Gun Toolbox iOS App Review

Gun Toolbox Review and Comparison

Quick Review

Gun Toolbox stores gun information, ammunition information, and accessories. The flow of the User Interface is confusing to me, but that could be caused by my familiarity with Gun Log SPC.

Gun Toolbox uses the metaphor that ammunition is used with a gun, so the gun and the ammo are tied together. Gun Log SPC uses the metaphor that a gun and ammunition is used during a firing session (a day at the range if you will) and the firing session ties the gun with the ammunition. This is a significant difference and has caused some confusion with Gun Toolbox users that now use Gun Log SPC.

Gun Toolbox does not having firing sessions, or firing related information such as group size, distance to target, weather conditions, ballistics drop calculations, target photos, firing stance, and other information related to firing that is had inGun Log SPC.

Here is the feature matrix for the Weapons area of Gun Toolbox and Gun Log SPC.

 The ammunition area in Gun Toolbox captures the basic data about the ammunition. The inventory field of Gun Toolbox decreases as ammo is used in a gun. This is different than Gun Log SPC. The round count in Gun Log SPC indicates how the number of rounds acquired/bought and the inventory is shown in the Report Area of Gun Log SPC. This difference causes some confusion when a Gun Toolbox user switches to Gun Log SPC.

Here is the feature matrix of the ammunition areas of Gun Toolbox and Gun Log SPC.

The "Fire Counter" is where you record ammunition usage in a firearm. This is similar to the "Firing Set" in Gun Log SPC.

Gun Toolbox does what is described on the App Store. The User Interface is somewhat confusing, especially in the accessories area. Also, you can not enter ammunition until there is a weapon entered, which implies you could not use it as an ammunition inventory app only. The way the ammo is tied to a weapon makes it confusing on how to use ammo or increase the ammo. There are "help" screens to clarify this complexity.

Please read the rest of the review for screen shots of every screen in Gun Toolbox.

Info from the App Store

Gun ToolBox
By UP Solutions

$4.99

Category: Utilities
Updated: Aug 16, 2011
Version: 1.3
Size: 1.9 MB
Language: English
Seller: Carlos A Martinez
© 2011 UP Solutions

Rated 4+

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 3.1 or later

Description

Gun ToolBox is an application for Gun Owners made by Gun Owners.
Manage all your guns and ammo in one place:

Application Main Features:

* Add all your guns information and photos (up to 3 photos).
* Add all your ammunition information and photos (up to 3 photos).
* Set Maintenance Alarms for each of your guns, based on the ammunition fired through each gun.
* Keep track of the amount of ammunition fired through each gun ('Odometer' feature).
* A Maintenance alert and icon will appear next to your gun, once your maintenance interval has been reached.
* Keep track of your ammunition inventory. Ammunition inventory is updated, every time you record firing your gun.
* Add more ammunition to inventory through a quick add window.
* New Tool for recording accessories for each gun.
* New Tool for keeping track gun and accessories cost ($).
* Keep track of gun Serial Numbers and Manufacturer web sites.
* Passcode Protection.
* Allow the input of multi-caliber guns.
* Zoom on any photo, for more photo details.
* Guns and Ammo Sorting (by gun type, caliber, brand, inventory, ascending, descending).
* Improved Zoom View, where multiple pictures can be viewed by scrolling.
* Classify your guns by type: Pistol, Rifle and Shotguns.
* New database fields for guns: Purchase Date, Miscellaneous and Other Calibers.
* New database fields for ammo: Shotgun calibers, Ammo Cost and Miscellaneous.
* Capability to reduce and increase ammo inventory.
* Capability to Reduce, Increase and Reset the Fire Counter.
* Add Pictures to accessories
* Capability to create accessories without assigning them to a specific gun.
* New database fields for accessories: Brand, Model, and Serial Number.
* File Sharing capabilities via iTunes.
* Capability to export app data via e-mail (.csv and .sqlite). Export data and store in your computer for back up; then restore via iTunes file sharing.

Gun ToolBox provides a set of tools to help you keep your guns organized by storing your guns information and photos, and tracking how much ammunition has been fired through it. Additionally, and based on a maintenance alarm set by the user, the application will alert you when maintenance is required for a particular gun. Once the maintenance interval is reached, a maintenance icon will appear next to the applicable gun. Once the Maintenance is completed, you can click on the maintenance icon to reset the alarm.

Gun ToolBox also let you keep a database of all your ammunition and the quantity you have of each. Not only that, the application will automatically update your inventory, once you record the use of your gun with the 'Fire Counter' tool. Also, if you buy more ammunition, just 'Tap' the 'Plus' icon next to your ammunition and add the purchased quantity.

Gun ToolBox let you establish maintenance alarms, individually for each gun; therefore, giving the user visibility of which guns need maintenance and which not. Also, Gun ToolBox provides a counter that keeps track of all ammunition fired through the gun; making this feature the equivalent to an 'Odometer' in a car.

Gun ToolBox is an essential tool for any gun owner; Keep your guns safe and ready for use by accurately keeping track of their maintenance schedules and ammunition on hand.

Screen Shots

Here is the opening screen.

Handy instructions appear.

Here is the "Guns" area. Notice "ADD GUN FIRST" hiding ammo and tools.

Follow is the flow of entering a gun. There are no pickers so you have to type the data.

Once you have the data entered, tap "Done" and this is what you see in the main view.

Moving on to "Ammo".

There are no pickers, so you must type each field.

When "Done" this is what you see.

Tap the little "+" icon in the table and you go to the Ammo Adder.

Here we have added 100 so the total is now 200.

On to the Tools area.

Fire Counter is a bit confusing.

What does "Qty Added!" mean? Did I add more ammo or did I fire 10 rounds?

Good thing there is help.

According to the help it is actually ammo fired.

Back to Tools.

Because ammo is tied to the firearm Gun Toolbox can set maintenance alarms to round count. I haven't tried it out.

Let's add an accessory.

The fields for accessories seem adequate.

I don't get the icons at all.

Tapping "See All Accessories" takes you to this.

This "Accessory-Gun Assignment" is confusing.

Here is "Gun Investment" from "Tools"

Here is "Ammo Investment".

Here is the ammo inventory.

I will go through the settings screens.

This is "Export App Data".

 

Thoughts

Gun Toolbox does what is described on the App Store. The User Interface is somewhat confusing, especially in the accessories area. Also, you can not enter ammunition until there is a weapon entered, which implies you could not use it as an ammunition inventory app only. The way the ammo is tied to a weapon makes it confusing on how to use ammo or increase the ammo. There are "help" screens to clarify this complexity.

Screen Shots of Gun Log SPC

 I will go through the screen shots of Gun Log SPC.

Entering a Weapon

Here is the Weapon view. The view scrolls a lot, so here are shots of the view being scrolled.

Back to the top. Enter your data. Buttons like "Make" bring up pickers, or you can type directly into the fields.

Notice the button bar below the title. You have "Configurations", "Maintenance", "Photo" and "Report".

Inside "Configuration".

You can setup as many configurations as you like. Each configuration can have a photo and lots of information. See the following screen shots showing all of the configuration data as I scroll down the screen and take screen shots.

You associate accessories to configurations.

Back to the weapon main screen.

You can enter maintenance data to create a log.

The round count is up to you to set and decide how to use. I use a relative round count, that is how many rounds since last maintenance. You could use a total round count if you wanted. The round count is not tied to the ammunition and changing this value does not change inventory. Firing sets is where you "use" ammunition.

Back to the weapon. The following screen shots show the pickers and such.

Add a photo.

All done.

Here is what you get on the home screen for weapons.

Tap the entry to go back and edit.

On to ammo.

Add a new entry and enter the data. Use pickers to help speed things up and keep data consistent.

Notice the richness of the data you can enter.

Here is the entry all finished and back at the Ammo home screen.

Let's do what Gun Log SPC is designed for, recording a firing session! If you don't shoot you guns you don't need Gun Log SPC.

Add a new session.

Each session can have multiple firing sets. Think of it like this, you are at the range and you shoot your 9mm and your .45 ACP, those are two different sets at the same session. Or you shoot some hardball and some jacket hallow points through through your .40 S&W, that could be two sets.

If you want to Gun Log SPC to track inventory and usage you should pick a weapon, weapon configuration, and ammo.

No you have a weapon, config, and ammo selected enter the details of the firing session. Notice that you can track failures, see the buttons at the top, you have a photo for your target, failures, drop table, and report.

Choose firing method and stance.

You should enter rounds fired, group size, and distance to target if you want to run reports on those values.

There is a lot of data you could enter. I will leave it blank for now, but here are some screen shots of the data you could enter.

Here is your set.

Here is your session.

Add an accessory in the Accessories area. You can then go to a weapon's configuration and associate the accessory to a weapon.

Here is the Reports area of Gun Log SPC.

To compare with Gun Toolbox, let's see the rounds fired report.

Now let's see the inventory, so go to the Rounds Count report.

That is a comparison of how Gun Log SPC does the basic functionality of Gun Toolbox.

Update Screen Shots of Gun Log SPC 7.1.0

Main views of Gun Log SPC version 7.1.0

Here are some updated screen shots of Gun Log SPC and some comments.

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Entering a new Firearm

Tap the "+" button at the top right.

Gun Log SPC

Tap the "Make" button...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Entering more data...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Back at the top use the buttons to go to Configurations, Maintenance, and other associated data.

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Notice that a Configuration can have multiple photos and associate accessories.

Gun Log SPC

Scrolling down through the Configuration fields...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Maintenance details...

Gun Log SPC

Notice the "quick fields" for indicating common maintenance activities.

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Entering ammunition...

Gun Log SPC

Tap the "Make" button...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Enter in more information...

Gun Log SPC

Round count, Price, and more information...

Gun Log SPC

For ballistics calculations make sure you enter muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient. Often these values are on the ammo box.

Gun Log SPC

More ammo fields...

Gun Log SPC

Back to the top after entering data...

Gun Log SPC

Tap Increase/Decrease to go to this view...

Gun Log SPC

Entering a new Firing Session. Firing sessions are the heart of Gun Log SPC.

Gun Log SPC

Entering information...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

A Firing Session can have multiple Firing Sets. Tap "Go to Firing Sets..."

Gun Log SPC

Add a Firing Set...

Gun Log SPC

Pick the Firearm you are using, the configuration, and the ammunition.

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

The details thus far...

Gun Log SPC

Tap the "Camera" button to take a picture of the target or choose one from your photo album...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Make sure you enter the rounds fired and group size...

Gun Log SPC

You can save many more details in a firing set...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Going back to the list of Firing Sets...

Gun Log SPC

Go back into the firing set and enter "failure" details...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Back out to Firing Sessions...

Gun Log SPC

Go to Reports to calculate a ballistics drop table.

Gun Log SPC

You can save the drop tables...

Gun Log SPC

Here is a newly created drop table, just enter your data...

Add caption

Pick a firearm, the configuration, and the ammo...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

After you have picked the firearm, config, and ammo, scroll down further...

Gun Log SPC

After scrolling down tap the calculate button, the button on the left...

Gun Log SPC

Scroll through the drop table...

Gun Log SPC

Gun Log SPC

Firearms can have multiple photos too. These photos can be used in reports.

Gun Log SPC

Here is a firing set report using the firearm photo and the target photo.

Gun Log SPC

Here we are, back at the main view after entering some data.

Gun Log SPC

Reporting

Gun Log SPC excels in reporting. Almost every view can generate some type of report. You can generate expense reports, range reports, group size reports, failure reports, and many more.

Here are two real world reports from my own data. This is not "made up" data, but actual data from two years of range reports.

Here is a group size report for a CZ 85B.

Here is a failures report sorted by ammunition maker.