All posts by Soda_Pop

We want to hear from you

There are few tactical clothing companies that have really gained some traction in the tactical community and others have fallen off the face of the Earth.  Some were due to poor quality, bad designs or the economic problems of making clothing in foreign Countries were cotton prices have sky rocketed and that’s going to put a shot to the market.   Some companies seem to be more secure than others but we recently heard that some clothing manufacturers have raised prices almost $20 for a pair of pants.   Meanwhile, you can still get some 5.11 tactical pants for under $30.   I’m still amazed at the people that won’t pay more money for something that will hold up better thus making your money stretch out.

We were in this debate years ago when the tactical market exploded and competition was everywhere.  Since there have been cutbacks in military deployment and many of the private security contractors have left Iraq we have noticed a bit of a slow down, but it’s still up from a decade ago.   Woolrich Elite tactical pants are a few bucks more than some of the competitors but to this day it’s still one of the least complained about products we’ve sold.  Every once in awhile there are complaints about buttons falling off or tearing, but that’s all.   All clothing will shrink even if washed properly, we want to hear from you about what  you want us to stock and what you think about the situation in the tactical clothing industry.

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CCW holsters can become complicated are they worth the hassle?

We recently had a few guys being deployed to Afghanistan that were looking to get Molle vests but they heard about an Elite Survial quick detach one that is coming out.  These guys all knew what it was like to get into situations where you have so much stuff strapped on you that it can be life threatening if  you get snagged on something or need to drop the load and move somewhere.   It’s also a comfort thing to some degree because if you can take it off quickly you aren’t wasting time.   The same goes for getting the stuff on which is why quick release gear sells faster.   Shoulder holsters can be very comfortable to wear especially for large autos but they are hard to get in and out of.

When it comes to waking up everyday and putting on a gun, nobody that CCWs for a long time is going to want to spend extra time with the hassles of clip things here and there and make adjustments.   The Galco Kingtuk holsters are a good idea and more comfortable but for every day carry they are little bit of a hassle to get on and off every day.   I will say that I use them for social environments and not for work because of the comfort levels but thats something for the buyer to decide.   Galco glock holsters  and Galco 1911 holsters are outstanding leather holsters.

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Save money on larger quantities of gun cleaning supplies

Although we sell these gun cleaning kits and accessories to gun cleaning, everyone at Rogue Elite is a gun owner and a shooter.   We all started out with Hoppes gun cleaning kits that were 3 piece cleaning rods and all have our stories about how we had to air the house out because we spilled cleaning fluids on the floor.   Gun cleaning has gotten simpler although our amount of interest in cleaning may not have changed.   Hoppes bore snakes have made cleaning semi-auto guns like the Mini 14 or M1 Garand much easier due to the designs of the guns and that traditional cleaning rods might damage these.   The Otis gun cleaning kits are compact and portable and extremely versatile.

Mpro-7 gun cleaning spray bottles have really over taken Break Free products even though you are doing a 2 step cleaning plan.  The Breakfree CLP is a pretty darn good for gun cleaning supplies because its basically an all in one product, but it’s biggest drawback is that it does need to be shaken all the time and it does not last as long as the Mpro-7 gun oil the LPX.   You will be able to tell the difference when you cycle the slide on a firearm when you use the M-Pro7 gun oil.

 

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Washing clothing, does anyone read the labels?

I’ve gotten a ton of phone calls lately since so many people are looking to try out various styles of clothing that didn’t exist a few years ago.   The question I am constantly asked about when people look for the lightweight pants is clothing that doesn’t shrink.   We get tons of people thinking there are magical pants out there that never shrink and we have the answer for them.   Sure there are cheaper tactical clothing companies, but much of this has to do with how you wash and dry them.  I remember talking to a senior designer in the clothing industry that told me they had to run tests of some of their products after people were complaining they wouldn’t hold their colors.

Well, when you throw in fabric cleaner in your wash machine the brightens your clothing and you’ve just tossed in all of your black tactical pants and jacket, don’t expect them to remain black.  The same goes for washing and drying your tactical pants.  If you want your clothing to last longer, try washing them when they are really dirty, and hang dry them.   Most people I know don’t like to hang dry clothing because sometimes it may take days to dry.  I’m willing to bet that you can extend the life of your clothing by 30% of you take care of them.

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Looking for the best AR15 upper?

Well I’m not going to answer that question because it’s really a novice question.   If you want the best, it’s probable over priced for  what you can get out of it, but if that’s what you want, then buy it.  If you want to compare LWRC upper receivers and the guns to a Bushmaster XM15E2 there is an obvious quality difference between the firearms and one is a plinking competition firearm and the  other is not.   You may spend 2 to 3 times as much money and only if you are putting enormous numbers of rounds through them will you see the durability differences.   For a serious operator that is putting 10,000 rounds a year through his gun, you will have more life in an LWRC gun, but if you don’t have $1200 to spend, don’t get depressed.

If you want a combat worthy AR15, there is a lot you can do to make it more durable and prevent stoppages, and gun maintenance is only part of it.   The Spikes tactical uppers are our number one easy and well priced upgrade if you want a better firearm.  The parts are properly machined and staked and there are some pretty good Youtube videos of them operating well.   There have been many updgrades and improvements to bolt carrier groups and Spikes tactical is probable the best bang for the buck if you don’t have a lot of bucks.

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Wilson Combat Vs. Chip McCormick

We’ve just gotten another restock of the Wilson Combat 1911 ETM magazines due to customer demands.   I still don’t think there is that much of a difference between these magazines and the standard Wilson Combat magazines.   Wilson Combat magazines and Chip McCormick magazines are pretty much the staple of 1911 fanatics and you really can’t go wrong with them unless you already have a finicky 1911.   If you want a combat reliable firearm watch out for some of the high prices accuracy guns, they are not GI combat worthy and sometimes people want too much in a firearm and there really are tradeoffs.

Most of our customer base tell us that differences between the Wilson Combat 8rd magazines and Chip McCormick power mags are minimal.   Wilson Combat magazines seem to help feed non-round nose bullets like hollow points and semi-wad cutters.   Chip McCormick magazines are almost $10 a magazine less than the Wilson Combat ETM magazine so you really have to balance the value of upgrading to the ETM.  The ETM magazines do feel a little thicker and also have numbers on the bottom for competitive shooters, but for $10 more?

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Streamlight Polytac 90 flashlights

The Streamlight Sidewinder has an obvious purpose other than what a regular handheld flashlight is used for and if you need a flashlight like that, there aren’t a lot of options.   Finding a flashlight that gives you the lighting you need is going to get easier and easier these days and they are making them lighter and more powerful every day.   The Streamlight Polytac 90 is slightly shorter in length than the standard Polytac flashlight but it has a unique clip on the back to keep it in place, or  hand it on a belt or vest.   This smaller flashlight runs on 2 CR123 batteries.

Streamlight has an edge over other flashlight companies for firemen and emergency response primarily because Streamlight put the time into developing rechargeable flashlights that held up.   The Streamlight flashlights that we sell the most are the rechargeable and followed closely by the Streamlight Poltac 90.   I wish Streamlight would put a little more thought into the M4 Carbine world because although their flashlights are nice, they are not on par with what Surefire flashlights has out.    Surefire has a solid edge over weapons lights.

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The best boot for the buck and the lightest

The Original Swat footwear company has been gaining lots of ground over recent years and there 10+ year in the tactical boot world is an accomplishment.  Many tactical clothing companies have come and gone in that time period and it is a testament to the companies viability.   We are expecting several new products in 2012 and some of them are already available even though they are not listed on the Original Swat boot website.

Some tactical boots cost an arm and a leg and although they are durable they are more than what you need or want to wear on  your feet.  Our number on tactical boots are the Original Swat 1232 Air 9 inch.  These boots are the lightest tactical boots and give you outstanding support.   We know that are many in the Law Enforcement community that develop foot problems over the years and we have gotten so much feedback about the support that these boots have that we just have to pass that info off to our customers.

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Every day flashlights

There is such a think as an every day flashlight that often gets over looked.   There is nothing wrong with carrying a larger flashlight, but for those in the CCW world, flashlights, knives, guns, spare magazines can really add up in weight and when you go from wearing shorts, pants, jeans and getting ready for a wedding into the mix, All of that gun gear can really affect your comfort level.   One thing you really can think about is keeping your accessories to a minimum.

The whole strobe flashlight thing does work for some situations, but lets be realistic, flashlight that is 150 lumens with a strobe is only going to give you a few seconds if that, of defensive measure.   Streamlight flashlights like the Professional series PT-1 and PT-2 are probable the most popular CCW flashlights we carry, but don’t over look the small and light nano-light from streamlight.

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Changes in weather changes in clothing

In 2012 you can be sure there will be some pretty big changes in the tactical clothing market.   I expect there will be a few people fall to the way side because there are still production issues with making clothing in China and the economy isn’t getting any better.   Lots of police and government workers are losing their jobs and that will eventually affect the people that supply them.   Locally there were huge layoffs in the Trenton and Camden area and for the first time we saw unemployed cops.

Now that things are really getting tight, if you are looking for some really good deals please take a look at some of the great deals we have on clothing.   There are some really good Tru-Spec, Woolrich Elite and Eotac tactical pants on clearance and on sale.  We have a significant amount of the Eotac style 202 OD greens left.   For $34.99 you are saving on money and getting a better quality product.

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