All posts tagged gun accessories

5.11 tactical bags and accessory pouches

It seems that everyone and their dog has making nylon gear but there is a very big difference  in the quality.   We’ve sold a ton of clothing over the years and it often amazes me about the customers that have pointed out product defects.   There have been stitching issues with just about every clothing manufacturer and sometimes missing buttons.  Nobody is perfect but there are definitely customer service issues and consistency differences.  5.11 tactical is King of the tactical accessories and clothing, but there are several smaller companies that do things better and have their own niche.

As an internet based business we don’t stock everything in our Pennsylvania location and we ship from multiple locations.   When it comes to stocking gun cases and rifle cases  we have chosen to stock the Elite Survival Systems product line because it just seems more interesting.  Don’t get me wrong the 5.11 gun cases we sell are very nice and to each his own when it comes to choosing a gun bag.   The 5.11 rush messenger bag is a very popular gun bag and it might just be the right size for what you need.

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Daniel Defense and what else there is !

Well that may not be great English but that’s what I felt like saying,  I spent all day yesterday reading and watching the Daniel Defense videos and trying to figure out what we’ll be doing this year as far as stocking gun parts, namely AR15 uppers.   It feels like it was only yesterday that we the Mapgul MOE was new, but it’s been more than a year since we started moving those out the door to wanting customers.   I am and will always be primarily an LWRC fan because there is just too much I like about the guns to want to move on to something else.  Considering the price ranges of a good AR15 these days, $2000 is about what you will spend and there is a lot of stuff to decide.

The trend right now is absolutely about lightening the weight of the firearm.   This is something that Daniel Defense Uppers absolutely are getting done very well.   I really have to laugh at the whole lightweight upper thing because when I first purchased an AR15 it was all about heavy barrels.  Everyone and there dog had a Bushmaster XM15E2 that had a heavy target barrel and the debate was about how these firearms held up to sustained firing

 

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What holster should I use?

Is usually the question we get when people walk in the door for the first time and want us to give them advice for their first gun holster.  There are  more and more people carrying firearms in the Country that before and mostly that is because of the status of the economy. The best mode of carry would probable be inside the waistband because this is where you can get the most access as well easy easy concealment.  Being able to get your firearm out fast enough might be the difference between winning the fight and losing it.

When it comes to home protection I am a big fan of people putting the handguns away and using a shotgun or M4 carbine with a light as a weapon.   Each firearm can be used like a baseball bat, easier to handle  under stress and ballistically both firearms.  You can modify your firearms with Magpul Accessories and customize them to you or your family members.   Many people are transitioning towards the MOE because it does help  lighten your gun up compared to the traditional Quad rails that nobody seems to want to use anymore.

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Finding a place to try thing out

We  have heard people say for years now that they wish they knew a place where people could go to try on various tactical pants or concealment holsters and not have to deal with ordering things online.   I’ve had enough experience shopping for clothing online for women to know that images and color swatches don’t always tell you what a product is because there are still many variances that can cause you to see a color wrong.  Not everyone sets their computer monitors to the same standards and the differences between a light green and a lime color may be an issue on your side of the screen and not the other.

When it comes to gun accessories and gear, sometimes its the time of the year and the way you hold a firearm that determines your comfort.  Sometimes people pick up magpul accessories and start complaining about how something feels and people forget that at one time your first 22LR probable didn’t fit your shoulder either.  Sometimes you have to grow into a firearm and others you have to adjust to.   There are different ways to hold a Carbine in a fighting position and some shooting positions are not comfortable for very long.   Start off simple and add on as you need to.  If you have too much of an issue with accessorizing your firearm, get another gun.

 

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Beretta 92 vs 1911 and locking holsters

There has absolutely been a trend away from handguns with manual safeties for a very long time, but for some reason somebody is always trying to put one back on them.   The Springfield XD is probable the latest handgun that has a grip safety, but that still won’t cause you to not fire if you are are reckless.  Most negligent discharges occur when holstering firearms and if your hand is pushing down, which it mostly likely is, you still might set off the gun.  And now you have played your hands into Glock ownership.

The nice think about Sigs and Beretta firearms is decocking them after shooting and having a not so much safety, but just a heavier trigger which is somewhat of a buffer to prevent negligent discharges during holster ect.   The Beretta 92FS or M9 has a safety, but carrying with the safety off is far safer than carrying a 1911 with the safety off, the Blackhawk Serpa holsters seem to be a very good combination for the Beretta 92 handgun and the carrying them with the safety off gives you the above mentioned heavy first trigger pull and you won’t have to fumble a thumb safety then have to release the holster, and then get to the trigger.

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One thing at a time is the way to modify a firearm

People can move entirely too fast when it comes to customizing and AR15 rifle.   I  have seen countless times while attending Carbine courses where people end up just stripping their guns down and finish the courses with flashlights and grips being removed.   One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent months is a move away from foregrips.   That whole stance is somewhat un-natural for people although in some people’s minds, it looks cool  so they want to do it too.

The move away from using the foregrips of the past has actually been a move towards getting rid of them or the Magpul angled foregrips.   These Magpul stocks and accessories have really become original as a matter of fact, the MOE stands fro Magpul Original Equipment which very much lives up to it’s name.  Once students got down on the ground or were shooting from behind cover, the protruding gun parts and accessories really got in the way and opened an Operator up to snags and bonking.

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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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Nylon holsters from Blackhawk

Nylon holsters are always a good starting point for people to understand what it’s like to carry a firearm.   I have several of the older Uncle Mike’s gun holsters that I picked up at gun shows and they are all holding up.   The only reason I don’t use them is because I don’t find them to lock onto my gun belts as well as they should, so I’ve moved on.   To this day that is still one of the major reason I pass or fail a gun holster.   The gun angle or how deep it sits is a personal preference, but clip on belt holsters better be secure or they get an F.

I’ve picked up several of the Kydex holsters from Galco and was not very happy with them for the same reason I did not like some of the Uncle Mike’s clip on holsters.  The Blackhawk holsters like the Hip holster are pretty much the same.  If it works for you then use it, but they aren’t going to be the most secure.   Some of the Elite Survival holsters are better thought out and made in the USA so give them a shout.

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Blackawk Serpa vs CCW gun holsters

I love all of my handguns for various reasons and I guess that’s because I’ve learned to appreciate each aspect of them and the genius of the designs.   Once you achieve a certain level of experience you become to know that so much of guns and gear is about the job at hand and personal preference.   When arguments break out in our showroom its not about leather vs. kydex, but it’s about the levels of retention, Safariland holsters and Blackhawk seem to go together, but many like one over the other.  Much internet traffic has been generated about the USMC adopting the Blackhawk Serpa and how the guns can get jammed up in the  holsters and not release.

The Blackhawk CQC holsters are a marketed as concealment holsters too but many will find a holster like this hard to conceal except in the winter months, Blackhawk holsters like the Serpa in many peoples opinion, especially the Military is a fine duty holster.   There will always be a need for IWB gun holsters and Don Hume holsters and Galco holsters are still our biggest concealed carry gun  holsters.   IWB is probable the most practical although pocket carry is becoming very popular.   Pocket carry is still very much a white collar CCW and not really the best option for self defense.   Practice and situational awareness come before modes of CCW, but IWB will always be a more reliable way of carrying a firearm.

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Don’t think magazine capacity is the only thing that wins the race

It’s really also a contest about speed.   There seems to be an addiction to 30rd magazines with AR15 owners but all you have to do is roll the clock back 20yrs and most of the gun magazines for M14s, FALs and G3s were 20rds.   Why were they 20rd magazines…because the guns were far too clumsy and bulky with 30rd.   There is still some truth to that with 30rd 5.56 magazines.   The AK47 is a firearm that is very clumsy do to it’s contour when being fired from the ground and would also be better balanced with 20rd magazines.

If you are in the business of having to suppress targets, than higher capacity magazines are for you, but for moving with speed and agility, try the 20rd magpul pmags for sale.   There are several new Magpul accessories that are giving better balance back to the AR15, especially the M4 design which was really getting out of control with protruding fore grips ect.   The magpul angled fore grip is something that brings you closer to the tradition gun hold but gives you the ability to grip your firearm better.

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