We got some goodies in the mail a couple day ago, or rather several members of our evaluation team did, courtesy of BCS Tactical Systems. BCS has a number of proprietary designs and a solid reputation for rugged manufacture, but one of their most significant manufacturing capabilities is their ability (and willingness) to build custom fit body armor carriers for guys On The Job. Any LEO or similar armed professional can contact them with an accurate outline/measurement of their body armor and get one custom made in short order, in virtually any of the different “Gucciflage†patterns out there, in 500D or 1000D.
In any case, BCS sent out some of their Shotgun Chest Rigs and Shotgun Scabbards, and we’ve been taking them out to play—not enough yet to give you a good rundown of what we think, but we’ll have a full review in a month or so. The chest rig is a niche piece of gear to be sure, but we like it so far. Not everyone is going to need it, and it’s certainly not something that will mount easily to an existing plate carrier or set of load bearing gear, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s made for specific situations—say, if a patrolman or tac team member has to deploy into a big damn office complex or college building, when having thirty extra rounds of super socks, rubber shot, shock-locks or whatever might come in very handy.
The scabbard is similarly niche-oriented, though we suspect it’ll see more widespread use than the other (which isn’t a reflection on the rig’s validity; there’s not a lot of call for multiple rams or 37mm launchers either, but both come in handy). The scabbard is intended to securely carry and support a tactical shotgun with a barrel as short as 14â€. It will carry both the shotgun and an entry/pry tool in a backpack type configuration; again, potentially useful in a deployment where an officer on the M4 or a sub-gun as primary needs to bring another twelve-gauge along.
We’re going to play with them (a lot) and we’ll let you know what you find out. All are made by BCS Tactical of Cordura material (we don’t have all the design specs, we’re waiting to hear back from them with those) but they seem to be sturdily built for now. For more on BCS Tactical, visit them on the web at www.beezcombatsystems.com
Stand by for further traffic.
Mad Duo Clear!
About the authors: The Mad Duo enjoys celebrity status in the action figure world and among those sheepdogs perspicacious enough to follow them. Iconic trigger-pulling pundits whose wit and witticisms have been described as the “literary equivalent of a .308 boat-tail to the headâ€, they offer commentary on everything from current events to the relative merits of tactical gear, TTPs and weaponry. Read them on SSD, their website Breach-Bang-Clear or on FaceBook. No sissies, pansies, Olbermann fans or Behar acolytes allowed.
Blackheart International has produced some excellent hip pocket sized handbooks for the HK416 and M16/M4 as well as the Glock. They are now preparing to release two new books on the AR15 and AK47. As with previous versions these new handbooks will feature a coil binding so that they can easily be flipped open to the proper page and will contain tailored information required to operate, maintain, and conduct basic training with the firearm. To keep apprised of the status of these new titles, visit www.BHIgear.com.
