All posts in Shooting Supplies

Custom Kydex and Tactical Nylon Companies, what are the differences?

There  are a lot of differences in the designs of various tactical nylon companies but if you care about getting something that is not stamped with the Made in China on the tag, you’re going to spend a few bucks more but you might get a better warranty and customer service.   Customer service is something that is less common than quality products.   We’ve dealt with some major gun manufacturers that had a level of elitism about their products and would refused to acknowledge design flaws, while others valued our opinions and hinted that they were on the ways of making some changes.  We are still up in the air about what types of Kydex holsters we should be stocking in our store and it’s basically because we have not got consistent customer feedback about styles or brand names.

When it comes to which brand of tactical nylon gear, we have narrowed it down to only about 5 companies.   The 5.11 bags 5.11 bagsthat we have in our store are extremely popular with EMS and Paramedics because so many people have held them in their hands and know what they are getting.   The Rush messenger bags have been widely used in Hospitals in our area and several Chester Police Officers here in Pennsylvania are using the 5.11 bail out bags for their bug out gear.   Having a good active shooter bag means having foot, first aid, ammunition and possible something like bottled water or a juice box.  It’s always nice to to walk into a store and be able to open the bags up and check the zippers and stitching quality out.   5.11 Tactical might not be the best for everyone, but they make a lot of goof products.

Top

Ballistic Eyewear and fit issues

smith optics elite eyewearIt amazes me the improvements and advances body armor has made over recent years and how the military issued stuff has trickled down to Law Enforcement and Civilian use.   Plenty of people that have money carry guns and sometimes want body armor because being have a certain amount of money opens you and your family up to home invasions, hostage taking and kidnapping.   People that live in the limelight are also sometimes the targets of some of the professional criminals and total wack jobs.   All you have to do is look at what happened to John Lennon and the background of the person behind the attempt at killing President Reagan.   Ronald Reagan was actually suppose to be wearing a bullet proof vest on the day he got shot and choose  not to have it on that day.

Police Officers are often called to the scene of dangerous situations and you don’t always hear about all of the casualties that can occur besides stabbings and shootings.  Sometimes Police end up with Hepatitis C if they got stuck with a needle or lost an eye because they didn’t have ballistic eyewear on like the Smith Optics Elite eyewear  that we have been carrying.   The tactical sunglasses we sell are very well received by local Law Enforcement because they can walk in our store and try them on.  All of the 6 tactical sunglasses we sell have different fit and it’s not one of those things you just buy online.   We have a very high satisfaction level from our customers that are wearing them.

Top

Lots of new things coming in based on local customer feedback

Philadelphia Police SuppliesWe did an entire overhaul of our Broomall showroom this year and probable 85% of the new products we have in are things that our local Police Departments have asked us to bring in.   If you’re a Glock 21 owner, we’ve probable got more Glock 21 holsters in our store than for any other firearm.   Being this close to some of the largest police departments in the State, we have to carry a lot of inventory to make sure we are always relevant to what our customers needs and wants.   Recently we started stocking more of the Safariland  holsters, not just the duty holsters, but paddle holsters that hold the TLR-1S Flashlights.   Many of our customers have been asking for items like this for off duty or even for going to court.

This is industry is very flood in some regards but there are always new products coming out that do things better than their competitors and if you  don’t attend some of the National and International Trade shows you won’t really have a clue what is going on  in the industry.  In recent months we have been attending shows and many Philadelphia Police Supplies are changing over from previous brands.   More AR15 and Glock firearm accessories are hitting the streets like the Glock Trijicon High Definition sights.   Most Cops have learned to get with the program and improve their ability to see at night.   Streamlight Flashlights have made  huge advancements in the brightness of their lights and many of the new products are an 85% improvement over last  years models.

Top

Customizing cleaning kits to your firearms

Otis gun cleaning kitsI have purchased probable close to 5 types of cleaning kits in my lifetime and I believe I have all of the parts minus one cleaning rod, and possible a few brushes.   I have learned that certain cleaning kits are better for certain firearms and others are mostly for traveling.  The clean kit i use the most is probable the Otis 556 cleaning kit but I still resort to a one piece cleaning rod.   Boresnakes are very usefull but they are caliber specific and with the Otis gun cleaning system you can basically have a multi caliber gun cleaning cord.   The only negative I find with the Otis kits is sometimes the parts fall out of the foam and you will have too many parts if you buy too many kits.  It’s best to learn the pros and cons of a system like this because you may want to consider getting the larger universal cleaning system.

When it comes to gun lubrication, I’m not sure if Otis is going to come out with a green cleaning system like M-Pro7 or Slip 2000.   I still  use several lubes and gun grease but the Otis gun cleaning kits are still in wide use in my gun collection.   I find this system to be excellent for the AR15 rifles as well as 22 caliber guns like my Ruger 10/22 and my Marlin 882 22magnum.   I still prefer a cleaning rod for bolt actions and my DS FAL rifle.   I personally have not noticed any difference in how well the items clean, but I do notice differences in the time it takes to actually clean a firearm.  Every firearm disassembles differently and I choose the gun cleaning system accordingly.

Top

Smith Optics Boogie regulator reviews after 2yrs

Smith Optics Elite boogie regulatorWhen we first found out about the Smith Optics Elite boogie regulator, we were shocked at the price point.   $40 for a ballistic optic sounds too low for an optics company that puts out $180 Turbo goggles.  The first experiences I had with them were not great because I immediately had fogging issues, but this really is one of those items that you need to know why it was designed the way it is.   This goggle is designed for people that are constantly on the move, jumpers, airsoft and even bikers love these.   I’ve got lots of biker friends that have told me of all of the stories of people getting hit in the face by debris and ballistic eyewear means as much to them as someone on a firing range.   People that like to “ride” know what I’m talking about and we’ve had several Harley’s parked in front of our store.

We hear references to ESS eyewear, and Wiley X, and Smith Optics are priced way up there but if you understand the venting system on the Smith Optics Elite eyewear this eyewear may be for you and it’s only $40.   I personally have used the Smith Optics Elite boogie regulators playing paintball but most are using them for airsoft.   Even in that business you gotta wear good eyewear but if you aren’t sure what to get, buying online or finding a store near you that stock this product line is a way to get a hold of them unless you know somebody that already has them.  Usually the best way to know if you want something is to ask around and get first hand feedback.

 

 

 

Top

So you want to call us up and ask us the “what belt do I want” question!

The Wilderness BeltsLike all of the holster and apparel question, the next question all of the new gun carriers are the “do you have a good belt” which means they need a stiff belt so the holster doesn’t ruin it. I like many, learned by making mistakes or just not  having the information at hand to make the right decisions.  I still have a few belts in the house that are obvious early gun belts because they all have the holster crunch.   There are differences in gun belts,  you want a stiff belt but some belts can be too stiff and feel like you have a hula hoop around your waste.  Even the Blackhawk pistol belts that we sold were discontinued for a slightly less stiff design.   The Desantis gun belts are more money but had a better reputation.    We are waiting to get the new Blackhawk Pistol belts and get them to our customers for feedback.

The quick fixes for gun belts are the Elite Survival Cobra belts and the Wilderness belts.   The belts have different buckles or ways to latch but The Wilderness belts that we stock have been our primary for almost 9yrs now.  Lots of people are shocked to drive up to our Broomall, PA showroom and find a tactical store that actually stocks them.  I personally have used them for almost 15yrs and the support they give is excellent.   I first started out carrying a 1911 and that did a job on my previous gun belts but it was very easy to forget that you had a gun own you because the support was so good.

Top

Caliber conversion kits from Advantage Arms

Advantage Arms Conversion KitsIf you are looking for a review about the Advantage Arms 22LR conversion kits, well, there’s not much to say other then they are hard to get and in high demand.   Several years ago we heard about these from one of our Sales reps so we started bringing them in stock.  They sold out in minutes and when we went to order them again, they told us it might be months before we get a restock, we were shocked.   The Glock 19 and Glock 17 kits are by far the most wanted but we can hardly acquire them.  Each conversion kit will make sure gun a 22LR practice gun and with all of the crazy stuff going on about ammunition ect. these will give you firing range time for less  money.  If you have a Glock 17-22 we have a good selection of these in stock right now.  Each kit comes with cleaning liquids as well as one magazine.

We have a large selection of Glock 19 and Glock 17  magazines and those are just as hard to keep in stock.   Our supply of Advantage Arms Conversion kits is very sporadic and you really have to jump when you see them.   Even though you may not be training with your 9mm  ammunition, you can still practice trigger control or drawing your weapon from a Blackhawk Serpa holster without having to loose the muscle memory.   Practicing things like this with a 22LR gives you live action firing drills and way less of a drain in your pocket.   I find these kits to run very reliable if you get the right kind of 22 caliber ammunition for your gun.

Top

Walking in and being able to walk out with what you want!

law enforcement supplies in Pennsylvania There’s been a lot of discussion on the news about internet taxes, sales taxes and other things that are very much in the minds of companies that sell online.  Ebay and amazon have differing opinions about what should be done, and States like Delaware aren’t going to be happy about it.   Now that we have an actually store in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, many local Law Enforcement and security companies have been very happy that we actually stock inventory and that we aren’t just a drop shipping company.   Many of the gun shops in the area sell ammunition, firearms and magazines but their prices are usually higher than what the  internet companies are selling them for.   An internet sales tax will have a big impact on what things are sold for online.   Things like tactical boots, ballistic eyewear, waterproof pants, rain gear, and SWAT Team gear is something you want hold in your hands and fit it to your body.

Along with many tactical products like Magpul, VLTOR, AR15 upper receivers and magpul pmags, we stock gun parts and magazines for Glock, magazine springs and followers from Wolff gun springs.   We have an expanding showroom of law enforcement supplies in pennsylvania where our 1500 sqft showroom is expanding every year.  This year we will be bringing in products from Tactical Tailor, 5.11 tactical and more Tru-Spec and Blackahawk tactical clothing.   We expand our products based on customer feedback and our ever growing tactical apparel and gear are the best there is.

Top

You get what you pay for with ballistic eyewear

Smith Optics Elite Protective SunglassesWe get people coming into our store with all kinds of budget ranges but we really do try and avoid the cheap stuff.   The cheap stuff is usually made in China and we can sometimes make good margins on the products but the returns and the unhappy customers are too common for these products.   There are gun accessories out there that are cheap, break and don’t hold up and there is a reason we stick with Troy and Magpul industries for firearm accessories.  Same goes for flashlights and tactical lights, the lenses and durability of the glass is something that really comes to play when you figure out your budget range.

I have tested out many brands of eyewear and the truth of the matter is much of it is about warranties and personal preferences.   My favorite of the Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses are the Chamber tacticals.  These seem to fit  my face very well and i don’t feel my eyelashes rubbing against the lenses.   We have guys stop in here embarressed to tell us that their eye lashes are long, but that red eye scratch feeling is something that does happen too often.   There is also a prescription lense option for anyone that needs it but you will have to fill out and RX form and submit it directly to Smith Optics.

Top

Getting your money’s worth from Smith Optics Elite

Smith Optics Elite EyewearThis is one of those products that people are somewhat afraid to buy online because they are afraid to drop $100 on sunglasses that they haven’t looked through.   We’ve tried out a lot of eyewear over the years and we think we have a pretty good idea about what is good and what is crap.   Everyone asks the same questions about them when they see them, “do they fog up”, well the real deal with them is yeah, they can, like anything that you can look through, but the standards are very high.   If you want to really avoid fogging you’re going to have to sink some money into the Smith Optics Elite outside the wire turbo fan goggles.  They have a very quiet running 2 speed fan for intense situations.

The best range glasses i ever had were are the Aegis Eyeshields, I’ve found the compact versions to fit my head better.  Some other options are  the Smith Optics Elite eyewear called the Aegis Echo which has a metal frame that is flat and very comfortable if you have a helmet or eye protection on.The thing I find likeable about these are the interchangeable lenses.   It’s nice to be able to go back to clear lenses if it’s not that sunny out because low light conditions and sunglasses makes identifying targets problematic and you don’t want that to happen.   The kits come in 2 sizes and you can always buy replacement lenses if you loose them or break them.

Top
1 2 3 4 5 6 … 10 Page 4 of 10