All posts tagged Tactical Gear

Choosing your footwear is a important as your selection in firearms

Maybe that is a stretch for some people, but I don’t think it’s really that hard to figure out.   Everyday we get in our car to get from point A to Point B because it’s the vehicle we need, but in climates where we have to deal with major seasonal changes, it’s time to put on different tires or drive the 4×4.   The traction on the tires you use says a lot about the type of footwear to use.   You don’t want big over sized tires that can slow your car down, nor do you want to wear shoes or tactical boots that are too heavy.

All of the Original Swat boots have outstanding traction, but you have to think about comfort.   Just as I would suggest you not expect to go into a hostile situation with a Glock 19 and that’s all you need, you may want an M4 or M16A3 in tactical footwear.  Sneakers will always give you speed, but in many of my converstations with SWAT Teams, they always want boots and gloves on due to the high probabilities of dealing with broken glass and hazardous material.  You may want to consider owning atleast 3 types of footwer from original swat.

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Dressed down look without losing your traction

We sell a lot of tactical clothing to Military and Law Enforcement, but we have a large customer base that are CCW holders or outdoorsmen that just like haveing clothing that gives them an edge over traditional store stuff.   There has been a new nitch in the concealed carry market for white collar office concealmeant which has shown up in the gun holster arena.   There has also been a huge trend towards very small and reliable 9mm and even an extremely popular trend towards .380 caliber guns.   Our line of Eotac Style 204 pants are very pocket gun friendly and due to the wide pocket designs are easy to retrieve stowed gear and weapons.

When it comes to shoes, depending on the dress code you have with your co-workers, you should be able to keep an office look, but still keep your traction without having to wear a pair of boots.   Try training for a defensive course with dress shoes and, well, I don’t think you’ll want to drive defensive movement in something like that.   Original Swat boots has an option worth considering, the Classic 6″ M.T. 1151 will give you superior traction compared to standard dress shoes.  These are a step down from what most people consider to be a boot, the SEK9000 is probable on the other end of street work.

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Finding the right combination for carrying

I have to admit that I was not into the AR15 style rifles for more than half of my shooting experiences.   When I first started out shooting firearms, it was with shotguns and 22 caliber rifles.   In the early 1990’s a lot of surplus firearms from the failed Communist Countries came here and could be had for only a few hundred bucks.   At that point, shooting a pie plate was all I really wanted to hit at 100yds and I didn’t see the need to spend $700-$1000 on a gun of a more expensive caliber to do basically the same thing.   There were plenty of SKS, Mosin Nagants, 7.62×54 semi-autos and AK variants for under $400.   As i gained more shooting experience, I learned the limitations of each firearm and graduated to the M4 Carbine as a favorite configuration.

When I was first introduced into the tactical clothing industry, I looked at all of the tactical shirts, tactical pants, tactical vests and jackets in a similiar fashion.    I didn’t think I needed all of those pockets and sometimes, the vests made me think I’m more likely to loose my car keys in one of those.   Well, as I gained more experience in the tactical world, I found some tactical clothing quite useful, I’m not talking about just the combat style tactical pants ect. but just pants with wide hand pockets so I can get mace or a firearm in and out without snagging.  I’ve used a few tactical vests that I though were an overkill for my purposes, and found a favorite which is not as heavy and can actually be worn under a jacket which can conceal it.   I strongly suggest looking into the Eotac tactical clothing, after all they are backed by the same company that owns Bushmaster, Remington, DPMS, Marlin firearm ect.

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Outwear and concealment options

The Seasons ar changing in most of North America and it’s time to think about how we are going to be able to conceal our firearms as the weather patterns change.  The hard part months like October is you never know if it’s going to be 75F or 40F because there are so many fluctuations at this time of year.   You may wake up to frost on the ground and need a warm layer of clothing, but still need to take it off later in the afternoon.   The Eotac 501 half zip sweatshirt is not only warm and comfortable, it is a concealed carry friendly surface layer.   The size vent flaps open up to access gear like your CCW Glock, spare magazines, Surefire G2 or even just  your cell phone.

The problem with putting layers of clothing on is that you are potentially burying your gear.  Now that a boom in gun permits have been being issued around the Country, there has also been a shift in the types of weapons people are chosing for everyday purposes and the demand for CCW apparel.  Rogue Elite is carrying some of the top tier concealed carry vests, tactical pants, tactical shirts and CCW friendly outwear like the Eotac Field Vest, and Field Jacket.

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How much for a gun case?

As many of the choses we make when using firearms and the gear that we want to use with them, we have to ask ourselves “for what?” purpose are we using it.   If you are toting a Mini 14 around with a $180 Leupold rifle scope, you may not need a $1000 hard case with pistol magazine and handgun cutouts.   None of you are going to be deployed to Afghanistan with your gear or have it airdropped behind enemy lines, so there’s no need to worry about that level of violence occuring when moving your rifle around.   SKB gun cases are nice, but that may be for somebody else.

You really can’t go wrong with using Uncle Mike’s gun cases, or their holsters.   I wouldn’t say these are cheap products at all, some of them are priced very well and will hold up for most intended purposes.   The nylon holsters are very practical if used securely with a good gun belt and their gun cases are also very inexpensive for every day use.  They are outstanding to have for any semi-auto carbine because the magazine pouches will really help keep your Pmags or AK magazines organized.  I strongly recommend spending $25-$30 on a soft case for every gun that you won, and keep your sight in tools or magazines in the cases.

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Tactical holsters and combat holsters

I have to admit that I fall under the category of people that have a pile of holsters that I hardly use, but I still don’t think they are worthless.   I think it’s always good to keep spare  holsters around incase you break one, wear it out or have to wait awhile to get one custom made.   I’ve had situations where a favorite gun holster broke and it took a few months to get a replacement.   When it comes to needing gun holsters for hard training, I think it’s always a good idea to know ahead of time on how many magazines you intend to be carrying.  Blackhawk Serpa holsters are outstanding combat holsters due to their superior durability and stability, but some nylon holsters will still work very well.

There is a point where I think people have to be realistic about how many handgun magazines they are willing and needing to carry and how much bulk they want.   At a certain point  you really need to put more thought into carrying  a Carbine if you want that much firepower.   There are gun holsters with a drop leg setup that will allow you to carry more magazines that are off the belt line, this can be a tricky configuration to use and I would put serious thought into whether or not you want that bulk, but it will free up your gun belt for cell phones, flashlights, radio ect.

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New A-Tacs pattern camo coming in Spring

This weekend was another big weekend for us in displaying the new A-Tacs pattern cammo from Eotac.    We got a  lot of inquiring responses from people walking around the NTOA, National Tactical Operations Assoc. in Pittsburgh this week.   More than a few of the people made comments about how bad the military digital camo was and that it looks more like a blob than melts with it’s background.   The A-Tacs pattern is still in production but we are looking for a Spring delivery date.

The A-tacs pattern is going to be a big hit, my only hope is there is enough production to keep up with the demand.  The style 201 operator pants have a proven design and will be part of the first run in tactical pants for the A-tacs pattern.   My only wish was that these pants would be available before archery season because more than a few people mentioned at how good the pattern would be for hunting as well as military applications.   The pattern we saw and displayed was for urban environments.

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Tools and accessories and practicality

Once we out grow the arguments about which gun is better than the other and which caliber has more stopping power, the next bit of squabbling is usually about accesories and gizmos.   There are absolutely higher quality tactical scopes and combat reliable flashlights like Surefire and Streamlight, but there are still credible debates about how much of a white light you should have on a firearm.    If it’s too powerful, you’re more than likely going to be draining batteries for more than what you need and a light can easily get in the way and begin to snag on things especially if it’s too big.

Tactical gear like rifle stocks like VLTOR and Magpul have a very good reputation from users and those that sell them.   We have very few complaints about durability and even though the average weekend warrior can put one of these on their Bushmaster or DPMS AR15, these tactical rifle stocks will last the life of the firearm.  When you are trying to decide on what to put on your AR15, think about everything you expect to use the firearm for and leave yourself some room for future modifications without having to overhaul the stock. If you think  you’re going to be putting a laser or flashlight on the gun, get the appropriate rail configuration.  If you are looking for long range shooting, a red dot or Eotech may not be something to put on your gun, just leave it setup for iron sights until you find the right tactical rifle scope that your money can buy.

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Folding knives and camping

I have a few knives that have been passed down through a few generations.   Most of them look like they were used in Boy Scouts.  Some were Bowie knives that must have been fun to use, but were really an over kill.   Not that there is anything wrong with it, but carrying those around all the time made a  kid feel cool, but mostly likely got in the way.   Recently I got out to do some nature conservation and decided to spend the weekend at a State Park.    We weren’t allowed to bring in our own firewood which I normally do, just because I like to know that I’ll have good dry wood for cooking in need be even if the weather isn’t good.
At the gate of the park, we picked up a few bundles of wood, we took it back to camp and I brought out my Columbia River folding knife and slashed open a bundle that was shrink wrapped and tied with a rope.   I’m still not sure what tactical knives are, but this one works for me.  A co-worker of mine was tugging and pulling on his stack and had trouble getting it undone.    Everyone likes to bring knives for cooking, but even just a simple folding knife in your pocket can be very useful.   Whenever your camping, there is room for you to pack a knife.

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Aim, hold and squeeze only gets you so far

Everyone learns to shoot at different levels, and we all basically figure it out at some point, but the fundamentals for shooting will always be the fundamentals.    There always little add ons that we can do when trying to improve our shooting skills and for those familiar with competitive shooting, without using a sandbag or a bipod, a good rifle sling can give you far more stability than just a good grip.   You have to learn the positions you need to get into and how to adjust your sling to the correct length, but I have watched people improve their off the bench accuracy dramatically.    You will get very good windage control if you are setup properly.

 
A new era of rifles are upon us, the M4 Carbine is probable the most commonly accessorized rifle out there, but there are some really well thought gun slings for it.  Blue Force gear rifle slings are probable our biggest sellers and have lots of good references from those in the sandbox.I always suggest quick detach slings because being that the M4 Carbine is meant for CQB, you may get in a situation where you are getting snagged or someone gets a hold if you and detaching yourself from your gear may mean getting away.   You may have to do some slight modifications to your AR15 when  you switch your traditional rifle sling over to a different configuration.

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