The Catawba County Sheriff’s office in North Carolina was executing a search warrant when they discovered what appeared to be Nerf weapons.
Sheriff’s investigators entered the residence and found cocaine and psilocybin mushrooms.
In addition, they found thousands of dollars in cash and twenty firearms.
One particular weapon caught their attention.
It was a Glock 19 that was altered and painted to resemble a toy Nerf gun.
While there was nothing illegal about the gun being painted to look like a toy, it can create issues for law enforcement.
There have been numerous stories where criminals have painted firearms, so they look fake.
For example, sometimes bad guys paint the tip of a gun orange, so it looks like a toy.
Another thing that makes some guns look fake is the use of a glow-in-the-dark magazine.
Glow-in-the-dark magazines are nothing new, but for most shooters, they might just be a silly thing to use at the gun range.
Are glow-in-the-dark mags worth a try?:
First, when you go to the shooting range it should be fun, they look cool.
So, if you want a conversation starter, glow-in-the-dark gun parts are an attention grabber.
From a shooting standpoint, if you drop mags as you drill, they would be easier to find in the dark if they glow.
Also, glow-in-the-dark mags from a company such as Amend2 are relatively cheap (they sell for about $13).
So, if you get them and just use them for fun it’s not a big expense.
While I wouldn’t make them my choice for home defense, they could be fun to use as range mags.
On the flip side, you might want a glow-in-the-dark mag if you keep your gun on a dresser and want to be able to easily find it if you hear a bump in the night.
Plus, it’s simple to know how many rounds you have in the magazine since you can see through it because of the glow.
Why I wouldn’t use a glow-in-the-dark magazine:
I wouldn’t ever use a glow-in-the-dark mag for home defense or any type of tactical situation.
A glow-in-the-dark magazine will make it easy for the bad guy to see you and watch your movements.
It will literally paint a target on you.
Also, most glow-in-the-dark mags or ones painted with glow-in-the-dark paint have a slick surface and can slip when palms are sweaty.
Plus, the material of the glow-in-the-dark mags tends to feel thin and even “cheap,” because they are supposed to glow and be transparent.
At the end of the day, glow-in-the-dark mags and gun parts are a fun novelty.
But they don’t serve a tactical purpose and won’t give you an advantage against a threat.
Instead, if you are in the market for extra magazines, I would get factory mags from the company that manufactured your gun.
Or buy from reputable gun part makers such as Magpul.
Don’t go cheap on gun mags unless you just plan on beating them up while training at the range.
Whether you choose glow in the dark magazines or not, you need to spend time dry fire practicing at home and shooting live rounds at the range.
