Range Products
Galco CB2 Contour Holster Belt
We already featured Galco’s new Brush Hog holster discovered at the Industry Day event, but the manufacturer has also come out with several new double-lined leather holster belts. While not specifically designed for women, these belts contoured for a better fit and are sturdy for the range or as an all-around work belt. The CB2’s come in tan or black (with or without fancy stitching) that have brass or nickel-plated buckles. Galco has a good sizing chart on its website to make sure you order the correct size. The CB2 Contour belts start at $159.
Pack’n Heat Camo Crystal Ear and Eye Protection Set
These super sparkly Pack’n Heat crystal earmuffs are guaranteed to provoke compliments. Definitely eye-catching, the company’s muffs are offered in passive and electronic ear protection options. The handset crystal designs are paired with set of clear eye protection with matching stones. They have expanded some of its crystal camo color options this year and a Pack’n Heat crystal set ranges from $265 to $345. They also offer colored chrome-plated earmuff packages for $79.
Rev Industries
For all you revolver girls out there, Rev Industries has come up with an innovative design for high-capacity revolver speedloaders. No more multiple speedloader mushrooms rolling around in pockets or range bags, this loading system stacks your cartridges in sets of up to three. How it works: Place the cartridges into the loader and push a button to lock in each set. To load them into the revolver cylinder simply line the cartridges with the chambers and push down on the unit. Rev Industries make speedloaders for .357 Mag/.38 Spl., .44 Mag/.44 Spl. and .45 Long Colt in five- and six-round capacities. One loader can be configured to hold 5/6, 10/12 or 15/18 rounds and costs about $24 to $28 depending on caliber. Speedloader belt pouches will be offered soon.
Tactical Grit GSR-X-Out Waterless Lead Neutralizing Hand Cleaner
Many of us do our shooting at outdoor ranges, where good hand-cleaning facilities may not be available. When you spend the day shooting you start to build up lead residue from handling cartridges. Tactical Grit has formulated a hand cleaner that doesn’t need water or soap to do the job. It is a kind of gel formula that has pumice particles that work to remove 99% of lead residue along with the friction of rubbing your hands together. You know when your hands are clean when they are dry, similar to how you apply hand sanitizer. GSR-X-Out is available in individual packets ($2.50/ea.), a tube of cleaner ($17) or a gallon jug for $100.
The Shooter’s Tent
“Tired of picking up brass,” Shooter’s Tent asks? The all-familiar routine takes place anytime I am shooting at someone’s personal range and we all do the “brass shuffle” through the grass at the end of a range session. The Shooter’s Tent is a new way to manage where your cases go flying, this is also a great way to keep your hot brass from hitting other people—or from hitting you. The pop-up design accommodates shooters that want to stand, sit, or kneel. With a covered top and vent screens on all sides, the tent also provides shade from the sun. After you’re done for the day, you unzip the bottom and can collect the brass. The Shooter’s Tent folds down into a 41” carrying case and comes with a staking kit. The Shooter’s Tent retails for $70.
Kinetic Blossom Magpie 9 mm Magazine Loader (CONCEPT)
Taking the thumb-saving manual devices one step further, the Magpie is an electronic magazine loader. Resembling a staple gun, the loader strips off rows of cartridges from an ammo box and with the push of a button the loader ingests them into your magazine. Designed to handle both double-stack and single-stack magazines, the Magpie will only load 15 rounds at a time. As the loader design is still in development, the company hasn’t confirmed whether it will be battery-operated or a rechargeable unit.
Training Tools
DryFireMag Smart Mags
When using most striker-fired pistols for dry-fire training, you must manually rack the slide to reset the trigger to continue practicing. With the DryFireMag system, you use its training magazine, which automatically resets the trigger for you so you can continue training with follow-up shots. The Smart mag version interacts with a specially designed laser cartridge that lets you track your shooting performance on certain laser training platforms. The DryFireMag company has added a lot of new Smart magazine models to their line-up. Most Smart mags sell for $199 while kits that include the mag, laser cartridge, and barrel safety pipe go for about $325.
LiveFire Tactical Training Type3MalfunctionRound
In a training situation, the hardest type of malfunction to simulate is a Type 3 malfunction—the dreaded double feed. You can set a Type 3 malfunction up with dummy cartridges, but you can't surprise yourself with one during live fire, making it hard to train your mind to go to step two when “Tap/Rack” doesn't work. That has changed with LiveFire Training’s Type3MalfunctionRound. These are nylon dummy rounds that have “wings” molded into the projectile area. You load the cartridges into your magazine like a normal round and when the firearm attempts to cycle the Type 3 cartridge, it won’t chamber, setting up a Type 3 malfunction. The rounds are durable enough to be used hundreds of times and have been adopted by law enforcement agencies. Type3MalfunctionRounds are available in .380, 9 mm, .40, .45 ($19.95/5-round pack) and .223 ($24.95/5-round pack). They are also available in bulk packs for trainers.
Mantis TitanX
We featured the new Mantis TitanX training pistol that we got to try at Industry Day. Using a dedicated training pistol is great way to ensure safety while dry fire practicing. The training pistol’s red laser can toggle between being on all the time or just flash up when firing, making it another good training tool to be sure you are not flagging yourself or others when drawing and reholstering. The TitanX is used in conjunction with Mantis’ Laser Academy. The pistol kit sells for $200.
