Whiskey-5 is a recurring Solider Systems Daily feature that asks “Who, What, Where, When, and Why” of the industry. It is intended to give you a more in-depth look at those manufacturers, trainers and individuals that make our industry unique. We have found that these basic 5 questions are the most basic keys to understanding. Past Whiskey-5s have included such industry heavyweights as Kryptek, Wild Things Tactical, ADS Ventures, HyperStealth and even Tactical Fanboy. Today we’ll be sharing an overview of Line of Fire Tactical.

WHO: Line of Fire
It might not be something that most people think about, but gloves are tough to build. They demand skilled sewers to handle the difficulty inherent in sewing something with so many odd angles to cut and form. They require durable materials that will withstand rigorous punishment without diminishing tactile function. Overall they are just a pain in the ass to design and make, regardless of type—and there are many.

There are gloves for tasks that range from gardening to construction and from working on car engines to poking at sharks. Our hands are important. They are what we make our money with, save lives with, create with and of course destroy with. Line of Fire has the edge in this arena. We focus all our attention on what the hand of a certain breed of person requires; military personnel, LEOs & Correction personnel and First Responders. The hands of a “sheepdog” sorting out gangbangers, handling a prison riot or prowling outside the wire require something much different than those of an athlete, bricklayer or even a surgeon. Line of Fire Tactical is a subdivision of Force Multiplier LLC; we are focused on giving the absolute best available protection to those that go into harm’s way while maintaining their ability to fight and manipulate their gear.

WHAT: Not just any gloves and not just gloves
Seconds matter to the guys on the sharp end, regardless of their mission. Those of you who’ve done that know there have been ongoing problems with almost all of the existing systems thus far. The glove you wear to protect your hands can get you killed if it is poor quality, built of the wrong materials or most importantly—a sloppy fit with poor grip capability.
Gloves should be more than just PPE. They directly affect your performance and ability to complete tasks. Line of Fire builds rugged gloves designed to endure punishment while maintaining maximum manual dexterity and providing the absolute surest grip available in a glove.

Some manufacturers build gloves for hand protection first and grip is a secondary concern. We start with the grip and build the glove around it. Sure, Line of Fire gloves have knuckle guards, but more importantly they use the Parts A & B of our patented TEGS technology (http://www.loftactical.com/tegs.aspx) to provide a 300% increase in measurable torque grip strength – 100% with just Part A. Your grip should not be secondary; it should come before protection, not the other way around. Grip is the connection point between you and your gun. It should never be marginalized.

Line of Fire gloves are not the old M 1949s or “Gloves, Flexor, Light Duty”; nor do they belong in the same category as any of the anemic “tactical gloves” that have proliferated during the last decade of war. Line of Fire designs and builds the future of the fighting and task glove. We have also been expanding into weapon accessories, combat kit and apparel—we have new combat top and bottom sets, inclement weather gear, several weapon accessories and an EOD kit.

WHERE: Huntington Beach, CA and all over the world
Line of Fire is based in Huntington Beach, CA and manufactures both domestically and abroad. We have a factory on the East Coast for our USA-Berry Compliant products and also supervise a factory in the Dominican Republic for our GSA clients. We have no Chinese or Asian production facilities. We are ideally located to visit numerous military installations—easy driving distance to Coronado, Camp Pendleton, Naval Construction Battalion Center Hueneme, 29 Palms and NAS Mugu are some examples. This proximity makes it easy for us to gain insight and feedback from end users and to incorporate their feedback into each evolution. We are happy to be providing gear to everyone from grunts to SMU shooters to Seabees. Right now our gloves are on duty or in service all around the world, from Coast Guard cutters off the coast of Alaska to the tactical officers on the streets of Detroit to SOF personnel patrolling Afghanistan—and hundreds of lats-longs between. Our gloves and accessories are available online, in GovEx, LA Police Gear, Gall’s, Stryker’s and an increasing number of PXs and base stores.

WHEN: Not so long we’re irrelevant, not so new we haven’t proven ourselves
Line of Fire is relatively to the glove market (since c. 2005) but we’ve made what we like to think is a big splash over the last couple of years. Our products are for sale today on their website and are also available for purchase from various federal catalogs. Our product line continues to grow, but not so fast that we aren’t seeking constant improvement. If there is a requirement your unit or organization has that’s not being met, we will be quick to create you a solution. Line of Fire is a company that thinks and builds left of bang because we listen to our customer base.

WHY: Because it needs to be done, and we’re good at it
Our military has been issuing large, clumsy, dated glove designs for decades. There were units invading Afghanistan that were issued the same basic gloves their predecessors wore training to defend the Fulda Gap. Practically all of those gloves are terrible about hampering the handling and firing of your weapon, and are at best inefficient for most all tasks. Aside from lacking dexterity and providing good traction, traditional issued gloves fall short in comfort and proper sizing. This is a problem echoed by many aftermarket glove companies, who seem to be able to make a glove that will last or a glove that will fit but not both at the same time.
Line of Fire glove designs have been tested by multiple units considered to be “top teir” in their respective areas. They consistently earn high praise, which is why you can find these same units using them on the battlefield, on the streets and in facilities the world over. Built rugged but with minimal bulk, our gloves will survive the rigors of a deployment and provide a long service life to the wearer.

Learn more on our website: www.loftactical.com

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