Concealed Carry Pants, Right?!!?!

I have always been more of a jeans guy and that’s the straight leg style not the baggy pants.   I have always been looking for a good pair of CCW pants that really just had nice big hand pockets so I can drop a gun in their and not have to worry about it popping out or sliding out.  Regular clothing won’t cut it and there are safety issues with pocket carry if you are not careful.   A good pair of CCW pants won’t have the pockets sewn directly into the seams because that will allow the gun to fall out in certain positions.   The Woolrich Elite 4909 were too baggy according to our customers although many of same customers that came back for the Eotac version said the Eotac pants were too tight in the thighs and the rear pockets were unnecessary and made the pants look tactical.

I ran out and picked up a pair of the 5.11 Cover Carry jeans shortly after I heard that Eotac was no longer going to be around and was trying to find another line of clothing to fit into the concealed carry market.   No such luck on the Covert Carry tactical pants, they aren’t suppose to be tactical but they were over thought and useless.   I rarely trash a pant design but you couldn’t even carry a j-frame in the hand pockets.   If you ask me for CCW pants, the only pant that I am going to tell you looks CCW are the Woolrich Elite Chinos, it’s somewhat of a relief to actually have the confidence to tell the truth.

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Tactical pants and movement

While studying up on some of the new tactical clothing coming  out in 2012 I was reading some of the reviews and comments on YouTube about them.  It’s funny how often you see people reference that everything is a rip off of 5.11 tactical pants.   I’ve only been in the tactical clothing business for about 7yrs and I have to say that, that is partially true.   It was 5.11 that really had the entire market and nobody came close.   The truth is they still have the market but there are several competitors that are pretty close.  Tru-Spec and Blackhawk probable gained the most ground but Proper is still a monster in it’s own category.

One conclusion that one must come to with tactical clothing is along with quality control, tactical pants must allow for movement.   There are plenty of styles of tactical pants that have been pushed out in the market only to die a slow death when people realized there were design flaws.   One thing that is absolutely a reality about tactical pants is that a gusseted crotch is a must.   The old standard stitching, double stitching, triple stitching isn’t going to cut it. It’s about reducing stress not fighting it.

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New Woolrich Elite Twill Jackets in stock

When we first got these in we  had very high hopes that it would be something we could stand behind because we’ve seen a lot of tactical vests and so called CCW vests come in the store and later become discontinued, bad designs or had absolutely nothing interesting about them.   We use to sell a lot of SigTac jackets but that whole scene seems to have dried up.   Woolrich Elite products have always been very well made but like every tactical clothing, something new always comes out every year but sometimes it doesn’t catch on for various reasons and then we can’t get them anymore.

 

Well this year we jumped on the wave and brought in a good chunk of inventory of the new CCW coat from Woolrich Elite.   The Woolrich Elite Twill Jacket was something we’ve been itching for around here and a much better though out and designed jacket than the SigTac jackets.   There are a lot of times that we get descriptions and product info from the manufacturers but Youtube is really the best way to explain a product in this technologically advanced age.    Brian Miller of Woolrich Inc has done several Youtube videos which really sell the new Woolrich Chino, CCW shirts and the Twill Jacket.   Even though we had these jackets in the shop we didn’t know all of the features until we watched the videos, Check them out.

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More and more options for tactical clothing, but does the quality suck?

I answered an email from a customer that ordered several styles of shirts from us but they complained that they ordered all of the same sizes, but the fit was not the same.   We’ve been in the clothing business for long enough to know that sometimes styles and sizes get mislabeled and your wifes home cooking skills did not advance you to the larger sizes. All clothing manufacturers claim to be durable and consistent but the truth is that this is not a reality.   The same company may have variations in sizes and might even change the quality of the fabric just to save a few bucks.   Some clothing makers even out source stuff which compounds the quality control issues.

Making good clothing is a talent and you can have the best designs in a tactical pant but then wreck it with poor quality and poor consistency.  I’ve heard rock albums get ruined by bad mixing or poor recording.   Look at the And Justice for All album from Metallica and how many bass players are still pissed off at the bad mixing that went on.  The point is that great talent still gets wasted on tactical pants and tactical shirts.   There are some really nice CCW shirts from Blackhawk and 5.11 but sometimes when you hold them in your hands they don’t feel as good as they look.

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Don’t sell your AR15, get a new upper

There are plenty of upgrades and things you can do to a less expensive AR15 to make it better.   As long as it’s a Mil-Spec gun, go ahead and replace the springs first off, make sure the proper areas are staked on and don’t get carried away.  Staking your gas key is probable one of the biggest things I’ve seen AR15 owners not pay attention too and if you shoot enough rounds, you’ll find out what  happens.   Gun magazines are an obvious area of importance, but many still think that they will get good reliability out of their guns.
I call bullshit on that one and the complacent gun owner is going to be the one that has the firearm go down at the wrong time.   It’s been a few years, but not that long that a guy who had put on a Spikes tactical upper receiver  on his gun stated that he runs his guns dry and doesn’t have problems, well that is another individual that is going to get a shock when his MOA AR15 goes down after rapidly firing off 30rd and that dry run firearms goes down.   Complacency is something that really catches up with a gun owner or Law Enforcement officer.   If you want a better gun, learn how to upgrade it or maintain it properly and just buy a better barrel or upper receiver.

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Sale on Original Swat tactical boots

For the rest of the Month of October we are running a Promotion on Original Swat footwear.   These tactical boots are the best bang for the buck.   Last week we had a few customers walk in and ask us how much the boots were and they were shocked to find out that they were all less than $90.   With Original Swats 1yr warranty on all of the footwear, you really can take a step into them for a few months and if they do have issues, you can replace them.   We’ve sold hundreds of pairs of boots this year and have less than 1% return rate on them.   There is a very good selection of tactical boots and footwear from the ever growing company.

The Most popular boots that we sell are probable the lightest weight boots out there.   The Style 1232 air 9 inch side zip tactical boots have outstanding foot support.   For the month of October we have a $15 discount code : swat15off and that can be used on any Original Swat tactical boots or shoes.   Don’t forget the tactical boots for women also.   Water proof tactical boots for Swat teams, EMS and paramedics for less than $100.   You might even pick out something and use the discount code and get a great deal on tactical footwear.

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Here’s a review on tactical pants from someone that drives a lot

As previously mentioned there are a  ton of people out there that aren’t carrying firearms around with them that wear tactical pants.   One of my best friends actually is a carpenter and he uses them for work.    The Woolrich Elite style 44429 pants have knee pad inserts that you can use for a pretty long time and don’t get bulky or snag on  you because they are inside the pants not outide.   Cargo pants and front pockets are tactical pants can be very useful when you drive a lot and even the discontinued Woolrich Elite 4904 pants were really good for this because they had a lower ankle pocket.

Ankle carry is not a very convenient way of carrying a gun, but if you are on the road and drive a lot, it does have its advantages.   When  you have a seat belt on and it’s hard to move around, its good to know that getting to your Wallet or firearm in your tactical pants is easy.   Woolrich Elite pants use to be very difficult with their ID pocket but they removed the velcro and improved on the opening.   Right now I find the TruSpec 24/7 pants to be the most comfortable and easiest to work in pants, but I find the side knife pockets to be blocked whenever I have to carry a large size auto in a holster.

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Pocket placements on tactical pants

There are a bazillion types of tactical pants out there and the funny thing about it is we have a huge customer base that aren’t even in the Law Enforcement or Military Community.   Most Cops are stuck wearing uniforms and most of our customer base that actually buy tactical clothing, tactical shirts, tactical vests and gun gear usually know what they are looking for.   Recently we sold a ton of ballistic eyewear to an EMS department and several of the Doctors working in local hospitals also stopped in to buy tactical pants.   We explained to them what the pocket designs were for and they explained to us that they use them for holding surgical tools.’

There are  not a lot of people out there that can really make a good concealed carry pant.  Several have tried only to end up on the clearance section of LA Police gear as tactical pants.  Not all of the tactical pants are used for carrying AR15 gun magazines.   Some are for holding cell  phones and even the Woolrich Elite 44447 pants can hold a small lap top computer.  Most pocket designs are about preference although there are a few pants that are completely over thought out and all you end up doing is losing gear in them.   Some pocket locations can also become useless if you normally carry a holster in that location.  Leg holsters can also void the  use of some cargo pockets.

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Lightweight tactical pants not all that lightweight

There seems to be a really big difference in the fit and feel of Tru-Spec, Blackhawk, Woolrich Elite and the defunct Eotac lightweight pants.   We mostly sold the 100% cotton ripstop pants which is what so many people wanted, but there are draw backs to that material.   If you want lightweight pants, you really can’t get any lighter than the 100% rip stop, but they will shrink faster than others.   We have a ton of 5.11 tactical pants inbound and we’ll be doing even more comparisons between the far more popular 5.11 pants.

It seems that Blackhawk and Tru-Spec are  using a polyester blend for their tactical pants and although they do feel heavier and are not as breathable, they are seemingly a more durable and stain resistant tactical pants.  Much of the tactical clothing is about personal preference, are bodies are not shapped all the same so complaining about fit may vary from one style and person to another.  Blackhawk pants are probable a little tighter in the legs for most people and the Tru-Spec 24/7 lightweight pants are a little looser fit.

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Shoulder holsters, still a useful method of ccw?

You bet it is but don’t go to a Carbine Course and expect your firearm instructor to let you carry that way on a firing line.   There are a lot of really nice CCW shirts from 5.11 tactical and Woolrich Elite that can actually be quite useful if you are carrying a firearm in a shoulder holster.   There are many different types of shoulder holsters so don’t think everyone of them is going to make you look like a Miami Vice character.   Not all of them are going to cost you $100 either.  The one thing that seems to have changed though is a direction away from Vertical carry.

I’m not a big fan of standing in front of firearms and I do understand why should holsters are not allowed on many live firing training but they are still one of the most comfortable ways of carrying a large firearm.   Galco holsters are probable the highest prices shoulder holsters while Uncle Mike’s holster, Bulldog holsters and Elite Surival holsters are far less expensive.   The magazine holders are something that  you may have to think about because not everyone is going to want a 2 double stack magazines on them.  Sometimes that can be a bit too much tug and pull on your and your shoulders will know it.

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