Like the Banshee Plate Carrier before it, the new Banshee QD Plate Carrier has received LAPD approval for individual officer purchase. The QD makes a lot of sense for the type of user who will not be wearing it all the time, like a patrol officer, because of how easy to don and doff it is.
Shellback Tactical also produced this handy graphic that shows the entire line of products that they make for the Banshee PC. It is quickly becoming one of the best supported PCs on the market.
Shellback Tactical has been working with various airsoft companies in order to highlight the money saving aspect and training value of airsoft. They plan on highlighting these airsoft companies that they believe offer a quality product that can stretch your training dollars. This effort will serve as a way to introduce professionals who may know quite a bit about about “real steel” but may not know where to begin when it comes to airsoft. The first such company that they have mentioned is Elite Force, an airsoft weapon manufacturer.
“Shellback Tactical products are tried and proven as professional grade gear among , real steel, Military and LE. These are our core markets. When it comes to training, we also know that going to the range to get a good training session in regularly on your rifle or handgun, can cost a small fortune for some. With that said we believe that there are benefits to also cross training with Milsim/ Airsoft weapons. You can train with a similar airsoft weapon to what you use and get a good session in for sight alignment, shot placement, movement, etc. for a very low cost.”
I have never really tried airsoft but I have to admit that it becomes more and more intriguing to me as ammo prices climb and availability dwindles. I am currently set up to train with rimfire which is very affordable but the ammo is extremely difficult to find. It is interesting to see companies known for catering to professionals, like Shellback Tactical, working with airsoft companies. It is not hard to imagine that this sort of thing may become more common as the challenges against range training continue to mount.
Shellback Tactical also referenced this video by Travis Haley in regard to some best practices for airsoft training:
The Banshee QD Plate Carrier, improved Banshee Shoulder Pads, and Warfighter Padded Belt are now available direct from Shellback Tactical. These items were previously only available through Tactical Assault Gear. Hopefully, the Banshee QD cummerbund will be available separately soon for users who want to retrofit their current Banshee PC.
Just yesterday I mentioned the Banshee Defender System from Victory Tactical Gear and Shellback Tactical. I commented that I wasn’t aware of any formal testing of the RTP26225 plates that are included in the package. Lo and behold, Victory Tactical Gear posted a video about the plate yesterday evening. It isn’t what you would call formal testing but it is a good baseline for the plate’s performance.
Our friends at Shellback Tactical have partnered with Victory Tactical Gear (VTG) to offer a package deal, the Banshee Defender System, that includes two of VTG level IV stand-alone plates along with a Shellback Tactical Banshee Plate Carrier. The package sells for $480. I haven’t seen any formal testing of these plates but, for what it’s worth, the anecdotal accounts of their performance have been good. I can also relate that the Banshee is a reasonably comfortable PC for stand-alone plates, even single curve plates like these, since the plate pockets are padded.
