DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and greatest tactical firearms news (tactical gun news), tactical gear news and tactical shooting news.
By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com
August 30, 2011
Last updated on 9/03/11.
It’s been a looong time since DefenseReview (DR) has done a story on Troy Industries products. There’s no reason for this, really, other than that we haven’t had any kind of relationship with the company. It’s been difficult to reach people there (Troy) to get product info, in the past, and no one from Troy has ever actively contacted us about any new Troy product offerings. Approximately three months ago, however, all that changed when we met one Howard Kent, a very nice and very brilliant engineer and tactical conceptualist who now heads up Troy’s Advanced Development team, at NDIA Infantry Small Arms Systems Symposium 2011 in Indiannapolis, IN. We were immediately impressed with him, particularly after he loaned us his tactical eye pro (eye protection) AND hearing pro (hearing protection) during the Range Day Firing Demo (we’d left our eyewear at the hotel)!
Mr. Kent is impressive both in his firearms knowledge and professional background, and not-so-secret weapon of Troy’s (as of now, since we’re writing about him). Anyway, last week, Mr. Kent emailed Defense Review photos of and information about the Troy Industries powered Mil-Std-1913 “Picatinny” rail system/tactical handguards/forend rail tube, “Integral Sight Red Dot Battle Sight Mount” (that’s a lot of words!) and Integrated Tactical Aiming Laser Battle Sight Mount for tactical AR rifles/carbines/SBRs (Short Barreled Rifles). Troy tactical rifles accessories will also integrate with other powered rail systems like the Wilcox Industries Fusion rail, ATK/RESET RIPR rail, or any other Mil-Std-1913 “Picatinny” powered rail system out there. DR published an article on the RESET RIPR powered rail system back in August, 2010.
The Troy Integrated Tactical Aiming Laser Battle Sight Mount can incorporate either a Laser Devices DBAL series (DBAL-A2, DBAL-A3, DBAL-I2) or L3 Insight Technology ATPIAL (Advanced Target Pointer/ Illuminator/ Aiming Light)/PEQ-15 tactical/combat aiming laser/illuminator, depending on what the end-user prefers.
Troy also has a nifty 45-degree mini-red dot sight mount that allows an assaulter/operator/tactical shooter to transition instantaneously from his magnified optic to this mini-red dot sight/combat optic for CQB/CQC (Close Quarters Battle/Close Quarters Combat). The mini-red dot sight pictured is a JPoint Micro-Electronic Reflex Sight, but you can just as easily mount a Docter Red Dot Sight, Insight MRDS Mini Red Dot Sight, or or any other mini red dot combat optic. In the accompanying images, the JPoint sight is mounted on a modified Trijicon ACOG RCO sight base for future military use in order to relocate the existing mini-dot. Troy’s own mini red dot sight base, which will be going into production very soon, is even smaller since it’s attached to the Battle Sight Base. DR’s been informed that we can expect to see this on the JP Enterprises website and Troy Industries website on the “Coming Soon” page.
DefenseReview is skeptical about powered rail systems, since if the rail suffers a power failure, you instantly lose all of your mounted powered devices, unless all said devices have battery backups, which kind of defeats the primary purpose behind the powered rail system concept in the first place–saving weight. At present, we’re not all that crazy about the concept, although we’re willing to keep an open mind about it. DR also thinks the powered rail’s batteries should ideally be located in the telescoping/retractable buttstock, if that can be accomplished reliably and durably.
DR looks forward to T&E’ing some of the Troy Industries Advanced Development team’s products at the range at some point. In the meantime, below are sanitized/redacted copies of two email messages we received back-to-back from Mr. Kent, last week, on the new rail accessories.
However, before we get to those, DefenseReview would like to quickly thank Guy Gonzalez of Guy Gonzalez Design (“GuGo Design”) for providing the images to us, and for watermarking them with the DR logo. Mr. Gonzalez is a highly-skilled industrial designer, product designer and developer, and graphic designer. Here’s what Howard Kent has to say about him:
Guy has nearly twenty years of experience in Product Design and Development with credits in Tactical Lighting, Action Sports, Automotive, Motor Sports and in Film Production. He takes rough and utilitarian sketches we make and turns them into “Porsche Design Studio” pieces which have art and life in them that also maintain their engineering integrity. With GuGo, there is no compromise of performance for ergonomics or fashion. There is precise measurement, advanced tools and technique there aplenty. He also does website, logo and other graphics work…but making ideas real is the main thrust of his career, whether they are mine, Mark XXX’s or his own. What he needs are good projects, long term rewards for his work and someone to tell his story…
The more he learns about weapons, plastics, metallurgy and electronics the more dangerous he becomes…me and Mark think he’s a super talent, so we are all in the process of forming an IP development and licensing firm. In real life he is a wild biker with nerves of steel who will scrape his rocker covers on the pavement CAFE Racing or defy gravity on a Motocross Course, a family man and a pretty fine shot. On his first day he was on 600m steel with my M-14, I think due to his concentration and possibly a good spotter (me) at the bench.
Now, here are the emails DR received:
“from Howard D. Kent XXXX@socal.rr.com
to Defense Review ,
Personal
date Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 8:25 AM
subject Fw: Images for Defense Review
mailed-by socal.rr.com
Important mainly because of the words in the message.
hide details Aug 23 (7 days ago)
Dear Dave;
Here are the photos you requested on the [Troy Industries] Battle Sight Grafts…there are some [Raytheon] Elcan ones [Dual Role Combat Sights], too. I sent a word on XXXX earlier.
Regarding these, you can tell the people that TROY Industries Advanced Development is working behind the scenes to create powered rail accessories that will fit the Wilcox Fusion, ATK/RESET RIPR and whatever the PPI guys are calling the “thing they wouldn’t even take out of the bag in front of me”. Maybe I can write a powered rail “strengths and weaknesses chart” for you.
It is OK to refer to me by name, use my credits, etc.
-HK”
“from Howard D. Kent XXXX@socal.rr.com
to David Crane
date Tue, Aug 23, 2011 at 11:37 AM
subject Re: Please describe everything…Re: Images for Defense Review
mailed-by socal.rr.com
Dear Dave;
Fortunately, the Integral Sight Red Dot Battle Sight Mount is all TROY…we have an extended version of the TROY Battle Sight equipped with a forward rail in process…the rail can be at 10:30, 12:00 or 1:30 with adapters and the dot placed at various heights with spacers. It is either a Picatinny rail or a special mount designed for the JP Rifles JPoint sight, but of course other sights can be adapted.
JP is a Senior 3-Gun champion and the idea of a better 45 degree iron sight had been discussed. When the chance came to adapt a red dot sight to the mounting came along, why not go with the guy who started it all?
Their [Laser Devices] DBAL, like the [Insight Technology] ATPIAL (PEQ-15), is a central battery unit which can be separated into “Lobes” that are subsequently mounted virtually anywhere.
The future is only limited by your imagination…
-HK”
Image(s) Credit: Howard Kent (Troy Industries Advanced Development) and Guy Gonzalez (Guy Gonzalez Design)
Company Contact Info:
Troy Industries
Phone: 866-788-6412
Fax: 413-383-0339
Sales Email: sales@troyind.com
Technical Email: tech@troyind.com
Website: http://troyind.com
Guy Gonzalez Design (Graphic Design Firm)
Email: info@guygonzalezdesign.com
Website: http://www.guygonzalezdesign.com/
Laser Devices, Inc.
70 Garden Court
Monterey, CA 93940
Toll Free: 800-235-2162
Office: 831-373-0701
Fax: 831-373-0903
Sales Email: sales@laserdevices.com
Website: http://www.laserdevices.com
L-3 Insight Technology Incorporated
9 Akira Way
Londonderry, NH 03053
Toll Free: 866.509.2040
Fax: 603.668.1084
General Customer Service Email: Service.Insight@L-3Com.com
Sales Email: Sales.Insight@L-3Com.com
Commercial Customer Service Email: Service.Insight@L-3com.com
Website 1: http://www.insighttechgear.com
Website 2: http://www.insightmrds.com
JP Enterprises, Inc. (JP Rifles)
Phone: 651-426-9196
Fax: 651-426-2472
Rifles Tech/Customer Service Email: rifles@jprifles.com
Parts Tech/Customer Service Email: parts@jprifles.com
General Customer Service Email: service@jprifles.com
General Tech Support Email: service@jprifles.com
Website: http://www.jprifles.com
Docter USA
1220 Mayview Way
Wellington, FL 33414-9062
Phone: 561-253-5942
Email Sales: sales@docterusa.com
http://www.docterusa.com
Daniel Pettry
Product Manager, Rifle Sights
Raytheon Elcan Optical Technologies Dual Role Combat Sights
Phone: 912.655.0617
Email: daniel.pettry@raytheon.com
Website: http://www.elcansightingsystems.com/products/dual_role_sights.php
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