All posts in Tactical Gear

Get a good sharpener when you buy a knife!

timberline knivesRogue Elite is your source for combat, self-defense, military and rescue knives. Select from your favorite manufacturer for the knife the suits your purposes. Tactical knives are useful tools and those that feel the need to carry them while working, camping, or for law enforcement or military can tell you. And don’t forget that there’s no do it all knife just like there is no do it all self defense weapon or tool. Folding knives, multi tool knives, long knives, short knives, Military knives, bayonets, tomahawks and rescue knives, we’re the place to shop. Spyderco knives, Kbar knives, Colt Steel knives, SOG Knives, Timberline knives, Kershaw, knives and Columbia River knives to name a few.

You usually get what you pay for so when you are shopping for a knife, make sure you put some thought into what you are using it for so you don’t have to buy a knife 2x’s because you broke it when you should have used something stronger.   We  have plenty of EMS personnel that stop in our store that don’t want to drop more than $40 on a knife and we sell a lot of the Timberline Knives we sell move pretty fast.  The ECS Safety Cutter is also a big hit as well as the ECS knife.  One thing about the Timberline knives you might want to think about doing is getting a good sharpener because their knives tend to not come with an edge.  The Timberline knife sharpening kits are also less than $40.

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2yrs of running with Smith Optics Elite Eyeshields

Smith Optics Elite eyeshieldsI’ve been through so many safety glasses that I’m really sure I put my money in the right place when I drop $85 for a Smith Optics Elite eyeshield kit.   I don’t have a need for the amber or yellow glasses but sometimes its nice to just run clear shields and not  have the sunglasses style.  On those dark over cast days you don’t want any light limitation. We’ve mostly had positive feedback on the Smith Optics Elite ballistic eyewear.   Every product line has a glitch or whoops but there have been very few of them from this product line  unlike some of the others we have dealt with.   Our main selling point with this ballistic eyewear are the warranties on the sunglasses because some people are afraid to drop $80-$125 if they know they can loose or break them.  Well, if you get fragmentation or they get cracked the lenses on the protective sunglasses are replaceable not the frames.

I went with the Aegis Compact eyeshields because they fit my head better and fit is just as important as clarity with something like this.  We’ve had a lot of junk, and cheap eyewear but those tend to not be as strong and the clarity usually deteriorates and fogging is always an issue with the cheap stuff.   My choice for the Smith Optics Elite eyeshields are the compact ARC field kits.   The Echo is pretty cool but seems to be more for guys wearing helmets or larger ear protection.  I’m good with my Ear Pros that only cost me less than $15 and are more comfortable than using foam ear plugs.  There is also an asian fit for people with wider noses so you may have to stop in and try them out so you know what fits you.

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Tru-Spec uniform shirts, tactical shirts and CCW Shirt reviews

Tru-Spec shirtsI’ve worn a lot of clothing that was designed for the tactical crowd and there are things I love and things I hate about various brands.  There are slight differences between some products and the way the fit your body and there are others that just flat out don’t work for me.   The first thing we had to settle on when picking a stocking tactical polo was it had to be widely accepted not just a personal preference.   The Tru-Spec tactical polos have gotten very good responses from our customers because they were lighter than the Woolrich Elite Series Tactical polos.   Some people like lightweight shirts and others prefer a cotton canvas shirt.  Much of it has to do with the temperatures that an Operator or Instructor is working in.  The performance polos were very well excepted here for Office work and that they were a wicking shirt.

The Tru-Spec combat shirts are what all of our local tactical teams use and are better priced than the similar 5.11 Tactical shirts.   Tru-Spec has ventured into marketing products to the civilian concealed carry crowd and for under cover Law Enforcement with the new Tru-Spec shirts like the CCW Shirt, and the Tru-Spec holster shirt.   All of these can work in the officer or in deep cover or backup gun scenarios.   We’ll be testing out more shirts from Blackhawk this summer while we try to pick products that we know our Eotac and Woolrich Elite customers want.  Less  Poly/Cotton ripstop products and more cotton canvas and 100% cotton ripstop products.

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Feedback from EMS customers about Smith Optics Elite ballistic eyewear

Smith Optics Elite Protective SunglassesLocal EMS folks have been asking us about new products, what they like and reviews on various competitors product.  Even as a paramedic dealing with blood splatter, needles ect are things that not everyone realizes are life altering things due to all of the various blood pathogens that are out there.    Waterproof boots are not for water its about protecting your feed from  HIV, Hepatitis C and on and on.   Some of the  local trauma surgeons are wearing the Smith Optics Elite Aegis Eyeshields.   The Aegis Echo has a flat metal frame that gives you more comfort if you have a hat or helmet on.   The Boogie Regulators have a strap that can go over many different types of helmet, swat helmets, artillery or any other infantry type.

There are always different needs and uses of eye wear, but the most versatile are the Eye shields. One problem that some sunglasses can have is they do not give you the protection against projectiles that can bounce around on a firing range that regular shooting glasses can have. One issue glasses can have besides being cheap and not holding up are they they do not give you good clarity or visibility. Ballistic sunglasses like  Smith Optics Elite protective sunglasses are for street wear, but the larger frames will restrict visibility that the eye shields do not. We each can have our preferences on what color lense we want and the great thing about the eye shields in the replacement lenses. For training and carbine classes and you don’t want to be wearing goggles, the eye shields are the best option in safety glasses for protection and visibility.

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Worthy of a good look over- Elite Surival systems products

There are a lot of nylon companies out there and there are huge differences in the thought, quality, and marketing of them.  Voodoo Tactical has some really cool stuff but some of their products are for full blown combat and have more molle on them than most Law Enforcement would use.   I have seen some neat magazine pouches for the AR15 that also have pistol mags on the face of them which one local Police Officer really liked because it saved him some room.  Not everyone does the same thing well and then cost is another factor.  If you want to put a $2500 carbine and have it protected in your car or travel around the world with it, you’re going to have to consider some other products.  Some Nylon is for SWAT guys while others are for fireman who just need a radio pouch, but there are lots of variations in radios.

If you look at the sheen of some of the nylon products you will see the difference, the first time I picked up a double mag pouch for my Magpul pmags i noticed the quality difference that Elite Surival Systems had.      I then checked out there Covert Operations bag and it was very cool to handle, most of the Elite Surival Systems gun cases we have in the store are the Covert Operations and Double Agent gun cases.  There are a large number of CIA guys using these gun systems due to the traveling and team work they have to do.  The internal molle compartments are also a cool feature for holding handcuffs, magazines, and flashlights like the streamlight strion or Polytac.

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New tactical clothing option without the sticker shock!

truspec simple tactical We’ve had lots of tactical pants, tactical shorts, and other items come in to our store and some of our employees wear all different types of tactical apparel.   We first found out about the Tru-Spec 24/7 series womens pants from an employee that was wearing them and told us they had a great reputation for quality and price points.   We’ve tried several other clothing companies products but many of them were either too expensive the fit just sucked, or the quality control was too spotty for us to even risk our reputation in carrying them.  I’ve heard lots of people mention how much 5.11 tactical products are being marketed but the prices have really shot up.   Not a lot of people are going to go along with the sticker shock, and we’ve seen people do this in the past.

There is something to be said about costs being a ceiling, there are products that come on the market and then when prices go up, people start shopping around for a better deal.  In an economy like this products like Truspecs simple tactical line will do well because not everyone in Law Enforcement needs zippers and pockets at every point.  Yes, they like to carry tactical knives or put an AR15 magazine in the pocket, but comfort, durability and price points are very important.  Once products get above $50 or so people will bail on you unless they have the money or the need for the product.

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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.

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Assault bags vs. EMS bags what are the variables?

5.11 backpacks for saleThere are a great many things that can make or break a bag for a job.   Many of our customers come in here and open up backpacks or bags to see what is sewn on the inside.   Some bags have open pouches while others have ID holders, Molle pouches or various zippered or strapped compartments.   I’m not big on attaching too much Molle gear to my bags, probable the only thing I attach to my bags are the higher visibility medical pouches.   I have some smaller plaster First Aid pouches but the nylon quick detach medical pouches are a better and more professional option.  We sell an EMT bag that is just a bright orange color with the medical logo but they are just that, a bag with no medical supplies.  A good folder for scissors or bandages is probable the best thing for this setup.

The Rush messenger bags are very unique and not like my Elite Survival Systems bags or my Blackhawk bags.   The Rush 72 are a very popular 5.11 backpacks for sale in our showroom and online.    These have a unique fold out webbed attachment and many molle and compartments.   Emergency blankets and quick clot packages can go in these and even though they kind of look like military backpacks, they are extremely popular with the EMT’s that get hired in our area.   These bags are kind of bulky and if you want a smaller bag, something that just goes over your shoulder, check out some of the smaller Rush 24 bags.

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Gun case options, stop in and check them out

gun casesRogueElite.net is your source for Allen, Bulldog gun case, Gun Guard, Pelican, Uncle Mike’s, Blackhawk, TacForce SKB and other Tactical Rifle or Gun Cases. Some of our gun cases can be used for protecting or storing your firearm while in transit to your favorite shooting range. Some of our gun cases, rifle cases and pistol cases are good for organizing your hunting and gun gear in your closet or gun safe. Gun Cases can vary in price depending on your level of protection and accessories.

Tactical Rifle Cases are a great way to organize your semi-auto rifles. Rifle cases can hold anywhere form 2-4 rifle magazines. They also can have pockets for holding sight in tools or other shooting accessories. Soft gun cases are probable the best cost effective way of protecting and organizing your M4 Carbine or AK variant. You may even be able to store some of your ammo. For higher end rifle with expensive optics, try selecting a hard case incase your gun is at risk of being tossed around.

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Flashlights have gotten more powerful but the prices haven’t gone up!

streamlight TRL flashlightsThere’s good news for anyone that is looking for a good M4 Carbine light or handgun light but wanted something more powerful than the Streamlight TLR1 Flashlights.  Well, guess what?!   The new Streamlight flashlights that are coming out in 2013 are almost 80% brighter than the previous flashlights, same model and same price.  It’s very rare that something like this occurs in this industry, it’s almost like when Magpul came out with the Generation 3 Pmags that were actually a few bucks cheaper than the Generation 2 pmags.   We’ve been monitoring several of our distributors inventory to make sure we are only bringing in the new flashlight models.   Xenon bulbs are a thing of the past and LED is getting better all of the time.

I’ve been going back and forth between my quad rail LWRC M6A2 and trying to decide on a flashlight that didn’t rely on pressure switches.   I like the Streamlight TLR Flashlights but I thought that if  my Protac 2L flashlight was 180 lumens why would I put something like the TLR1S that was 160 lumens on my carbine.   I’ve always felt that 150 lumens was about the lowest I want on a firearm which is why the Surefire Scout 110 lumen flashlight didn’t cut it for me when I picked one up for testing.  I didn’t want to drop $500 on some of the Surefire products so Streamlight Flashlights and products were in play.

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