All posts tagged Tactical Gear

Tactical gear and taking to a paint ball game

I’ll admit this up front, some of the best combat training I have ever had was the number of years I played paintball with friends.  Not only did I learn communication skills and human behavior, but I learned about what kind of clothing I prefer to wear if I am going to be running around.  Things like car keys and cell phones can get in the way when you are laying down or swing you hands around.   Certain types of jackets can really restrict the amount of movement  you are needing and simple things like raising a gun up and trying to hold it in mid air can be stressful if you have lots of heavy clothing on.

The Eotac style 101 vests are very good tactical vests, but I realize the type of gear that swat teams and military may be putting on a vest may not be suitable for anything like this.   These vests are on the soft side and may be a little too long for those getting in and out of vehicles that may want handguns or gear to sit up higher on the chest line, but for playing paintball, these tactical vests is probable the best configuration for you.  The large rifle magazine pockets will hold paintball tubes and they are very deep that this will give you added security.   The soft flexibility is also useful and this vest will easily sit on top of whatever type of clothing you are wearing.  It makes a very good outerwear piece of clothing.   It is also easily washable although I do suggest you make sure you take everything that shouldn’t be washed out of the pockets, there are so many of them that it’s easy to get lost in them.

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Shoulder holsters being banned from Defensive training?

I first heard about this 3 years ago when I was taking a class, and I’m glad I didn’t bring my Uncle Mike’s vertical holster with me when I was taking the class, but it really wasn’t that style that was an issue.   Understandable so,  shoulder holsters, if not properly used, can be a hazzard to people behind the firing line, especially if it is a vertical rig.   Everyone seems to think of the Galco holster The Miami Classic when they think of that style of carry, but not all holsters are like that.   They look cool, but standing next to several people with that style of carry isn’t going to  be safe when everyone is holstering and un-holstering.

I do not think that shoulder holsters are less safe, and I personally think they are very practical for people that do a lot of driving, and it’s one of my favorite ways to carry a large size semi-auto.   Paddle holsters and OWB holsters are hard to draw from in the seat position and Bulldog holsters along with Uncle Mikes make very inexpensive holster rigs.  The Bulldog holsters have a double magazine pouch which gives you a little bit more weight distribution.   Shoulder holsters aren’t the best for CCW because the straps can ride up on you, but if you wear the appropriate clothing they can work.

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My new LWRCI an C-Products

With things being pretty shaky with our economy right now,  I have been doing a lot of thought about what I am planning to use at training sessions in the coming year.   I have watched the prices of 5.45×39 for almost 2yrs now and seen very limited movement.    Almost 10yrs ago I did a range test at a 500yd gun club where I tested a Romanian SARI and a Romanian SARII side by side.   I engaged targets at 100yds and tested groups sizes.  I’m very much aware of what the AK was designed to do and expecting better than 4inch groups from a 7.62×39 gun is a  lot with military ammo.   I know you can do better with handloads, but that’s another story.   As I  proceed out to 300yds, I had more and more  hold over with the SARI rifle.   The SARII gun was nailing targets and I don’t think I was holding more than 12 inches over the targets.   Even though I thought the gun was a little clunky, it was as flat shooting as an M4 Carbine.

My LWRCI upper was something I have wished for, for several years.    I know I will  be the first amongst my friends to test this gun out, but it seems to be a better thought out idea over the Smith & Wesson 5.45×39 upper.    The Smith & Wesson is a direct impingement gun and even though they will fit in the same gun cases as my LWRCI, I don’t thing they are the same.   Say what you will about the AR design, but this LWRCI upper is a combat gun and not a plinking gun.   I wouldn’t expect a gun like the S&W to hold up to much abuse unless there was a domestic manufacturer of 5.45×39 ammo.

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Matching guns to gun cases

I am a strong believer in marking all of your gear, not just because you need to have your name on it, but it’s a good to keep your stuff well organized so you don’t run into an “aw shit” moment when you didn’t pack up something vital for your daily events.  I just spent a weekend hanging out with someone that locked up all of his guns, but didn’t keep all of the keys together and couldn’t open up one of the gun cases.   I suggest people have a range bag to keep tools and range magazines in and then a good tactical vest.   The reason I suggest these is it’s best to really keep putting everything in the same place and know that every time you go to the range, items A and B are always with you, and then bring whichever gun or ammunition you need.

I always match the rifle case to the gun and leave the magazines or the bare minimum of 3-5 of them inside the case pockets.   Sight in tools are always in my tactical vest along with ear plugs, shooting glasses and even a small bottle of bug spray.   I wear my Eotac Style 101 vest under some of my hunting jackets just because it’s a little bit of an overkill for hunting, but it has everything I need in it.   I keep field dressing gloves, tactical gloves and elbow pads in this, also.

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Happy feet even if you aren’t dancing

I remember all of the times I heard my Grandparents or Uncles make comments about getting old and I thought it was somewhat funny, but as I got into my early 40s and listen to my friends, it’s a constant medical report when we get into the “How’s everything going”.   One issue many of my law enforcement SWAT teams have issues with are there feet.   Most of these guys are pretty well in shape, but feet are something that can’t take the constant abuse or neglect without future repurcussions.    In my line of work, I’m lucky if a pair sneakers will hold up for more than 3 months because of the amount of weight and lifting I do.   I tried out the traditonal Dr. Scholls inserts and they worked well for about a month, but then they are shot.   Last summer at a Police and Security Expo we tried some foot inserts that came with a 2yr Warranty and they didn’t last 2 months.   It was somewhat of a shocking failure of a product.

Since we have moved on to carrying the Original Swat boots, if there is the slightest hint that the insoles are wearing out, original swat makes there own gel inserts that work very well.   The Style 1232 Air 9″ give you extra support for hopping around on concrete and hard surfaces.  I have not had to swap out or put any gel inserts in this style of boot and we’re going on over 4 months of 6 day a week use.   I started wearing these at the end of the summer months so it’s hard to say if they are going to be really comfortable to wear in hot environments, but I’m still impressed with how lightweight they fell on my feet.

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Think about the magazine holders before you buy

I was at a Zombie competition over the weekend and I have to say that this was by far the most professionally run competitions and some of the best tactical gear and firearms I have ever seen on a firing range.   There were several shotgun courses which meant there were plenty of people showing up with shotguns and gear, part of the fun of the competition is that every that competed in this everyone that was there had to lug the gear that used with them at all times.  Even though you still have to see a lot of Made in China on the gear, the designs of holsters and magazine holders has improved.

There were a few tactical vests that I got to see that were specifically designed for shotguns.   I’m doing a little research on what kind of vests these were, but it was impressive.   Uncle Mikes and Fobus make kydex magazine holders which work very well for IDPA or competitive shooting, but they are not the most vesatile for real hard use.   Eventually these holders will get a little loose with hard usesage and you will hear a rattle when moving fast.    Carrying magazines that have straps on them are not the best for competition or CCW because I personally think it’s one more thing to have to flip out of the way.  For combat these work fine and for some competitions they work, but I strongly recommend the use of the Blackhawk single and double stack holders.

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The Air 9″ Side Zip MTO 1232 from Original Swat

The first week I wore the Style 1232 I noticed only a little extra weight from the walking I did, but I actually noticed immediately that the soles of my feet were fine.   The inside of the boot fit me well and I did not develope and sores or rough spotss.   My feet also did not sweat real bad and I was working in 80F weather.    The boots didn’t breath as well as sneakers, but who would expect that.   After 2 months of wearing the same boots for almost 6 days a week.   I have had almost no pain my feet and I have actually been able to lift more than I normally can without issues.   I guess it sounds pretty bad to have to talk about my poor physcial health, but just because you are wearing tactical gear, doesn’t mean you have to be the fastest runner on your team.

We were new to the idea of carrying tactical footwear, but our customers basically gave us enough feedback on what they wanted us to carry that we went out and contacted Original Swat to find out about being a dealer.   All of our Staff are presently wearing the product line and we’ll fill you in as time goes by on various styles and what people think of them.   I personally got a hold of the Style 1232 from Original Swat boots and given that I have had my fair share of foot problems, I wasn’t really sure how well my feet were going to handle wearing boots.   I had the unfortunate experience of having foot surgery on both feed in the last few years and my physical movements have been restricted because of the problems.   I was forced to wear sneakers in most situations just because they were much softer on my feet.

 

 

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Suggestions for concealment in Fall and Winter

There are a great many arguments on the gun forums about how bad of an idea it is to carry using a vests becuase it supposedly gives you away.   Well, if you are 22yrs old and wearing a vest and it’s 80F outside, you probable will look out of place, but you have to realize that most bad guys don’t think like that.   If you factor in how many people that carry concealed firearms vs. the statistics that don’t, you’re probable over thinking.   Find out which guy you really prefer to carry and dress accordingly.   The Eotac Style 102 lightweight vest is extremely popular with many of our customers living in Texas and in the Southwest do to it’s 100% cotton material.   It gives you some  protection against the sun and won’t weigh you down.

The Eotac style 103 vests is a fairly new vest, but it has been growing in popularity due to it’s length and pocket designs.  I don’t normally recommend carrying  a fiream in outerwear, but the Eotac vest will help you conceal a full size auto and be able to stow a firearm in the outer pockets without printing.   The elastic straps  inside the pockets will secure any other knives, flashlights or magazines for added security.   This is not a lightweight vest, but I think that it is very well balanced and does not look too tactical for a concealed carry vest.   The Style 101 vests are by far the most tactical looking, but we do have some operators that wear them under another lighweight jacket and prefer the soft fabric over a harness locking vest.

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Short deployments and planning ahead

I prefer the Eotech optics for most fighting within 200yds.   I have yet to pick up one of the G23 FTS magnifiers because I am waiting to find out if there is going to be a 4x version coming out.  To me there is zero magnification and then there is 4x, and then I move up to 10x.   I really find there to be no real reason to do the 1-3x or anything between 5-8x.   The magnifer is an good idea for someone who already owns the Eotech and wishes they had an ACOG.   You may think that is a funny thing to say, but it’s true.   The Trijicon ACOG is a nice optic, but it does have it’s limitations in close up fighting and if you want to mount a red dot on top of the scope, you’ll be dealing with extremely high mounted optics for 30% more money.

 

I think there is a difference between what a SWAT Team should be planning to use as far as accessories and gear and what Military personal should expect.   I have had my fair share of experiences with combat Eotech rifle scopes optics and optics that I would just consider for hunting that were very durable.   I have never had a bad experience with an optic that cost me more than $200.   I’ve had some optics that have been on my hunting rifles  with 5000 or more rounds and I have never had a loss of zero.   Although we all know that there are differences in the types of optics, most of us won’t have issues if we mount them properly.  Most combat optics will come with a mount or already are a one piece unit like the Eotech rifle scopes.

 

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Breaking down doors may mean it’s time to wear gloves

My favorite part of these competitions is see who packed there gear the best.   I remember all of the arguing about which gun was better and which calibers were better in a firefight, but in reality, the guy that can supress his enemy will eventually be able to overcome them.  There’s always the 6’5″ 220lb guy that shows up with a battle rifle and is able to pull off the task, but he’s rarely in the top scorers in the close quarters fights.  Nobody want to get hit with any caliber bullet and putting more bullets in a target is better than the mythological one shot stopper rounds.

Last weekend we attended a Zombie shoot here in New York State where competitors from around the Country showed up for this fun event.   I enjoy going to these events because not only do we get a more diverse crowd of people there, it’s basically a live fire gun show and I got to use my tactical gloves on the firing line.   You can witness just about any type of optic for long range shooting or close quarters combat and get to watch the competitors challenge there skills and weaponry. At some of the faster paced or group competitions, another issue arose. Every other guy had an issue with hot brass flying down his shirt or burned his hand on hot brass or a hot firearm.  Now we’re getting to another realty of why it’s a good idea to pack the right gear and inlude a good pair of tactical gloves.

 

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