Stuff those stockings, shooters! The 2007 Christmas gift guide

Guns Magazine, Dec, 2007 by John Connor

OK, enough procrastinatin', obfuscatin' and prevaricatin'! Since the first frost of Fall, you've been coming up with lame excuses for putting off Christmas shopping, and now the Christmas Countdown Calendar is running in days, not weeks or months. Let another weekend or two go by, and you'll be able to use your stopwatch--not a calendar to measure the minutes before H-Hour, as in Ho-Ho Hour.

Look, we can't blame you. We hate shopping malls, too. even when it's not the week before Christmas and the crowds resemble herds of crazed wildebeest, ready to stampede and trample you when a tinny voice on a scratchy speaker proclaims, "Buy two ski sweaters and get one free in Young Women's Fashions now!" Of all the ways you've envisioned going down, they never included disappearing beneath a churning river of sweater-shoppers and being stomped into the nap of some industrial carpeting. There's a better way.

Relax. Put your feet tip. Bust out a pencil and pad, and prepare to scribble notes. You might wanta knock the dust off that zero-balance credit card too, and get ready to commit a little monetary mayhem. There are gifts ranging from $9.95 up to moderate nosebleed level, but when the running total starts causing you coronary palpitations, just reflect on the fact you have enough friends and loved ones to lend credence to the phrase "give 'til it hurts."

We're not listing prices, because they're guaranteed to change, up, down or sideways, nine times before Christmas Eve. Look for those "two-for-one," or "half off the second" sales, and local seasonal specials. Buying the perfect gift for precisely the right "giftee" just gets sweeter when you can score one for yourself at a discount, right? Now let's check out the goodies for gunners.

ACCUSCOPE CHARTS

For anyone who uses optics, from novice to expert, AccuScope scope-sighting slide charts are like little flat field computers. Basically a sandwiched set of weather-worthy 4x9-1/4" cards with a slider in the center, they'll tell you double-quick how many clicks you must adjust to bring your hits from how-far-off to dead-center, where you want 'em. Just select how many inches--down to fractions--you are off-center in one window, then check your sighting-in distance from. 25 to 200 yards in another, and bingo--read out how many clicks it will take you to get zeroed.

One card works for scopes with 1/2- and 1/4-MOA adjustments, and another card handles the calculations for long-range precision 1/8-MOA scopes. The cards carry simple, complete instructions and even include a handy field ruler for measuring your offset. And hey, they're flat, so even you can wrap 'era! I'll be giving some of these myself.

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SUREFIRE E1L AND E2L

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For years, users of SureFire's blinding-bright tactical flashlights asked for the same battle-tested ruggedness and high-tech performance, but with longer "run time" for greater battery conservation, and more general-purpose, less blazing light. Last year, SureFire introduced their E1L and E2L Outdoorsman series lights for hunting, camping, backpacking and all-around outdoor use. They were an instant success, so of course, this year SureFire made them even better and more power-efficient.

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Both the single-lithium battery ElL and the two-battery E2L feature virtually indestructible power-regulated LED's and smooth, pre-focused beams, MilSpec Type III hard-anodized olive drab bodies, and tailcap-control switches with momentary and constant-on, plus a lock-out position for safe transport. The 2-ounce ElL is so light you can clip it to a cap brim, and it puts out 30 lumens for 10 hours. The 5-1/4", 3.5-ounce E2L delivers 45 lumens for an amazing 14 hours. Your only hard choice will be which one to give and which one to keep.

SPYDERCO

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There's something seriously wrong with taking hard-hunted tasty game outta the freezer and then manglin' it with cheap-o discount store kitchen cutters. Who even knew Spyderco made chef's knives too? Not me, until two years ago, and since then, my multi-level serrated Yin and razor-sharp PlainEdge Yang have replaced a half-dozen lesser blades. I'm pleased enough with 'em to recommend them--and cough up the bucks to give 'em myself. Both have 6" blades of 5/64" thick high-carbon VG-10 steel. The Yin's ebony wood handle and the Yang's blonde Birch wood are double-riveted for strength, and tapered generously at the rear for a firm grip. Check out the Tri-Angle Sharpmakerset and score one for yourself.

MAXPEDITION FALCON II

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Expandable, compressible, capacious and comfortable doesn't even begin to describe the Falcon II backpack from Maxpedition Hard-Use Gear. Built to Maxpedition's military-tough standards, this is a pack for all seasons and for many years of service. A really smart layering of compartments allows you to easily re-organize and shift loads lower and closer to your body as supplies are used, and cinch the silhouette down to avoid imbalance or snagging on obstacles. This 1,520-cubic-inch hauler accepts 100-ounce hydration systems, and offers MOLLE webbing and attachment points on the outside for extra gear.