Dark Hour Defense is a new company, a recent offshoot from Joel Allen of V Seven Weapons systems. After talking with Joel (and examining the first round of products to hit the Dark Hour website), it would seem that Dark Hour Defense is all the V Seven quality, minus the exotic materials. Easy assessment when you’re looking at a website, but now I’ve got my first Dark Hour Defense product in hand to review, the Compensated Glock Stand Off Device (GSOD).
Reading into lethal use of a weapon reports by a Law Enforcement official can yield interesting points than don’t always make it into media reports. One such point is the occurrence of a “failure to fire due to out of battery conditions”. Simply put, if the front end of many commonly used handguns are pressed against an assailant, the slide will move slightly rearward, forcing the gun out of battery. At this point, it will not fire. As a preventative measure, some companies have produced stand-off devices (such as Dark Hour’s Seax), which maintain the slide in battery despite rearward pressure. Dark Hour Defense has taken this one step further…
By one step further, I mean Dark hour Defense has designed a compensator into the stand off device as well. The resulting package is called the Compensated Glock Stand Off Device, or GSOD. Available for the Glock 17, 19, 22, 23, 31 and 32, there is also an option to include a rail for a light.
Made from 7075 T6 aluminum and mil-spec type 3 hardcoat anodized, the GSOD should prove to be a very durable piece. With regards to the added geometry, it makes finding a holster tough. Besides the many, many custom kydex holster smiths out there, Dark Hour offers a GSOD compatible inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster. Problem solved.
By design, it’s not as small as possible, as the Seax is, but the extra weight (2.8 oz) up front is naturally going to help mitigate the muzzle rise when firing. This benefit is aided even more by the muzzle brake, keeping follow-up shots fast.
At the range, the above statement was proven totally correct. The reduction in muzzle rise was significant and led to much faster follow-up shots. Check out this video to see it in action:
Bottom line, as a compensator/light mount. The GSOD is effective. As an “out-of-battery” condition preventative measure, the GSOD is simply dead-on target. The slide cannot be pushed out of battery (from the front). The Glock Compensated Stand Off Device is worth taking a look at for either purpose. So whether you’re in Law Enforcement or kicking off your competitive shooting career, check it out! GSOD runs $99-$119 depending on whether you want a light mount.
