Equipment & Gear (34)
You know you live in a state with a high tax rate when a major manufacturer comes out with a "tax relief" rebate to cover your tax and the max reimbursement rate of 8% doesn't cover what you pay. We pay about 10% here in the Pacific Northwest. Oh well, still a good deal if you are looking at getting a Browning...I would love a Citori but don't have the $ at the moment. Oddly, Buckmarks which I would consider getting in the near future, are excluded.
Glock Gen4 in a Comp-Tac CTAC and new connector
Written by reg mathuszSo, I am still in the market for a Gen4 Glock 23 to match my Gen3 model 23 and 27. I have a pretty good assortment of holsters and the ability to use the same ones is somewhat important.
One of my favorites is the CompTac CTAC. Boy, that thing is thin! However, on their website it says that the CTAC will not fit Gen4's due to the dust cover. Surprised, I took my CTAC down to my local shop and had them stuff a Gen4 23 into it. It fit! YAY! Just thought I would share. If it is a concern stick it in and see if it fits.
Now, since I am talking Gen4's I thought I would point out that all of the current ones are coming with a(nother) revised recoil spring assembly and a new connector (people are calling it the . (dot) connector. Supposedly, it gives the pistols the feel of a broken in Gen3. YAY! I was a little put off by the first Gen4 triggers.
For current owners with pre-change pistols, supposedly Glock is being very good about sending replacement parts under warranty. Kudos to them!
Yeah, I know, buy a Gen4 already! Got to get some winter tires first.
Botach seems to get a mixed bag of reviews. They recently have moved to free shipping to be more competitive.
They also regularly run specials. Some are blah, but others are very good. The VERY good ones seem to sell out very quick (within the first hour). Oh well, guess you have to read your email pretty quick.
Anyway, they were sold out of the sale item that I wanted when I noticed that they had a couple of items on clearance. These were pretty small items (two of them) but I wanted to get them before they were gone. I ordered them figuring that I would probably have to add a couple items to make a minimum order.
Much to my surprise there was no minimum order! They not only took my $10 order but had it to my door in 2 days!
Kudos to Botach, that is great customer service!
I have had one for a while. Actually, this is my second one. The first one had its snaps pop off and after a couple of washes the nice dark black looked grayish.
Sig gave me an RMA to return it and they swapped it out. This one is much higher quality (snaps held, better threading, and dye). My coworker recently bought one and it is too is more improved -- better color, more pockets, longer -- so they are improving the product.
The draw of the jacket is that it has built in holsters on both sides so that you can carry a pistol and magazines without requiring any type of additional holster or rig.
It does this by having two HUGE caverns of pouches on the left and right side. They run the entire length of the jacket and are secured by a full run of velcro. Internally stitched are stretch loops that will hold anything from a pistol magazine to a full size pistol. My P220 fits into the holster!
The jackets are visually appealing. I like the wrist snaps (vs elastic), and the fact that the waist is also non-elastic. These are both reasons I chose it over a comparable 5.11 jacket. Additionally, I really like the look of the collar.
The jacket is very subdued looking. Nothing about it screams "CCW" and there is no visible "SIG" logo to give it away. It is very tasteful. Family members thought it was just another Carhart jacket.
How HUGE is the pouch?
I was able to carry a P220 on one side, and two 5lb bags of beef jerky in the other! It actually makes the 5.11 Vest pouches (which are quite large) seem small! (Link to my 5.11 vest review)
Does it conceal?
Heck yes. Big grip pistols do leave a small bulge (more like a small lump). It doesn't look like a pistol and is in a spot not normally associated with where a pistol would be. In fact, I think it looks more like you have a pack of cigarettes (or politically correct equivalent) in your jacket pocket. Thinner pistols seem to work better. My P225 was almost perfect (as would a P239 also).
Heavy pistols do weigh down one side significantly! You need to offset this with something like a 5lb bag of beef jerky, or you will feel it drag on your neck. It does distribute better than a vest (well, there is simply more material to distribute the weight). My P220 was very doable, however, a 5" 1911 was uncomfortable. Adding weight to the other side to counter balance caused more pressure to be pressed against the back of the neck. Best to keep the 1911 strapped to the waist if you are going to carry it for any length of time.
J-frame BUG (backup gun)!
I don't know if they did it on purpose but the outside pockets (one on each side for your hand) is PERFECT for S&W J-frame snub nosed revolver. I mean ridiculously perfect. Other owners (ok, 2) have remarked the same thing to me independently.
The bad that has been corrected?
Some features, that mine doesn't have (that I complained about previously) have been corrected! My friend's has them now...
Longer. Concealing a full 5" 1911 and bending over is now possible.
More pockets, mine only has the two caverns and two outside. The new ones have at least one more, and you can now actually carry that pack of cigarettes.
Each generation seems to have better dye to retain color.
Things I would still like to see..
A pull tab, or some quick way to access your pistol. Currently it requires some coordination to separate the velcro to gain access. It is also LOUD to hear the entire length of velcro unhook.
Maybe it is just because I am in the Pacific Northwest, but I would like to see a hood, whether it be a snap/button on or a roll up kind.
The weight/thickness. It is not really a good cold weather jacket, but it is too heavy/thick for a warm weather jacket. Not too bad for out here where it is always damp and dark but otherwise limited seasonally. I would like to see something lighter and either a vest liner, or a separate heavier version.
Conclusion:
I really like this jacket and Sig continues to improve it.
I have had a 5.11 Vest for quite some time. I got an extraordinarily good deal from Botach Tactical on it a while back ($30 or $40 bucks!)
I got it because I wanted a quick way to carry gear for walking the dog. Coming home from work I wanted a quick and easy way to grab my normal dog walking gear. I usually carry a pistol, spare mag, flashlight, extra leash, dog treats, poop bags, water, etc. For urbanites I should mention that seeing coyotes and other animals is common.
The vest was a good option because I didn't want a "duty belt" which still requires a cover garment. The 5.11 Vest is pocket happy. I don't even use half of them!
Some highlights...
Did I mention the thing has a ridiculous amount of pockets?
The front is great, two M4 double mag pouches on the bottom left (which can hold a lot), and a big dump pouch which has elastic magazine holsters on the bottom right.
The back left and right side has elastic topped pouches, big enough to hold a Nalgene bottle or 32oz Gatorade bottles.
It has a zipper but I really like the front center snap. It keeps the vest fairly closed and most importantly from flapping around in the wind.
It is VERY lightweight. I have some friends that swear by the Woolrich Elite Vest. I really am impressed by them - the quality and durability is top notch. However, it is very thick and that makes it heavier and hot. It also gives it a very streamlined look whereas the 5.11 looks kind of ... well ... frumpy.
Frumpy is not all bad however. Being loose and bulky makes it look less "tactical." The Woolrich Elite Vest looks very SWAT'ish to me (not that I don't think it looks good). I recently wore my 5.11 to work where there is a wide spectrum of folks. The only comments I got were people asking me if I was "goin' fishing?" after work. Since I live in the Pacific Northwest it fits right in. If you live in an ultra-urban area, that might not go over so well. For me, unless I pack every pocket full, including 4 AR15 in the front I think it is fine. I keep reading reviews where people say it screams "CCW" -- for here, and that includes trekking around department stores and malls, I simply do not agree.
The internal pouches (left and right side are huge). You can pretty much put anything you want in there. They are lined with velcro to carry accessories, like a pistol. Well, supposedly anyway.
The bad?
The "B.B.S." system is supposed to allow accessories to be attached easily. The big one is the internal gun holster. Well, first of all you have to BUY the holster attachment. Ok, I did.
The holster is TINY. The only things I own that fit it are my S&W J-frame snub revolvers and 380's. Small pistols like the Kahr P9 or Ruger LC9 will probably fit but ones like the Glock 27 or S&W M&P 9c do not. Unless you cut the holster...
So, cut the holster I did. The Glock now fits physically. However, I was very disappointed with the way it carries. Unless you offset the other side it drapes to one side uncomfortably.
Which brings me to the "load distribution" of the vest. This consists of two narrow snap straps on the inside at the waste level that work as tie downs. Well, this severely restricts your movement and if you move to much it becomes unsnapped. Additionally, with it cinched down it causes an OWB pistol to print.
On 5.11's site I saw folks wanted to carry full size pistols like a 5" 1911 or Beretta 92FS in the internal holster/pocked. I think that the pistols will fit in the pouch either without the holster, or with a holster like Maxpedition's (basically a velcro loop) but it is not going to carry well.
A couple of notes...
The vest could be a little longer for folks that carry a 5" 1911 OWB. Bending over causes the bottom of your holster to show. Anything shorter seems to be fine.
The sizes run kind of weird. I have read online that they run large. This was not the case for me. I normally run a medium jacket. The medium 5.11 vest fit, but it was snug. Forget about trying to conceal a pistol (in the pouch or the hip). I got a large. It is roomy.
Overall...
A well-built product that works and has a LOT of pockets. I like and use it during the summer.
Musings about bail out bags - pt1: From the nightstand to grab bag (i.e. grab it during bump in the night or when the FD makes you evacuate your house)
Written by reg mathuszMusings about bail out bags - pt1: From the nightstand to grab bag (i.e. grab it during bump in the night or when the FD makes you leave because of fire)
Lots of folks have a "night stand" gun. I do. But what happens when you need to be mobile with the pistol? Do you go around/out with it in hand? Depending on where you live that may not be such a good idea.
I usually have a holster nearby but pajamas don't make a good platform. A possible solution? The "man bag"....I have posted about my Maxpedition Fatboy Jumbo a few times now and maybe I am just trying to justify its expense, but I am finding that it comes in more handy than just as a quick way to pack a pistol while walking the dog in the summer (and carry dog treats and water). It makes a great "grab bag."
Think of this scenario--there is loud knocking at your door in the morning. A voice says: "This is the Fire Department, you need to evacuate your house immediately!" -- Glancing out the window you see a fire truck hooking up houses to your nearby hydrant.
I give you this example because it happened to us. Our next door house was on fire and the fireman said that we were potentially only a minute or two away from our "flashing" and being in flames too!
We literally grabbed pants, jackets, shoes and anything important into the safe on the way out. My Glock 23 on the night stand came with me in my Maxpedition. Along with a couple spare mags (and dog treats and poop bags).
Luckily, the FD came in time to put out the fire and save our house from "flashing." The neighbor's house was not so lucky. It was condemned from fire/smoke/water damage.
But what if our house had caught on fire? Scary thought but it could happened through no action of our own. As much I like my Maxpedition it would not make a good bag if we had to stay in a hotel overnight (or longer).
Thus, IMO the next step is the 24hr bag (or variation like the 72hour bag). So, that's next...