All posts tagged Tactical Gear

What is a Tactical Store?

We often get asked if we are a Uniform Store, from EMS, to Fire, Police and Military.  The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of variables with what “is” a uniform.  There are primarily Class A and Class B uniforms.  I often tell people we are closer to a Class B Uniform Store because we do not do tailoring, but it really depends on what you are doing for a living.  We do have a Federal Firearms License for doing firearms transfers and many of the products we sell like Streamlight Flashlights and Surefire Flashlights have a very broad customer base.   We like to market ourselves as a Tactical Store because we are not a Gun Shop or a Class A Uniform store.   We like to sell ourselves as more of a modern Army Navy Store and we also get a lot of National Guard and Military Personnel for backpacks and hydration.

There is another market we like to cater to and that is the Emergency Services and Survival.  There are many cross overs for rescue gear, First Aid, Camping, GoRuck and Hiking.  Some of the backpacks we sell can be sold to Emergency Rescue Teams that may be deployed looking for convicted felons or even lost children.  You need hydration for several days of hiking and what you want to do in that time period is survive.  There is a stigma against words like “survivalist” but it’s really a Boy Scout mentality that is very common with responsible people and prevalent with First Responders.   We tend to change up our product line with the seasons and the weather, emergency blankets, thermal gear in the winter and hydration and long term food storage in the Summer and Fall.   There are not a lot of stores  like ours, probable 1 for every 500 gun shops in the Country but get the word out that there’s a Tactical Store here in Pennsylvania.

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Multiple Options of Combat Shirts available from Tru-Spec

Combat Shirts We have been expanding our product line with Tru-Spec, mostly because it really attracts the largest customer base, from Law Enforcement to Private Security as well as the average gun owner that just wants to carry a his everyday carry products and know it’s going to be the same spot.   The 24/7 Series tactical pants are a staple in our showroom but there are several new things that we have been stocking.   The Multicam Black combat shirts as well as the the Tactical Response Uniform pants in All Terrain Tiger, Multicam, Urban Digital and many more.   Several SWAT Teams and tactical teams in our area have been using both the stand Combat Shirt as well as the 1/4 Zip Combat Shirt and The 1/4 Winter Combat Shirt.

Multicam for the most part has been steadily replacing all of the Digital Camouflage patterns that have been available for the last 10yrs.   At first some may find spending $89.95 or $99.95 for a Multicam Shirt to be expensive, but the most expensive shirts have features built into them that all add to the cost.  If you don’t want elbow pads built into the shirt then skip the Tru-Extreme shirts and move on to the 1/4 Zip Combat Shirts, but Multicam and Multicam Black all cost more for a reason and from our experiences these don’t fade like many of the cheaper products you’ll find in Paintball stores.   The Polyester Cotton Ripstop products are all generally less expensive than the 50/50 Nylon Cotton shirts so make sure you look over all of the material and pattern designs and figure out what you really want.

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Reasons to keep your gear organized

Bulldog gun casesrifle caserange bagThere are a lot of reasons to consider putting the money down for a quality range bag because I’ve often see guys show up at gun ranges that didn’t have staples or forgot thumbtacks or tape for their targets.      One thing I always forget to bring with me is a dump pouch not just for collecting used magazines, but for keeping the brass I used so I can use it for reloading at a later time.  It’s always a liability to keep all of  your stuff of value in one place but it’s also an asset to know were it all is.  Nylon gear cay vary from quality to ingenuity from manufacturer to manufacturer but sometimes its best to look over all of what is available and pick what suits you.

If you wanted a shoulder holster that is made out of leather you’re going to be spending well over $100 and probable closer to $150 for a good one but nylon holsters are fast less expensive and depending on what type of gun you are carrying you might find you saved 50% off and got a good comfortable holster from Bulldog, Blackhawk or Elite Survival systems.    The Bulldog gun cases are reasonable priced and are a good option for pistol rugs, hunting rifles, shotguns ect.   The bulldog range bags are simple carry bags that can keep your ammo, range gear and magazines and sight in tools organized.

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New inventory and new colors this Fall

TruSpec softshell jacketsWe will be getting a sneak peak at the Fall Tru-Spec outwear sometimes this week and we heard TruSpec will be doing another Softshell jacket promo in late November or early December.   The Sofshell jacket really is an excellent water proof jacket even though i’ve been  in situations where the jacket worked and I’d say I was dry.  I won’t use it for scuba diving but this is a very versatile jacket to use for most of the year.   I have a closet with heavy winter jackets and rain coats that I rarely use because the bright yellow rain gear is just too goofy looking to wear around except while working traffic or major events.  I have to worry about getting in and out of cars and keeping my gear in easy to reach locations and this means pulling my knives and flashlights out of my pants pockets and moving them up to the jacket.

We do sell the Tru-Spec waterproof pants and some other outwear but much of that look Police uniforms, these jackets are something that looks like a security or military contractor, TruSpec Softshell jackets also have velcro patches so you can attach any Team emblem or security department or just an American Flag.  We recently started selling the Blackhawk Patches until Elite Survival Systems approached us and made up several other color patterns.   This Jacket is something we have in stock for the most part of the year due to it’s versatility and according to the positive product reviews from local Law Enforcement.  A large part of the Upper Police Department are now wearing our stuff.

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Elite Survival Overall view of the product line

Elite survival gun casesWe’ve been customers of Elite Survival Systems before we actually started carrying the product line and they were one of the early products we decided to pick up.  We’ve been getting a lot of questions about the Voodoo tactical products which are next on our list. People are very specific about molle gear and once someone drops $2000 or more on a rifle, the argument about putting out $100 or more on a gun case is moot.  I have several of the gun cases since I find that one of the coolest aspects of the Elite Survival Systems made in the USA product line.   I have the COC cases in 33 and 36 for myself as well as the Epsilon Shooting mats.   Each of these work well for most Carbines like the AK or AR15 variants.  I have a Bushmaster 20 inch barrel in one and my M6a2 in another.

When it comes to bags, we have a military, security and EMS customer base that have gear usually in another bag and they want to make sure it’s going to work for them in their new bag.   Some of the products like the Elite Survival gun cases are specific to caliber and the size of the rifle.  We have a large 3 gun shooter customer base and the Double Agent case has also been a top seller.   People that are travelling and need a Remington 870 and an AR15 don’t want to need to pick up 2 rifle case, a double is what they want.   The amount of padding or foam protection can vary from brand to brand and the durability of the zippers can also vary.   Elite Survival Systems product line is our primary tactical nylon line for a reason.

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A very successful year in Delaware County

philadelphia police supply storesThis year was a very successful year for us in the Delaware County area in launching our tactical store and we double the size of our business in the first 6 months.  People are still finding out about us via word of mouth whenever they need a new holster, police boots or even just Ambulance companies hiring and people  needing to get a pair of pants.  Much of the product line we stock in our store is for people to checkout instead of buying it online.  Duty gear like handcuff keys and various police belts are things that people in the Law Enforcement industry lose or wear out over time and are always in need of.    Police vests, tactical pants, uniform pants, belts, hydration unites, SWAT team bags are things that are always wearing out and need to be replaced.

We’ve learned there are so many types of handcuffs, swivel and hinged doesn’t always narrow it down, some are different weights and types of metal.  The items we have brought in this year are the Safariland lightweight handcuffs and in our region there are no Philadelphia Police Supplies shops around here and many of our Law Enforcement Officers are very happy to see a business like this open up.   Tactical vests, body armor are all things people need to be sized up on and this is something that has to be done right so that there are fewer returns.   We stock a large number of Blackhawk serpa holsters, safariland products, pepper spray, mace, tasers, batons, police badge holders and more and more duty gear.

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All safety eyewear is not the same, and you don’t want to make mistakes!

Smith Optics Elite eyewearThere are plenty of stories out about guys being deployed to Iraq or over sears and having eyewear on and then finding out later that the eyewear they were using did not have any ballistic safety rating.  Sure you can wear regular sunglasses on a firing line and you might think that’s all you need, and statistically you probable are fine, but in high risk line of work, things fly around during gun fights or in military engagements that aren’t always lead.   Go to a rifle range and put a 55gr bullet into the ground right in front of a paper target and check out the bumber of holes that will be on the paper from rocks or sticks that flew up from the bullet strike and blew through the paper target.  Sure the human body is not made of paper but that means cuts or scraps and if you get hit in the eyes, that can mean you have lost an eye.

We’ve tested lots of eyewear out over the years and ESS, Revision, Oakley all have their good points and are all good at protecting your eyes but Smith Optics Elite is a new product line that gives you another option.   Like much of the tactical industry, it’s about preference not  just quality and Smith Optics Elite Eyewear has an ever expanding product line, from tactical goggles, turbo fan goggles, the Boogie Regulator that are very low priced but very popular for training.   The Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses are my favorite due to the durability and ease of maintaining the lenses.  This an a great factory warranty means getting your moneys worth.

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Otis gun cleaning kits, what’s the reason for a kit like this?

otis gun cleaning kitsI started out with a 22 Caliber Hoppes 3 piece gun rod and it did me well for many years.  That smell of Hoppes number 9 is something I will never forget but it’s been a long time since I have ever used that even though I believe I have a small amount of it somewhere.   There are plenty of reasons to think about updating your gun cleaning supplies because things really have been changing.    I was at a trade show years ago and finally got some first hand experience cleaning a bolt action rifle and an AR15 rifle.  As soon as I saw the  kit put back together I realized that this is exactly what someone being deployed out in the field or wanted to pack up in a backgpack would want.   It’s a much better kit than what you would get out a Russian AK.

Gun lubes have changed and improved but I don’t know how anyone can come up with a better field use gun cleaning system than this.   Boresnakes are very useful but not all guns can be cleaned very well with just a boresnake and sometimes you need something like the Otis gun cleaning kits because they have tools for scrapping carbon off or your gun or just giving you more caliber options.   Some of the cleaning kits are specific to firearm calibers and then others are for handguns, rifles, shotguns or variations of that.   They also come with cleaning lubricants.    I primarily use mine  on my AR15 if I am doing more than 1 day  on the range

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The Importance of and liabilities of certain retention holsters

Blackhawk Serpa HolstersThere are so many modes of carrying a firearm and not everyone is going to like carrying in a certain manor.   We have guys that stop in here that can’t complain about the Blackhawk level 2 retention holsters and then there are others that hate them.  I’ve watched all of the holster videos on Youtube that talk about all  of the bad things that can happen when using your Glock 19, Glock 21 or Sig 229 handgun in one of them.   The military has adopted these for their M9 pistols and some hate this because now and dirt can cause the holster to not function.   Safariland holsters have a very popular history with Law Enforcement but some guys still don’t like that thumb/ flip carry style.  Level 3 holsters are gaining ground and Safariland and Blackhawk have them.

Carrying a flashlight can cause you to have limited choices for your standard sidearm but there are some new Level II and Level II holsters from Blackhawk this year.   We have primarily Glock 21 and Glock 22 handguns being issues by local police departments but many detectives are using the Blackhawk Serpa holsters because it’s a little lighter and not as hard on your wallet.    Recently we had a few detectives turn in their Fobus holsters and switch to Blackhawk Serpa holsters just for the ease of mind of knowing that if you are in the middle of struggle and trying to handcuff a suspect you get an extra second or more to react to them if they reach for your firearm.  Recently here in Pennsylvania a police officer was attacked by a mob that

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New tactical clothing option without the sticker shock!

truspec simple tactical We’ve had lots of tactical pants, tactical shorts, and other items come in to our store and some of our employees wear all different types of tactical apparel.   We first found out about the Tru-Spec 24/7 series womens pants from an employee that was wearing them and told us they had a great reputation for quality and price points.   We’ve tried several other clothing companies products but many of them were either too expensive the fit just sucked, or the quality control was too spotty for us to even risk our reputation in carrying them.  I’ve heard lots of people mention how much 5.11 tactical products are being marketed but the prices have really shot up.   Not a lot of people are going to go along with the sticker shock, and we’ve seen people do this in the past.

There is something to be said about costs being a ceiling, there are products that come on the market and then when prices go up, people start shopping around for a better deal.  In an economy like this products like Truspecs simple tactical line will do well because not everyone in Law Enforcement needs zippers and pockets at every point.  Yes, they like to carry tactical knives or put an AR15 magazine in the pocket, but comfort, durability and price points are very important.  Once products get above $50 or so people will bail on you unless they have the money or the need for the product.

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