5.11 Tactical Rush Bag
Monday, November 5, 2007
The VTAC RUSH72 and RUSH24 backpacks were designed by Kyle Lamb, a guy who has certainly tread his share of miles with loads of gear. Ruggedly constructed from water-resistant, 1,050-denier nylon, the backpacks feature flexible main storage compartments with internal dividers and compression straps. Side pockets and front organizer compartments are common to both backpacks. Other common features include hydration pockets, eyewear pockets, sternum straps and YKK® zippers throughout.
The RUSH24 features fleece-lined pockets along the front top, sized to hold a cell phone, PDA or mp3 player. It makes extensive use of molle-compatible webbing on the front and sides as well as name tape and flag holders.
posted by LAPoliceGear.com @ 8:29 AM,
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Blackhawk CQC Serpa Holster
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Check out what Lt. Frank Borelli of the Fairmount Heights Police Department in DC says:
Alright: Let's get into the BlackHawk CQC holsters. For testing I received a CQC CF holster with their Serpa Technology Active Retention System. (CQC and Serpa Technology are trademarked by BlackHawk). CQC stands for "Close Quarters Concealment". "CF" stands for Carbon Fiber. I have no clue whether Serpa is an acronym or carries some other importance, but the retention system is effective, efficient and simple. Let's go over the holster I received and examine other options that are available from BlackHawk as well.
Starting with the holster body itself, we find a strong but light weight molded body which enshrouds the slide, barrel, trigger guard and trigger. To me, that is vitally important. No operator should be able to get his (or her as appropriate) finger on the trigger while the weapon is still holsters. The front of the holster, however, only covers the barrel and slide up to the front of the ejection port. What that means for the operator is that, while drawing the weapon, you don't have to pull it up as far to clear the holster. Having the holster body's front cut down as it is, allows you to clear the holster faster by saving you about two to three inches of drawing motion. Being constructed out of injection-molded carbon fiber composite makes the holsters durable and adequately strong while keeping them light. Anyone who carries a lot of gear knows that every ounce of weight saved matters.
The holster body is fitted with a retention screw which can be adjusted to increase or decrease how snug the holster fits the pistol. None of us wants the pistol to fit so loosely that it will simply fall out, but none of us wants the pistol held so snug that you have to fight it out either. Here's a simple way to adjust it properly: WITH AN EMPTY AND SAFE PISTOL, put the pistol in the holster. Over a bed (or other soft object that won't damage the pistol), turn the holster upside down and give the holster a gentle up and down shake. If the pistol falls out easily, tighten the retention screw some. The tension should be just great enough to keep the pistol from falling out as a result of that shake.
In addition to the holster's tension (adjustable as described above), BlackHawk also makes holsters that include their Serpa Active Retention System. This system is built into the holster and is basically comprised of a spring-loaded lever which latches into the trigger guard when the weapon is holstered. To release the weapon, you simply (using your trigger finger) press the release mechanism to lift the inner locking lug out of the trigger guard. As I said, simple but effective and efficient. It is also very easy to manipulate and with only about a dozen draws on the range, it's easy to train your hand to perform the motions required to quickly draw the weapon. It occurs to me (and maybe to the folks at BlackHawk?) that the addition of a thumb strap to this holster system would create a Level III security holster suitable for duty and tactical use.
The holster body was delivered mounted on the BlackHawk Belt Loop platform. Mounted by way of three Philips head screws, the belt loop platform is adjustable in several ways. First, the holster body can be mounted straight or with a forward or rearward cant. Why a rearward cant? Because some folks prefer to carry cross-draw (excellent in vehicles) and some competitors prefer a slight rearward cant so that the weapon is already closer to facing the target on the draw. Where speed is more important than security is a judgment that individuals must make.
The belt loop platform is also adjustable with regard to the size of the belt it will fit properly. By way of two Philips head adjustable bushings, the belt slots will fit up to a 2.25" wide belt. How small is your belt? I have one that is only an inch wide and the bushings easily allow a snug fit on a belt that slim. Does it end there? Nope.
n contract to other manufacturers who provide multiple mounting platforms as after market accessories, BlackHawk also ships a Paddle platform with the holster. It's all included and part of the same price. To change the mounting system from belt loop platform to paddle platform is a matter of removing three Philips head screws, changing the platform and then putting the three screws back in. The paddle platform allows for the same cant adjustments as the belt loop platform does and is designed for optimal performance on belts up to 1.5" wide.
The test holster I received was specifically designed for Glock 19/23/32 size pistols - the mid-size 9mm/.40/.357Sig weapons. Being the curious guy that I am, and using safe unloaded pistols, I tried out the fit on my Glock 26 (baby size) and a Glock 17 (full size). Perfect fit for both, though it seems like a lot of holster for the G26. That's not BlackHawk's fault: after all, they designed this particular holster for a G19 size gun. If I, the user, put something different in it, what should I expect? Just to be even more curious, I put my Glock 36 slimline .45ACP pistol in it. Know what? It fit just fine. I had to snug the retention screw down a little more, but the Serpa Active Retention device worked just fine. So, with just this one holster, I can carry five of my guns. With a price tag of $54.95, that's a lot of holster the for dollar.
Currently BlackHawk as the CQC holsters WITH Serpa active retention available for most of the Glock pistols: 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 31, 32 and 33. I'd venture the guess that the model 24, 34 and 35 would also work, but the end user takes the risk of using a holster not specifically designed for his gun. According to BlackHawk's CQC Holster Catalog, this holster will be available for the following pistols as specified:
Colt 1911, right handed holster, July '04
Beretta 92/96, right handed holster, November '04
Sig 228/229, right handed holster, November '04
Sig 220/226, right handed holster, November '04
Sprinfield Armory XD, right handed holster, July '04
H&K USP Compact, right handed holster, July '04
For more information about the BlackHawk CQC line of holsters, check them out on the internet at
posted by LAPoliceGear.com @ 9:25 AM,
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