All posts by Soda_Pop

Being prepared for the range and investing in Range Bags

Just this past weekend I had the opportunity to bring one of my kids to the range,  while somewhat prepared and organized we decided we were going to bring rifles.   With all of my experience I’ve learned to have things packed up and organized in specific bags because I’ve had plenty of past experiences of showing up at a range with the wrong ammo, wrong magazines, forgetting to bring magazines, and the worst, forgetting to bring the stapler for hanging targets.  One of my old ranges was notorious for not being maintained and I open showed up without being able to hang my targets on anything so I  had to bring a backup.   There are plenty of things you can do wrong if you are packing up multiple calibers and when it’s time to go home,  if you are disciplined in packing you are going to lose your magazines,  your stapler and your sight in tools.

Sometimes people get sticker shock when they see gun cases outside of Uncle Mike’s and Bulldog but buying there is a lack of logic when spending money on $2500 rifles and not wanting to spend $100 on a rifle case.  The same goes for people with a lot of firearms and not buying decent range bags means losing money and time.   This Elite Survival Range Bag is hands down the first thing we suggest when people don’t want cheap.  This bag comes in 3 different sizes and the medium is the most popular.  For people in competiti.on sports the Elite Survival Range Roller is a must and the newer Load Out Range Bag will get listed shortly.   Keep it organized and make your range trips more organized.

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How useful are ammo cans?

They’re extremely useful!!!

These are usually gun show pickups for me and the biggest problem i’ve had with them is not buying consistent sizes.   Anyone that reloads ammo keeps things like these around because it’s a safe, economic way to store bulk ammo.   Most of these are military surplus but some are not.   These are excellent for keep your powder dry and keeping brass clean.   I’ve also used them for gun cleaning supplies and store certain types of books.   Back in the day I use to see bulk ammo buys that included ammo cans but not so much anymore.

If you aren’t sure what size you should get, go with the bigger sizes because you can always create levels and separate different items internally.  Remember to label your stuff because they are marked for 5.56, 762 or 50 caliber.   If you buy multiples of the same sizes they are easy to stack.   These also make great gives for 10 year olds and do a nice job of keeping army men in the same box. *joking*

You can always get the lighter plastic ammo cans but they tend to not hold up to as much abuse if you are going to be throwing them around a lot, but their starting weight of being made of plastic vs metal does make them lighter.  The metal ammo cans are from $22.99 to $36.99

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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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Don Hume Holsters for Glock Handguns with body shield

Don Hume HolstersWe have recently become a direct dealer for the Don Hume product.  Don Hume leather has been around a long time and several Federal Agents have told us that, that is what they are issued for their firearms.  These leather holsters have an outstanding reputation for being solid and holding up.   Leather can be very expensive, but Don Hume has been able to keep their costs down.   The holsters that everyone wanted us to carry for the last few years are the ones that have the body shield built onto the IWB holsters.  The DON HUME H715-M W/C-S are available for most of the Glock handguns and we have had a lot of requests for the Glock 19, Glock 23 and Glock 43 IWB holsters.

We have tested out several types of holsters for our online store and showroom, and while many holsters have poorly designed belt clips or holsters that are not durable, the Don Hume Glock Holsters we sell are something we always try to keep in stock.   There are other styles of holsters that you can consider for OWB or Paddle, but IWB concealed carry is the number one way to carry a Glock pistol.    If you are a left handed shooter, you may experience some delays in getting a holster if they are not in stock but Don Hume does make the majority of their product line for left handed gun owners.

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Wilson Combat Magazines Competition options and with speed

Wilson Combat makes a wide range of products from 1911 Handguns to AR15’s.   They seem to be geared towards more advanced firearms focused on accuracy.   There are a great many fit differences between 1911 styles and AR15 as well as shotguns. There are many new advancements in firearm designs and what a 1911 was 100 years ago is not what a 1911 is today.    metallurgy, gun lubrication and polymer have increase reliability dramatically.  Polymer magazines and firearms are the future but there are still simple designs in Wilson Combat Magazines that give them viability for a long time to come.

I feel that many 45acp handguns usually balance out around 8-10rds and after that, they become too heavy.  It’s all about what your feel and tolerances are, but the 1911 feels balanced in that capacity range.   Some Wilson Combat Magazines are primarily meant for competition shooting and I still only hear about Wilson Combat when it comes to extended 1911 magazines.  There are 9mm magazines also available and are often the fastest magazines to sell out.  There are also a lot of newer CCW 1911 models specifically for concealment.   The 1911 is still one of the most tinkered with firearms, probable only 2nd to the AR15, but I strongly suggest Wilson Combat Triggers, Springs and Slide Releases for your handgun.

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Tru-Spec Delta Pants great for the winter?

Tru-Spec has come out with a lot of new material designs in the last couple years, it’s yet another thing people don’t always comprehend when shopping online, especially guys that don’t know fabrics.    There are lightweight pants, and there are heavy weight pants, but there are a lot of in between fabrics.   The Tru-Spec Delta Pants are not what I would consider “heavy” but since the majority of people always want lightweight clothing, considering that so much of the United States is in for a cold winter, you gotta switch from lightweight to something warmer and Tru-Spec has you covered.

People will always have their preferences in fit and pocket design, but the selling points for this pant is that it has spandex built into the the cotton fabric, which gives you a softer and more flexible feel.   There is no ripstop in this pant like so many other pants in this industry, and it’s a layer of clothing you are going to wish you had if you are working in 15 F temperatures.   The Tru-Spec Delta Pants are available in Khaki, Black and Coyote are priced at $54.95.

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Act 235 Badges

There is a lot of debate on whether or not Security Guards should wear badges.   I’ve heard first hand accounts of people being negative about it.   It really is all about how you use your badge.  Impersonation of a Police Officer is something Security Guards are often charged with when they over step their authority.   We recently got a warning from the Pennsylvania State Police about ACT 235 Certifications not covering you when  you are not on duty as a Security Officer because sometimes guards don’t bother to get their Concealed Carry Permits for out of work carry.

An ACT 235 badge is really meant to make anyone aware that you are Certified to carry a firearm and give you a level of authority in certain positions.   I’ve been in enough crisis situations that sometimes Law Enforcement or private citizens can be put at ease when they see a badge on you.   Some Philadelphia Police suggested people wear the badge on the same side as their firearm so people see “gun” and see “badge” right next to it.   We spoke to PA State Police about the designs of some of the badges that are out there and they did tell us that Certified Agent is not something people understand or can identify with, even though the State Police issue these.   Having Certified Agent and Security Officer on the badge was something they considered “a good idea”.   We are selling these with the leather clip on holder for $100 and do plan on stocking them.

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Spike’s Tactical Complete Upper Receivers

Now that we have our FFL, we can still see the same sales data that proves that Spike’s Tactical is still the #1 AR builders brand name.    We have a long history of selling the Spike’s Tactical Complete Upper Receivers.   Now that the new wave still leans towards Pistol AR’s and SBR’s,  the pattern is still there.   We are planning on stock more of the AR15 Upper Receivers in 2018 as well as various lower receivers, most are in and around the $100 range and they have been a high volume product line.   We are also see quite a few of the 9mm lowers sell.

People are very particular about the rail sections they want, the M-Lok and SAR and SAR3 are the top movers and you can put those handguards on whatever Carbine you already own.   All of the Spike’s Tactical Complete Upper Receivers we sell all come with the complete bolt carrier group and charging handle, far more people buy complete AR15 uppers than build them, the lower receivers are what most people put together.

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Colonel Blades what it’s all about

Colonel Blades are new to us and we found out about them when Al Salvitti showed up in our store with his product a few months ago.   The major selling point to these blades is they are designed for people that shoot firearms, if you have the time to take martial arts, then go right ahead, but sometimes running a pizza shop and keeping a firearm around are all you have time for, but firearms are the last resort and are often not effective if you are too close to a threat.   I’m a big fan of people having flashlights and knives on them at all times, because you’ll get more use out of them every than a firearm, but the Colonel Blades really are designed for people that don’t need a lot of training to understand.

With the supplied G-Code Sheath that clips onto your belt, these are easier to deploy than a folding knife, faster to draw and punch forward without having to train, it’s a very natural and instinctive thing to do, punch a threat.  Colonel Blades has a few different blade preferences, or options and from what we see they are all coming with a trainer.   The only negative I have gotten from customers is that you have to properly seat the blade in the holster because if you do not, it will come loose and you will find out when you cut yourself.   It’s no different than holster and re-holstering a firearm.

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Glock Factory Mags vs Magpul Glock PMAGs?

We recently started stocking some of the Magpul Glock PMAGS and are getting feedback from our customers.   I’m not sure if Glock is happy that Magpul is making mags for them because it looks like they are a winner with our customers.  I’m not an expert on the topic but we’ve seen several changes to PMAGS, AR15, AK, and Glock PMAGS and there have been some issues.  We are now up to 5 Generations of Glock handguns and there ALWAYS going to be variables.   Production variations in magwells, magazines, springs, ect have lead to issues in every firearm manufacturer.

There is a natural trend in our industry away from steel to polymer.   It’s all a technological and it’s the future, how many firearms are still sold with wood stocks? The savings of almost $10 or more per magazine is a big selling point and something I wish we would see with Sig Sauer.   Sig Mags tend to be in and around $40 per mag while Glock Factory Magazines are usually in and around $30 a mag.   The Glock PMAGS are about $15 a mag and from what we are seeing, they are getting good reviews from customers.   It’s always good to test magazines and ammunition out in your firearm before you rely on them but there are always variables and sometimes a need for a trip to a gunsmith.

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