back at square one, and needed to start this process all over again.

Fast forward to December 2013, Glock announced a new model that would be revealed in the coming weeks at SHOT Show. Surely it would be a single stack 9mm since that is what the public had wanted for some time! To everyone's dismay, it was a .380! The Glock 42, what a disappointment! I hated it. Why would Glock make a puny .380? No one wanted another sub caliber, mouse gun. The internet hated it, and so did I. Stupid, insufficient .380’s! Now to continue the search, because I didn’t want another, weak .380 pistol.

Well, it’s rare for me to admit when I’m wrong, but this was one of those times. I got the chance to handle the Glock 42 while visiting Thunderbird Tactical in Wichita, Kansas. They were one of the first places to get one, and I LOVED it. It FIT my hand, and FELT perfect, two of the most important factors when choosing a defensive firearm. I was still on the fence though, because after all, despite how amazing it felt in my hand, it was STILL a .380! I started to do more research on the caliber, looked at charts, and graphs about ballistics, read articles people had written, and stumbled across one by Grant Cunningham on the Personal Defense Network’s website. The article entitled “Why does a .380 beat a 9mm?” (http://www.personaldefensenetwork.com/380-beat-9mm/)  totally turned everything else I had read by internet commandos on it’s head. Knowing who Grant is, and the time, effort, and energy he puts into his research, I trusted what he had to say, because it ACTUALLY made sense, and had FACTUAL information as opposed to unrequited bias. That did it for me. I went out and got a Glock 42, the most maligned gun on the internet!

The Glock 42 is probably one of my favorite firearm purchases thus far. It’s small enough to finally, comfortably, conceal and carry, but not so small where it doesn’t fit my hand. It has the ergonomics of its larger counterparts, making it feel just right in my hand. I’d stayed away from other .380 guns because they were VERY jumpy while shooting. I’m not recoil sensitive, but being able to get fast, accurate follow up shots is something that’s necessary for a defensive pistol. The 42 doesn’t have the recoil issues as other guns in its class. The gun handles recoil amazingly well for it’s size, and is more accurate than I expected from such a short barrel. It comes with the usual reliability of a Glock, eating all types of ammo I’ve thrown at it. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this little gun. So here I am now, back with the caliber I so vehemently despised, but in a much more efficient package, and with a greater understanding of it’s capabilities. 

Glock 42 First Range Trip Thoughts

Today I took the Glock 42 out to the range for a quick session, although I wasn't able to get video due to the wind being strong enough to blow the tripod over I was able to get some decent trigger time. 

One of the biggest things I have been hearing from people is how Glock screwed up by making it a .380 and also making it the size it is (too big) for a .380, while I personally would have prefered it in a 9mm single stack the .380 is still a decent round.

Let me start off with this, for those who complain that it is too large for a .380 handgun there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to the size of a handgun. When you get so small like the Ruger LCP or the Kahr .380, you get to a point that the gun is no longer comfortable to shoot, and when a gun becomes uncomfortable to shoot you don't train with it. 

In my opinion the Glock 42 is the exact size that it needs to be, it disappears when I carry it appendix IWB and I myself hardly realize it's there. Sure it is a little big to be a pocket pistol, but I have to wonder if it would be practical to draw from your pocket anyways. 

I think the fact that Glock made it the size they did is great, as I said before it is very comfortable to both carry and shoot. I am confident I would have no issue taking a class with it (as long as I could find enough mags). 

This range trip I ran 107 rounds of ammo through it, 7 were PDX1 Self Defense rounds, 50 were PPU 95gr FMJ, and 50 were Remington 95gr FMJ. There were no issues with feeding or firing, the only issue I ran into was the slide not locking back on empty. While it wouldn't lock back on empty with both hands it would lock back with one hand, so I'm thinking it's an issue with hand placement and I will need to work on that.

The 42 was an absolute pleasure to shoot and I was fairly accurate with it also. With the gun being the size it is, it will take me another trip to get it zeroed in. I am looking forward to running quite a few hundred rounds through this gun, and hopefully this next trip out I can actually get some video. 

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