Archive for June, 2012

Timberline Tactical Knives and Molle Gear

We had the pleasure of attending the NRA Convention last year and we worked the Gatco Sharpener booth,  Gatco has probable the best and easiest sharpening tools and it was very educational for us.  At first glance all of the knives looked the same to our novice eyes but after about a day of listening to customers and learning about the uses of each, they were all very different.  The one thing that amazed us the most about the day was the number of people walking around the show with dull knives.  Why would you care which knife you carried if it was dull?

Getting  a knife to be sharp is not all that hard, but there are quicker ways of getting it done.  Some old fashion measures might work for you but the day we had to sharpen several of our Timberline knives meant it was time to do it right, but get it done quickly. The Timberline ECS knives were the real show stoppers because not only were they eye catching, nobody had a clue as to how they worked.  Many picked them up and attempted to fold them over because they looked like they might, but this unique locking system is actually a Molle vest knife.

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Desantis makes more than just leather holsters

We have the Desantis holsters catalog and we’re really blown away at how much stuff they really sell.  We were looking for a product line that would help us get our foot in the door of the law enforcement and police supply product lines.  They have some really nice tactical bags, handcuff holsters, and the long list of tuckable and IWB holsters that have made Desantis a king of the leather holsters world.  The one thing that really struck me is they seem to be really on top of what concealed carry holsters can be made of.  I never thought of Desantis when I was shopping for a kydex holster but I found one in the Desantis holsters catalog.

I am presently a Glock guy but it was after a very long evolution of having firearms become too bulky, too heavy or I just felt underpowered.  The Glock 19 with the Desantis holsters like the Scorpion are modern concealment in a very comfortable package. This is the most comfortable IWB holster I have ever used and even the square looking Glock 19 does not feel like it did when I first used another kydex and soft gun holster.  These are kind of pricey but I don’t think I’m going to  have issues with breakage.

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What’s the difference between Original Swat boots and other waterproof footwear

We’re clearing out some of the older discontinued Original Swat footwear and some really good prices but some of the boots are very hard to tell apart at first glance.  We got some customers calling to ask about the 1060 boots and we informed them that the 1070 is the new version of that boot and is also a waterproof boot.   Waterproof boots are very popular for paramedics and EMS because of the threats of blood born pathogens.   It’s kind of an inside joke that these are meant to protect against water when its more like all the other yucky stuff.

The Original Swat 1070 tactical waterproof boot has a composite toe and a nylon shank.  These Original Swat waterproof boots have protection all around and if you have not tried these out yet, there is a 1 year factory warranty against defects for these boots and we’ve gotten good enough responses that we’re actually clearing out some of the other brands of tactical footwear.   If you don’t want waterproof boots the new Chase Series gives you a more athletic footwear.  There are claims that the Chase low boots are the lightest weight tactical boots on the market.

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I guess you become a target when you’re popular

Now that Rogue Elite is showing up more and more on Google, Yahoo and all of the major search engines, we’re seeing more and more credit card fraud and attempts on us.  I guess it just goes with the territory but it’s amazing to see how many international shipping companies there are and how many times we’ve seen people try and get us to ship to this with a stolen credit card.  Last year we  had over  100 attempts of credit card fraud and it was mostly for expensive optics, AR15 uppers and flashlights.

It’s disturbing but it’s usually very easy to monitor.   From time to time we get alerts from  our providers about attempts to hack us and we’d like to say Hello to those that are hitting Rogue Elite your source for tactical pants, tactical gear and accessories,  Smith Optics Elite has become our favorite ballistic eye wear company and after getting in the new Boogie Regulators from Smith Optics, we’re really happy with how diverse our eyewear product line is.  We’re sending a few of these out for review from local training groups but we’re really happy with the new clear, gray and Ignitor tactical regulators.

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Gloves that do more than keep you warm

I’ve been trying to learn about some of the tactical gloves and the gloves that Law Enforcement Officials use daily and the spectrum is very broad.  The first thing I usually want to do with gloves is cut the fingers off which is why I actually prefer to use fingerless gloves with some type of re-enforcement around the thumb area.  I’ve had my bad experiences with winter gloves that just got ruined in a day of range use and it was usually the thumb area that got ruined first.   Hatch gloves and sometimes even just baseball gloves get the job done, but the Turtleskin gloves were something we wanted to try out.

We only brought in the Alpha and the Bravo gloves and although I find the Bravo gloves to be the most comfortable to use, there seems to be more customer reviews referencing the Alpha.   The real difference between these two Turtleskin gloves is that the Turtleskin Alpha gloves  are a cold weather glove and according to customer feedback a good winter frisk glove, the Turtleskin Bravo gloves are a lightweight version with more breath ability.  We have some promos running inside our store for the Turtleskin gloves

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Elite Survival M4 Roller customer responses

We were probable one of the first stocking dealers for the Elite M4 Roller from Elite Survival Systems and although we thought it was a great idea, we know how hard it is to sell certain items online.  Like so many things that are sold online, it’s hard to tell what it really is until you feel it in your hands and hold it.   There are lots of times people order something and don’t pay attention to the dimensions and end up with something much larger or smaller than what they wanted.  Sometimes even the images are not precise.

 

We we listed the Elite M4 Roller we knew what we were getting into and we  have never sold a bag as large as this but let’s be  honest, how many trunk bags are designed to be used like this and are so well thought out.  The Elite Survival Systems gun cases are our favorite nylon gun bags because we really cover the grounds with all of the variations.  We tend to deal with higher end products like LWRC, Noveske and the like for gun parts and accessories and we thought it would be fitting to avoid the cheapest and least expensive shooting bags.  The M4 roller fills a niche that local Paramedic and Law Enforcement wanted and when they walked in the door at our shop, they got to hold one in their hands and roll it out the door.

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Original Swat at the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo

We will once again be attending the Atlantic City Police and Security Expo for Original Swat Footwear.  We have been very happy to attend this shows because as a vendor, it’s a great way to learn about the product and understand what people are looking for.   When we first started carrying the Original Swat footwear, it wasn’t because we knew they were the best it was because we need to carry a footwear line to diversify our product line and the first thing that jumped out at us is the boots were not all that expensive.  From a dealer standpoint we didn’t want to start off with footwear that cost us $250 a boot that sold for $300 and then find out nobody wanted it.

Well, we made a great decision and we have had very few complaints for the footwear and out of the hundreds we sold only 3 have come back with issues.  We did notice that Original Swat Boots gave us a broad selection of footwear that covered everything from the new Athletic Chase Low footwear and the Classic 9″ boots that can be had in a lace up or the 1152 side zip boots.  There are composite toe and composite shank boots and there is no need for steel toe anymore.  The Waterproof tactical boots have been a big win for our customers that work in the EMS.

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If you spent $2000 on your AR15 are you willing to spend $120 on a gun case?

I know that many people seem to think that you need an SKB case for your gun if it costs $2000 but that’s not really being practical or realistic.  I have had several of the Elite Survival System gun cases for my higher end firearms and they have served me well.  Protecting firearms is important but the truth of the matter is that hard cases are really meant for people shipping Internationally or being sent on an Airplane.  We’ve done some test package shipments and were shocked at how beat around UPS and Fedex shipping actually is so I get it if you have something of value, but for car transport a case with foam protection is going to get the job done.

I have a gun case for all of my high end LWRC AR15 rifles and my tricked out LWRC REPR and my beloved FNFAL.  It’s not all about protecting the gun from getting knocked around by my Elite Survival Ultimate Sniper Drag Bag is what I keep my Winchester Model 70 in because it keeps my Zeiss optics save and I can keep all of my long range technical info and range gear in it.  It is a pick up and go bag although I do lock up my gun when it is not being used.   The Covert Operations Discreet rifle case can be for an AR15 or an AK as well as an MP5 or 9mm variant with several options for pouches replacements.

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Now carrying the Noveske Uppers

What’s the difference between all of these AR15 rifles that are coming out these days?  The differences is that they are all huge improvements over the AR15 rifles that were around even just 10yrs ago.  Don’t let anyone tell you they aren’t the same.  It’s not all about the Vietnam stories over chrome chambers and ammunition.   It’s not just about lubing your gun right and keeping it clean.  With all of my experience running AR15 rifles, I have never seen one go down because it was dirty.  I’ve seen plenty of handguns go down because they ran dry after about 500rds and the operator claimed it never happened before.

There have been major changes to the way that people operator the M4 Carbine and lighter is the trend as it should be.  The Noveske upper receivers are the newest AR15 Upper receivers in our inventory and these have a very different feel and contour.  Each manufacturer like the Daniel Defense Uppers, LWRC Uppers and the Spikes Tactical have different bolt carriers, different finishes, and even though some are better than others, they are all better made than the early AR15 guns we use to have.

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Less Lethal Options are a better backup?

I do not believe I could personally ever justify carrying 2 firearms with me at all times and the thought of doing that really just makes me feet hurt from carrying more weight.  Between carrying flashlights, cell phones, gun, magazines, car keys and a wallet.  It really does become very uncomfortable in certain environments to carry that sitting down.  Not all restaurant chairs are designed the same and there are times I’ve just come home from work and I couldn’t wait to take my firearm off.

The are some very effective pepper sprays that the military and law enforcement have access too but not all criminals are going to come up to you and try and shoot you.   I have carried various ASP Pepper sprays  and also have a lot of experience dealing with the criminal element.  In many situations you may be dealing with an obnoxious jackass who’s getting in your face because he’s trying to impress his girlfriend and thinks you’re and easy target.  If you showed your firearm you risk the chances of escalating the problem.

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