Also by Scott Smith

Simply put, the LRT-SASS is an AR-15 on steroids. It is larger in size, larger in caliber, and heavier in weight. The LRT-SASS I used for this review arrived in a padded “gun case” with the owner’s manuals, two 19-round magazines, one LRT with four position handguards with covers, Mangonel front/rear flip-up sights, a sling, and a Harris bipod—all in all, a ready-to-use package.

C More Systems' Tactical sight is designed to meet the requirements of a sight for daily duty use. The sight, a tubeless heads-up model designed to mount on a flat top AR, comes with an A2-type iron sight so the dot and iron sights can be co-witnessed.

With this issue of POLICE Magazine, we are inaugurating a new concept for reviews of law enforcement products. In the past, our product reviews have focused on one item per review. The problem with this approach is that so much stuff is being released now for the police market that we are barely scratching the surface.

Knives for duty use have gone through some serious changes in the past two decades, not the least of which has been the development of folders that rival fixed-blade knives for toughness and open with assisted-opening systems that rival auto-openers for ease of use.

Over the past decade all sorts of tactical lights have cropped up. Some companies have actually entered the mainstream lighting market based on the popularity of their tactical products. Light Advantage is one such company.

The flagship knife from ZT is undeniably designed for tough duty.

Created by Benchmade and designed by Mike Snody, HK's new folding knife is rugged and versatile.

If you need a small, but powerful flashlight, check out these hard-use beauties.

Over the past few years of writing this column for Police I have had the chance to examine and use several knives and pocket tools from SOG Knives. All of these have been excellent tools for hard use. The SOG Trident Sea, Air, Land folder is no exception.

Over the years in police products there have been fewer and fewer items that have a high “wow” factor. We see a lot of redesigns and improvements to many current products, but precious few innovations. But let me tell you, BlackHawk Product Group’s new Night-Ops Gladius flashlight is an innovation.

With the intense competition in the tactical/law enforcement industry, it’s rare to see major players collaborate to bring a product to market. But this past year Uncle Mike’s, Blackwater USA, and other major players in the law enforcement industry joined forces to bring Blackwater Gear to the market. One part of this gear line is knives. To help develop this segment of Blackwater Gear, Uncle Mike’s joined forces with Benchmade Knives.

In this world there are many items whose names are synonymous with quality: Ferrari, Zeiss, Rolex. In the world of knives, Emerson is such an item. The name Emerson on a knife or related product assures the owner/operator of a quality product that will survive whatever you can throw at it. The new Emerson HD-7 is just such a knife.

Call me skeptical or overly practical when it comes to gear, but I have played with a lot of it over the years, and I’ve learned to ask myself one question before I commit to it: Will this thing make my job easier and help me accomplish my mission?

Let's take a quick look at the Pelican Black Knight M12, a full-bodied duty light that can really be an asset on the street.

SIG Arms takes its SIG Tac knives as seriously as it does its handguns. The Tactical Auto's handle is made of aircraft-grade aluminum alloy, which is hard anodized for durability. ATS-34 steel is used in the blade because it is easy to sharpen and holds a good edge.

Today, a lot of police work involves specialization. In large departments nationwide we have harbor/shore patrol units, water rescue, high-country search and rescue teams, SWAT units, K-9 units, and the list goes on and on. That’s why many officers are looking beyond traditional patrol flashlights and at “specialty” lights designed for hikers, climbers, hunters, and divers.

One of the areas of duty gear that has experienced a quantum leap in technology over the last few years is the flashlight, especially lightweight ultra powerful LED lights. Times have really changed from the days of the silver aluminum Eveready light.

Known for its innovations in tactical, weapons-mounted, and personal light technology, SureFire is now producing a line of high-quality, heavy-duty knives.

The SL1 is a quality knife and a quality light. And the more I used it, the more I realized that it was an excellent way to provide a working cop with an emergency blade and an emergency light in one compact package.

The LTT875 automatic scores high marks on both smooth deployment of the blade and blade security. When its release button is activated, the blade pops out of the frame smoothly and quickly.