All posts in Hunting Gear

Investing in gun cases , options and price ranges

Gun CasesIt’s always a good idea to have somewhat of an idea of what you are looking for in a gun case.  Its always best to see someone you know using gear and copying what they are doing, but often times people are on their own and it’s our job to give them options.   We see far too often that people that own an AR15 or some other type of semi-auto rifle just assume they need a rifle case with a whole bunch  of magazine pouches on the side.  Then they go off and buy a grip pod, flashlight, extended butt stock, and find out they are having trouble closing the case up.   Then we here of the stories where the zipper broke, the nylon has a whole punched through it right where some accessory was and then it’s time to spend more money on something else.

I own a ton of Uncle Mike’s and Bulldog gun cases for my firearms and usually mark off somewhere on the case which firearm it’s for, I keep the magazines in the case so it’s range ready, Mini 14, AK, AR15 ect. I tend to prefer to buy gun cases, or recommend gun cases that are rectangular in shape knowing that bi-pods, grip-pods flashlights, laser sights, optics are all add ons that people buy  and it’s better to start off with space around your firearm that getting something too tight.  The Elite Survival Systems Covert Operations cases are very, very nice and are a great match for SBR’s, M4s, SCARS and more.  Valken makes a pretty decent 42″ Double Rifle gun case that is also in the same classification.  Hard cases are nice, Like Pelican or SKB, but I often hear of how much of a pain they are to transport.  Those are more for people traveling long distances or for shipping.

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Elite Survival Ankle Holsters, there’s just something they did right

aahs_holsterWe’ve got enough history with certain holster companies that we can tell you what works just based on sales data.   It’s not just what sells and goes out the door, it’s also about what comes back in, whether its something that breaks or something people just don’t like.   Ankle holsters are a niche of our overall sales, but one of the most returned items until we started carrying the Elite Survival Ankle holsters.   We’ve had about a 75% return rate with other brands, Desantis, Galco and Uncle Mike’s.   I can’t blame it all on them being bad designs because there is a mentality that some people have that makes them think they want an ankle holster, but then they find out how uncomfortable and awkward it is to carry in this manner.

If you don’t have the right cut on the bottom of your pants, expect to have problems with your pant leg hanging up on the holster.  It’s not very practical for CCW and the vast majority of people actually buying them and using them properly are Police Detectives or people that do a lot of driving.   Ankle carry is very practical if you are driving a lot but other than that, you really need to consider pocket carry.  If we hear you complain too much about looking for a “comfortable holster” what you might not want to hear from us, is that you are carrying the wrong gun.   If you are seriously looking for an ankle holster, we have probable a 5% return rate on The Elite Survival Ankle holster.  The fit for the holster is very accommodating for various firearms and you can get the calf support strap for a few extra bucks if need be.

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Spring is right around the corner, Check out what’s new from Tru-Spec Tactical Clothing

Multicam PantsTruSpec Ascent24/7 Series Mens Tactical PantsEclipse Pants
We picked Tru-Spec several years ago to be our primary clothing line for a reason.   Our customer base appreciates a stocking dealer that has consistent sizing.  You do have to pay attention to the different fit and materials that all of the products come in because there are differences.  Some of the Multicam pattern BDU pants are different fits than the 24/7 Series.  You’ll know it when you move around and the pocket patterns are also very different.   I’m more of a fan of the boot cut pants and the NEW Ascent pant just based on the look, feel, and pocket patterns.   There are times I want to get my cell phone off my belt and access it in the open side leg pocket.  This seems to be a pattern that many other Tactical Clothing companies are designing towards but inconsistent quality control and availability are why we choose Tru-Spec over the others.

Now that Spring is right around the corner, there will be a trend away from the heavier cotton canvas style pants towards the Polyester Cotton Ripstop and the newly introduced Eclipse pant which is made of an extremely lightweight nylon material.  With the weather we get here in Pennsylvania, we can quickly go from Artic weather to 100F Summers.  Being able to wear the sames size 24/7 Series pants and just change up the materials they are made of helps keep your arrangement of gear, consistent.   I’ve lost and almost lost knives, flashlights and other devices because I had to move things around and they ended up falling out, so I’ve been slowly clearing out other brands and using more of the Tru-Spec Clothing.   We highly suggest trying out the Tru-Spec 24/7 Tactical Pants and the Tru-Spec Ascent and Tru-Spec Eclipse pants.

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Don Hume Leather Holsters you might find what you were looking for!

Don Hume HolstersAside from Fobus holsters, I have a large selection of Don Hume holsters from IWB holsters to the don hum JIT or (just in time) holsters.    One of the major factors in owning so many of them is the fact I’m not breaking the bank and they get the job done.    There are plenty of times I have a change of scenery and usually go to a small .380 pistol when where a suit and tie, or I switch to a medium frame semi-auto like a Glock 30.  The Don Hume H715 leather holster works well for an inside the waistband for the Glock 30 and I’ve owned them for close to 10yrs and they are still performing well.   One of the biggest problems we find with these holsters is they are not always available and certain firearm holsters can be unavailable for months due to the know fact that Don Hume Leather makes great CCW holsters.

Like many products it’s really about personal preference and one holster style may not be good for all firearms.   Every firearm can have a different balance to it and it will really come out when using clip on holsters.   I normally shy away from gun holsters that don’t have metal clips but Don Hume Holsters are one of the exceptions.   I  have had holster clips fail  on me  in numerous ways from flat out breaking, to clips being poorly designed and popping off a belt if  you move your body certain ways.   If you are looking for a paddle holsters, we usually recommend people start off with Fobus holsters, but if you are looking for a leather holster, Don Hume makes a great starting point.

 

 

 

 

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Rifle Sight, Carbine Sight, Shotgun sight upgrade?

Rifle SightsShopping online can often be overwhelming when it comes to parts and accessories because we all know how difficult it can be to reach some companies technical support via phone or email.    We often get complaints from customers that tried to call a manufacturer and couldn’t get a hold of someone.  Usually it is followed up by words like “I can’t tell from the picture” or “it doesn’t say in the description if it has”, and people are left in the dark.   A few months ago I had someone walk in with Troy Carbine sights and he had the incorrect front and rear sights because he didn’t buy them as a set.  He found out the hard way during carbine qualifications.   The best way to know you are buying the correct item is to deal directly with the manufacturer, sometimes gunsmiths are good sources of information but I have often found out that many of them have a niche they are good at and aren’t good at everything.

It’s fun to accessorize, it’s a guy thing, but plain black on black front and rear sights only work  in certain lighting and it can pay in competition sports or defensive situations to have an illuminated front sight.  Some of the Hiviz sights work well for rifle sights,  level action sights, shotguns sights and even revolvers like the Ruger LCR.  Everyone has a preference with sight picture and just like choosing eyewear and sunglasses, it’s whatever fits your comfort and visibility level.   Different apertures make a big difference and being able to hit a target which is the reason so many AR15 rear sights have atleast 2 flip sight options, long distance and short distance sight picture.  Ask a friend that is using a sight and look around the next time you’re at the range and see what is being used and ask questions.  You might find out your shooting proficiency will improve with a better sight setup.

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Desantis Pistol Belts when image and durability matter

Desantis Pistol BeltsWe offer a very large selection of belts because there are so many different objectives people are looking for.   We often see military personnel and First Responders coming in needing different belts when events are coming up or they are being deployed.   The standards are high and we sell alot of Blackhawk Rescue belts, and Elite Survival Systems Assault Rescue belts and often the Elite Survival Cobra Belt.  Some of those are pretty heavy but if you’ve had experience repelling or trying to pull yourself or someone else out of a dangerous situation, the last thing you want to have happen is a belt failure and it does happen.   Recently I’ve heard of 2 situations where belts and gear have broken off during foot pursuits, belts can fail and shoe laces come untied and such simple things can affect your ability to defend yourself.  We get asked to carry cheap stuff from time to time but we are often referencing equipment failures when people see price differences and explain to them why they are so.

All gear and accessories have failure points, all leather holsters will eventually soften but there are ways to prolong their life.   We have our list of highly suggested gun belts and the #1 pistol belt we suggest you consider are the Desantis pistol belts, we’ve moved a ton of the Blackhawk Pistol Belts in the past but they do not last as long as the Desantis.   Not everyone who is CCWing is going to need a 1.5 inch belt, pocket carry is very common these days and should not be ruled out considering there are so many high quality .380 and even 9mm compact autos.  The high capacity full size firearms are extra security but over time many people move towards comfort and give up capacity.   If you wear leather a lot there are things you can do to prolong the life of your pistol belt with both image.   Expect us to carry more of the Desantis leather belt line in the future.

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Get a good gun belt, but should you get leather or nylon?

Elite Survival BeltsA lot of what goes on in this business is about looks, if your LEO, you know what it’s like to get written up for having the incorrect uniform and depending on your police Chief, you might have a bunch of odd looking finishes.   Just go look at tall of the options the average duty gear from Safariland comes in.    We’ve pretty much narrowed down leather CCW belts to Desantis, we may dabble a little bit with Galco leather this year but some of the leather gun belts we come across are a little too cowboy looking, that’s fine if that’s what you want, but most of our customers right now are not going to be wearing too much brown, mostly black.   There are thin dress belts that you might be able to use for CCW or Off duty, but in my humble opinion a 1.5 inch belt is probable the best support and for nylon it’s been for a very long time the difference between the Wilderness Instructor belt and a very close second, the Cobra Belt.

Elite Survival Systems has another Cobra Rigger’s belt that should be listed shortly, I forgot to bring this in stock until a customer walked in and asked if we had them.    The one thing  you have to be careful about when picking up any gun belt is to make sure that the pants you are wearing them have belt loops that are compatible.   We have had issues with the Tru-Spec 24/7 Series pants  not working to sell with the rear belt loop catching the Cobra belt buckle and thus, not a good combination.   I’ll have to bring this up with our Tru-Spec rep the next time I see him which is  on Tru-Spec and not Elite Survival belts.   Recently we had a walk in customer that told us that he had a foot chase where his nylon velcro belt started to come undone and wanted something with a latch, always good and bad points and yet another reason to go to a brick and mortar start and ask questions and try it on.

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Elite Survival Systems gun cases, travelling and profile

Elite Survival Gun CaseMany years ago there was a gun show in Pennsylvania where a whole bunch of firearms were stolen from a vendor that left the show, and stopped to get something to eat at a restaurant or diner and while he ate, all of his firearms were stolen from his vehicle.    In this situation it was a large number of firearms including Class III.   What a total nightmare, but anyone that parks a vehicle that has anything resembling a firearm where only a window is stopping them from grabbing it is asking for trouble.   Most people transport firearms in gun cases and a few times I’ve seen people transport them in a blanket because they didn’t have a gun case, but the best thing to do is get an appropriate gun case, gun sock, and for everyone sake, keep it out of visibility.  If you are a gun owner, whenever you look to buy a new car, make sure you get your windows tinted because that can make a big difference.

What are some options for carrying a low profile gun case? Sure tennis rackets and baseball gear gets stolen, computers lap tops, cell phone chargers ect, but if someone doesn’t know what you are transporting to and from your car, it’s just a bag.    Elite Survival Gun Cases are highly recommended by our staff and purchased by gun owners, both Law Enforcement and Private Citizens for similar reasons.    We had a customer walk  into our store about a year ago because his neighbors teenagers got caught selling drugs and he didn’t want anyone knowing what he was doing when he was going out on a Saturday afternoon to his gun club.   The same goes for pistol cases like the 4 Gun pistol pack that looks nothing more than a black back, but has room for 4 handguns, magazines and whatever else that floats your boat.

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Adverse environments and having fun at the range with a good shooting mat, The Elite Survival Epsilon Shooting Mat

Elite Survival Epsilon Shooting MatMany people are use to going to their gun club or shooting range and being behind a table, many times they are also standing, but for those that want to get off the bench, there are several different formats and designs of shooting mats.   One of the first things you will know as soon as you deploy this shooting mat is how large it is.   If you are on a mat that is too small for  your body type, you’ll get scuffed or cut elbows and your feet will get wet.   Some shooting mat systems look great when laying on the ground, but many of them will curl up on you right after you deploy it and there are many built it modular features that you can adapt magazines, binoculars, or Security or Law Enforcement patches to.   I’ve personally used this product on concrete and in 3 feet of snow and it worked very well, the mat is thick enough that it deploys under you almost like a thin piece of plywood and is not only a great competition shooter mat, but very good for Law Enforcement for laying down on rooftops.

You can attach any type of molle pouches to this system and it is properly re-enforced for elbows and arm placements.   I remember shooting an M1 Garand on the ground without a shooting mat under me and even though at first it didn’t seem to hurt, I noticed latter on that I had several pieces of gravel dug into my elbows just from laying on the grass.   Getting into a good firing position is and firing from a stable platform is something you have to adjust to depending on your environment, but for long term deployments (hours) or for comfort, definitely check out the Elite Survival Epsilon Shooting Mat.   We always keep some of these on display in our store just because it’s one of those things you’ll want to see before you buy so stop in and check it out.

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Gun Cases, Rifle Case and Pistol Case and what do you want to do with them?

I’ve dGun Casesone some serious upgrades to the rifle cases and range bags that I’ve used in the past because I got tired of forgetting things at home or bringing the wrong tools or magazines with me.   I’ve got stacks of Uncle Mike’s Gun cases that  have served me well, but the truth of the matter is I’ve got better optics on my rifles and more expensive flashlights that all of my AR15 Carbines travel in an Elite Surival Covert Operations Bag.   In this day and age of California laws on not displaying firearms in public or hyper active neighbors that think the next Columbine is going to happen in the driveway next door to them.  There are tons of Nylon companies out there like Voodoo Tactical, Uncle Mike’s, Blackhawk and more but once you accessorize your firearms you’ll know exactly what I mean about having problems zipping cases shut, guns sliding around and getting scraped up and broken zippers or zipper tabs.

Whatever floats your boat, and not everyone needs a Range Bag that holds 4 pistols, ammo, sight in tools, magazines and all the bells and whistles that put it up to a $100+ range bag.    I have plenty of gun cases that I don’t even know what the brands are, but gun socks and Allen Gun Cases have plenty of quick fixes to gun transportation and gun storage.   If Nylon gun cases don’t cut it check out the Bulldog Hybrid case with the foam inserts.  Gun Guard has a good selection of hard pistol cases and hard rifle cases that work well with Bolt Action Rifles with Optics and aren’t going to blow your bank like some of the SKB Cases.

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