KIT & GEAR SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP
batteries, and motors. There’s also an Ambidextrous Fire-Selector that includes a Burst function, improved Trigger Response with FET and more! This is yet another fine TM AEG, and we are seriously looking forward to getting it on the range with hopefully a full review to drop in the October Issue of AA!
GEAR UP!
Okay, REALLY… onto gear! We’ve been having great fun testing some of the latest new Autumn/Winter garments from a number of our industry friends, and by the time you read this some of us will be up in Scotland putting these through their paces “in the wild”! What we can tell you is that there’s a lot to look forward to from the likes of VIPER, Snugpak, Helikon-Tex and Pentagon and we’ll provide more information as these new models are ready to hit stores. Right now though, there’s a couple of garments we’d like to give you the “heads-up” on as they’re already available - and they’re absolutely ACE!
HELIKON-TEX
The first of these is the new RANGE HOODIE from our good friends at Helikon-Tex, which is a tactical hoodie designed by shooting specialists. Its cut and the fabrics used will allow for comfortable use even in bad weather conditions. An extended cut allows the Hoodie to be tucked into pants, whilst an
anatomically cut hood and a zipped kangaroo pocket are the elements that distinguish RANGE HOODIE from classic combat shirts or shooting shirts. The combination of elastic and tear-resistant materials, known from other garments in the shooting community has been used throughout, making this hoodie suitable for intensive and demanding work specifically for, but not restricted to, “range work”. Mesh sewn under the armpits provides better ventilation during dynamic training, and the small, zipped pockets on the upper arms will allow you to conveniently carry small items of equipment. The RANGE HOODIE® is a great replacement for a range polo or combat shirt on cold and rainy days, and in combination with Helikon’s LVL 1 thermal underwear and HYBRID TACTICAL PANTS® pants, it will allow you to work at the shooting range all year round. Made of 100% Polyester with 93% Nylon/ 7% Elastane inserts (the mesh is 100% Polyester) and featuring quality YKK zippers the TANG HOODIE stacks up technically, and the cut and fit is indeed great for its intended use. This however tell only one part of the story, as when you actually wear it, it’s genuinely quite remarkable! The main body fabric is not a fleece as the image might suggest, but a high-performance breathable construction that also has a degree of wind protection! It’s thin and lightweight, but thus far has proved to be warm, comfortable, and very durable. The attractive tonal “insets” feel almost like high-grade soft shell and offer four-way stretch. The arm pockets are way big enough to swallow a smartfone or set of range cards and the main, zipped “kangaroo” pocket is a great place to stow gloves when not in use - there’s even a hanging loop under the neckline zip for your shooting glasses! When it comes to range gear, Helikon-Tex are really pushing things forward, and we look forward to seeing just what they add to this line next, but we can certainly see the RANGE HOODIE getting good use this autumn, and even into winter as an additional layering piece in our clothing systems.
PENTAGON
Thinking of the coming winter months, we’re starting to think about “investment” pieces and we’ve seen that www.military1st.co.uk have the PENTAGON OLYMPUS JACKET in RAL 7013, and as this is one of our favourite “tacticool” colours it’s looking good for an early buy in! The Olympus jacket is a warm, and lightweight outdoor shell with a Storm|Tex windproof coating and polyester soft-shell body with 80gsm internal 98
OCTOBER 2021
