In this review, we will consider an interesting dual-battery mod from the American company Squid Industries under the poetic name “double-barrel” – Double Barrel V3.
The history of the American company is not quite ordinary. The founder of Squid Industries is a US Navy veteran who participated in military operations in Iraq, who after returning home, like many American veterans, found himself homeless and addicted to drugs. Eric set himself the task of not only getting rid of addiction, but also helping other former military personnel who got into trouble. canadian vape shop montreal This story turned out to have a happy ending: he managed not only to quit, but even to finish his bachelor’s degree in psychology, to help improve the lives of other people who needed help, having worked for five years as a consultant for psychological assistance for veterans in a non-profit organization. During his work, Eric got acquainted with vaping and became a member of another, vaping community, which he eventually fell in love with. Starting with handcrafted mods, the former soldier gathered like-minded people around him and, with the help of new friends, invested in production, which eventually turned into the company Squid Industries LLC. Today, part of the proceeds from sales of the devices is donated to non-profit organizations that help veterans. It is not surprising that the names of this company’s mods are closely associated with weapons: Double Barrel (double-barreled shotgun), Detonator (detonator) and TAC 21 (sniper rifle).
Double Barrel V3 Packaging
The device is sold in a small black box made of thick cardboard, on the lid of which there is a foil logo of the manufacturer in the form of a skull with an anchor, the name of the device and a small sticker indicating the color scheme. On the back side, instead of specifications, warnings, country of manufacture (unsurprisingly, it is China) or any description of the box mod itself, Eric’s life story is laid out. On the side walls, you can find the serial number (the device does not have one), the verification code and a link to the manufacturer’s website. Since the resource is unavailable at the time of review, there is no way to check the device for originality.
Kit
Squid Industries Double Barrel V3 Box Mod
Connector Spacers (2 pcs.)
User Manual
QC Mark
In addition to the device, the box contains only a very brief instruction manual in several languages, of which Russian, of course, is not. Looking ahead, I will say that the control of the device is so simple that, by and large, the manual is not needed here. Of the add-ons, there are only two spacer rings for atomizers with a diameter of 23.5 mm.
Double Barrel V3 Mod in handDouble Barrel is one of several box mods that the company produces, and at the end of 2018, the device received a small update in the form of the V3, which the manufacturer modestly calls the best mod on the market. The main difference from the previous version was an increase in diameter from 24 to 25 mm and a change in the design of the battery compartment cover, otherwise, it is the same format already familiar to fans of the company in the form of two connected pipes (barrels), more reminiscent of a mechanical mod than an electronic box. The device turned out to be quite tall, but at the same time small in width and thickness, and in this regard it is quite comparable with many other dual-battery box mods. Almost the entire front part of the device under the button is occupied by the inscription with the company name, there are no other visible decorations or engravings on the case, due to which the mod looks brutal, strict and stylish. Plus, when you take the packaging in your hands, it amazes with its weight – an impressive 220 g, and this is without an atomizer and batteries, the case is made entirely of stainless steel. At least, if you believe Squid Industries.
In the center between the “barrels” there is a slot, which, apparently, among other things, serves as a gas outlet and ventilation of the battery compartment, through it, if desired, you can see the installed batteries. I think in an emergency it will be unpleasant to get a hot gas exhaust into your palm. But at the same time, do not forget that your safety primarily depends on you, so you should always choose proven batteries, especially if you are going to squeeze the maximum out of them. The coating has a pleasant matte surface, not very easily soiled, but fingerprints are still slightly visible on it. This is another change compared to the previous version, where the coating was very unstable, in this case the manufacturer writes that powder coating was used. It is difficult to say how durable it will be, but in some places there are already noticeable abrasions, although not to the bare metal.
The company offers five paint options for the Double Barrel V3: gray, olive, blue, camouflage, and black. If the device is actually made of steel, it would be nice to see an unpainted stainless steel version as well.
Specifications
Dimensions: 92 * 43 * 25 mm
Materials: stainless steel case and powder coating
Weight: 220 g (with batteries: 316 g)
Powered by two 18650 batteries
Power adjustment: 5 – 150 W
Resistance support: 0.1 – 3 Ohm
One multifunctional button control
Bottom battery compartment cover
Screen: 0.47 ″ OLED
Protection:
reverse polarity
overheating
short circuit
Leak-proof 510 connector
Colors: Champagne Gray, Obsidian Black, Army Green, Navy Blue, Arctic Camo
Impressions
Double Barrel V3 ModI will say right away that I did not have the device for very long, so my impressions are rather superficial. What I did not like most was the weight of the device. Yes, heaviness is nice, but everything has reasonable limits, and in the case of the Double Barrel V3, this weight goes beyond reasonable limits. Over 300 grams with batteries and atomizers are more suitable for some kind of Ryx or a stack of two mechs than for a compact dual-battery setup. As a desktop option, it is an excellent choice, the mod stands steadily on a flat surface and can be used as a paperweight, but carrying such a heavy brick is quite inconvenient, the pocket sags noticeably. My personal complaints include power adjustment, sometimes turning a small wheel is not a very pleasant activity, especially when you need to radically change the power, for example, by replacing a cigarette tank with a sub-ohm dripper. At the same time, for a button such a size is quite comfortable, and there are no questions here. In my opinion, it would not hurt to add at least a bypass and/or a classic varivolt mode to the functionality, the mod format itself has this, plus this would solve the problem on high-resistance windings with an adjustment step of 1 W. In general, the electronics can be attributed equally to both terribly primitive and simple and convenient, this is already a matter of taste and your personal requirements for the board. The presence or absence of a charging port is exactly the same subjective moment, but if you vitally need the ability to charge batteries in the mod, then Double Barrel is clearly not for you. The objective disadvantages of the board can also include the lower resistance threshold, which starts from 0.1 Ohm, especially since even it is not always working for the box. A device with a drip tip, the resistance of which it calculated exactly as 0.10 Ohm, ultimately gave LOW RESISTANCE. In this regard, the board looks not only primitive, but frankly outdated. You can also add a strange battery discharge here, but this moment requires a more thorough study, perhaps in my case it was just “something that went wrong”. The Fire button works instantly, however, this only applies to the second press, but after the first press, to exit sleep mode (when the screen is off), measure the resistance of the atomizer and start working, the electronics will need almost two seconds. And sometimes it’s just annoying.
Wake RTA (24 mm) on Double Barrel V3 Mod Overall, the device makes a pleasant impression, a simple, strict and at the same time attractive design, echoing the weapon theme, will always find its loyal fans. The proposed format turned out to be convenient, the mod fits perfectly in the hand, although in fact it is not the most compact among dual-battery box mod devices. And certainly not the lightest! The build quality is beyond question, the almost completely cast body is made of metal, while both the regulator and the connector look quite reliable, and the leak protection in the top cover should extend the service life of the device. In some places on the paint (connector and lower plane) after a short time of use by the owner there are already several noticeable abrasions, so there are questions about the durability of the coating. The fit for 25 mm diameter atomizers can be called a universal size, drippers and tanks of ∅24 mm will look great on it. And considering that compared to the previous version there are other small but pleasant changes (cover, modified battery compartment, screen at the same level with the case), it is nice to see that the manufacturer is slowly but surely developing.
