Tag Archives | tactical gear

FirstSpear Retro-Fit Cummerbund Kit, Tubes and 6/12

FirstSpear recently introduced a Retro-Fit Cummerbund Kit that features their Tubes and 6/12 technology (Tubes and 6/12 explained). Soldier Systems has been all over the coverage of the new kit.

The FirstSpear Retro-Fit Cummerbund Kit converts your old Velcro secured cummerbund to accept the Tubes closure system. I am not necessarily as Velcro-phobic as some people but plate carriers tend to use it extensively enough that it can become an issue. Velcro wears out, makes noise, and, perhaps worst of all, loses function if it gets extremely dirty (clogged with snow, mud, or other debris). FirstSpear Tubes shouldn’t really suffer any of these issues. All reports say that they are quiet, durable, and very resistant to the elements. This kit should also make a typical Velcro secured plate carrier much faster and easier to don and doff.

FirstSpear is offering a special deal right now that lets you get into a Retro-Fit Cummerbund Kit at a very reduced price. You just have to trade in your current cummerbund. You can find more details on the FirstSpear website.

Review: UW Gear Bandoleer

I have had the pleasure of trying out the UW Gear Bandoleer for both the AR and AK for the last several months. In that time, I have grown pretty fond of them. They have really impressed me with their low profile and versatility beyond just their intended purpose. These are more than just grab ‘n’ go rigs.

UW Gear Bandoleers for the AR (left) and AK (right)

Overview

The UW Gear Bandoleer is a pretty straight forward design. It is basically just 3 magazine pouches with a shoulder strap and a waist strap. The magazine pouches are secured in the pouches with UW Gear’s ground breaking flap closures (see the UW Gear Minuteman MKIII review for more details on the flaps). The pouches also feature UW Gear’s clever sewn in drainage holes.

The body of the Bandoleer is constructed on 1000D nylon. The shoulder strap and waist strap are constructed from comfortable 1.5″ webbing. All of the usual details that I have come to expect from UW Gear are present like box stitching wherever the webbing meets the bandoleer, rounded corners, straight and even stitching, and quality hardware throughout.

The UW Gear Bandoleer uses the same excellent pouches as the Minuteman MKII chest rig.

There is enough room to easily clear Magpuls no matter how you have them attached.

Intended Role

The UW Gear Bandoleer is designed to function as a grab ‘n’ go or quick reaction rig. It is quicker to don than a chest rig and offers more concealability. This rig is designed for when the fight comes to you and you just don’t have a lot of time to react. It is the type of rig that you might want to store right next to the rifle that you use to protect your home and property. It is perfect for use with a truck or tractor gun.

I know there are people out there who are bound to say something like extra magazines are overkill in these types of scenarios. However, it should be remembered that carrying extra magazines is not just about carrying extra ammo. Extra magazines are an essential part of clearing malfunctions. If at all possible, you should always avoid reinserting the same magazine that you just malfunctioned – hence the need for spares.

Back of the UW Gear Bandoleer

In Use

Much of the versatility of the UW Gear Bandoleer comes from the different ways that it can be worn. I can quickly throw the shoulder strap on and then go, only fastening the waist strap if there is time. It can be worn low on the support side so that it doesn’t interfere with a side arm worn on your weapon side. It can also be pulled around toward the wearer’s front where it serves as a sort of chest rig.

When pushed to the side or even slightly behind the hip, the Bandoleer conceals easily with a light jacket or even a button up shirt. This concealability really makes the UW Gear more than just a grab ‘n’ go rig for me. I can see a lot of value in having a way to very discreetly and securely carry rifle magazines in certain situations that an armed citizen may encounter.

Retrieving a magazine from the UW Gear Bandoleer will likely feel like second nature to those of you who are used to belt rigs. The Bandoleer rides low and is positioned much like pouches on a belt rig (though slightly higher). This is an extremely fast place to draw from even with the full coverage pouches.

The waist strap can be wrapped around the body of the pouch for more streamlined storage so you have less straps to deal with when donning the Bandoleer. It unravels easily with just a tug when you are ready to fasten it around your waist.

The waist strap can be wrapped when storing the UW Gear Bandoleer.

Crossing the straps like this at the rear will keep them in place but still allow you to free them with just a tug.

UW Gear places a side release buckle on both straps. This makes it very easy to doff the rig, even in an emergency.

It can be difficult to remove a magazine from the rig if the waist strap is not buckled. The entire rig seems to lift as you try to lift a single mag. This is more pronounced with curved AK mags and less of an issue with the straighter AR mags. It can be overcome with a small shake or by sharply jerking the magazines out of the pouch. The moral of the story is that you should be fastening the waist belt if you have the time because this will cure the issue.

You can cinch the UW Gear Bandoleer down pretty tight and it will resist shaking while moving. However, it will never be quite as locked down as a chest rig. This isn’t a dig on the UW Gear Bandoleer but rather an observation of all bandoleers. They are not meant to take the place of a dedicated fighting rig.

UW Gear continues to impress.

Conclusion

While the UW Gear Bandoleer is great as a grab ‘n’ go rig, its concealability and variety of discreet ways that it can be worn make it more than just an emergency rig. I continue to be impressed with the quality and thoughtful designs that UW Gear offers.

Check out the UW Gear Bandoleer for the AK-47 (and AK-74) and the AR-15/M-16/M4.

Note: The Bandoleers shown are early models. Current production models have 2 SRBs instead of 4 and use 1.5″ webbing for both straps.

Review: Fight and Flight Tactical Shot Shell Carrier

As if the Fight and Flight Tactical Hybrid Patch Panels aren’t already versatile enough, now you can add even more functionality with the addition of a Shot Shell Carrier. While this Shot Shell Carrier is designed specifically for use on the Hybrid Patch Panel, it works as a stand alone unit as well.

Fight and Flight Shotgun Shell Panel

Overview

The Fight and Flight Tactical Shot Shell Carrier is a pretty straight forward design. It is constructed from 2 pieces of 2″ webbing that are sandwiched together to make a backing. The back features a single row of MOLLE webbing and the the front has 5 elastic loops to hold the shotgun shells. It is designed to be attached via ITW Annex Clips which allows it to be attached to just one row of MOLLE webbing, making it more compact than most shot shell carriers.

The ITW Annex Clips seen here on the back of the panel make the small size possible.

In Use

There were no real surprises in use. It functions much like other elastic loop shell holders. It retains the shells well and allows them to be inserted with the brass up or brass down. Choosing whether the brass should be up or down is largely a function of preference and where the Shot Shell Carrier is mounted on your gear.

Many MOLLE compatible shot shell carriers are somewhat large. This isn’t necessarily because the size is needed to carry the shells but rather because a certain amount of size is necessary to attach to MOLLE webbing in the traditional way. This Fight and Flight Tactical Shot Shell Carrier is far more compact thanks to the use of the Annex Clips. They are really ideal for pouches like this that lack the vertical height needed to allow the weaving of MOLLE webbing.

Fight and Flight Shotgun Shell Panel Mounted on a 4x4 Hybrid Patch Panel

Conclusion

This is a simple, straight forward design that works and that is a pretty high compliment. It does what it needs to do – hold shotgun shells – and it doesn’t take up a lot of extra space while doing it. It works in conjunction with the Fight and Flight Hybrid Patch Panels but it also works just as well alone.

Check out the Shot Shell Carrier on FightandFlight.com.

Disclosure: This item was provided to me, free of charge, for review by Fight and Flight Tactical.

Blue Force Gear Ten-Speed Chest Rigs with MOLLE

The original Ten Speed Chest Rigs from Blue Force Gear were well known for their light weight, low profile, and versatility. However, they weren’t user configurable. Blue Force Gear went back to the drawing board and has returned with a new design for the Ten-Speeed Chest Rigs that gives the user even more flexibility.

The key to the original Ten-Speed Chest Rig’s lightweight, low profile, and versatility was the unique design of the Ten-Speed magazine pouches. This new version has the same pouches but there are fewer of them. The outer pouches have been replaced with MOLLE webbing so the user can add their own pouches like a blow out kit or admin pouch. So, the Ten-Speed Chest Rigs with MOLLE have the versatility of the Ten-Speed elastic mag pouches that can carry just about anything that you can fit into them along with the versatility of MOLLE webbing. Math isn’t my strongest subject, but I am pretty sure that equals more versatility.

Check out the Ten-Speed Chest Rigs with MOLLE on BlueForceGear.com.

UW Gear Update

There is plenty good news coming out of UW Gear lately. The biggest news is that they have streamlined their ordering process. You can now use a credit card or Paypal when placing an order. I know a few of you were holding off until credit card ordering was available. Now you don’t have an excuse for not owning some great UW Gear products.

UW Gear has also expanded their standard color/camo selection to include A-TACS FG and A-TACS AU. Both A-TACS patterns are available on all UW Gear items. John at UW Gear has put together a great series of photos on the UW Gear forum showing how A-TACS FG works in his area.

Stay tuned for the upcoming review of the UW Gear Bandoleer.

 

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