Kydex holsters options without going to a custom company?

Blackhawk Serpa holstersI’ve got a pile of gun  holsters in my closet and more than 80% of them never see the light of the day.  Some of the holsters we have have are made from Galco, Desantis, Elite Survival, Glock, and several more that I can’t name at the moment.   Today I  had a customer walk in the door and ask me if I Had a holsters for an H&K gun that I never heard of, and when I asked him if he wanted Kydex or leather?  IWB or OWB?  He started to seem annoyed, I told him it’s his job to tell what holster he wants and my job to find it for him.  Not to bash our customers, but we’ve got enough experience to know that we have to direct those questions back to the customer because we’ve had people blame us for suggesting certain options if they didn’t like it and try and see they won’t pay for the return shipping.

Another thing people don’t seem to realize is that if a gun holster says it will work for a gun, that they somehow need to try it on.   When I ask the customer if they want a retention, paddle holster i usually reference the diffferences between the Blackhawk Serpa holsters we sell and the Fobus gun holsters.   There is a 50% price difference between each product and you gotta know what you want and look for it instead of it finding you.  I think people carry the Serpa for the wrong reasons and it is primarly a secondary firearm holster or a Law Enforcement holster, not really a good civilian CCW holster because if you don’t need a reason for retention, don’t use it.

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Moving up the chain is a good thing with Spikes Tactical

Even though we do not sell firearms, we sell a considerable number of AR15 and firearm parts.   As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what you should call us at Rogue Elite, we’re parts dealers for various AR15 or firearm manufacturers.  We had a large quantity of AR15 upper receivers come in a few weeks ago and they were sold out in exactly 20 minutes.   It’s insane what has been going on with the firearms industry but for us we’re looking beyond the crazy panic buying that has been going on.  In a few months there are going to be a lot of guns sitting on consignment at the exact same places they were being hoarded.   There are some States that have passed laws, but they are never going to ban the AR15.

We haven’t seen a single AR15 upper receiver come in from some of our distributors but recently were have started dealing directly with some companies.   The number  one sought after AR15 upper receiver are the Spikes Tactical upper receiversspikes tactical upper receivers that we have been selling for several years.   We use to get in 1-3 of them a month, but since we’ve been going directly with Spikes, they have moved us up a ladder and are now going to start shipping to us month beginning in about 3 months.   This took a lot of organization skills to establish this type of relationship, but for all of your AR15 build party guys, make sure you put your email address in the “email me when back-in-stock” option on our website, they are coming in soons.

 

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TruSpec shirts and outwear

truspec shirtsIt’s been over a year we’ve been selling these shirts and in comparison to some of the other brands, these, like the tactical pants are very well priced and have been an outstanding assett to our tactical clothing line.  Unlike military or Government persons, the Tru-Spec 24/7 series is a great quality product at a better price point.  The 24/7 Series tactical clothing line is also an accepted tactical clothing line for women and it’s almost miraculous that the pants are sell well design that our female customers don’t have much to complain about, and we never really hear it.  From the EMS pants to the 24/7 Series 98% of our female customers are satisfied.

The differences between the Tru-Spec jackets and shirts, whether we’re talking about the 24/7 series or the tactical line,  are going to fit differently than other brands.  There’s no way to get around the fact that Truspec shirts are going to fit you differently than 5.11 Tactical or Blackhawk. Once you talk about different quality control, different price ranges ect. the next reality is going to be about fit.  We’ve recently been dealing with a lot of people that wore the Woolrich Elite or Eotac product lines and are now wearing the Tru-Spec tactical line and telling us about arm length differences ect.   You really have to stop in our Broomall, PA 19008 tactical store to see for yourself.

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Don Hume holsters several years of customer reviews

Don Hume HolstersIn recent years we’ve had an enormous number of local, custom  Kydex holster makers ask us to carry their stuff but that is something we don’t want to delve into at the moment.  If you have the skills to make Kydex holsters you can make a lot money, but mass producing a holster from your home without quality control issues coming up, is something that our experience in the tactical industry would warn us about.   I personally prefer kydex holsters for inside the waist carry options, but I’m not opposed to leather holsters that are paddle, belt look or shoulder rigs.

I have several years of using Desantis leather goods and am very fond of them, but some of the products have their positive and negative appeals.  Recently, Don Hume holsters have been a huge seller and for several years we have customers raving about how sturdy the holsters are in comparison to other brands.  Even if a holster looks really good, you can notice edges of the holster bending or that the gun has zero retention and the guns become loose.  All accessories, whether they are made of kydex, nylon or leather will wear out.   Some holsters don’t really matter for smaller firearms, but when you get to full size and even medium size firearms, holster retention and durability really matter.

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Some feedback about the Trijicon SRS

Trijicon Reflex Sights We’ve only been selling the Trijicon SRS sights for a few months and finally got some good feed back about why people wanted them.   The number one reason people like this sight is it’s something different and has a slight advantage over the Aimpoint red dot sights.  The solar battery powered SRS sight gives you years of battery life from just one AA battery.  We have done side by side comparisons between the Eotech XPS sights and the Aimpoint and if you want a compact optic, and you want the most rail space available to you, the SRS and the Eotech XPS or EXPS sights are the way to go.  Not all of our customers really cared about the battery life which was actually surprising.

Some of our customers really wanted the Eotech just for the wide visibility and that famous gunsight reticle.   The one thing we learned when we brought in the Trijicon Reflex sights were the that it was more compact than an ACOG and really good clean red dot unlike some less expensive brands.   Being able to have a crisp dot and the multiple power settings  and a great low maintenance optic is something the Eotech bashers wanted.   I personally am not a huge fan of red dots because I prefer more precision but the SRS red dot is the smallers red dot optic we sell.

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After a few months of moving inventory, customers give you valuable feedback

tru-spec soft shell jacketsNow that Spring is almost upon us here in the Pennsylvania area, it’s almost time to ditch your heavy winter coats and bring out your lighter weight jackets.   Last Fall we were part of the Tru-Spec soft shell jacket promo and this was our first dive into moving outwear that was not Woolrich Elite Series Tactical or Eotac style.   The Tru-Spec product line really gives us a good foot in the door for competing for customers that where the 5.11 tactical product line.  The Tru Spec shirts and pants are similar in style to the poly cotton rip stop designs that have been around for several years.  It seems that most of our Law Enforcement customers prefer this material due to it being easier to keep from being wrinkled.

The soft shell promo helped us fill a whole in our inventory and get a jacket on the market that many of our customers were already wearing.  It’s nice to see people walk in the door that know the Tru-Spec product line and the Tru-Spec soft shell jackets are very cool looking jackets.   The Coyote Brown is a nice eye catching but very tactical looking jacket.   In rainy weather this does give you a very lightweight yet breathable jacket that will keep you dry and is not long and flappy like many rain coats.   These are available in Multicam as well as Olive, Black and Navy.

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Somtimes our style of tactical pants changes for a reason

tactical pants Lately I have been carrying different gear with me at work and during classes.   Recently I was on a road trip and re discovered ankle and shoulder holsters and forgot what it was like to carry in those positions while driving 8hrs in a day.  There are plenty of reasons to consider ankle carry holsters but they are really meant for backups.   One thing I have noticed with various tactical pants is the cut of the pants near the ankles.  Not that I think people need bell bottom pants but this is something to seriously consider when you are carrying in this position.  Some styles of pants will not give you the movement you need and you will end up with your pants riding up on you.

When it comes to carrying handcuffs and batons, wallets and other paperwork, you are going to see huge differences in the types of pants out there.  Call me an old timer but I still don’t have Vertx tactical pants in my wardrobe although in 2013 I plan on getting some.   I have found I have learned to love the  Blackhawk lightweight tactical pants because they are holding up very well to all of the useage I have given them and the only negative I have so far are the lack of a left side wallet or ID pocket.   The pockets are a little too  deep for a wallet and I often feel like I lost it because it’s about 2-3 inches lower than it normally would be.   It’s not just about the material like 100% cotton ripstop or 65/35 poly cotton ripstop.

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Magpul Instructional DVDs

magpul dvdsWe have all watched the DVD market explode in the last decade, but some of the best firearm instruction videos have come to mainstream gun ownership and the quality of the skills being taught and production has dramatically improved.   This video collection from Magpul contains some of the best firearm instruction for the weekend warriors and concealed carry owners.  Chis Costa and Travis Haley both do an excellent job of communicating and the operator errors of students is documented and discussed throughout the series.   They didn’t edit out the bad parts to make people look good, they showed them how to fix the problem.

Some of the things taught in the series are advanced, but The Art of the Dynamic Handgun is an outstanding gift for anyone that has not taken a defensive course.   While we believe that anyone that has access to a firearm in a home or is carrying a firearm concealed, should immerse themselves in something like this.  There is an entire magpul DVD for concealed carry and it is well worth buying for yourself or others.    The shotgun is the number one home defense gun but there are advanced ways of operating one and for under $40 would it be worth it?

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Backpacks, range bags, and sleeping bags

Elite survival systems bagsYou really need to know what you need or what you are looking for before you start shopping for a range bag.   Too many people rush into buying backpacks and range bags and find out they needed something bigger or that they should have spent more money on something instead of buying small.  Pistol bags and range bags are often out grown as well as gun cases.   We should have hit the record button in the store this week and just posted the transcripts of some of the things our customers said about what they should have gotten from us in the last year.   Too many people start out with price restrictions and end up buying twice instead of once for rifle cases and range bags.   Scopes on pistols or added accessories like pistol magazines are nice to keep together, all  in once place.

Having a bugout bag means different things to different people and not everyone is going to put the same things in there.  Some tactical teams and swat teams are going to put things in something like  Elite Survival Systems bags that have food and medical supplies in them.  I think having medical supplies in a bugout bag are a good idea but small quantities of food or ammo is something you can easily stow away and just forget it’s there.   The Elite Survival Systems smokescreen concealment backpack, especially the navy blue one is very low profile and almost looks like it should say NIKE   on it since it’s very sporty or athletic looking.

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Don’t get confused but they are still making your Original Swat footwear

original swat bootsWe have had this happen a few times in the past but this year we have a few SKU changes with the Original Swat footwear company.  Some of the boots that we have carried in recent years  have been given a new product code and it will be a little confusing for some in the short term, but eventually it will  work itself out.  Boots like the 1271 were a big hit but the product code has changed to the 116101.   Boxes are still marked with the old product codes but are being sold as a different one.   This was for inventory management on their end and not ours.   Some of the composite safety toe boots are very popular because school security or bank security guards don’t want the high boots.

There are a few other new boots we are bringing in stock this year and it’s looking like it will be a shorter boot that wins out in 2013.   The 126101 and the 116101 have been a biggest selling 6 inch Original swat boots and recently surpassed the 1151 boots.  The 1151 coyote is a favorite of ours with our local township and municipalities.   There’s just something eye catching about that boot and even those the size zip boots outsell the lace up, the 1151 is very popular.   Make sure you take advantage of our winter beanie cap promo and check out our Broomall, Pennsylvania showroom that is stocked with the Original Swat footwear tactical boots.

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