Nicholas Italiano in Gear

ATAC, OLIGHT & Sunshine

In This Article

Mission Ready: ATAC ADER Rifle
ADER Specs
An Adaptable Optic
Osight X Specs
Sling Without the Clutter
QUIK-Sling Specs
Field Performance
Final Thoughts
Read More From Issue 70

Bodies moved through the Undisclosed schedule with that blend of curiosity and pressure that always settles over a good field course. ATAC rifles came out of cases in a neat line, and eyes did a quick scan of controls and optics. No one realized a personal surprise sat held in their hands. That realization landed only after the final scenario wrapped and the dust of sim rounds settled. Each rifle belonged to the person who had just spent more than a day living with it. That reveal hit hearts and sparked grins. Before that moment, those carbines simply had a job to do.

The ADER can come in several flavors of Cerakote: Black, Burnt Bronze, FDE, OD Green, and Tungsten.

Mission Ready: ATAC ADER Rifle

ADER 5.56 stands for ATAC Defense Enhanced Rifle. ADER 5.56 arrives as a complete answer for long, busy evolutions. Weight stays friendly at 5.95 pounds, so shoulders hold steady when the schedule stretches. Overall length adjusts from 33.125 to 36.25 inches and length of pull ranges from 10.75 to 14 inches, which makes fit simple whether plates are on or off. Controls fall under the hand without guesswork.

ATAC Defense built this carbine with a process that favors results. Receivers are machined in-house, which keeps the fit tight and free of rattle. Components are selected with function in mind, then assembled by hand, test-fired, and checked again before shipping. A lifetime limited warranty stands behind that promise. Real use brought the proof. Thirty hours of movement, vehicles, barricades, and sim rounds produced no major breakdowns and no malfunctions.

Balance reads right as soon as a shooter brings the gun up. Nothing feels nose heavy or drags on the back end. Movement through door frames and vehicles stays tidy. A free float handguard gives room for hands and small accessories without extra bulk. ADER treats ambidextrous as a working standard rather than a label. Safety levers mirror each other. A magazine release with an enlarged pad answers pressure from either side. The bolt release gives a broad target, which helps when gloves are on or angles get awkward. An ambidextrous charging handle with generous paddles shortens every press check and clears the way for quick action when a stoppage drill shows up. Nothing feels crowded.

Upper and lower receivers come from 7075 forgings that see their final cuts in the same shop that assembles the rifle. That choice keeps tolerances matched and eliminates the loose, hollow sound that arrives when parts do not agree with each other. Feed ramps meet the barrel extension cleanly. The magazine well is flared and broached to speed insertion when nerves are high. A captured rear detent saves time during maintenance. Cerakote covers surfaces evenly and resists the scrapes that show up around vehicles and barricades. Trigger weight lands at a clean 3.5 pounds on the single stage unit. Travel feels smooth, the wall is obvious, and the break arrives with a crisp finish. Reset returns with a confident click that steers timing on follow-up shots.

The bolt carrier group has the look and feel of a part built for miles. Edges are smooth where they meet each other. Contact points are finished so friction stays low. Nickel boron coats the assembly, which gives a slick feel that wipes clean with a single pass. Small fasteners are staked correctly. Parts are checked with the right tests before they ever see a receiver.

The carbine comes up on target with a simple, centered feel that holds through transitions and short bursts of movement. A free float handguard gives space for hands and accessories while keeping weight down. Edges feel smooth and the top rail runs clean from receiver to muzzle, which means backup sights or accessories can go exactly where they belong. Quick-detach sockets are built-in, so sling setup takes moments rather than minutes.

Furniture from Mission First Tactical rounds out the package. The Battlelink Minimalist stock trims unnecessary mass yet stays solid when shouldered. The Engage grip sits at 15 degrees, which supports a compact stance and helps the wrist stay neutral during long sessions. Nothing bites the palm. Nothing snags on kit. The parts read like choices made by people who pay attention to honest use.

ADER Specs

Weight: 5.95 pounds
Length: 33.125 to 36.25 inches
Length of pull: 10.75 to 14 inches
Barrel length: 16 inches with free float rail
Twist rate: 1 in 8 inches
Chamber: 5.56 with six-groove button rifling
Extra: Ambidextrous safety, magazine release, and charging handle with oversized bolt release
Single stage trigger at 3.5 pounds with curved or straight shoe, two-stage option available
Nickel boron-coated carrier, Cerakote receivers
Lifetime limited warranty
MSRP: $1,369
URL: atacdefense.com

he Osight X comes with a magnetic charging cover, allowing the operator to charge the battery up to three times without needing to plug it in.

An Adaptable Optic

Each platform came with an Osight X mounted to the top. The sight drops on with a standard footprint that fits common plates and mounts. A three-MOA dot sits in the middle. A 32-MOA circle can surround it, or run by itself, or disappear so the dot stands alone. Switching between these choices takes seconds. Circle with dot frames targets that hide behind cover or appear at odd angles. Dot only leaves a clean view for longer looks across open ground. Glass stays clear to the edge and coatings hold glare in check, so the picture remains honest when light shifts.

Housing uses Olight Aluminum Alloy (OAL), a proprietary aluminum material, which keeps weight close to light aluminum while staying strong. Level III anodizing brings durability against impact and weather. Field testing by the maker covered a very high round count and reported no loss of zero.

Battery questions can ruin a plan. Osight X answers that with a magnetic charging cover that clicks into place and shows live status for the cover and for the optic itself. No one needed to wonder how much time remained. Stored power inside that cover can fully recharge the sight three times, and a full cycle finishes in about two and a half hours. A small kit of screws ships with the optic, which makes fitment across different plates and mounts straightforward.

Osight X Specs

Reticle: 3 MOA Dot, 32 MOA Circle
Color: Red
Footprint: RMR, 407c, 507c
Power: Rechargeable lithium polymer battery
Runtime: 57,000 hours on level 3
Weight: 1.62 ounces
MSRP: $230
URL: olight.com

An impressive sling with an efficient form factor, the QUIK Sling holds up to punishment without getting in the way.

Sling Without the Clutter

Built in Orlando, Florida, Sunshine Safety offers a single-point sling that lives out of the way until it is needed. Rolled up, the bundle is barely larger than a quarter. Weight lands at 1.4 ounces, so it disappears until a break arrives or a long walk demands support. Webbing measures 51 inches, which covers plates, layers, and seasonal changes. Materials follow Mil-spec callouts, and stitching uses Kevlar aramid thread. Attachment can be a Berry compliant QD swivel or a snap hook.

Deployment is as simple as a thumb push through the roll. The sling opens, slides over a shoulder, and takes the weight so hands can rest, or tasks can change. When the next block begins, the strap rolls back into a neat puck that does not swing or snag. Small details like this keep attention on tactics rather than housekeeping.

QUIK-Sling Specs

Material: Mil-spec nylon, Mil-spec elastic, Kevlar Aramid thread
Size: 1 by 1.2 inches rolled, 51 inches long
Compliance: Berry (on QD swivel models)
Weight: 1.4 ounces
MSRP: $35
URL: sunshinesafetyfa.com

Field Performance

Dirt time forces gear to show real colors. Movement through vehicles and tight structures tests balance and control placement. Barricades scrape finishes and pull at sling points. Sim rounds add urgency that makes rough handling inevitable. ADER, Osight X, and the SPLIF Sling moved through that storm without calling attention to themselves. Reloads were easy to reach from either shoulder. Press checks took a light pull and a glance. The adjustable stock kept the dot where eyes wanted it, which made correction shots feel natural. Trigger feel stayed even across the duration of the event. The carrier slid without drama as grime collected, and a quick wipe brought the shine back when a break allowed it.

Sight work told the same story. Using the circle with dot combo landed hits around and through clutter. The dot only option gave a clean view across longer lanes and wide-open terrain. Switching modes became muscle memory after a few reps, and the wide window made it simple to recover the dot after awkward positions. Battery status sat in plain view on the cover, so nobody played the “what if” game.

The sling solved movement problems that rarely get headlines. Nothing slapped against plate carriers while climbing into or out of a vehicle. Nothing wrapped under the handguard during quick transitions. When it was time to take a break, the strap took the load and kept rifles close without having to search for a place to set them down. When work resumed, the roll tucked away, and the front of the gun stayed clean.

Despite the abuse these platforms received during the Undisclosed event, they performed admirably.

Final Thoughts

ADER paired with Osight X and the Sunshine Safety QUICK-Sling created a package that stayed calm while the tempo reached high speeds. Weight and balance made long days realistic. Controls were easy to reach and obvious under pressure. The carrier kept cycling cleanly, and cleanup asked for little more than a cloth. The rail and furniture carried accessories without fuss and kept hands comfortable. The optic adapted to distance and clutter without stealing attention, and the charging cover kept power flowing. The sling hid until called for, then took the load and vanished again.

Thirty hours revealed what mattered. Parts that were supposed to work did exactly that. No major breakdowns arrived. No malfunctions turned the day into a maintenance drill. At the end of the event, VIPs were able to leave Undisclosed with the very platform they had been working the entire time, giving the whole exercise an afterglow that felt earned.