Rifle optics and gun cases
I believe in having a holster for every handgun and a rifle case for every rifle. When people are putting $1000 Trijicon ACOGs on their rifles they are considered to be tough for combat, but sometimes things get slammed around in cars and unwanted dents and dings occur. SKB rifle cases are on the heavy side, but if you have a bigger sized vehicle, these are very easy to stow in and get out and it’s sturdy enough to not worry about damage if you have to bury it with other gear. You may even be able to keep most of the rifle magazines and accessories in the case as well as some othe range gear. Drag bags are another great rifle case, but they may be a bit of an overkill when it comes to using them for something as small as a Carbine.
It is always good to think ahead of yourself when you are selecting a firearm. Sometimes people get into situations with their tactical gear that seemed pretty obvious, but somehow it was missed. I have never had a major problem with my rifle scopes, probable because I already owned so many rifle cases, but I have had problems with fitting my Carbines into soft rifle cases because of the flashlights or rifle optics I was using. If it was too much of a headache, I just took my hunting rifle cases and used those for the short term. Sometimes when you are accessorizing the heck out of your guns, the last thing you are thinking about is how to pack it all up and transport it without having to take everything off the rails. Many of the soft tactical rifle cases may be too tight at the top of the case and you are risking damaging a mount or breaking the zipper.
Anyone that works for a fire company will tell you the stories about having to cut people out of cars. This is literally what occurs when really bad car accidents occur. Not only do you have to pull people out of twisted metal, but you may have to cut them out of their seat belt of they were fortunate enough to be wearing one. Storing fix a flat in your car is very practical and useful for you and if you know someone who is in a bad situation that can use it. There are times when I have done more good samaratin deed and handed someone a can of fix a flat and told them to just get on their way, but what about if you get in a car wreck, can you get yourself free of your own seat belt? They make quick and easy to detach slings for rifles for such incidences, but seat belts can restrain you in situations where you need to get out.
This summer has already been hotter than the summers that I remember in the previous decade. Since I’ve been wearing the same clothing or similiar types of clothing for the past coupl years, I can really feel the changes in seasons. In New Jersey we get all 4 Seasons, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring. Good luck in trying to wear the same pants or shirt through all of that! 5.11 Tactical has probable the most diverse product line, but we get an enormous number of complaints from them. Eotac products have been on the market for bairly more than a year and we’re still hoping for more new products. In the summer months we can really feel the need for more lightweight products. The concealed carry clothing that works the best in really hot weather are the Style 403 and Style 404 shirts which are basically as light as a t-shirt, but designed for concealing a firearm, and they allow for easy access under cover.
There have been many changes in the materials being used in modern sidearms. Many of the polymer firearms have a huge advantage over their previous counterparts primarily due to their corrosion resistance. Along with corrosion resistance, many of these firearms also depend on lubrication far less. Gun holsters have progessed as far as being made in materials that can handle sweat and dirt resistance. I’ve heard plenty of stories about people ruining the finish on various blued firearms just from one or two harsh weather environments and people not getting around to cleaning them in time. I’ve personally seen a few revolvers end up being horrible pitted after an operator sweat up a storm and never bothered to clean the sidearm.
Most of us alreayd know that when we buy a new gun we usually get some sort of factory gun case. These gun cases are nice for transporting the gun it is intended for and possible can hold a few magazines. I’ve got a pile of them in my storage room, but I never use them for range trips. I own a few range bags since I tend to actually use them for more than just packing up guns. After having several experiences with forgeting to bring ammo, magazines, targets or staplers, I’ve learned to pack up my stuff and leave it in a bag that always comes to the range with me.
If you feel comfortable carrying the same handgun all year long, you may be in the minority. Many feel the need to get into a summer/ winter carry routine and I feel that is fairly common. Carrying a fiream IWB in the depth of winter may mean your gun is under 2 or 3 layers of clothing which can mean murphys law may come quicker.
The new apparel company named Eotac has been out for over a year and we have noticed the Style 202 pants are slightly lighter weight and don’t feel as heavy as the Woolrich Elite version. We have had virtually zero customer complaints about the durability of these pants and they don’t feel as baggy in the seat. There are also differences in the cargo pockets. Many people are asking what the difference is between all of these products because they are very similiar. The rear wallet or ID pockets on the Eotac pants are easier to access and have an easier to access pull tab to open it. The cargo pockets are all bellowed which makes them hold more, although they are not like BDU cargo pockets.
With the advent of the accessorized rifle or carbine, people are putting so many things on rifles these days that need to be screwed on, locked in, and battery operated that Murphys law has some really cold things to say about this. Every screw on your carbine is going to come loose at some point and every battery operated device will fail at some point. I’ve seen a lot of accessories that fit in the pistol grip, buttstock or other areas and this is nice for some purposes, but any of those operators were spending more than a day with their setup, they find that they aren’t carrying enough tools sand gear on their guns to get through 48hrs of hard use.
We was flipping through a few gun magazines and noticed I was living in a new era of flahslight technology. The age of ever ready flashlights and mag-lite flashlights seems to have passed. Battery technology has also improved, but we still haven’t gotten to wear we need to be to really break into a new era. The major advancement is in light bulb technology. LED bulbs are thousands of times longer lasting and don’t drain batteries like the previous designs. Flashlights are almost all water proof these days and the beam and throw is increadable.
Do you own a rifle that could use a nice scratch up the barrel? Well, I thought so, so why do people not think about buying a rifle case for every gun they own? One thing I’ve found is it’s really a good idea to buy atleast, one soft case for each semi-auto you own and then put a tag or label on it so you know that gun will fit in it. How many times have you gone to the range and had to figure out which rifle goes where?