Gun Locker App Review
This review will show various screen shots and describe features and usability of Gun Locker compared to Gun Log SPC.
You should know that I am the creator of Gun Log SPC when you read this review. The familiarity I have with Gun Log SPC will certainly influence this review.
Product
Gun Locker by Jacob HOCHSTETLER
Version 1.1
Description from App Store
Gun Locker is a one-stop-shop for all your gun organizing needs. Utilizing a card-file system, you can track what you have bought, the related maintenance logs and dope tables for each weapon. With the NFA switch turned on in Settings, you can enter your firearm's progress through the stamp process.
Useful calculators are handy and quickly give you the information you need whether you are in the field or at the reloading press.
You can create ballistic profiles for your firearms and calculate dope tables using different bullet types and weather information. All configurable through yards/meters and MIL/MOA. In addition, a whiz wheel with a day or night mode gives you a quick fix on a target.
A logbook gives you the ability to track both your magazines and ammunition, including purchase date and price.
Initial Impressions
Gun Locker seems to have three major focus areas.
- Firearm Information
- Ammunition
- Ballistics
I personally like the app.
Gun Log SPC is focused on being a range log and shooting diary. While both apps have a lot of features in common their main "use case" is different.
Gun Locker has a very nice list of bullets with their weight and ballistics coefficients all ready for your use by picking from an alphabetically sorted list. This is another indication that ballistics functionality is of high importance for the app.
Feature Set Comparison
As you browse the feature set comparison take note that Gun Log SPC has more functionality in the area of recording range results for firearms with multiple configurations using various accessories, and ammunition details with more fields for hand load information. Also take note that Gun Locker is more focused on ballistics by associating "dope cards" to firearms with their related ballistics information.Gun Log SPC can generate many more report types than Gun Locker. See the Gun Log SPC review found on this page after the Gun Locker review.
Using Gun Locker
Here are the "main" views of Gun Locker.
Gun Locker did ask to use my location.
The Settings view is large and so you have to scroll down to see all if it.
Entering Data
Gun Locker categorizes your firearms into four types. I will enter some data for a rifle.Pick your category, in this case "Rifles" and hit the "+" button.
You are presented with this view to enter details.
Here is the manufacturers list.
Tap "add photo"...
Enter in the finish and serial number...
Here is the finished results of entering a rifle.
If you select a firearm you can go into the details and enter additional information.
You can add more photos and notes. Maintenance is associated to the firearm.
Malfunctions are associated to the firearm. In Gun Log SPC malfunctions are associated to a firing set and the firing set has the information of which firearm, which firearm configuration and accessories, which ammo, how you were standing, how you were gripping the firearm and a many other details of the firing set. This is the big difference between Gun Locker and Gun Log SPC. Gun Log SPC is focused on recording all types of range results.
Firearms have dope cards. I like this feature. This is how Gun Locker differs from Gun Log SPC. Gun Locker is more focused on ballistics and tying ballistic information to a firearm. Dope cards can be calculated and then edited to actual in field results. It is an excellent feature.
Here is the maintenance record view.
Entering a malfunction...
Adjusting the round count...
Gun Locker doesn't associate which ammo was used, just that rounds were fired. Again, another significant difference with Gun Log SPC. Gun Log SPC records in the firing set the ammunition and firearm and the rounds fired so you can know how many rounds has been through the firearm, how much of the specific ammunition remains, etc.
Gun Locker has a "Clean Now" feature that can tell you when the last time you cleaned the firearm and how many rounds since the last cleaning.
You can change the category as well.
Here is what the main list looks like after entering two rifles.
Ballistics
Here you see why I have the impression that ballistics is a focal point of Gun Locker.
Range estimation can detect the angle you are holding your iOS device. Again, this shows Gun Locker's preference to ballistic features.
Tap the "+" button by "Choose a Profile" to enter a new profile.
Select a weapon and define the scope clicks. You have to have scope clicks entered even if there is no scope.
Enter the G1 ballistics coefficient. Notice that you can enter details of how the BC changes with velocity. This should help make a more accurate calculation.
I can not speak to the accuracy of this view, but I have to admit it is very nice to look upon.
Logs
Logs is where you record ammunition information.
Enter in some new ammo...
Here is were you can "fire" the ammo or add more ammo. Gun Locker does not store a firing set like Gun Log SPC. Gun Log SPC uses ammo at a firing set which also logs which firearm, firearm configuration, conditions, grip, stance, and many more data points.
Settings and Calculators
Again the calculators indicate that Gun Locker is highly focused on ballistics and ballistics related functionality.
Here are the calculators.
Conclusion
Gun Locker is less of a "locker or inventory" app and more of a handy ballistics calculator app. It does inventory your firearms with important information with photos and details, but it seems to be focused at storing "dope cards". For some the inventory details will probably be sufficient. If you don't know a dope card contains external ballistics details on how to adjust your aim or optic for various firing conditions.Since I am the creator of Gun Log SPC I compare all of these apps to my app. While there is significant overlap in the functionality of Gun Locker with Gun Log SPC their main uses are different. Gun Locker is focused on ballistics while Gun Log SPC is focused or recording range results when you go out and shoot your firearm.
It would be interesting to do a comparison of Gun Locker to the specific ballistic apps that are available such as Shooter, iSnipe, Hunter Joe, and other similar apps.
Gun Locker has the ability to export many CSV files. You can email them or save them for access via iTunes file sharing. Gun Log SPC can email and print its many different types of reports.
Feature wise Gun Log SPC has more features than Gun Locker. With that said, if you are more interested in ballistics Gun Locker may be the app for you.
At this time Gun Log SPC is less expensive than Gun Locker.
Gun Log SPC
Following are screen shots and descriptions of using Gun Log SPC to store the same data as was entered for Gun Locker.Both Gun Log SPC and Gun Locker were the current versions as of the date of this review.
This review is based on Gun Log SPC version 7.1.0 on January 18, 2014.
Main views of Gun Log SPC
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Entering a new Firearm
Tap the "+" button at the top right. |
| Gun Log SPC |
Tap the "Make" button...
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Entering more data...
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Back at the top use the buttons to go to Configurations, Maintenance, and other associated data.
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Notice that a Configuration can have multiple photos and associate accessories.
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Scrolling down through the Configuration fields...
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Maintenance details...
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Notice the "quick fields" for indicating common maintenance activities.
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Entering ammunition...
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Tap the "Make" button...
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Enter in more information...
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Round count, Price, and more information...
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For ballistics calculations make sure you enter muzzle velocity and ballistic coefficient. Often these values are on the ammo box.
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| Gun Log SPC |
More ammo fields...
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Back to the top after entering data...
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Entering a new Firing Session. Firing sessions are the heart of Gun Log SPC.
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Entering information...
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Pick the Firearm you are using, the configuration, and the ammunition.
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The details thus far...
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Make sure you enter the rounds fired and group size...
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You can save many more details in a firing set...
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Going back to the list of Firing Sets...
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Go back into the firing set and enter "failure" details...
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Back out to Firing Sessions...
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Go to Reports to calculate a ballistics drop table.
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You can save the drop tables...
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Here is a newly created drop table, just enter your data...
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| Add caption |
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After you have picked the firearm, config, and ammo, scroll down further...
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After scrolling down tap the calculate button, the button on the left...
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Firearms can have multiple photos too. These photos can be used in reports.
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Here is a firing set report using the firearm photo and the target photo.
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Here we are, back at the main view after entering some data.
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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.
Summary of Gun Log SPC
Gun Log SPC is a range log and inventory application that has an accurate G1 ballistics drop calculator.Gun Log SPC flows from entering firearm information, to ammo, to firing sets, and finally to reports. You can generate reports that show which ammunition is most accurate, or show the types of failures a firearm has experienced.
The reporting abilities of Gun Log SPC make this more than a range log, but an analytic app so that you can improve your shooting skills and remove faulty equipment and less reliable ammunition from your inventory.
You can print or email the reports too.
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