Hey everyone, throwing this out for a sanity check – might sound silly, but here goes. I’ve always had the philosophy of buying budget gear first, proving I actually use it a ton, and then upgrading to a “real” high-end one if it earns its keep. No sense dropping big money on something that sits in the safe, right? Well, I did that with the SMSLaser HFXC (the 4-in-1 with visible green laser, IR laser, IR illuminator, and 1000 lumen white light). Been running it for a while now and honestly… I love it. Holds zero perfectly, super bright (both vis and IR modes), great battery life, and having vis laser, IR laser/illum, and a solid white light all in one compact package is awesome. Now I’m at the point where I’m thinking about “upgrading” to something more pr...
Hey everyone, throwing this out for a sanity check – might sound silly, but here goes. I’ve always had the philosophy of buying budget gear first, proving I actually use it a ton, and then upgrading to a “real” high-end one if it earns its keep. No sense dropping big money on something that sits in the safe, right? Well, I did that with the SMSLaser HFXC (the 4-in-1 with visible green laser, IR laser, IR illuminator, and 1000 lumen white light). Been running it for a while now and honestly… I love it. Holds zero perfectly, super bright (both vis and IR modes), great battery life, and having vis laser, IR laser/illum, and a solid white light all in one compact package is awesome. Now I’m at the point where I’m thinking about “upgrading” to something more premium like a Holosun LS321, Steiner DBAL, or even a PEQ/MAWL if I go all out. But I’m seriously struggling to justify the cost because the SMS just performs so damn well for me. The big hangup: It’s a Chinese-made laser (SMSLaser brand). I want something I can fully trust my life with in a true SHTF or life-or-death scenario. Is the HFXC legitimately duty/reliable enough for that, or am I fooling myself because it’s “good enough” for range/plinking/hunting? Anyone running one hard who can chime in on long-term durability, zero retention under recoil/abuse, water resistance issues, etc.? Or should I bite the bullet and go name-brand for peace of mind? Appreciate any real-world experiences – thanks!