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SHOT Show 26 – RTS Tactical

Saturday, February 7th, 2026

RTS Tactical Designer Shilo McBee gave us a look at their newest products. He is well known in the industry and has best experience in various aspects of load carriage.

The Sustained Operations Plate Carrier (SOPC) available now. Offered in Black, Ranger Green, and MultiCam, with sizing based upon plate size.

Features:

FlexFit Compression Cummerbund –Engineered to move as you move, this system locks tight under load yet flows seamlessly with every stride, climb, and crouch. The result: uncompromised stability and enhanced range of motion when it matters most.

Rapid-Adjust Sizing System (Patent Pending) – Glide from Small through XL in seconds. No hassle. No drag. Just a fast, locked-in fit that adapts instantly and stays mission-ready for the life of your carrier.

Removable Placard System – A buckle-free removable interface that locks in fast, stays secure under pressure, and clears the front of your carrier for maximum patch space and mission-ready attachments.

Reinforced Laminate Construction – Built from RTS Tactical’s proprietary dual-layer 500D CORDURA construction, this carrier is battle-ready for the long haul. Unlike standard builds, our reinforced system won’t sag, fold, or warp under extended use.

Removable Padded Shoulder Straps – Three-layer strap design with integrated MOLLE for comfort, weight distribution, and cable/hose routing.

ICW-Ready Armor Integration – This carrier is built to accommodate all RTS Tactical hard and soft armor options, giving you the freedom to run in-conjunction systems or stand-alone Rifle Protection Inserts with ease.

Breathable Aero Liner – Increasing airflow and comfort during extended wear.

Using these same design elements, an updated version of the RICO, the RICO 2.0 coming is late 2026.

www.rtstactical.com

Posted in Advertiser, Armor, SHOT Show | Comments Off on SHOT Show 26 – RTS Tactical

SHOT Show 26 – WARQ GEN 2 Force-on-Force Helmet

Saturday, February 7th, 2026

WARQ exhibited their new GEN 2 Force-on-Force Helmet.

Enhancements:

• EN 1385 bump certified: The only bump-certified force-on-force helmet on the market.

• D3O Halo 7 pad system: Advanced blunt impact absorption.

• Reinforced fiberglass shell.

• Improved sizing ratchet and retention system.

These are on top of the existing features of the helmet:

• Complete anti-fog ventilation system

• Extra-wide 210° visor for enhanced situational awareness

• One-size-fits-all adjustability

• Made in Europe

• EN 166A and ASTM F1776 certified protection standards

• Industry leading 5 year warranty

Available through Rampart USA.

Posted in Advertiser, Helmets, SHOT Show | No Comments »

SHOT Show 26 – HAZARD 4 EV-Hunting System

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

HAZARD 4 exhibited an EV-Hunting system which combined their load carriage and clothing with a Ghostcat electric bike.

The 4th generation Ghostcat F4X all-terrain fat tire electric bike offers a lightweight aluminum alloy soft tail frame with adjustable premium KKE front fork with 120mm travel and rear adjustable suspension. With a top speed of over 40 mph, it boasts a range of 30-50 miles.

Posted in Hunting, Mobility, SHOT Show | No Comments »

SHOT Show 26 – V.XI Line Expands at 5.11 Tactical

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

5.11 Tactical is expanding their V.XI line with a new plate carrier and updated clothing designs. One look at the new clothing and you’ll recognize the Beyond Clothing DNA. They’ve leveraged work done over the years for special operations units with off shore manufacturing to keen the price down for their LE customers and introduce fabrics unavailable in the domestic supply chain. Additionally, these new styles will be available in both men’s and women’s sizing.

V.XI Plate Carrier

This new carrier design integrates laser cut laminate as well as new fasteners and their signature offset PALS to maximize the use of real estate. The carrier also features a removable interior comfort panel.

Roman Shirt

The Roman Shirt is an adaptation of the Beyond Underway Shirt but with the additional of the rear collar of the Sigard shirt.

Element Shirt

If you’re a fan of the Beyond L9 combat shirt, you’ll love the new Element Shirt.

Element Pant

Likewise, the new Element Pant combines technical fabric with features you’re used to seeing on SOF operators.

www.511tactical.com/vxi-collection

Posted in Armor, Clothing, SHOT Show | No Comments »

SHOT Show 26 – HK 421 7.62 MG

Thursday, February 5th, 2026

Heckler & Koch exhibited a variant of the HK 421 machine gun in 7.62 mm NATO. While they would only mention that its inclusion in the booth was intended to demonstrate how important the company considers the US market its important to note that USSOCOM is currently seeking a Light Machine Gun Assault also in 7.62mm with possible future caliber swaps to high pressure ammunition.

The staff was very kind to allow me to photograph the gun but I must point out that the lighting in the hall is very challenging. This post will essentially serve as a photo dump to allow you to see the features of this variant of the HK 421.

Posted in SHOT Show, weapons | 1 Comment »

Blue Force Gear – ÖTZI Belt Pouch System

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026

This is really more of a sneak peek but it’s got such a great backstory that I’ve got to share it. Tucked in a corner on a shelf in the Blue Force Gear booth at SHOT Show was a pouch with a belt running through its attachment system. Behind it was a brochure with the name ÖTZI Belt Pouch System.

From the brochure:
The naming of Blue Force Gear’s new belt pouch innovation was inspired by Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old Copper Age traveler discovered in the Alps and proclaimed the oldest and best-pre-served, naturally mummified human ever documented. Preserved in glacial ice, Otzi was found wearing a modular belt outfitted with equipment like a knife sheath, food/medicine pouch, and fire-start-ing kit. It stands as the earliest known example of a tactical belt, a testament to how long warriors have trusted a well-built waist rig to keep mission-critical gear exactly where it needs to be.

With attachments designed to accommodate their Law Enforcement Duty Belts and BFG CHLK /GRID / ISH Belts, there two mounting options. Molded belt loops for more traditional belts and direct attachment plate for belts with mounting holes. Both use nuts and bolts to secure the pouch and attachment together. In the case of the mounting plate option, it’s going to be a very low profile system.

Coming soon from blueforcegear.com

Posted in Advertiser, Load Carrying, SHOT Show | 1 Comment »

SHOT Show 26 – Snakestaff Systems Violent Incident Stabilization/ Response Panel

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026

Snakestaff Systems exhibited in the booth of their sister company Flux Defense. Their name for their new Violent Incident Stabilization/ Response Panel is quite appropriate as it’s designed to be mounted to a vehicle sun visor.

The VIS/R transforms the driver and passenger sun visors in your vehicle into a streamlined trauma response platform.

Its modular mounting system accommodates a wide range of vehicle makes and models.

Offering one-handed access to two tourniquets and a full trauma kit via quick-deploy tabs, the the trauma kit stays suspended directly in front of the user, similar to an oxygen mask on an airplane.

The tourniquet deploy tabs can be removed and attached to a casualty to indicate that a tourniquet has been applied, and the main trauma kit deploy tab can be detached and used as a TCCC casualty card for gathering critical patient and intervention information.

Additionally, the entire kit can be rapidly separated from the mounting platform and taken with you to respond to an incident outside your vehicle.

Coming soon.

www.snakestaffsystems.com

Posted in Advertiser, Medical, SHOT Show | No Comments »

Massif Combat Sleeve – ATAK (Non-FR)

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026

One of the items I discussed at SHOT Show but did not take photos of is the new Combat Sleeve from Massif. There are plenty of half jackets in the market but this one stands out because it has been adapted to the adoption of ATAK.

This non-FR garment is a cropped jacket that integrates with body armor as well as chest mounted End User Devices and can quickly be donned and doffed. It includes a stowable helmet compatible three-point adjustable hood and built-in stuff sack for portability. The fabric is an encapsulated durable weather barrier shell by EPIC by Nextec with durable 40D ripstop lining and Polartec Alpha along with Primaloft Active insulation.