SWANSBORO,
NC, July 31, 2019 – High Speed Gear® has been contracted to provide Heckler
& Koch® with more than 30,000 rifle TACO® pouches as part of their
fulfilment of the Army squad designated marksman rifle contract. The TACO®
MOLLE pouch was chosen for its functionality, versatility and retention.
The
TACO® will handle any type of rifle magazine.
This unique pouch uses injection-molded polymer sides, 1000D Cordura® front
and back, and shock cord lacing to securely hold almost any rifle magazine. The
TACO® maintains a positive, adjustable grip on its contents without
additional securing systems and deploys easily and silently on demand.
“We were so pleased to work with Heckler and Koch®
on this equipment contract for the Army,” said Bill Babboni, HSGI® vice
president of sales and operations. “While we have supported individual military
units and personnel for years, to have two sizeable military contracts is truly an honor.
Our recent contract with the Marines for
150,000 X2R TACO® and this contract of 30,000 TACOs® heading to the Army means High
Speed Gear is doing the right things at the right time for our service members.
It truly reflects well on our teams and the great work they continue to do here.
We couldn’t be more grateful to support our military.”
For
more than 20 years, High Speed Gear® has been dedicated to building the best
American-made tactical gear with distinct and innovative products such as the
TACO® and the Sure-Grip Padded Belt®. Our products are designed for
the highest level of comfort, functionality, versatility and are always user
driven to meet the operational needs of a wide variety of end users.
I have been wearing a Hawkrigger 38 Grapple Gun Belt every day since March. In that time I have used in on mountain bike and gravel bike rides, on day hikes, on an overnighter, during kettlebell workouts, on the range, and for general everyday use. Let’s see what I’ve learned.
Overview
The 38 Grapple Gun Belt is sewn from 38mm (1.5″) wide, US-made scuba webbing. The webbing is double layered and has 4 circumferential stitches for stiffness.
The name “Grapple” comes from the G-hook style buckle. It is made from stainless steel and aggressively deburred to remove any sharp edges. The buckle has a slightly curved shape to conform to the wearer.
Observations from Use
I mentioned some of the activities that I have tried while wearing this belt like biking and kettlebell workouts. I did these activities specifically while wearing appendix carry holsters in order to test various aspects of the belt.
I cycled many more than 200 miles on pavement, forest roads, and trails while wearing this belt. I stopped tracking miles after the first few weeks and I’ve worn this belt on all my rides since so the actual mile count is much higher. I figured that this would be a good test of comfort given the forward bent position that cycling requires. The Grapple is stiff in the direction that it needs to be (up and down) but relatively compliant circumferentially which makes it very comfortable while still able to effectively bear weight. I find it to be very comfortable for AIWB carry as well as 3-4 o’clock hip carry.
I wore the Grapple during kettlebell workouts to see if the adjustment would slip. I never had to tighten the belt during a workout and if you know about the mechanics of a kettlebell swing, that should be impressive. It seems like the more tension you put on the buckle, the more it bites and holds. The only instances I have ever had to tighten it have required very little tightening and it usually happens when there is very little tension on the belt.
This belt is easy to wear. It is easy to open, easy to close, easy to thread into belt loops, and easy to adjust. The hooked buckle mates easily with a sewn-in loop in the webbing. The webbing is stiff enough that this loop is always held open when the belt isn’t under tension. You can latch and unlatch with your eyes closed. The open end threads easily in any pants and some pants will even allow the very low profile buckle design to pass through the loops.
The adjustment on this belt is very straight forward. Coarse adjustments are best made when the belt is not threaded in pants. Fine adjustments can be made easily by levering the adjustable side of the buckle forward and then either ratcheting it tighter or allow some webbing to slip in order to loosen. I am not sure to what extent Hawkrigger knew that the adjustment would work out this way, but I like it. It is almost like a ratcheting mechanism without moving parts.
The belt comes with an elastic loop that keeps the excess length under control. The belts are available in multiple standard sizes. When you buy one, you provide your measurement and Hawkrigger provides the correct size based on your measurement. I like that the guesswork is taken out of the process as I often fall between sizes and never feel sure about which size to pick. The belt has a generous amount of adjustment built-in.
The quality of this belt is excellent. It has massive bar tacks where appropriate, 4 full-length circumferential stitches bonding the layers of webbing, cleanly cut and sealed edges, and quality components. Mine still basically looks new. I was concerned about how the buckle hook would wear against the webbing loop over time but that concern has been unfounded due to the lack of anything resembling a sharp edge.
I should also point out that, at just over $50, this belt costs about half of what my previous gun belt cost and I have found that it meets my needs better. I consider this to be an excellent value.
Wrap Up
This is an excellent gun belt. It bears the weight of a gun well and strikes the right balance between rigidity and flexibility. The design is simple, easy to live with, and comfortable to wear. I am wearing it as I type this and I’ll be wearing days later when you read this.
The Beez Combat Systems APTUM PC (plate carrier) system was introduced recently. As part of that release, we are covering many of the available options for this new PC. This installment covers the assorted accessories in the APTUM line which are also useful for many other plate carriers.
APTUM T Bag – The T Bag is a “belly bag” or drop bag that can be attached under the APTUM cummerbund flap. It sits directly below the front plate pocket and provides additional storage for first aid or admin items. It has a built-in tourniquet holder and internal elastic organization. The front of the T Bag features a large 4×6″ loop panel for attaching ID or chemlight holders.
APTUM Shoulder Pads – The APTUM Shoulder Pads are 6″ long and designed to be low-profile. They feature closed-cell foam/Hexcel padding for comfort and breathability. Their series of laser cut slots provide hydration and comms routing while remaining slick when not in use.
The Beez Combat Systems APTUM PC (plate carrier) system was introduced recently. As part of that release, we are covering many of the available options for this new PC. This installment covers the magazine insert options that the end-user can select based on their mission.
In addition to the obvious use of MOLLE compatible pouches, the APTUM features a “kangaroo pouch” in the front, behind the cummerbund flap area for magazine carriage. This hook and loop pouch can be configured with their APTUM Magazine Inserts to carry up 1, 2, or 3 magazines.
The kangaroo pouch/insert set up offers some advantages. The inserts can be used to augment the capacity of regular MOLLE compatible mag pouches or they can be used as a primary magazine carriage option that will lay mostly flat when not in use.
These inserts, available in 1, 2, and 3 magazine models, may also be available with other plate carriers.
Hawkrigger has developed a new buckle based on a historic French military dive belt. The buckle consists of two metal plates – one larger and one smaller. The smaller side is adjustable and can be passed through the larger, locking the belt closed. It is designed to be easy to adjust, easy to don/doff, and with no buckle parts that can wear out.
The Para Bellum buckle is already available in very limited numbers on both the Para Bellum Watch Band and Para Bellum Belt via direct message on Instagram. These will be available for regular purchase soon at Hawkrigger.com. Stay tuned for details.
