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Check Out American Armor Attire at SHOT Show

Monday, January 14th, 2013

Last Fall I had to opportunity to meet with a small company in Fredricksburg, Virginia that makes bespoke suits. Granted, in the DC area there are plenty of tailors. What makes these guys different is that they make armored suits. In addition to three piece suits with armor panels, they also make armored dress shirts.

Owners Abbas Haider and Robert Davis began the work as a project at the University of Mary Washington and over time transformed it into American Armor Attire after graduation. Renegade Armor, also located in the area supplies the ballistic material to them. The result is the access to a custom tailored suit with armor built in. These guys know what they are doing. You would never know that the clothing that I was shown was armored. And, their location is ideal. It’s close enough to DC so that they have access to a very large market but far enough out that they can get some work done.

Representatives from American Armor Attire will be available at SHOT Show in the FirstSpear / Renegade Armor booth #8103.

Tags: American Armor Attire, Renegade Armor
Posted in Armor, Clothing | Comments Off on Check Out American Armor Attire at SHOT Show

LAPD SIS Pioneers Mobile Apprehension and Develops New Armor System with SOTech

Friday, January 11th, 2013

LAPD’s SIS (Special Investigation Section) is legendary for apprehending the most dangerous felons on their city’s streets. Now, their new equipment package developed with SOTech is available for other agencies. Below is what SOTech has to say about this new armor and pouch system.

SOTech’s design staff are honored to develop an armor carrier for a progressive approach to law enforcement suspect apprehension being pioneered and perfected by LAPD’s renowned Special Investigation Section- SIS. The soft and hard armor carrier and specified pouch and go bags are part of a system designed to allow a plain clothes officer in mobile surveillance mode to rapidly don his/her tactical gear, dismount the vehicle and chase down and apprehend the suspected criminal. The game changer here is that the entire ensemble is designed around mobility. The system is not only designed for rapid donning in the tight confines of a surveillance vehicle, but the vest is designed for mobility and dexterity during confrontations. The days of the raid jacket are over as the modern urban environment requires up to ceramic plate rifle round protection. Conventional law enforcement procedures saw a detective in a jacket approach a suspect, now replaced by a bulky protective vest. The only other option was a heavily armored and encumbered SWAT team that could apprehend an armed suspect after that suspect was cornered in a static location where SWAT could set up a perimeter. SIS developed and perfected tactics to break out of that box, tracking the suspect and apprehending him or her on the move. SOTech designers spent months working with members of the elite LAPD unit, customizing the rigs around their deployment of weapons, auto glass breachers, distraction devices, bandoleers and other tools in well-choreographed foot and vehicle take downs. For the past 15 years we at SOTech have been lucky to be in Los Angeles working with LAPD SIS. They have a well-deserved world-wide reputation for surveillance and tactics. And it’s been an amazing experience working with them as they identified such a significant tactical gap, developed radical-thinking tactics, and then perfected them to the standard of a major metropolitan department such as LAPD. Numerous Los Angeles area departments are already looking at adapting these TTPs, and we expect to see detective bureaus and narcotics divisions world-wide adapt to the program. As professionals, SOTech won’t discuss the intricacies of the tactics, but we will assist law enforcement professionals who have equipment/tactical inquires coordinate with the POC at LAPD SIS.

The SIS developers will be on hand at SHOT Show and will be periodically available at the SOTECH booth #20113 to discuss their system and tactics with interested law enforcement professionals. Please email Jim@SpecOpsTech.com to coordinate a meeting time during SHOT.

Tags: S.O. Tech
Posted in Armor, LE, Load Carrying, SHOT Show | 1 Comment »

DS Tactical to Offer Velocity Systems and Mayflower Lines in Kryptek Patterns This Month

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Velocity Systems and Mayflower have leaked a photo or two of their current and future products in the Kryptek family of patterns which are currently finalists in the US Army’s Camouflage Improvement Effort. They had planned on debuting everything at SHOT Show and following the normal flow of things. Take orders at SHOT and then release product based on those orders in mid-spring. But now, we don’t have to wait. Velocity Systems FNG David Walsh related to SSD, “We planned to launch the sale of our existing product line (in Kryptek) at the upcoming SHOT show. DS Tactical was ready to invest immediately and who are we to argue?”

What happened to speed things up is that Canada’s DS Tactical has already placed an order that includes Mayflower LPAAC’s, APC’s, several pouches and each of the Chest rig styles in the Kryptek Highlander, Mandrake and Typhon patterns. “Working direct with end users, we believe that Kryptek offers the best range of use in every environment. Velocity/Mayflower was the easy choice when it came to providing innovative products because of their high quality and knowledge of end user needs,“ said DS Tactical’s Colin Noppers.

This stocking order means that these patterns of all Plate Carriers and Chest Rigs from Velocity and Mayflower will be available later this month. Nomad will be available in March. While pricing isn’t completely settled, they should remain in line with those of existing printed products from Velocity and Mayflower. In addition to the current line, both brands will be introducing new products at next week’s SHOT Show.

www.dstactical.com

Tags: Canada, DS Tactical, Kryptek, Mayflower Research and Consulting LLC, Velocity Systems
Posted in Armor, Camo, Load Carrying | 11 Comments »

Shellback Tactical Debuting Banshee QD Plate Carrier at SHOT Show

Monday, January 7th, 2013

Shellback Tactical has
informed us about a new product debuting at Shot Show. The Banshee
QD Plate Carrier is designed as an even lower profile carrier than
the standard Banshee and features a new Cummerbund integration.
This will be a Quick deployment active shooter rig for LE and
Snipers who want a lower profile front and back type carrier and
still the ability to have some real estate on the sides. The Banshee QD will at
first be available as a complete carrier. The new cummerbund will
integrate into any current Banshee and will soon be available as an
accessory by itself. Both
the Banshee QD and Banshee QD cummerbund will be available in
Black, Coyote, MultiCam and Ranger Green. Be sure to check it out
at SHOT Show in in booth #25411. shellbacktactical.com

Tags: Shellback Tactical, SHOT Show
Posted in Armor, SHOT Show | 1 Comment »

Rogue Gunfighter Premier

Monday, January 7th, 2013

See the Rogue Gunfighter line including the LVR at SHOT show in booth #25411.

Tags: Rogue Gunfighter
Posted in Armor, SHOT Show | 23 Comments »

Rogue Gunfighter to Release LVR at SHOT Show

Thursday, December 27th, 2012

Rogue Gunfighter will release their Made in USA, LVR armor carrier at SHOT Show. They will be located in the LC Industries/TAG booth.

www.facebook.com/pages/Rogue-Gunfighter

Tags: Rogue Gunfighter, SHOT Show
Posted in Armor | 4 Comments »

SKD Tactical PIG Brigandine SYSTEMA

Friday, December 14th, 2012

I see loads of armor carriers. If anything, I’m jaded. But, every once in awhile, something different comes along. SKD came to me a few weeks ago and showed me this video and I have to say that it impressed me. Watch this video and tell me what YOU think.

Obviously, it looks different, but it is also scalable. You can go from a simple 11 oz chest rig all the way up to a full blown Plate Carrier with cummerbund and integrated pouches.

The modularity is thanks to the multiple component options. In addition to front and rear plate pockets (you can mix and match sizes), shoulder straps, cummerbunds, and rear storage systems, the PIG BRIG offers multiple chest rig systems (seen below).

Weight is mitigated by the “shoehorn” fit for the plates. It is a very tight fit but means that there is no slop and consequently, there is less fabric and less weight. Each PIG BRIG model is designed around a specific plate contour. Currently, the BRIG is available for ESAPI (4 sizes), the 10″ x 12″ Tap Gamma and the Velocity Systems/LTC ICW 10″ x 12″ Plate. Other plate shapes will be offered in the future.

Additionally, the PIG BRIG is designed with the straps attaching at a lower point than the top of the plate (like the PIG PC), allowing for a higher plate placement. Considering how many new pieces SKD had to introduce all at once, the SYSTEMA is impressive. But, to be honest, you’ve got to head over to SKD Tactical and read up on all of the options.

www.skdtac.com

Tags: SKD Tactical
Posted in Armor | 4 Comments »

US Army Begins Fielding of Female IOTV Variant

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

PFC Cheryl Rogers grins as 2LT Chelsea Adams helps her into the new Generation III Female Improved Outer Tactical Vest. The Soldiers, who are part of the 1st ABCT Female Engagement Team, Third Infantry Division, are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan and will be only the second group in the US Army to test this new body armor. Photo – US Army

The female fit variant of the US Army issue Gen III Improved Outer Tactical Best began in 2009 after the 101st identified fit issues with the Gen II IOTV for their female Soldiers.

“When I was with the 101st in Afghanistan, I raised the issue there that we had female Soldiers going outside the wire on a routine basis and their equipment was just too large for them to operate and correctly pocket their weapon in,” said MSG Jeff Fenlason. “Because the problems were directly affecting the ability of these women to operate efficiently in combat, the Army began looking for ways to improve the vests.”

During the initial push for a better vest, the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center initiated multiple surveys and found that about 85 percent of women in the Army were wearing a vest one size too large and about 52 percent were wearing a vest about two sizes too large.

“Over the course of a couple years, NSRDEC worked through a couple design changes, and what we put the 1st ABCT FET team in is the result of all that work,” explained MSG Fenlason, who is now operating as a plans noncommissioned officer for 1st ABCT.

According to an Army press release, this version of the IOTV is designed to curve with the female anatomy, and the parts come in multiple sizes to custom fit to each woman, unlike the one-size-fits-all Gen II model.

The Army plans to field 3,000 of these models by the summer of 2013.

Posted in Armor, PEO-Soldier | 20 Comments »