ATIBAL ENCLOSED

SOLAR TACTICAL DOT (STD)

REVIEW

The Atibal Solar Tactical Dot is a "closed-in" red dot sight built like a tank. Most red dots have an open lens where dirt or rain can get inside and block the laser diode, but this one is completely sealed in a metal box. It’s designed to stay on, stay clear, and take a beating without breaking the bank.

A rugged, "always-on" red dot sight that uses both a battery and the sun to stay powered up. It’s built for people who want a sight that works every time they pick up their gun, no matter the weather. It uses a 2032 battery as well as solar power.

So, I’ve been running the Atibal Solar Tactical Dot (STD) on the Lone Wolf Dusk 19 setup, and honestly, It’s a pretty slick combination. If you're used to those standard open-glass red dots, the first thing you’re going to notice is that it looks like a little mailbox sitting on top of your slide.

It’s an enclosed emitter, which is a game changer if you’re actually out in the elements. Think about it? If it’s on a standard Glock-style setup, you’re always fighting lint, dust, or raindrops getting right on that tiny laser bulb. With this thing, it’s all sealed up in a nitrogen purged tube. If the glass gets muddy or wet, you just wipe it off with your thumb and you’re back in business . You don't have to worry about the dot starbursting, because of a drop of water that is on the lens.

The STD has a 2032 side battery compartment with a round cap on the right side. It has the plus and minus adjustment on the left. The buttons are rubber coated and easy to adjust. When mounting the optic, I had to get an adapter plate because it is the Acro micro footprint. It has fairly decent clicks in the windage and elevation adjustment. It was very easy to mount and sight in.

Now, the Enclosed STD does add a little bit of weight to the slide, but on the Dusk 19, it actually feels right. That frame already has a better grip angle and flat trigger, so the extra few ounces of the optic actually helps keep the muzzle down when you’re shooting fast. It makes the whole gun feel a bit less of a handful in your hand.

The coolest part for me is that it has that solar panel on top, so during the day, it’s gathering sunlight to power the optic. Besides that it has a shake awake feature, if you leave it on the nightstand or in the holster, it goes to sleep. The second you touch the grip, that 3 MOA dot is right there waiting for you.

It’s definitely a bit chunkier than a standard RMR, so you’ll want to make sure your holster has a decent optic cut. Luckily for me the holsters I used worked just fine.

Shooting with the Atibal Enclosed STD was very easy. When I brought the pistol up to shoot, the dot was there. I didn’t have to search for it, it had fingerprints on the front of it, and the dot still looked the same. I ran numerous Bill drills, double taps, and drawing from concealment with it. The dot was always there. I sighted the dot in at 7 yards and ran about 100 rounds through it. I then moved out to 15 and did the same. I finally moved to 25 yards and that was the sweet spot. With the 3 MOA dot, I found that anywhere from 5 to 50 yards, I was always on target. I did not put the pistol in a rest, I just sighted it standing and shaking, as my old hands do. The dot was always there when drawing. During shooting, the optic seems to cushion some of the snap from the 9mm plus P defensive ammo that I was sighting in with. The fact that the big box gives you an extra area to rack the slide is a plus. With gloves, bare hands, if you rack it off the table, or your holster, there is always a place to get a good purchase.

I’ve carried the Dusk 19 with the Atibal Enclosed STD mailbox on it for several horseback trips. As we all know, if it’s tested by me, there has to be a horse involved. I fell off after my horse took a misstep. It went into the Cumberland river in May and so did . The STD was underwater for several minutes in the cold river. I had no water in the optic. I’m not sure if I hit it on anything on the way down. But it did sustain 11 hours of constant movement on the horse. Then when I got back to camp, I went directly to the bath house and stood in the hot shower for over an hour. At first I was fully clothed, then I stripped and left my pants and the holster with the firearm in it, on the shower floor with super hot water running over it. After I was able to become somewhat normal again, I pulled the pistol out of the holster and gave the optic a wipe and it still worked.

I recommend a full sweat guard if you’re going to carry it appendix or close to the body. My love handles and belly had some wear from the big optic. I pinched myself several times. If that’s all I have to put up with, so that I can have an optic that has solar and battery backup, I’ll take it. As of this writing, I found two other manufacturers that have the same style setup. The price of them is a lot more than the Atibal Solar Tactical dot. As we know, they are probably all made in the same factory.

Firearms Insider Reviews - Key Points

Claim to Fame:

The mailbox advantage blocks mud, dust, rain and other elements

Infinite power loop, Solar and battery

Shake awake technology

Parallax free mounting options

University mounting options with the Aimpoint micro footprint

Target Market:

The working man’s gun that spends more time in a holster outdoors than in a safe

High end performance with an average cost

Competitive shooters

Features, Benefits, and Specifications of this product:

Enclosed LED design
Solar assist illumination
Shake awake technology
50,000 hour battery life
True 1x, window size 20.5x16mm
3 MOA DOT
Adjustment is 1 MOA
Windage adjustment is 90MOA
Elevation adjustment is 90MOA
10 brightness settings 8 daytime and 2 NVG
CR2032 Battery
50000 hour run time
Lifetime warranty

What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?

This optic is a very utilitarian product. It’s in black, but sometimes you might find them in a FDE color.

What others are saying

Its not the First and it wont be the last

It’s a beast. I’ve been using it for both weekend competitions and some pretty messy boar hunting trips, and it hasn't let me down once. It’s tough, it’s reliable, and it doesn't cost as much as a used car. Whether I’m trying to shave seconds off my time or tracking a boar through the brush, it’s become the one piece of gear I don't have to second-guess. i will be getting more i have a few more gun i want to outfit and these are my top choice.

Link to other reviews:

Nothing found as of publishing

Price point:

MSRP: $349.99.

Retail: Around $249.99 to $299.99 on sale

I need it now! Availability:

Atibal Optics and use code “FIREARMSINSIDER20” FOR 20% off

Optics Planet

Our Rating:

Pros:

Total environment protection
Solar power and battery
Crisp high quality glass
Side loading battery

Cons:

It’s a chunky boy
Weight. 5.6 ounces
Make sure it will work in your holster. It might have to be modified

Score: 7.00 Good

Lone Wolf Distributors has released their new Timberwolf “Glock” style small frames. I like to call these Version 2, as they have been completely redesigned. They have large and small frames available. The large frame is the .45/10mm, and the small frame is 9mm/.40/etc. This review is on one of the small frame versions, the TWF-C.

Timberwolf frames come in 4 available options. The “TW’ in the part number is, as one would guess, stands for “TimberWolf.” The “F” or “C” stands for full size or compact, either in the frame or the slide. The first “F” or “C” is the slide length you would like to use. I chose the TWF-C, which corresponds to a “full size slide”, so G17 length or longer (think G34), and a “compact” grip frame. This is only a complete frame, so one must supply their own complete slide. Other options are the TWF-F, TWC-F, and TWC-C.

The new Timberwolf frames come with a lot of options. First off, they are a serialized firearm, not an 80%, so they come fully assembled with Lone Wolf parts. Second, they come with a curved and flat backstrap. Third, it has a removable magwell. Fourth, an undercut trigger guard. Fifth, Gen3 or Gen4 slides can be used. Sixth, they fit in standard Glock holsters. Seventh, an accessory rail on the dust cover.

Unlike standard style frames, the TWF-C is small. Even though the width is the same, the circumference is way smaller. This is great for smaller handed shooters. For example, my Polymer80 measures at 5-¾” circumference, while the TWF-C measures 5-¼” with the flat, and 5-⅜” with the curved backstrap. I can definitely tell a big difference. In fact I ended up using the curved backstrap because the flat one is too small for my hand. The grip angle on the Timberwolf frame is also more 1911 style, than Glock style. A good thing for me, as the Glock grip angle never worked well for me.

For those of you who like larger magazine wells, the Timberwolf has you covered. It comes with a removable magwell adapter. I found it to work decently well for its size. The frame has a lip that the magwell just slides over, then the magwell pins at the rear. The design makes it super easy to take it on and off. I leave mine off, as it interferes with my grip on the pistol. It only covers up about 3/16” of the grip, but it reduced the grip enough for me to notice. When the magwell is off, there is still a lip, at the base of the grip, that sticks out a little. Having the option of a removable magwell, is a pretty slick idea.

Now that we understand the TWF-C frame, let's get into how it performs. First things first, I chose the TWF-C because I wanted the shorter frame with a G17 slide. Mainly as a carry gun. The Timberwolf did not disappoint. Since it fits in standard glock holsters, it’s easy to find a carry rig. But, I don’t own any actual “Glocks”, so I used a modified Poly80 holster. It carried better than my compact Polymer80, mainly because the grip on the TWF-C is much more rounded. At the range, the Timberwolf performed flawlessly. It just shoots and shoots. I even used two different aftermarket G17 slides on the frame. One was compensated, one was not. Both served the TWF-C frame well. I did feel like the compensated slide was a bit too long for the compact frame, but that could be just me. The trigger supplied is, so to say, blah. It’s essentially a Glock feeling trigger. But, aftermarket Gen 3 triggers will go into the Timberwolf frame. I might want a more textured frame, but the texture is fine, especially for a carry gun. Smooth frames are also available. Other than that, I really like the Timberwolf frame.

If you're looking for something different in a Glock style pistol, Check out the new Timberwolf frames. Lone Wolf has you covered in the frame option department, with four different ones available. If you have small hands, but want all the options everyone else has, pick up one of these new frames, and feel the difference. Definitely go check out Lone Wolf, for their complete frames and complete slides, you can get a complete TWF-C pistol, if that’s your thing.