Steiner eOptics has teamed up with Mantis Firearms Training Systems to create the new TOR-X. The TOR-X incorporates all of the MantisX diagnostic functionality into a compact green pistol laser.

If you aren’t familiar with the MantisX, I recommend this review: The Days of Balancing Coins are Over. 

Key Features

The TOR-X is designed with a durable anodized aluminum housing.  It’s water-resistant and fits common holsters.  Unlike the other MantisX equipped devices, which are training aids,  this is obviously intended to be a dedicated accessory on a host firearm.  It attaches to MIL-STD 1913 (Picatinny) type rails as well as most common pistol rails.  The lug crosspiece is removable and can be placed in six different positions to accommodate firearms of different sizes.  Be careful though! this part is easily misplaced.

Diagnostic data about firearms motion is transmitted via Bluetooth® link to the MantisX App.  This information includes basic information about the host firearm and shooter (such as handedness), and dynamics such as grip engagement, draw and presentation, trigger manipulation, recoil management, and follow-through.  These diagnostics can be used in dry practice as well as live-fire.

TESTING

The TOR-X has draw analysis, based on this feature, it seems to have a diagnostics package similar to the Mantis X10.

Of course, it has all the features that make the MantisX products so unique and useful like:

I’m a big fan of the MantisX products for their training and diagnostic value.  I keep one in my range bag to help me figure out what’s going wrong when I’m not getting the results I want downrange.  When I perform optics reviews, I often use my MantisX to get extra data on accuracy to determine what results are due to equipment issues and which one’s are shooter issues.

Incorporating this technology into an aiming system was probably the natural progression, but it is interesting. With the advances that have been hitting the industry over the past few years with electronic optics enhancements, I wouldn’t be surprised if MantisX or similar technologies started finding their way into more systems.

I suppose I have mixed feelings about it, but I also foresee this technology being incorporated into law enforcement weapons systems and tied to body cam data at some point.  Like any powerful information gathering tool,  it has enormous potential, and risk if misapplied.  The privacy policy of the app does include the statement that MantisX saves all data to your account for sync’ing across devices and can be shared with your followers or groups you have joined.  There are actual prizes offered for completion of certain courses – so information is gathered for that as well.  Could (would?) that information be subpoenaed after a use of force incident or defensive shooting?  If you are privacy-minded that is maybe something to consider.

Closing Thoughts:

This product does exactly what it is advertised to do.  Incorporating a training aid into a weapon sight that can be used for live-fire aiming is an interesting move.  I think that heralds the introduction of this technology into a variety of other platforms, time will tell.

Some features I wish this product included:

1.) Throw-lever or QD mount option for fast interchangeability between firearms.  The TOR-X is obviously designed to be a dedicated accessory for a host firearm, but I would still like to be able to make tool-less swaps between guns.

2.) An information privacy “opt out” on the app that allows information to be stored locally only and not automatically shared with the host.  Maybe I’m being paranoid about it, but this is the day and age of credit card companies tracking firearms purchases, our vehicles tracking our whereabouts, televisions sending data back to the mothership about what we watch, and the ever-present digital leash listening to everything else.  I’m not implying that Steiner or MantisX would do anything unethical with the data they collect, but everyone is hackable. Who knows who is intercepting or monitoring that data between the device and the database?  Does there really need to be a centralized database tracking our firearms proficiency and practice schedule?  Probably with the ability to determine the calibers of firearms we shoot by recoil-impulse characteristics?  It’s something to consider.

As a training tool, these are amazing.  I am still scratching my head on the integration of this technology into a full-time weapon accessory sighting system though.  Even though I’m a little paranoid about the information gathering, can you imagine what this information can do to change the state of the art?  It won’t just improve shooters,  it can improve the act of shooting.  Up till now, the sport had to rely on game-changing top competitors to raise the bar.  Now we are able to split hairs with very detailed data.  It’s very exciting even if it is a little scary.

Material Disclosure

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based off my personal experience with the product.

Follow our WEBSITE

Follow on Instagram 

*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.