“Up. Look. Press! Down.”
The Guru’s commanding voice echoes through the Yavapai Hills that crown the high desert range in Paulden, AZ. It’s 1979 at the American Pistol Institute, and Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper is holding court. The tools he is using: a stopwatch, a whistle, and a lifetime of pistol shooting knowledge. The feedback you receive as you experience “The Gunsite Epiphany” comes only from what failings the eagle-eyed rangemaster can observe as you shoot.
Fast forward to the present and we have “Star Trek level” technology that can measure draw speed, trigger control, split times, and accuracy all from a tiny aluminum box hung off the front of your pistol. Paired with your smartphone this magic product can give you more information about your shooting performance than you could ever hope. I can only imagine what insight someone like Col. Cooper would be able to draw from the level of detail we can analyze in our pistol performance today.
What is the Steiner / Mantis TOR-X?
At its heart this product is two very different, specific tools. It is a bright green weapon mounted laser, and it is a state-of-the-art training tool. Taking advantage of this dual nature is where the TOR-X really shines. Steiner really hit the ball out of the park with the brightness and durability of this accessory.
In addition to being a sighting system, it is also a fully functional Mantis training tool. If you are not familiar with the Mantis system, it is a cell phone app related product that measures your performance and helps you improve your shooting skills. It is extremely useful to get shot by shot real-time breakdowns of your performance over a course of fire. How it measures this performance is outside the scope of this review, but the fact that it does so reliably is beyond question.
TOR-X Features
Ambidextrous controls, an aluminum housing, and an extremely bright green laser are the heavy hitters in this product. It also has an easily accessible battery compartment, simple Bluetooth pairing, and a “universal” rail mounting system. I did struggle a little bit with the mounting setup, but once it was attached, I had no further issues. Windage and elevation adjustments round out the features of this solidly built little accessory.
Practicality
The green laser is easily seen in most lighting conditions. It occasionally washes out in bright sunlight, but this is to be expected. The product is small and unobtrusive. Unfortunately, it did not quite fit any of the kydex light bearing holsters I had available for my Glock and Surefire X300 combo. It may fit a different light setup, but I wouldn’t count on it. I think you would be best served by having a custom holster made specifically for this product.
Where I think this product really comes into its own is as a training aid for new students. Obviously, the Mantis system provides tons of feedback to the user during dry fire. But I think the laser may also be very useful for instructing the uninitiated. Dry fire with the laser allows the instructor to easily see the real time consequences of poor trigger discipline on a target down range.
Dislikes
I applied my copy to a FN FNS 9mm and a Gen 4 Glock 17. It clamped securely onto both weapons. There was a little bit of audible rattle on the FNS, but the laser was secure once tightened down. I believe this was the pin shaking around inside the picatinny rail. The Glock had almost the reverse problem. It was very difficult to get the metal mounting pin to slot in the Glock rail. Once installed and tightened down the laser was secure for the duration of testing.
Holster incompatibility prevented me from testing this product to its full potential, but with a proper holster the TOR-X could be the foundation of a great dry fire routine. Additionally, I had an issue where I paired the device to my phone via Bluetooth, and forgot to shut off the Bluetooth, resulting in a dead battery. While this was obviously my mistake, an automatic shutoff would have been a useful added feature.
The Verdict on the Steiner and Mantis TOR-X
At $359 MSRP the TOR-X is a very viable option for a good laser sight. With the added usability as a training device, the price is easily justified. The Mantis smartphone features alongside a durable and reliable green laser make this an easy choice if you are looking for a dryfire accessory that also has practical aiming utility. If you are someone with limited access to a live fire range, or an instructor who trains varying levels of skill, then I think this product is a great tool to expand your training repertoire.
We have come a long way from Col. Cooper’s stopwatch and whistle, but in the end, good practice and consistent feedback still make all the difference in developing marksmanship fundamentals. I believe the Steiner TOR-X is a great option to help the aspiring pistolero with this process.
MSRP on the Steiner TOR-X is $359.99. You can find yours >>HERE<<
Author’s Note: The TOR-X was provided by Mantis for the purposes of this review. No expectations of a positive review were provided by either party.
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