Raider vol8 iss10

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TH E MAGAZ I N E FO R TH E ALPHA MALE

OUTDOORS - ADRENALINE - TACTICAL - ESSENTIALS - FITNESS - EXPLORE

THE SKY'S THE LIMIT! 2016 IS HERE SO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING & KICK UP SOME DUST!

SURVIVAL THERE IS NO NEED

TO HYBERNATE THIS WINTER SEASON

LAYER UP! PAGE 12

KYDEX HOLSTERS!

THE TACTICAL WORLD OFFERS A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT KYDEX SOLUTIONS - WE LAY OUT THE BEST OF THE BEST!

NEW YEAR NEW GEAR A HANDFULL OF NEW TACTICAL GEAR TO SEE

YOU THROUGH THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND!

GRAB-BAGS ON OUR RADAR!

IN ASSOSIATION WITH 'MILITARY 1ST' WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST SHOULDER BAGS FOR TACTICAL AND EVERY DAY, URBAN USE

JOINING THE BRITISH FORCES?

A FIRM FAVOURITE WITH THE RAIDER TEST TEAM!

RAIDER ONLINE

READ RAIDER ON-THE-GO ON YOUR SMART DEVICES

SNUGPAK MERINO SOCKS REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUN NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINE FEB16 RAIDER.indd 1

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10

£4.25

OUR FITNESS GUIDE WILL HAVE YOU PREPARED!

FERRO CONCEPTS CANADA'S FINEST AND

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CYAN, MAGENTA, YELLOW, BLACK

HELIKON-TEX_Level 7, Raider, January 2016, right page

The LEVEL 7 is lightweight winter jacket which provides insulation and protection against frost, wind and light showers. Climashield® Apex™ provides thermal insulation and ultimate warmth. Two chest pockets are lined with fleece to provide protection against frostbite. The hood can be easily adjusted without removing hands from the chest pockets via two drawstrings located there.

Climashield® Apex™ insulation (grammage: 100g body; 67g hood).

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OUTDOORS - ADRENALINE - TACTICAL - FITNESS - EXPLORE

MEET THE TEAM

PAUL MONAF

PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Email: paul@ebcon.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1775 750005

CONNOR MONAF

EDITOR Email: connor@ebcon.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1775 750005

BEN DICKIE

ART DIRECTOR Email: design@ebcon.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1775 750005

BEN WEBB

CONTRIBUTOR Email: webb@ebcon.co.uk

TRAMPAS SWANSON FIREARMS Email: trampas@ebcon.co.uk

MARKUS MOTUM

ILLUSTRATION Email: markus@ebcon.co.uk

SHARON MONAF

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR Email: sharon@ebcon.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1775 750005

SUBSRCIPTIONS

SHARON MONAF: ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR sharon@ebcon.co.uk

ADVERTISING

PAUL MONAF: SALES AND PUBLISHING DIRECTOR paul@ebcon.co.uk

EBCON PUBLISHING LTD

The Courtyard, Chopdike Drove, Gosberton, Clough Lincolnshire. PE11 4JP - United Kingdom

DISTRIBUTED BY COMAG

Tavistock road, West Drayton, Middlesex, UB7 7QE Telephone: 01895 433600 / Facsimile: 01895 433605

PRINTED BY THE MAGAZINE PRINTING COMPANY www.magprint.co.uk Issn: 1750-8584

NEW YEAR, NEW GEAR With Christmas now behind us and the new year upon us many of us will be looking at what 2016 has in store for us all, and the same questions are being asked here at Raider HQ. A new year is always a good time for us to sit back and go over what worked well in 2015 and where we see the magazine in 12 months time. With tactical gear being at the heart of Raider, this year we’ll be offering more gear reviews than ever before, and this month sees us start with a bang. This month we’ve got an abundance of gear on review, with features on Viper, Ferro Concepts, Triple Aught Design, Snugpak and High Speed Gear littering the 60 pages of Raider Magazine. Trampas starts off the new year by looking at a firm favourite over in the United States in the Remington 870 and takes a look at why after over 50 years the Remington 870 is still such a prominent shotgun in the American market. Deployment essentials this month takes a look at long time Raider favourite Ferro Concepts, and we’ve teamed up with the guys at Tactical-Kit to bring you a full 4 page feature on some of the best equipment the Canadian Ferro have to bring to the table. This months comparative report sees us turn back time a little, having a look at some Grab Bags we reviewed over a year ago now. But how have they fared? Are our opinions still the same on these bags as to when we first got them? Turn to page 25 to find out. We’ve also got 5 pages of brilliant new tactical gear to help you see in 2016 with a bang! With items from Under Armour, High Speed Gear, Propper, A-TACS, Triple Seven Gear, Trijicon, Magpul and many, many more, this is a gear feature you don’t want to miss! To finish the magazine off we have a ton of your favourite Raider features including how to layer correctly in Survival, a guide to joining the British Armed Forces and the fitness requirements in Fighting Fit, a 2 page roundup on some of the hottest Kydex holsters on the market, a first look at some of High Speed Gear’s new range and our usual 7 pages of Direct Action, this month with four stories from around the globe. So sit down, pick up your copy of Raider and help us usher in the new year! 2016 will be a big year for us, so are you ready to be a part of that?

Connor

ebcon publishing ltd.

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of articles in this magazine, but the publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained in material from independent sources or authors. Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustration in any form without permission from the publisher/editor is strictly prohibited. We welcome articles, photographs or artwork. Raider Magazine cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to unsolicited material. Please enclose a SAE if you wish your material to be returned. Competitions will be judged on the dates specified. No correspondence will be entered into and the judge’s decision is final. In the event of the published prize not being available due to circumstances beyond the control of the magazine, a suitable alternative of similar value will be provided.

READ RAIDER ONLINE VIA POCKETMAGS!

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VOLUME 8 ISSUE 10

CONTENTS 06 NEWS

NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. WHAT’S HOT AND WHAT’S NOT!

07 GEAR WATCH

WHAT’S HOT, AND WHAT’S NOT IN THE WORLD OF TACTICAL GEAR!

09 REMINGTON 870

28

TRAMPAS TAKES A LOOK AT ONE OF THE WIDEST USED SHOTGUNS IN THE UNITED STATES; THE REMINGTON 870

12 SURVIVAL

OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE’LL BE MAKING SURE YOU’RE READY FOR ALL OF YOUR WINTER EXCURSIONS; THIS MONTH LAYERING!

16 VIPER TACTICAL

VIPER HAVE UPPED THE ANTE ONCE AGAIN THIS MONTH WITH THE RELEASE OF THEIR LIGHTWEIGHT FLEECE

18 FERRO CONCEPTS

THIS MONTH WE BRING YOU CANADIAN BRAND FERRO CONCEPTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH TACTICAL-KIT

23 UF-PRO

WE TAKE A LOOK AT A RAIDER FAVOURITE IN THE TRIPLE AUGHT DESIGN FAST BAG LITESPEED

25 COMPARATIVE

THIS MONTH WE TAKE A LOOK AT A RANGE OF GRAB BAGS FOR ALL OF YOUR STORAGE NEEDS!

28 FITNESS

09

EVER WANTED TO JOIN THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES? WE GIVE YOU A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE ON THE FITNESS REQUIREMENTS!

30 CENTREFOLD!

BOOM!! GET SOME RAIDER GOODNESS ON YOUR WALL!

32 SNUGPAK

NEED A GOOD PAIR OF SOCKS FOR THE WINTER MONTHS? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN SNUGPAK’S MERINO WOOL TECHNICAL SOCK!

37 NEW YEAR - NEW GEAR

WITH 2016 VERY MUCH BEING HERE WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME GEAR YOU SIMPLY SHOULDN’T IGNORE

42 KYDEX HOLSTERS

KYDEX HOLSTERS HAVE CERTAINLY BEEN ONE OF THE MOST TALKED ABOUT THINGS IN 2015, BUT JUST WHAT ARE THEY AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST EXAMPLES THE MARKET HAS TO OFFER?

44 BATTLETECH

TACTICAL GIANTS HIGH SPEED GEAR HAVE RELEASED A NEW RANGE OF GEAR, GET A FIRST LOOK HERE!

47 DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND

WE REVIEW DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, A LOOK AT SIMON CHAMBERS ILLUSTRIOUS CAREER AS A PRIVATE CONTRACTOR

49

49 DIRECT ACTION

THIS MONTHS DIRECT ACTION SEES FOUR DIFFERENT STORIES BROUGHT TO YOU FROM AROUND THE GLOBE, TURN TO PAGE 49 FOR A FULL BREAKDOWN ON WHAT TO EXPECT THIS MONTH!

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C H E C K

O U T

P A G E

0 3 7

ATIMENEW YEAR! FOR SOME NEW GEAR CHECK OUT PAGE 37 WHERE WE WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT A RANGE OF TACTICAL GEAR TO SEE YOU THROUGH THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND! W W W.RAIDER-MAG.COM

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R AIDER NE W S E XCLUSIVE NE WS FROM AROUND THE GL OBE - E XCLUSIVE NE WS

NEWS MAGPUL CORE BLOG NOW LIVE!

Always one to consistently broaden their brand, Magpul have been working behind the scenes to produce a Magpul CORE branded blog, bringing you the best in a range of topics. The mission of Magpul CORE is “to project the founding principles of Magpul Industries Corporation to the customer, and to be the nexus of design and employment when developing new products.” To this end, Magpul has established the Magpul CORE blog, which is designed to inform readers about the various products and happenings through which Magpul continues to embody the CORE mission. The blog will cover four topics: Gear, Adventure, Fitness and Events, and you should expect to see weekly articles covering a broad range of topics spanning across these four different categories. Their first post was a pretty interesting one - covering the 2015 Recon Challenge; an event which sees a group of elite Marines who test themselves both mentally and physically in honour of their fallen comrades.

VISIT W W W. M AG P U L .CO M/ P R O PAG A N DA FO R M O R E !

L3 COMMUNICATIONS EOTECH

ISSUING REFUNDS AFTER LAW SUIT

Last month, L-3 Communications was sued by the US Government in Federal Court for fraud regarding performance of their line of EOTech Holographic Weapon Sights. The same day, L-3 settled with the US Government for $25.6 Million. This suit comes on the heels of a USSOCOM Safety Of Use Message for the sights because of Point of Impact shifts in extreme temperatures as well as other performance issues. Naturally, some consumers have decided to stop using their sights due to concerns raised in the SOUM and ensuing court case. Several EOTech Holographic Weapon Sight owners have contacted EOTEch and requested refunds. So far, EOTech has reportedly been very positive and honored all of the requests. EOTech is reportedly refunding the purchase price plus $15 Shipping and Handling. If you are interested in returning your sight, we suggest you proceed to www.eotechinc.com/raform.

ALL NEW .30 CALIBER SUREFIRE SUPPRESSORS

The Genesis 762 is the first in the new SureFire Genesis series of sound suppressors. SureFire claims the Genesis is the quietest .30 cal thread-on suppressor ever built, with a listed sound report as low as 120 dB (when used with .300 BLK subsonic ammunition). It is constructed of stainless steel and Inconel, and features a front hex-head design, which allows for installation & removal even when mounted under an encompassing handguard. The Genesis 762 is designed for use with .300 BLK, .308, and 300 Win Mag, but also works well with 5.56mm.

FIRST SPEAR ANNOUNCE NEW BELTS! Need a new belt? And not one to hang your latest MOLLE equipment from? Well FirstSpear might just have the thing for you! FirstSpear have just announced their new Line One belt, complete with Cerakote buckles. The Line One Belt takes its name from an old NSW term for first level clothing or gear. It is constructed of urethane-covered nylon, a strong and weather-resistant material which won’t crack, peel, or stiffen in frigid temperatures. The belt also flexes like leather, yet is impervious to sweat and water, and won’t stretch or lose its original shape.

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NE WS FROM AROUND THE GL OBE - E XCLUSIVE NE WS FROM AROUND THE GL OBE LUSIVE NEWS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE - EXCLUSIVE NEWS FROM ARO THE DUCHESS OPENS NEW PM REVEALS MEASURES HOME OF KING’S TROOPVISIT INTHE LATEST AFGHAN er Rememb your is R a i d e ra z i n e . mag w us kno S o l e t u’r e u p t o o y t a h r w e w h e r e vr e ! you a

AS THE MONTHS PASS, WE HERE AT RAIDER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND TEST KIT BEFORE THE GENERAL PUBLIC EVEN SEE OR HEAR ABOUT IT. RAIDER WATCH WILL BE YOUR GO TO PLACE TO GET THE LATEST ON GEAR, GIVING ANHorse IDEA The Duchess of Cornwall opened the new Woolwich home of The King’sYOU Troop Royal Artillery in March and visit unveiled a plaque to the commemorate the David change of FOR! the name of the new barracks, On his latest to Afghanistan, Prime Cameron has announced a packagefrom of ON WHAT TO KEEP ANMinister EYE OUT

Napier Lines to King George VI Lines. measures to provide a significant boost to the British military campaign. Both UK troops and the The Regiment from theirwill barracks St Johns Woodfunding in February this year, having been Afghan Nationalmoved Security Forces benefitinfrom increased and state of the art equipment. stationed there for over 200 years. The new state of the art facilities house 120 horses and 150 The Prime Minister announced: soldiers and cost £16.5 million. The Mighty veteran ran small business hailing out Duchess of ✪To £33.1 millionPen forCo theare development of the Afghan Police in 2010/11; including building celebrate the visit toathe new state-of-the artNational facilities, the toured the forge, America that offer cooland little gifts pens, keychains seven police stations instables, addition to viewed the twoincluding police stations opened in Helmand last month. veterinary centre andsome aUK-funded demonstration of 12 horses exercising the Gun ✪ and £135shaving million to carry double Remotely Piloted System (RPAS). gear. What makes it all a little unique is theused materials Carriages, which 13Reaper pounder guns which wereAircraft first in the first world war. The carriages items are made from; various casings! arethe used to fire the guns during Theshell Queen’s birthday parade, State Visits and Remembrance Accompanied by thefrom Chief of range the Defence General Sir David Richards, the Prime Minister arrived Our favourites the includeStaff, the 50 BMG Razor/20mm Sunday. at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, then travelled to the Main Operating Base in Lashkar Gah for Badger Hair Shaving Brush set, made .50start and of .20mm The Duchess visited the officers’ messfrom at the the visit, to board a horse-drawn open-top a briefing by Commander Task Force Helmand, Brigadier James Chiswell on the progress made by the casings known which form the handles to both items. You’ve also got the carriage, as a Sociable Carriage. Provincial Reconstruction Team to drive social, economic and political development in the area. Mighty her Penvisit Brass 7.62 NATO that’ll make sureAfghanistan you’re writing all medals to four soldiers from the During the Duchess also presented service He later met soldiers who crew and maintain the newly operational Warthog armoured vehicle. King’s have just returned from frontline duties. thoseTroop workwho notes in style! Visiting the Helmand Police Training Centre on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah to present graduation Before thefrom Duchess unveiled a plaque to the opening of the King George Both departing are available www.mightpenco.com andcommemorate as of now certificates to newly qualified Afghan policemen; he revealed that the extra £33.1 million resources VI both Linesitems and Commanding are on sale! Officer Major Mark Edward presented Her Royal Highness with a specially would help build or refurbish 48 police stations, including seven to be opened before spring 2011. engraved and polished 13 pound gun shell which had been used to fire the Royal Salute to mark the These improvements to essential infrastructure, in addition to more resources for training, will start of Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on 6 February 2012. help the Afghan National Police appear both more visible and more professional to the Afghan population, enabling them to carry out their role more effectively.

THE MIGHTY PEN CO

FIRST TACTICAL KNIVES AND FLASHLIGHTS AFGHANS Prime Minister Cameron said: OUTGUN THE BRITISH

“I know the thoughts will be of home and of loved ones; I would like personally to thank everyone pops up on FRIENDLY our radar for we the certainly get they a little excited. First Tactical’s exceed theyou needs IN A CRICKET serving in Afghanistan sacrifice are making. I say to them,knives itCLASH is great work are of doing public safety professionals. Under stress, and when performance matters, you don’t have to look

We’re a massive sucker for both knives and flashlights here at Raider HQ so when a new brand

and we must continue to do all we can to help you endure. or feelcricketers — to First Tactical reliably perform. Afghan the Britishknives Army for six when they and met what for a two-day clashgrounds in the heart “This isfor myanything sixthknocked visit Afghanistan, to Helmand Province, I see is some for of Helmand Province. Of their range, two caught our attention the most. Knife Tantoofis markets cautious optimism. Theitems amount of ground that’s covered by The the Diamondback forces is up, the amount Adesigned British team, selected across all three branches of the armed forces serving on Operation for the better grip from and control. First Tactical’s Thumb Bridge Technology optimizes theof that are open, number of provincial and district governors that are in place, the number Herrick 15, took on a team from thesecurity; Afghan there National Army (ANA) and a team ofthe Afghan schools that arefor open, the level of lots ofwhile signsworking of positive opening grip maximized force, precision, andare comfort withimprovement.” bladeinterpreters choils for in a two-day series of 20/20 cricket matches in Camp Bastion in front of over 1,500 ANA spectators. fine-detail cutting. The British Forces Afghanistan team trained for days to prepare for the game against the avid Afghan cricketers, and the three sides sized each other up beforehand in the cricket nets at the ANA’s Camp Shorabak, next to Camp Bastion. But when the matches started the impressive Afghan teams took British Forces Afghanistan to the cleaners, with victories going to both the ANA and interpreter sides. The British team were all out for 75 versus the ANA team’s score of 165, much to the rapture of theFeaturing audiencetwo of Afghan soldiers who the flooded ontoDuty the pitch congratulate their colleagues. brightness settings, Medium Light to is the brightest of First Tactical’s The Soldiers fromfared the 2nd Tank Regiment delivering security in Afghanistan traded in their British team no Royal better against theusing team of Afghan interpreters, scoringhave 169 for seven whileold the flashlights boasting 274 Lumen while the “High” setting. This mid-sized, durable flashlight Viking vehicles and upgraded to something even better, the mighty Warthog. interpreters managed all out. nightly field use, and a durable clip enables easy attachment is heavy duty enough183 to withstand 2 RTR will use Warthog’s outstanding manoeuvrability to bring firepower and armoured support On the second to pockets andday, kit.the two Afghan sides met in a play-off, with the ANA coming out victorious in the final. wherever and whenever theyoccasion are called reflect new vehicle at their disposal, 2 RTR The matches were a huge forupon. both To sides. Thethe ANA team played in blue-and-red uniforms soldiers in theatre are now known presented at the beginning of the as “Warthog Group” – and they are already building a reputation as one of the most mobile ground units under British command in Helmand. match on behalf of the Helmand The Warthog is a relatively light but robust tracked vehicle. It consists of 2 cabs: the front cab houses Provincial Reconstruction Team, the driver and commander and is armed with a heavy weapons turret. The rear cab is for infantry. which helps with development The new has greater armour protection and more power than its predecessor, but still projects invehicle the region. The British retains the superb cross-country team played in ‘whites’ from the performance for which the Viking was known. AbleCricket to operate in the most diverse and demanding environments, including moving through water, Army Association. climbing steep slopes and drainage ditches the new Warthog provides troops with high levels One of the spectators incrossing the of Fastmags protection whilst giving commanders thenow, flexibility operate in areas where the terrain and local have long been on the market but astowe all know stands was ANA Corps Commander infrastructure more agilemagazines. vehicle is needed. fastmags aremean entered around Well the ACS Trigger General Malouk, the amost-senior Corporal Tristan ‘Tiny’ Cordery from look Fowey Cornwall, is a veteran of two tours of Iraq PouchNational has taken a little bit ofina(35), different oninthe idea behind Afghan Army soldier and ofProvince. Kosovo, and has served in Afghanistan theone fastmag and translated it to the grenade! on prior deployments. He has now returned to Helmand Afghanistan as a Warthog commander with 2 RTR. is a PALS-mountable, quick-deployment device for grenades HeItsaid: “We canischoose between the heavy, grenadedeveloped or general by purpose “There a very devices good such and distraction as flashbangs, two machine guns. This gives me as the Warthog commander the flexibility to tailor my armament to the competition on, Israeli a operativesgoing from the elite counter terror unit YAMAM andmission, and that’s a vital capability in manufactured order to succeed complicated of Afghanistan. competition played inthe friendship. by in Advanced Combat environment Solutions. It secures the thisthat firepower good armour. The Warthog can take rocket-propelled grenade hits, It With is good British comes anddevice Afghan grenade or distraction within its housing, where it can be machine are gunable fire and has better protection from IEDs. soldiers to spend quality quickly pulled away and deployed in one swift, fluid motion. This combination of firepower and protection is what us Tankies are looking for in a vehicle. We’re timeThe working together.” Trigger Pouch is currently available for the M67 frag ready to go out with the RTR mentality and apply armoured tactics in support of our guys with boots grenade and CTS/CTI & Safariland Flashbangs, and so far looks on the ground.” like a little bit of fresh air in regards to the stowage of grenades!

ROYAL TANK REGIMENT UNLEASH NEW VEHICLES

ACS TRIGGER POUCH

MARCH 2011 WWW.RAIDER-MAG.COM WWW.RAIDER-MAG.COM 009 007 MAY 2012 W W W.RAIDER-MAG.COM 007

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HAND ON THE PUMP!

REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUN

WITH ALL THE TALK ABOUT GUN CONTROL, TERRORISM AND HOME DEFENSE GOING ON IN THE WORLD MEDIA TODAY, NOW MORE THAN EVER, PEOPLE ARE TAKING A STAND FOR THEIR OWN PROTECTION. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR RAIDER MAGAZINE’S FIREPOWER SECTION TO TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR AND WIDELY ACCEPTABLE FIREARMS ALLOWED FOR BOTH MILITARY, POLICE AND CIVILIANS ALIKE TO COMBAT TODAY’S EVIL, THE MODEL 870 BY REMINGTON ARMS. THIS SIMPLE TO OPERATE, PUMP ACTION SHOTGUN IS ALMOST 65 YEARS OLD AND YET STILL SEES MORE MILITARY, SPORTING AND POLICE USE ON A DAILY BASIS THAN ANY OTHER MANUFACTURER AND MODEL IN THE WORLD! THIS MONTH, WE ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE TRIED AND TRUE 870 SHOTGUN AND FIND OUT JUST WHY IT’S STILL SO POPULAR.

TH E 870 S H OTG U N By Tra mp as.

■ BIRTH OF A LEGEND Created in 1951 by the engineers at Remington Arms Company, LLC, the model 870 was to be only the fourth pump shotgun design for the company following the decent success of the earlier models 10, 17 and 31. At the time, Winchester’s model 12 was slowly taking over the pump action shotgun market with a lighter, more stream lined design. The model 870 would take the best features of its predecessors and create a stronger, more rugged and reliable shotgun. Originally offered in 12, 16, 20 and 28 gauge as well as .410 bore, sales of the model 870 immediately took off with hunters looking for a reliable, heavy duty shotgun for large game such as deer and boar while still being lightweight enough to shoot dove and quail in the off season. As the skeet and trap competitions around the United States started to grow in the early 1960s, yet another segment of society discovered the benefits of the 870’s new design.

When the Vietnam Conflict escalated and 18 year old young men were being ushered off to war, the US military decided to arm their close quarter combatants with a shotgun most of them were very familiar with by issuing the Remington 870 along with their standard battle rifles. By the time the United States withdrew its forces from Vietnam in 1975, the Remington 870 pump shotgun was a battle proven firearm with a strong following from veterans and military enthusiasts alike. A lot of veterans returned home with direct combat experience and first-hand knowledge of gun fighting skills. A good number of these seasoned gunfighters decided to continue their service to their country by going into law enforcement during the late 70’s and early 80’s. When looking for extra firepower to supplement their 6 shot service revolvers, the 870 was widely accepted as a trusted friend during a time most Police, Sheriff and Federal departments were either creating or updating

ancient policies and training manuals to reflect what they had learned during their war time experience. When I entered law enforcement during the turning of the new Millennium in early 2000, I was fortunate enough to serve under the leadership of one such Vietnam veteran, Sgt. Curtis Pittman during my rookie year. Having grown up using the 870 and its semi auto counterpart, the Remington 1100, I had always just considered both to only be sporting guns. As a new Deputy Sheriff, I would be assigned a Glock model 21 .45 ACP pistol and a 12 gauge Remington 870 Remington Express Police Magnum pump action shotgun just as new as I was. Sgt. Pittman was not only my patrol squad leader; he was also the department firearms instructor and later my direct commander as a Lieutenant when I was assigned to the SWAT team. Seeing my initial distain for the simple 18 inch barrel shotgun, Sgt. Pittman was “kind enough” to help me with that situation. Over countless hours of close quarter combat training both within the department and traveling to train with other great instructors across the state, I shot hundreds of slug and buck shot loads during static and movement drills during my first few years in law enforcement. The end result was me becoming very aware of just what an awesome force a combat shotgun such as the Remington 870 could be in a tactical situation. While my shoulder wasn’t too happy on a regular basis, my growing mental tool box was forever grateful.

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HAND ON THE PUMP!

■ SPECS The Remington 870 shotgun owes part of its longevity to the fact it literally offers something for every shooter in the form of various configurations Remington catalogues. The base design is simply a bottom loading receiver with a manual action manipulated via a handguard mounted action bar. By either firing the firearm to disengage the locked action or manipulating the release manually through the use of a flat bolt release mounted just forward of the trigger guard, the shotgun can be quickly cycled for extremely fast follow up shots. While some initially find the location of this action lock release to be awkward to use, it is keenly located

REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUN

to prevent accidental discharge during cycling. Due to the cycling relying on a manual action rather than a gas or piston action, a much wider array of munitions may be used from less lethal bean bag and rubber pellet rounds to full 00 Buck shot loads. Constructed with a tubular magazine tube located directly under the barrel, the design allows for very smooth feeding without any issues. The standard magazine tube for sporting purposes uses a 4 + 1 capacity while the more tactical military and police versions come equipped with a longer, full length 7 + 1 tube. Barrel lengths vary from the standard civilian legal 18 inch barrel preferred by average law

enforcement patrol officers with the shoguns mounted in their cruisers to the pheasant and goose hunters’ 30 inch favorite. Specially trained operators such as SWAT and elite military forces often use an 11 inch or 14 inch barrel for extreme close quarter operations such as ships, houses or to defeat door locks and hinges. With an empty weight of approximately 7 lbs, the model 870 is lightweight enough to be carried all day by the military troop and hunter alike with reasonable ease. Sights for the 870 shotgun are offer yet another wide variety of options and model variants. When shopping for an 870, the buyer can choose a tradition bead sight, double bead sights preferred by wing shooters, rifle sights for the slug shooter and ghost ring tactical sights offering a fast and very durable combat option direct from Remington. Aside from factory options, there are almost just as many aftermarket options to choose from as well consisting of night sights, stocks, finishes, etc.

■ REMINGTON IN THE FIELD Currently, I own a Remington 870 Express chambered in 20 gauge with a 26 inch barrel for small game hunting such as squirrels, rabbits and the occasional trash diving raccoon. With just a simple single bead sight and a cheaply manufactured wood stock set, my shotgun is as bare bones basic as Remington offers

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HAND ON THE PUMP!

REMINGTON 870 SHOTGUN

RODRIGO MULLER, ONE OF BRAZIL’S TOP FIREARMS AND TACTICS INSTRUCTORS, HAS WRITTEN SEVERAL BOOKS INCLUDING ONE ON BREACHING USING BOTH THE 870 REMINGTON SHOTGUN AS WELL AS EXPLOSIVES. with nothing fancy added. For the purposes it currently serves, I wouldn’t have it any other way. This 870 has become a great teaching tool for my wife, Candace to learn the fundamentals of shotgun shooting with. The smaller gauge recoil and smooth action allow for her smaller stature to retain complete control over the firearm during rapid fire situations such as skeet and trap shooting. I plan on using this same shotgun in the near future when my children are old enough to learn the responsibilities and fun of shooting sports. One of the great joys of doing firearm features is the opportunity I have to discuss article ideas and gun topics with a great group of field researchers such as myself and industry experts on a regular basis. With the 870, I decided to speak with a few of these very people who have just as much or even more intimate experience with the Remington 870. Craig Reinolds, a retired fireman, former police officer and having served time in the US Navy as well, provided input on the wide range of uses his personal 870 as provided over the years. Through stories about hunting with his sons and carrying his Remington pump professionally during high risk situations; Craig gave the old 870 design high praises on its performance decade after decade. Bird Shot, Buck Shot and rifled slugs have filled years of Craig’s experience in the field. Rodrigo Muller, one of Brazil’s top firearms

and tactics instructors, is now head of Muller Consulting. This is a tactical group recently relocated here to the United States with the goal of training Federal, State, and local law enforcement as well as civilians. Muller has written several books including one on breaching using both the 870 Remington shotgun as well as explosives. Special munitions such as less than lethal and breaching rounds have been a hallmark of Rodrigo Muller’s training with the 870 that I am allowed to divulge. Finally, I reached out to a former SWAT teammate of mine, Chad Roeder, who is a US Marine, honorably discharged and now a current Alcohol Law Enforcement agent for Pitt County, North Carolina. Like the rest of us, Chad’s experience with the 870 started in his early years as a boy learning to hunt, but his combat skills developed during his time serving in the Marine Corps with a military version of the shotgun as a supplement to the standard issue M4 / M16. Like many veterans before him, Chad was able to take those skills with him into a successful career in Law Enforcement beginning with my former SWAT unit before moving on to better opportunities. Roeder conducts high risk search warrants and seizures regularly with his specialized 14 inch barrel 870 close in hand. As a proud father, Chad uses the 870 shotgun in his off time to pass the time honored tradition along in teaching his children.

■ FINAL THOUGHTS Combined, there is over well over 140 years of field use and great stories among the focus group of gentlemen, who I am very proud to call my brothers in arms. While our stories may all be different, in the end, we all share the same faith and trust in the Remington 870 to do its job safe and effectively regardless of the type munition we use. Retailing for around $400 US, the Model 870 remains still remains very popular, economical and effective firearm choice around the world with sales surpassing 10 million units sold in 2009. Countries such as Canada, the UK, Germany and Israel follow in the United States example of deploying the Remington 870 shotgun in both their military as well as police forces. Bottom line, the 65 year old design is still serving all walks of life today because it’s cheap, reliable and does its job well every time! What more could you ask for?

To find out more about the Model 870 and the rest of Remington’s great line up of firearms, visit them online, directly at...

W W W . R E M I N G T O N . C O M

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RAIDER SURVIVAL: PREPARING FOR THE WINTER - PREPAR

LAYERING UP! SURVIVAL: PREPARING FOR THE WINTER MORE THAN ANY TIME OF YEAR, WINTER IS A PERIOD OF TIME THAT REQUIRES MORE SPECIALIST KIT THAN EVER. WITH TEMPERATURES DROPPING AND THE ENVIRONMENT BECOMING HARDER TO OPERATE WITHIN, MAKING SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT EQUIPMENT IS VITAL AND CAN OFTEN BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SURVIVING THE GREAT OUTDOORS OR ENDING UP HOSPITALISED DUE TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT REASONS. THIS MONTH WE WILL BE TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK AT SOME OF THE MUST-HAVES FOR WINTER, AND WHY THEY’RE SO IMPORTANT TO OWN. Lets be brutally honest with ourselves here, many of us will happily drop hundreds of pounds on branded gear with no idea of what it actually does. Far too many of us become victims to brand names and before we know it we’ve got 7 hardshell jackets from various named brands but a single pair of technical trousers and we’re still wearing basic cotton socks and a pair of Calvin Klein boxers. One of the biggest problems within the outdoors community is people simply aren’t well enough educated to see past the brand names and paid for reviews and end up shelling out upwards of £200 for an item of clothing that isn’t suited to our needs. If you learn about one thing this winter in regards to buying and wearing the correct gear, it should be the principle of layering. Layering is a tried and tested way to maximise your comfort in the outdoors and allows for very quick transition based on your activity level or changes in the weather. When you layer properly, each layer has a specific function. Your base layer manages moisture, your mid layer protects you from the cold and your outer layer protects you from wind and rain.

✔ BASE LAYER If we refer to your skin as a layer, your base layer is the layer above that. This layer helps to regulate your body temperature by moving perspiration away from your skin. The removal of this perspiration helps you maintain a cool body temperature in the summer, and helps you avoid hypothermia in the winter. Now say for example you’re someone who tends to just wear a normal cotton t-shirt under a raincoat when partaking in activities such as hiking. Well you’ll likely remember feeling very wet and clammy and when stopping your temperature dropped quickly and the cold very quickly set in. This is due to the fact that cotton is a fabric that retains perspiration. When it comes to purchasing a base layer, you should be looking for either merino wool or a range of synthetic fabrics. Why you ask? Well instead of absorbing the moisture present, these fabrics “wick” perspiration away from your skin, transporting it to the outer surface where it can evaporate. We personally tend to use merino wool base layers as we find them to be a little more comfortable to wear against bare skin, however they are more expensive than synthetic base layers.

£54

UF-PRO

£39

MERINO SHIRT

AVAILABLE FROM HUEYS MTO

ARC'TERYX

PHASE AR CREW NECK

AVAILABLE FROM TACTICAL-KIT

what we use!

THIS MONTH WE WILL BE TAKING A CLOSE LOOK AT EACH LAYER IN DETAIL AND GIVING YOU A COUPLE OF OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM...

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EPARING FOR THE WINTER - PREPARING FOR THE WINTER ✔ MID LAYER

Your mid layer is your insulating layer, helping you retain heat by trapping air close to your body. This allows all the body heat you are creating through exercise to be trapped and used as warmth. When it comes to mid layers, you tend to have two choices - natural fibres and classic fleece materials. Natural fibres such as wool and goose down are excellent insulators. Whilst being extremely warm, they do have the drawback in the fact they lose their insulating ability when wet. goose down offers the better warmth to weight ratio, and is also highly compressible to allow for easy stowage should you need to store it. That said though, there are talks of a water resistant down material in the works, which will change all of this. Classic fleeces provide warmth for a variety of conditions and are lightweight, breathable and insulate even when wet. They also dry faster and have a higher warmth to weight ratio than many natural fibres. Classic fleeces main drawbacks tend to be their wind permeability and their bulk.

£184

ARC'TERYX

NAGA HOODY

AVAILABLE FROM TACTICAL-KIT

£180

PATAGONIA

NANO-AIR HOODY

AVAILABLE FROM PATAGONIA

what we use!

OUTER LAYER OPTIONS

As mentioned, outer layers are some of the most varied, but can usually be broken down into these various categories.

WATERPROOF/BREATHABLE SHELLS The most functional (and expensive) choices, these are best for wet, cool conditions and alpine activities. Shells using laminated membranes such as Gore-Tex and eVent offer top performance; those using fabric coatings are a more economical alternative. Shells are categorized by REI as either rainwear, which emphasizes low weight and packability, or mountaineering wear, which is more abrasion-resistant and has additional features.

WATER-RESISTANT/BREATHABLE SHELLS These are best for light precipitation and high activity levels. Less expensive than waterproof/ breathable shells, they're usually made of tightly woven fabrics (such as mini-ripstop nylon) to block wind and light rain.

✔ OUTER LAYER

Your outer layer, often known as your shell layer protects you from wind, rain or snow. Shells are most probably the most varied of the three layers and can range from pricey mountaineering jackets to simple windproof smocks. Most allow perspiration to escape and virtually all are treated with a durable water repellent that makes water bead and roll of the fabric. An outer layer is one of the most important factors in bad weather due to it’s ability to stop the environment getting the better of you. If wind and water are able to penetrate your inner layers, you will very soon be feeling cold and then it’s just a downwards spiral. Also, without proper ventilation, perspiration is unable to evaporate and begins to condense on the inside of your shell.

£629

ARC'TERYX

ALPHA JACKET

AVAILABLE FROM TACTICAL-KIT

£154

FIRST SPEAR

WINDCHEATER

SOFT SHELLS These emphasize breathability. Most feature stretch fabric or fabric panels for added comfort during aerobic activities. Many offer both shell and insulative properties, so they in effect combine 2 layers into 1. Soft shells include cold- and mild-weather options.

AVAILABLE FROM HUEYS MTO

what we use! WATERPROOF/NON-BREATHABLE SHELLS These economical shells are ideal for rainy days with light activity (e.g., fishing, sports viewing). They are typically made of a sturdy, polyurethane-coated nylon which is water and windproof.

INSULATED SHELLS Some outer shells have a layer of insulation built in—such as fleece—making them convenient for cold, wet conditions, but not as versatile for layering in fluctuating temperatures.

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ON OUR RADAR THE VIPER TACTICAL ELITE FLEECE

£20.00 IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE L AST YEAR HAS SEEN VIPER TACTICAL COMPLETELY OVERHAUL THEIR PRODUCT RANGE, AND IN DOING SO HAVE BECOME A REAL PL AYER IN THE TACTICAL GEAR MARKET. WITH PRODUCTS COME IN AT RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICE POINTS, WE’LL HOLD NOTHING AGAINST YOU FOR BEING A BIT SKEPTICAL ABOUT THE RANGE, BUT BELIEVE US WHEN WE SAY IT’S CERTAINLY NOT A RANGE TO IGNORE. GO IN WITH THE RIGHT MINDSET AND YOU’LL BE SURE TO PICK YOURSELF UP SOME ABSOLUTE BARGAINS!

VIPER TACTICAL ELITE LIGHTWEIGHT FLEECE W W W . T H E - G E A R S H A C K . C O M Over the past year we’ve taken a vast look at Viper Tactical’s new range and have been astounded by just how quickly they’ve progressed. From being a very conservative brand, Viper have burst onto the scene this year, producing some of the best kit we’ve seen all year. From their range of bags which we took a look at last month, to some of their tactical clothing such as the Crye Precision modelled trousers, there really hasn’t been much we’ve turned our noses up at. And what’s better is you really won’t be paying a fortune for any of it. Now we know it’s a theme we’ve heavily gone on about in the last couple of months, but winter is surely upon us now and the last week or so has really seen the temperature take a resounding nosedive towards the lower end of the scale. With cold weather comes an apparent need to shop around for some cold weather gear, and I’m sure a lot of you have noticed just quite how expensive this can begin to come. Well thankfully we’ve found a little something that’ll definitely keep your costs down and your wallet looking an awful lot healthier! The Viper Elite Lightweight Fleece is essentially a homage to the ever popular Polartec fleece, a garment issues to the United States Marine Corps amongst other units. It’s construction is fairly simple, essentially being a fleeced shirt with a half zip down the middle. But what you have to bare in mind is these fleeces have never been made with intrinsic design features in mind, instead they simply focus on being lightweight and warm. Intended to be worn as a mid-layer, the Viper Elite Lightweight Fleece is made from a thermal

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fleece material and having worn it over the last week or two, it’s certainly warm. The Fleece features a half zip through the middle, elasticated cuffs, thumb holes, a fleeced collar and velcro sleeve patches to place your favourite morale patches or unit insignia should you wish to do so. In regards to how it fares against it’s competitors, it’s simply just as good. It’s warm, the fit is perfect and it’s comfortable as well. The fleece material is soft enough for it to be worn as a base-layer as well which is always a plus should your original base-layer become wet or damaged in any way, shape or form.

Overall there really is very little the fleece can be faulted for, and with prices starting at just under £20.00, you really can’t go wrong. We’d go as far as saying grab a couple of these should you end up buying one, as you’ll certainly fall in love and end up purchasing another somewhere down the line… So you may as well do yourself a favour and save on the postage now!

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D E P L O Y !

C A N A D I A N

M A N U F A C T U R E R :

F E R

FERRO CONCEPTS FERRO CONCEPTS SPECIALISE IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF LIGHTWEIGHT TACTICAL GEAR, OFFERING A RANGE OF SOLUTIONS TO PROVIDE THE END USER WITH A HIGHLY CUSTOMISABLE PLATFORM IN WHICH THEY ARE ABLE TO CHANGE ONE PLATFORM FOR VARIOUS MISSION ROLES. 2015 SAW FERRO CONCEPT BEGIN TO RECEIVE THE PRAISE THEY DESERVE, AND WITH A RANGE OF NEW PRODUCT IN THEIR REPERTOIRE, IT SEEMED ONLY RIGHT TO REVISIT THE CANADIAN SPECIALISTS.

“LIGHTWEIGHT GEAR FOR THE MODERN WARRIOR - STAY LIGHT, FIGHT RIGHT!” If you’ve never heard of Ferro Concepts don’t panic, your sins are forgiven. However we will be educating you on the Canadian based tactical gear manufacturer over the next four pages of Raider. We originally picked up on Ferro Concepts back in 2013, and at this point they were a ridiculously small operation who’s sole purpose was to manufacturer their flagship product; the FCPC through a very modest Blogspot page. Since then Ferro Concepts have really upped the ante, becoming a brand recognised by both soldiers and gear fanatics alike, and have done so by staying true to their roots; roots that see them providing the best level of gear at the best prices possible. The Ferro Concepts product line exists to address specific logistical problems. From the large scale issue of carry certain types of magazines in a rig, but retaining a level of modularity all the way down to the detail of tidily retaining an inline PTT switch in the right place, these pain-in-arse annoyances are dealt with, with an intelligent, problem-solving product. Of course, the best way to solve a problem is commonly the simplest way, and by keeping the products streamlined and intelligently designed they stick to the Ferro Concepts motto. Lightweight gear for the modern warrior. By sticking to this creed, Ferro Concepts can produce products that are easy to use but also straight-forward to make which means there is a greatly reduced chance of failure in the field, something that we can wholly get behind.

FERRO CONCEPTS FCPC BASE V4.2

£169.99

VERSATILUEND CUMMEROBFFERS A

PC THE FC F DIFFERENT S O R ANG E BUND O P TION R C U M M E A L L O W YO U A THAT R ANGE O F G RE AT ATILIT Y V ER S

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The Ferro Concepts FCPC Base V4.2 is the starting point of the Ferro range, giving you a base to build your customised plate carrier. The base includes - shoulder straps, front plate pocket and rear plate pocket. The front panel features Ferro Concepts FCPC-MFFS (Modular Front Flap System). This system allows you to quickly exchange a range of front flaps for a range of different rifle or mission requirements. The front panel also features an administration pouch with elastic keepers to store maps, pens, magazines, flare pens and much more. The rear panel allows you to use a range of Ferro Concepts FCPC-Cummerbunds, again allowing for versatility not seen before in a plate carrier. You’ve also got a carry handle that allows for easy transport of your kit, or to be dragged out of danger if needs be. Ferro Concepts have also done their best to remove any unwanted weight on the FCPC, making the FCPC one of the lightest plate carriers on the market, however they haven’t risked the durability of the product to do so.

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F E R R O

C O N C E P T S

U N D E R

O U R

S P O T L I G H T

FERRO CONCEPTS

MODULAR CONCEPTS

SLICKSTER: LOW PROFILE PLATE CARRIER

£149.99

The Slickster™ is designed as a concealable plate carrier for Law Enforcement and Military professionals. In addition to its low profile construction, The Slickster accepts most chest rigs with the ITW QASM buckles (Not included). It includes a Carry Elastic Cummerbund (CEC) that can hold up to six AR magazines. The CEC can accommodate .762 magazines, smoke, flashbang, radio, tourniquet, and others. Loop Velcro on the chest and back allow for call-sign patches to be added. As far as ‘Slick’ plate carriers go, the Ferro Concepts Slickster is up there with the best, providing the end user with a platform they can really trust.

The basic FCPC front panel is set to accept a range of mission-specific pouches. Using an innovative velcro-based front panel the whole front of the carrier can be switched in a matter of minutes allowing you to adapt your armour system to your mission requirements. Here are some of the more readily available options.

OPTION ONE

RUNNING SLICK

You can run your carrier with a simply slick panel, great for concealment or low profile use.

FERRO CONCEPTS

FC-ABP ASSAULT BACK PANEL

£129.99

The FC-ABP (Assault Back Panel) is one of the most versatile back panels on the market. Designed to fit plate carriers with 4 columns of PALS at the top (like the FCPC and the JPC) or all other armour carriers with full PALS on the back. The main feature is the three cell multipurpose munitions pouch along the top. This allows for the fitting of mini flashbangs, large flashbangs, smoke grenades, fragment grenades, and M4 magazines by using an adjustable/removable flap and a silent opening tab with field repairable shock-cord. The large general purpose pouch can fit a wide variety of items including MRE’s and medical items, and has loop Velcro on the outside for call-sign patches etc. The FC-ABP utilises our MOLLE compatible S3 System made from the strongest laser cut material on the market. Available with or without a 50 Oz CamelBAK Mil Spec Antidote Reservoir.

OPTION TWO

MOLLE VARIENT

If you have additional, specific pouches go with a traditional MOLLEcompatible front for flexibility.

OPTION THREE

TRIPLE AR MAG

Simple 3x M4 magazine integrated pouch with retention bands for any general “assaulter” use.

OPTION FOUR

SIX AR MAG

The popular “triple double” configuration for a total capacity of 6 M4 magazines for a higher capacity.

FERRO CONCEPTS 2L AQUA POCKET

£66.99

The Ferro Concepts 2L Aqua Pocket is a lightweight, low profile option for holding a 2L bladder. The Aqua pocket features our MOLLE compatible S3 system - the lowest profile MOLLE compatible system available. The S3 system keeps water close to your body eliminating excess movement of the bladder. Adjustable shock cord retention further helps to secure the bladder from movement at varying fill levels. We added large loop Velcro to the flap for attaching patches, V-lites, etc. Weighing in at only 129 grams, the Aqua Pocket is one of the lightest weight hydration pouches on the market. Available with or without a 70 Oz CamelBAK Mil Spec Antidote Reservoir.

OPTION FIVE

TRIPLE M14

A more esoteric choice of pouch giving the wearer the option to carry 3 7.62 mags, Perfect for any of those SCAR-H users!

OPTION SIX

QUAD MP7

Another slightly more unusual weapon supported with this quad MP7 or submachine gun pouch system.

FERRO CONCEPTS THE DANGLER DROP POUCH

£39.99

A L L O F T H E A B O V E I S AVA I L A B L E T O B U Y AT:

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OPTION SEVEN

KANGAROO INSERT

The Dangler™ drop pouch was designed to provide a ‘fanny pack’ add-on to your armour carrier. With help from LEO and Military professionals, we have created a lightweight, durable and flexible tool organiser to ensure you always have what you need for the job at hand. The inside of the drop pouch offers a mix of 1.5” elastic and 3” loop lining to keep your tools secure. The front of the pouch provides a 4”x4” loop for callsign patches or attaching chem light holders. The Dangler™ can be mounted either under the front flap and cummerbund or inserted into your plate pocket on most carriers. It is compatible with virtually any armour carrier that has loop Velcro on the front and many plate pockets.

HUEYS.CO.UK

An open tray ready to accept your choice of pouch inserts. Great for users that like their kydex retention.

OPTIONAL KIT

ACCESSORIES

The Ferro Concepts website houses a wide range of products; from slings, bags and pouches to shoulder pads etc.

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D E P L O Y !

C A N A D I A N

M A N U F A C T U R E R :

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

The Slingster was developed to be the most modular sling on the market. It’s rapid adjust rubberised pull tab allows the ability to quickly transition your weapon from securely slung to combat ready. The Slingster is flexible with multiple configurations including one point and two point with the added revolutionary pad that is removable and adjustable to maximise comfort and ergonomics. Its open ended design allows you to directly mount to your weapon system or add your choice of attachment hardware.

The LW-OPS is a very low profile single point sling that is great for a wide variety of rifles and submachine guns. It is fully adjustable and features an elastic sling silencer to keep rattle to a minimum.

The LW-PAIOS is truly an all in one sling. Designed to be one and two point ca-pable with 3/8” foam padding. The front and rear ends are both quickly adjustable, with a back section of bungee to add just the right amount of comfort. The use of ITW CLASH hooks offers quick attach to any rifle. Elastic sling silencers help keep rattle to a minimum.

THE SLINGSTER

LIGHTWEIGHT ONE POINT SLING

F E R

PADDED ALL IN ONE SLING

£49.99

£14.99 £44.99

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

This belt was designed as an everyday carry belt that is sturdy enough to mount holsters and magazine pouches on if needed. Constructed from doubled up 1.5” mil-spec webbing with a layer of high-density polyethylene sandwiched in between. The main feature of the FC-EDCB is the use of a 1” USA made Raptor buckle which allows for quick don and doff yet is still capable of fitting through civilian pant belt loops. Be aware that this belt doesn’t follow usual sizing guides. For the best fit make sure to measure your current belt from the buckle to the hole you wear your belt on. From here match this size to a Ferro Concepts Everyday Carry Belt size to ensure you get the correct fit.

The Mountain Beanie is very similar to Ferro Concepts original beanie; the Burglar Beanie, however with an updated ergonomic upper half that contours to your head for a more comfortable fit. The Mountain Beanie features a one layer upper section for maximum breathability and a two layer lower section offering extra warmth over your ears. This one-size fits all beanie is made of Polartec grid fleece that fits comfortably under helmets.

EVERYDAY CARRY BELT

MOUNTAIN BEANIE

£16.99

£52.99

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F E R R O

C O N C E P T S

U N D E R

O U R

S P O T L I G H T

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

Designed and made for Ferro Concepts in Canada, The Recce Beanie™ can be worn with or without a fold. Available in 4 colours (Black, Coyote Brown, Dusk Grey, Covert Green). One-size fits all. The thing we love most about the Recce Beanie is it’s ability to fit in with both your everyday life and operational duty; sticking out in neither environment.

The Ferro Concepts laser cut watch strap is made of a nylon reinforced material. It’s rubbery feel offers grip on the wrist allowing you to wear your watch slightly looser without it giggling around on your wrist. The Laser Cut Watch Strap is designed around the Suunto Core (An absolutely smashing watch if you’re looking for one), but fits watches that use 24mm-28mm width bands.

RECCE BEANIE

LASER CUT WATCH STRAP

£19.99 £19.99

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

FERRO CONCEPTS

The Lightweight Wallet is a low profile, single fold wallet for both notes and cards. The wallet features a singular slit for storage of notes and two card pockets for storage of credit/debit cards, business cards and just about everything else you may need to store in your wallet. A simple, practical and functional choice for your money storage needs!

If you want something even more low profile than the already nearly invisible Lightweight Wallet, then the HY-LITE Wallet is for you. Designed with the use of a laser cut material with no excessive bulk, the HY-LITE accommodates one compartment for the storage of notes and two card pockets for storage of credit/debit cards, business cards and just about everything else you may need to store in your wallet.

The Ferro Concepts Elastic Card Slot Wallet is the epitome of lightweight. The elastic stretches to fit cards, folded bills and can also hold some spare change should you need it to. The open ended design allows quick and easy access from both sides of the wallet but also is tight enough to retain all of your important cards and money.

LW WALLET

HY-LITE WALLET

ELASTIC CARD SLOT WALLET

£13.50

£4.99 £24.95

A L L O F T H E A B O V E I S AVA I L A B L E T O B U Y AT:

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ONLINE AND RIGHT AT YOUR FINGERTIPS!

PICK UP A SUBSCRIPTION TO OUR DIGITAL ISSUES AND YOU CAN READ RAIDER MAGAZINE ON ALL OF YOUR DEVICES, FROM PHONES AND TABLETS TO DESKTOP PC’S WITH JUST ONE QUICK AND EASY ONLINE LOGIN! CHECK OUT: WWW.RAIDER-MAG.COM

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ON OUR RADAR TAD FAST PACK LITESPEED BACKPACK

FROM

£24 9

ALTHOUGH A REL ATIVELY YOUNG COMPANY - BEING FOUNDED IN 1997, TAD HAVE GONE FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, OFFERING ITS END USER A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS THAT HAVE TRULY UNDERGONE A TRIAL BY FIRE PRIOR TO RELEASE. WHILST THEIR HQ IS BASED IN AN INDUSTRIAL CENTER, THEY’RE SITUATED BETWEEN TWO GREAT TESTING AREAS - THE PACIFIC OCEAN TO THEIR WEST AND THE SIERRAS TO THEIR EAST. The Pacific offers them a great way to test how their gear reacts to water, how quickly it dries out, how heavy it gets when soaked, how much water it actually retains when fully submerged. The Sierras allow TAD to really push the gear to its limits in the kind of environment it is designed for - covering a 400-mile region and offering some of the harshest conditions you’ll find in the U.S. The Sierras are more than a simple mountain range though, containing various different kinds of terrain to really push the gear to it’s limit.

TRIPLE AUGHT DESIGN FAST PACK LITESPEED W W W . T R I P L E A U G H T D E S I G N . C O M A personal favourite of ours, The FAST Pack Litespeed was inspired by customers who were looking for a lightweight and more nimble alternative to the legendary FAST Pack EDC to use in active scenarios when you need full range of arm motion. The result is a streamlined 1300 cubic inch pack that incorporates the modularity and ruggedness the FAST Pack line offers. Perfectly suited for urban EDC (everyday carry), day hiking, travel or any activity that requires free movement, the FAST Pack Litespeed has a narrow profile and contoured design that lets you carry essential gear without having to sacrifice speed. And although it may look a little on the small side, it’s got a very Mary Poppins feel behind it. TAD have designed their smallest pack to handle the loadout of your basic gear. A bladder pocket and two internal mesh pockets provide additional storage space. Top and bottom compression straps allow you to carry extra gear, such as jackets or sleeping bags, without wasting space inside your pack. Their signature Transporter Tail can be configured in a variety of ways to hold either odd-sized items like a helmet or linear items like fly fishing poles, snowboards or rifles. If unused, the tail can easily detach and be stored away.

Constructed from the toughest and most durable materials to get you where you need to go. The pack is made of MIL-SPEC 1000 Denier Invista Cordura® fabric, a high tensile strength composite nylon thread and webbing that’s nearly impossible to rip or tear. To alleviate the wear at critical stress points such as the handle, shoulder straps and top exit for the hydration tube, TAD used Hypalon - the same material found in Zodiac boats, due to its abrasive and rugged nature. I’ve had the FAST Pack Litespeed for a good couple of months now so it’s seen some good use and has been everywhere with me. I’ve taken it shotgun shooting, down town to pick up some bits and bobs and it’s been my go to ‘fitness’ ruck since day 1. I’m one of these people who enjoys running long distances quite a lot so having a small pack I can take with me to fill with some energy gels, water and some other bits and bobs is a life send, but finding such a pack was a royal pain in the backside until I came across TADs brilliant Litespeed. The weight of the TAD FAST Pack Litespeed tends to be distributed brilliantly for running, and the waist and chest straps help secure the ruck so it’s not swinging all over the place whilst running.

■ FROM: WWW.HEINNIE.COM ■ PRICE: £249.99 ■ COLOURS: BLACK, GREY, COYOTE

The Litespeed doesn’t stop there though, another great application for this great ruck in terms of fitness is cycling - especially when you’ve got a whole heap of stuff to take with you or if you need somewhere to stow your helmet whilst you run some errands. The Litespeed comes with a helmet section, so simply store your helmet in there and you’re good to go!

THE TAD FAST PACK LITESPEED IS AN ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT OFFERING, AND WHILST IT MAY NOT BE THE MOST CONVENTIONAL RUCK OUT THERE IT’S CERTAINLY A BRILLIANT PIECE OF KIT THAT WILL BE IN MY GEAR ROOM FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.

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SRP ÂŁ75.00

PLATE CARRIER

SPECIAL OPS

TACTICAL

n Shock band shoulder strapping n 3 x Magazine compartment n Velcro ID panel

BLACK

COYOTE

GREEN

V-CAM

n Front chest admin compartment n 3 x Robust webbing side panels n Velcro sizing adjustment on front n Bungee retention size adjuster on rear n Adjustable padded shoulder straps n Padded Ventex internals n Front & rear armour compartments n Velcro outlet retainer

>GET THE

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Material: 600D Cordura Size: One Size, Fully Adjustable

n Lazer MOLLE webbing panels

TACTICAL

STOCKISTS / CATALOGUE

www.vipertactical.co.uk

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N ALL

GRAB BAGS! WE KNOW HOW HARD IT CAN BE AT TIMES TO SELECT THE RIGHT PRODUCT OUT OF SOMETIMES A NEVER-ENDING LIST. WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMPETITION THERE IS IN CERTAIN MARKET PLACES IT CAN BECOME A RIGHT OLD CHORE TO WORK OUT THE BEST VALUE FOR MONEY AGAINST THE BEST OVERALL PRODUCT... GEAR ZONE IS HERE SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THAT HARD WORK! Shoulder bags are EVERYWHERE… From schools to offices, the gym to military bases. They come in all different shapes and sizes, prices and brands; if a company has in any way, shape or form dabbled in the bag market before, you’ll be sure to find they’ve produced a shoulder bag of some form. They’re functional, light and a lot less hassle to carry around than a rucksack, and they don’t leave big old sweat patches on your back on a hot day! The only problem with there being so many of them, is the build quality tends to be a bit shoddy on some of them. Many a time I’ve bought a bag from a high street brand for them to inevitably fall apart, and it’s only recently that tactical gear companies have brought out some stylish shoulder bags that won’t look out of place in any environment. With that in mind, we’ve brought you 6 of the best in association with Military 1st! IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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GRAB BAG COMPARATIVE REVIEW

£59

GRAB BAG COMPARATIVE RE

HAZARD 4

TONTO CONCEALED MINI-MESSENGER

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

There’s very little in this world that I cannot break; from upper receivers of M4s to drive shafts in cars to myself in some way shape or form. And the fact the Hazard 4 Tonto stood up to a months worth of torture on my recent visit to China and come back with nothing more than a few scuffed corners really shows the build quality of this tough little bag. With more compartments you can shake a stick at, for such a small bag the Tonto can hold an awful lot in… Most days I’d venture out with a camera, two lenses, two bottles of water, a map of the area, a piece of fruit, a small rolled up waterproof and all the souvenirs I’d accumulated during my trip… Not bad for something designed to fit a 13” notebook! The features list for the Tonto is absolutely massive, so not to bore you we’ve pulled out some of the important info and we’ll let you use the wonderful Internet if you want to know more! Constructed out of DuPont 1000D Cordura, the Tonto really does fit a number of uses. With a padded section, our best bet is the bag is designed to hold either a notebook or a tablet device along with any other items you may need in the bigger central section. There’s also a fold down section, which could be used for a map as there’s a see through section in there. Hazard 4 say that with the straps removed the Tonto can double up as a first-aid kit! This is by far our favourite bag out of the selection on show and definitely receives a high recommendation by Raider!

£77

MAXPEDITION

FATBOY VERSIPACK

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

The smallest of the bags we’ve got on show, the Fatboy Versipack is still a strong contender! Described as a ‘durable and ergonomic shoulder sling pack with a seemingly compact exterior and surprisingly ample interior’. And they’re right, don’t let the look of this bag fool you, there’s an awful lot of room available, plenty enough to store all your essentials in! Our boss recently took this one on holiday with him just as a ‘sit around the pool and take out on walks’ bag and he was really happy with it, it easily stored his Kindle, headphones, phone, sunglasses and sun cream but rest assured we’ve packed it in the office with a variety of survival tools such as walkie talkies, knives, multitools, flashlights… It really can be utilized in a variety of ways; as most bags can be! If truth be told we think this could work brilliantly as a concealed bag in some way, shape or form but we’ve yet to try that! This is one I’d recommend for those of you who simply want a small bag to fit some small things in. Don’t expect to be able to fit in your whole E&E kit into here because it simply wont happen but also don’t think it’s useless because of it’s smaller size in comparison to the other bags on show!

£116

MAXPEDITION

COLOSSUS VERSIPACK

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

If these bags were all some form of famous movie monster, this would by all accounts be the Godzilla of shoulder bags… With a silly amount of real estate inside, this is about as close as you’ll get to having Narnia in a bag, but is it maybe a little too big we ask? By all means it’s a good bag, it does everything it needs to and it’s to a very good build quality, but we just found ourselves losing stuff in it, it almost become like a women’s handbag; unorganized and a black hole for items! But the bag is quite clearly labeled as ‘designed to accommodate a load of different gear at a time’, so maybe we’re just nitpicking here! By no means does any of the above means we didn’t like the Colossus, and like anything we soon find a bloody good use for it! When we had our resident photographer come into the office to take the pictures of these he soon realised the potential the Colossus had to be an excellent camera bag and he was soon filling it with all his goodies to see whether his brainwave had any substance to it… And it did! He now has the bag on long-term test for us and no doubt you’ll see it popping up again in Raider!

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£45

N ALL

VE REVIEW - GRAB BAG COMPARATIVE REVIEW 5.11

PUSH PACK

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

We’ll make no effort to hide the fact we like 5.11. We like their kit, we like their competitive prices and we like them as people. They’re never shy to take constructive criticism and they make products that are usable! And the same can definitely be said about their Push Pack. Always one to love their Acronyms, the Push Pack doesn’t escape it, with push standing for Practical Utility Shoulder Hold. Designed in pretty much the same fashion as the Flyye Fatboy and the Maxpedition Jumbo, it is constructed from a rugged, water resistant 1050D nylon and features a whole load of stuff including - a large flap covered main compartment with two drainage holes at the bottom, two side-expanding pockets (sized to hold one-liter water bottles). A main compartment with 3 built in pen pockets and a card slot, a mesh pocket and a nylon pocket opposite to it. And On the front of the bag there is another pocket with Velcro closures. I could go on to talk about the other handful of pouches but it would start to take up a little too much space and we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise for you when you go out and buy one! In all honesty the best thing about the Push Pack is it’s price – Coming in at £45 it’s by far the cheapest option we have on show and definitely rivals the more expensive items in terms of quality and strength!

£88

MAXPEDITION

JUMBO VERSIPACK

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

Being a bigger version of the Fatboy Versipack there’s not an awful lot more we can tell you about this bag that we haven’t already gone over with the Fatboy… Being a bigger version, it obviously has more space, with the larger main compartment being 38% bigger. Straight from the Maxpedition website, the Jumbo Versipack features ‘wide and comfortably padded shoulder strap, multiple MOLLE straps, numerous external pouches and concealed carry system for smaller weapons and other equipment. Being made of water and abrasion resistant 1050D ballistic Nylon fabric, this multi-functional shoulder pack comes with silent UTX Duraflex buckles and sturdy YKK zippers, and offers secure and easy access to storage place for all your tactical needs.’ The Maxpedition Jumbo is by all means a good bag, and it’s definitely one that holds up to the wear and tear you’ll be throwing at it, but there’s something that just screams at me ‘GO FOR THE 5.11 PUSH PACK!’ The quality is definitely here with this bag, and it is definitely better designed than the 5.11 equivalent, but is there really £30/40 difference between the two? We’re not too sure…

£59

FLYYE

FATBOY VERSIPACK

AVAILABLE DIRECTLY FROM MILITARY 1ST

Founded in 2006, Flyye are a company that keep popping up on our radar, making affordable kit to a good quality, and are not afraid to admit they supply a lot of gear to the Airsoft market. Whilst this may put a lot of people in the services off, there really is no need to turn your nose up at their honesty and regardless of their targeted audience; they still make damn good gear! Described as a ‘ practical, lightweight and sturdy shoulder bag made of durable Invista 1000D Cordura Nylon which is more resistant to the usual wear and tear than normal Nylon’, the Flyye Fatboy is by all means a copy of the Maxpedition Jumbo Versipack but comes in around £25/30 cheaper! Obviously there are certain places the quality lacks, and our biggest gripe was the strap itself, made out of what looks like seatbelt material which makes it look a little on the cheap side and it lacks the finesse of the Maxpedition product. Regardless of that though, you definitely wouldn’t be disappointed if you put your faith in this product! IN ASSOCIATION WITH

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THE BRITISH

BAT TLE TECH

NIGHT VISION UNDER OUR SPOTLIGHT

ARMED FORCES! DO YOU WANT A JOB THAT IS GOING TO PUSH YOU TO YOUR VERY LIMIT BOTH PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY? SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO OFFER YOU NEW EXPERIENCES EVERYDAY AND THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO PICK UP VALUABLE LIFE SKILLS ALONG THE WAY... LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE BRITISH ARMED FORCES.

The chances are if you’ve looked at joining the British Armed Forces in the past you’ve come across a ton of technical jargon that can be quite scary; especially when faced with a potentially life changing decision. Thankfully the recruitment teams at your local recruitment office are on hand to steer you in the right direction; making everything that little bit easier for you. Some people will instantly know whether the Armed Forces are for them or not; whether they’ve wanted to do it since they were little or the media or a careers day has swayed them, others will simply not know, and that is where the careers officers come in. The careers teams will have dealt with various people like yourself who are dubious as to whether the Armed

Forces is right for them and will be able to best advise you on whether it is or not and help you progress your enquiry if you choose to do so. However, maybe you don’t want to commit that far. Maybe you’re just sounding out the possibility of the Armed Forces and you don’t quite want to make that leap into a careers office where they may sink their teeth into you and never let go… Proverbially anyway! With all of that in mind we’ve scoured the internet and spoke to the careers offices on your behalf with the intention of rounding up all the information you could possibly need, including where to start, entry requirements and where to contact for more information…

ARMY

ROYAL AIR FORCE

ROYAL NAVY

STARTING PAY - £14,492+

STARTING SALARY - £14,492+

STARTING SALARY - £14,492

MINIMUM SERVICE - FOUR YEARS

MINIMUM SERVICE - SIX YEARS

MINIMUM SERVICE - FOUR YEARS

ABOUT

ABOUT

ABOUT

The British Army offers a huge range of different jobs, being the most diverse in terms of different roles in the British Armed Forces. With over 200 different roles in the Army; some of which are accessible via joining the Army Reserves. Whether you choose a role that develops existing skills, or one that teaches you a whole new skill range, you’re sure to find something that suits you.

Ever fancied yourself as a bit of a ‘Topgun’? Then the RAF is definitely where you need to be looking. But that’s not where the careers finish with the RAF, with there being a large amount of different jobs available ranging from Aircrew to the RAF Regiment.

The Royal Navy offers something completely different to the other two options - the opportunity to embark on a variety of Her Majesties vessels, upholding the law of the ocean and protecting our shores or the shores of our allies through various different exercises. Whether you want to captain a ship or run the weapons systems, there is definitely something here for you.

ENTRY AGE - 16 TO 33

JOINING PROCESS

Once you have submitted your application, you will be invited to an initial interview to speak with an Army Careers Adviser who will be able to answer any questions you have regarding the Army and give you any advice you may need in order to best prepare yourself. After this you will be invited to take three written tests - the British Army Recruit Battery Test (BARB), a Literacy test and a Numeracy test. These tests will evaluate you in a number of different ways and will give you your General Training Index, a score that will allow the Army to match you to suitable roles. Pass these and you will be invited for a 2 day stay at an Army Development and Selection Centre where staff will assess your potential to be a soldier through three tests. The first of these is a fitness test in which you have to complete a 1.5 mile run in 14 minutes 30 along with a handful of strength tests. Following this you will take part in a memory test where you will take part in a memory lesson about a particular aspect of the Army, which you will be tested on the following morning. The final test is one to assess your teamwork skills. After these three tests you will have an interview - pass all the above and you’ll be through to your Initial Training. WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here. www.army.mod.uk

ENTRY AGE - 16 TO VARIED

JOINING PROCESS

The RAF application process is very much similar to that of the Army, developed to ensure the RAF match the right people to the right jobs. Where the Royal Air Force differs slightly is that you will have to complete different aptitude tests for different roles, as the spectrum of jobs is vastly different to that in the Army. These test your ability in areas such as information interpretation, multi-tasking, deductive reasoning, spatial reasoning, work rate and verbal/numerical reasoning. Following this you will be invited in for a selection interview where you will be asked a variety of questions such as your family life, education, work, how you spend your leisure time and your interest in the RAF. Certain roles will also require you to have a specialist interview to confirm your suitability. Pass the interview stage and you’ll be required to take part in a Pre-Joining Fitness Test. The PJFT will yet again vary between role, age and gender, but on a whole men will have to complete a 2.4km run in 11 mins 11 secs and women have 13 mins 23 secs to complete the same run. Men will also have to complete 20 press ups and 35 sit ups and women have 10 press ups and 32 sit ups to complete. Next you have the Pre-Recruit Training Course - a three day course designed to help familiarize candidates with the training environment as well as testing the individual in both functional skills and a variety of fitness tests including shuttle runs, press ups and sit ups. These tests are all done under a pass or fail ethos. Once you’ve completed these tests you will either be offered a position on passing or told to come back if they believe you have potential.

AGE RANGE - 16-36

JOINING PROCESS

Unlike the other two branches, the Royal Navy starts it’s application process through an initial careers presentation in which you are talked through the various roles, what you need to do to get there and what requirements there are for that specific role. Following that you’ll take the Royal Navy Recruit Test, and like the other two branches your score will give the Royal Navy an indication of what roles you can advance in. Following this you will have an interview to help find the best role for you, taking into account your Recruit Test scores and any existing qualification you may have. Once you have agreed on this you will be referred to a doctor for a medical and eye test. Like the Royal Air Force, you have to take a Pre-Joining Fitness Test before you advance any further. These scale dependent on your age so your best bet is to check out the Royal Navy’s website for more information on this. Once you’ve passed all the tests, if you want to join as a Rating you’ll need to attend the Pre Royal Navy Course. This is your introduction to life in the Royal Navy and will confirm you’re ready for the challenge. You’ll learn all about our ethos, the working environments, fitness standards and weapon handling. You’ll need to pass this in order to be offered a place at HMS Raleigh. WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here. www.royalnavy.mod.uk

WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here.

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G H T - FNI GI HG THI TN GV FI ISTI OWNA NUT N JDOEI NR TOHUE RB RS I PT IO STHL AI GR M H ET D - F ONRI CGE HS T? SOME PEOPLE WILL INSTANTLY KNOW WHETHER THE ARMED FORCES ARE FOR THEM OR NOT; WHETHER THEY’VE WANTED TO DO IT SINCE THEY WERE YOUNG OR THE MEDIA HAS SWAYED THEM, OTHERS WILL SIMPLY NOT KNOW, AND THAT IS WHERE THE CAREERS OFFICERS COME IN

PARACHUTE REGIMENT

ROYAL MARINES

UK SPECIAL FORCES

AGE RANGE - 16 TO 33

STARTING SALARY - £24,971

STARTING SALARY - VARIED

STARTING SALARY - £15,892+

MINIMUM SERVICE - TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS

MINIMUM SERVICE - VARIED

ABOUT

ABOUT

A step up from normal infantry units, the Parachute Regiment is what you’d call the Army’s elite fighting force; second only to those of the Special Forces units attached to various services. Along with a slight pay increase, you get the honour of wearing the Paras maroon beret; one of the most known berets not only in this country but the world round.

Like the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Marines are one of, if not the best fighting force available for use by the British Armed Forces. Attached to the Royal Navy, each Royal Marines Commando has gone through the rigorous Commando Course, earning his Green Beret along the way. Think you’ve got what it takes to be in the 0.1% of people who pass the Commando Course?

The British Special Forces is made up of three separate entities - The Special Air Service (SAS), The Special Boat Service (SBS) and the Special Reconnaissance Regiment (SRR). These guys are the pinnacle of the British Armed Forces and are known around the world as some of, if not the best fighting forces in modern times.

JOINING PROCESS

JOINING PROCESS

Being part of the Army, the initial tests are exactly the same as those who are simply joining the Army. You take the same written tests as those in the Army and you’ll also have to complete the same basic fitness tests and interview. However, where it changes is after you successfully complete the initial selection steps, where you move on to the Parachute Regiment Assessment Course. Held at the Parachute Regiment Assessment Centre at Catterick, the course comprises of a series of physical tests to examine your durability and physical fitness. The assessment covers three days and on successful completion you will be given a start date to join a platoon in the PARA Company. Candidates are expected to be able to complete a minimum of 50 press-ups in 2 minutes, 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes and 7 upper body pull-ups along with a 1.5 mile run in a time under 9 minutes 40 seconds. You will also complete a number of various training drills including a best effort on the Steeple Chase, an introduction to the outdoor trainasium and an assessment on the SA80 and Light Machine Gun. As you can see, entry to one of Britain’s elite fighting forces is definitely more of a task than your regular Army units, think you’ve got what it takes?

The Royal Marine joining process is most probably the most thorough in the British Armed Forces; putting applicants through four stages before even reaching the Commando Course. Like anyone joining the Royal Navy, applicants must first attend a Royal Navy careers presentation so they can tell you about all the careers you have no interest in because the chances are if you want to be a Marine then nothing else will ever appeal to you. Following this you will complete the Royal Navy Recruit Test; with the expectation being you score higher than average. Once you have completed this you will be invited to complete a Pre-Joining Fitness Test, running a total of three miles - one mile-and-a-half completed in 12 minutes 30 seconds and the other being completed in sub 10 minutes. On completion you will be invited to an interview that will determine if you have the potential of becoming a Royal Marine; you could have aced everything up to this point but if they don’t believe you have the characteristics to become a Marine you will not be progressing on to the PRMC. The Potential Royal Marine Candidate Assessment is a two day course that will test you on your physical and mental strength - day one being focused on your physical strength in the gym and day two being more an endurance based course. On completion you will be invited to join the Commando Course!

AGE RANGE - 16 TO 33

AGE RANGE - VARIED

MINIMUM SERVICE - FOUR YEARS

ABOUT

JOINING PROCESS

WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here.

Not an awful lot is known about the joining processes of the individual Special Forces units, and what is out there in terms of information is on the whole guess work or snippets that may be massively outdated. Joining a branch of the UK Special Forces isn’t as easy as simply going to your careers office and telling them you want to become a member of UK’s elite though, as on a whole you’ll have to be serving with a regular Army/Navy/Air Force unit for at least a year before they will even look at you; and even then you would have to be a very special individual to be accepted after a year of service. All we can really suggest if you are thinking about a career in the UK Special Forces is to get yourself into either the Royal Marines or the Parachute Regiment as a large number of SF applicants are picked from these two services. One way you can potentially skip this is by looking at joining the UKSF Reserves, which will put you through the same rigorous training but allow you to jump straight into the training instead of having to apply and pass another services’ training prior to entry. WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here. www.army.mod.uk/specialforces

www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/parachute WHAT NEXT?

Interested? You can find out more info here. www.royalnavy.mod.uk

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ON OUR R A D A R

SNUGPA K ME R INO W OOL S OC K

£10.95 IT’S PAINFULLY APPARENT WITHIN ALL WALKS OF LIFE THAT THE ONE PIECE OF TECHNICAL CLOTHING THAT IS MASSIVELY OVERLOOKED IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECES OF CLOTHING YOU CAN EVER PURCHASE. SOCKS ARE SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE JUST SEEM TO COMPLETELY DISREGARD, AND OFTEN YOU’LL SEE PEOPLE WEARING A PAIR OF NORMAL BL ACK SOCKS WHEN OUT ON ARDUOUS HIKES OR WHILST IN THEATRE. WITH PEOPLE SPENDING A SMALL FORTUNE ON THE LIKES OF BOOTS, COATS AND VARIOUS OTHER ITEMS, WE’RE HERE TO EDUCATE YOU ON SOME OF THE BEST SOCKS ON THE MARKET!

SNUGPAK MERINO WOOL SOCK Snugpak are a brand synonymous with both comfort and warmth and are praised for their brilliant range of jackets and sleeping bags, with many of their products winning over the team here at Raider HQ. I don’t think there’s a member of staff who doesn’t have one of their brilliant jackets, with the Sasquatch being a huge hit, and for those of us who spend a lot of time in the outdoors, their sleeping bags are one of the first items to be packed for weekends away. With years of experience with all things outdoors, it comes as no surprise Snugpak also offer a range of technical socks as well. After browsing the range from Snugpak, our eyes were instantly drawn to the Merino Technical Sock for a couple of reasons. Firstly price. At just shy of £11.00 these socks fall into what I’d label the ‘sweet spot’; not stupidly expensive, but not cheap enough to make you have doubts of the quality sitting in that just about right bracket. Secondly the Merino Wool construction. Anyone in the outdoors world will know that Merino is the big

032

thing as things stand, and as more and more companies have made it readily available, the price point has slowly started dropping. And thirdly… Well we didn’t have a third point, but firstly and secondly simply don’t sound right without a thirdly, right? With the winter months now setting in, our forays in the outdoors have slowly been coming to a halt, however we still found ample ways to get these a good test period. Living in what many of you would class as ‘the absolute middle of nowhere’, I often have to go on long walks to the shops or take my two rather lively Labradors on what seem like short vacations to ware them out, and with the tractors causing havoc with the roads leaving mud everywhere, simply wearing a pair of trainers to do these tasks is a big no-no. Instead my trusty pair of AKU Pilgrims’ get drafted in from the kit locker and adorned for such things. And as soon as any form of boot comes into play, a good pair of socks come

hand in hand (or should I say foot in foot). So we’ll start from the top. Snugpak’s Merino Technical Sock come in three different colours - Barley, Black and Olive. Each colour is also complimented with a secondary colour - barley meets a heather grey, black sees a light grey and olive comes with black. The socks, dare I say it, look pretty cool. The design is sleek and they’re pleasing to the eye. However they’re socks. And looks aren’t really a factor. When you put the Merino Technical Sock on, you instantly feel that little bit warmer. As discussed last month, your feet fall into what are known as extremities. Extremities are the areas of your body that expel the most amount of body heat and also include your hands and top of your head; hence why gloves, a wooly hat and a good pair of socks are always recommended when going out into cold environments. Well these socks definitely tick the good pair of socks department here. The warmth is provided from a mix of Merino Wool and polypropylene, which also provides unmatched durability and performance. They are also ridiculously comfortable as well; both worn by themselves and with a pair of boots. This is thanks to a number of things. Their in-turned welt provide a relaxed fit. The extra padded sole also offers a huge amount of comfort. You’ve also got a fine toe seam which reduces the risk of blistering. After a months worth of long dog walks, which often end up as light jogs due to the temperament of my dogs, we’ve had no problems with the sock at all. They have provided a great deal of warmth and comfort, we’ve had no blisters and they’re showing no signs of wear whatsoever. For the £10.95 they’re retailed at, you really will struggle to find a pair of Merino Wool socks as good as these and they have definitely found their way into my kit bag, and will most certainly find themselves part of an outdoors adventure in the very near future!

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LATEST ISSUE OUT NOW!

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OPS EASY CHEST RIG RANGER GREEN

LBX M4 SPEED DRAW MAG POUCH - RANGER GREEN

UF PRO STRIKER HT COMBAT PANTS AVAILABLE IN: MULTICAM AND COYOTE

FERRO CONCEPTS: THE DANGLER! MULTICAM, COYOTE AND RANGER GREEN

LBX MODULAR ASSAULT PANNEL - MULTICAM

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£154.99

£82.95

£114.99

£89.99

UF PRO: DELTA ACE JACKET AVAILABLE IN BROWN GREY AND MULTICAM

UF PRO: HUNTER SWEATER AVAILABLE IN MULTICAM AND GREENZONE

UF PRO DELTA ACE SWEATER AVAILABLE IN BROWN GREY AND BLACK

OPS ADVANCED FAST RESPONSE PANTS

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£174.99

£13.99

£98.50

£114.99

£29.99

ARC’TERYX: DRAC JACKET AVAILABLE IN WOLF GREY AND COYOTE

OPS DOUBLE 556/AK MAG POUCH - RANGER GREEN

OPS EASY PLATE CARRIER RANGER GREEN

OPS ADVANCED MODULAR PLATE CARRIER AVAILABLE IN COYOTE AND MULTICAM

OAKLEY SI GLOVE LIGHTWEIGHT - COYOTE

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ATIMENEW YEAR! FOR SOME NEW GEAR WITH THE NEW YEAR NOW UPON US, MANY OF US WILL BE LOOKING FOR NEW TACTICAL GEAR TO USE THROUGHOUT 2016. WHILST SOME PIECES OF GEAR ARE TIMELESS, OTHERS SEE NEW RENOVATIONS ALONG WITH SOME BRAND SPANKING NEW PRODUCTS BEING RELEASED. THIS MONTH WE WILL BE TAKING A LOOK AT A RANGE OF TACTICAL GEAR TO SEE YOU THROUGH THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND! With the vast amount of new tactical gear coming from the United States, finding UK retailers who stock them from day 1 is neigh on impossible. Due to this most prices throughout this article are given in U.S. Dollars and do not include postage. Whilst these items will slowly find their way to UK shores, should you want something sooner rather than later, we would definitely recommend buying them from the manufacturers just to air on the side of caution.

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NEW YEAR - NEW GEAR!

SOME CHOICE TACTICAL GEAR TO S

RAIDER’S PICK OF THE PACK! 3

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$27.99

PROPPER

7X5 POCKET ORGANIZER

$27.99 -WWW.PROPPER.COM

The 7X5 Pocket Organizer is a great piece of kit for those of you who like to stay… well organised! Coming in at 7”x5”x1”, the 7X5 Pocket Organizer features a front loop field for patches, a rear stash pocket, MOLLE compatible webbing on the rear and also comes with a free 7X5 Elastic Organizer Panel that’s worth $14.99. This pouch is perfect as either a standalone pouch to carry a range of items such as tools or attached to a belt order or plate carrier to use as a utility pouch.

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$499 + $469

UNDER ARMOUR

RIDGE REAPER PRO JACKET AND PANT

JACKET $499.99/TROUSERS $469.99 - FROM: WWW.UNDERARMOUR.COM

Under Armour have long been a brand synonymous with brilliant sporting gear, and in recent years have began to branch out into the hunting and tactical markets with some brilliant pieces of gear including some amazing boots and shells. The Ridge Reaper Pro Jacket and Pant were first teased at SHOT Show 2015, and since then the camo has started to grow in popularity in the hunting and tactical world. The Jacket is cut in a ‘fuller’ cut to allow for both complete comfort and additional layering underneath and features a 3-layer GORE-TEX construction, secure, pack-accessible hand pockets, interior mesh stash pocket, elastic inset on cuffs for a secure fit and adjustable cuffs. The Pant offer the same cut and 3-layer GORE-TEX construction along with a waistband with elastic sides and working fly, a secure back pocket and 23” leg zips to allow for ease of removal.

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$115

HIGH THREAT

CONCEALMENT GLOCK EVOLUTION HOLSTER

WWW.HIGHTHREATCONCEALMENT.COM

With holsters being on the agenda this month with our Kydek holster spotlight, we just had to get the Glock Evolution Holster from High Threat Concealment into the magazine. The HTC™ Evo Holster is a chameleon when it comes to maximum concealment. It can change from OWB (Outside the Waistband), to IWB (Inside the Waistband), to Appendix Carry (AIWB), simply by changing the attachment hardware. The holster can be canted up to 15 degrees in any of these three carry options. Each holster comes with a Foldover Belt Clip for IWB carry and a set of closed belt loops for OWB carry. Combine the Foldover Belt Clip with one of the closed loops to switch to Appendix carry. Select between 1.5" and 1.75" belt widths, or get the full hardware kit to maximise carry options. A custom tensioner is installed below the trigger guard, allowing the user to adjust the tension of the pistol based on his/her preference. HTC™ holsters are made of Boltaron®, a high impact thermoplastic designed specifically for parts subjected to extreme temperature ranges and regular abuse. The best available materials, stainless steel hardware, and design based on real world experience result in equipment that is thin, lightweight, and rugged. HTC™ products are made in the US.

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TO SEE YOU THROUGH THE NEW YEAR AND BEYOND!

5

4

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$40 - $54

6

HIGH SPEED GEAR

COVERED TACO POUCHES

WWW.HIGHSPEEDGEAR.COM

Shortly after penning our Battletech article on a range of new High Speed Gear items, they threw a spanner in our works by releasing a new range of Covered TACO Pouches. Not wanting to completely disregard the launch, we thought this would be the perfect place for them! This line of new TACO pouches features five signature TACOs, including the TACO - Covered, X2R TACO – Covered, Double Decker TACO – Covered, Pistol TACO – Covered and Extended Pistol TACO – Covered. These TACOs are constructed from the same 1000D Cordura, shock cord and proprietary polymer brackets, but now include a buckled flap. This flap, which provides extra protection and security for your essentials, is built with a side release buckle for quick and silent removal of contents, as well as with hook and loop Velcro for additional retention. Each covered TACO includes a silencing patch for the hook Velcro.

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$VARIES

A-TACS

IX CAMOUFLAGE GEAR

RANGE OF DIFFERENT SELLERS

A-TACS have long been a revolutionary in the camouflage market, creating two of our favourite camouflage patterns in A-TACS AU and FG. Their recent iX camouflage is set to join that group and form a holy trinity of camouflage patterns for us as well! A-TACS iX Camo is designed for transitional environments with an even mix of transitional green and brown tones and is designed utilizing the color palettes from their popular AU and FG patterns allowing the end user to “mix and match” to any area of operation. There are currently a range of manufacturers making product in the new A-ATACS iX camouflage, with our favourites being UR-Tactical and Tactical Performance Gear who are both making some brilliant clothing in A-TACS iX. We’d personally recommend the ARMA Jacket and Pant from Tactical Performance Corp and the OPS Direct Action Uniform from UR-Tactical, both of which are brilliant options for those of you looking to transition to the new A-TACS iX camouflage.

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$29.00

TRIPLE SEVEN GEAR CORE NANO WALLET

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-PRDER

Fresh off of a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign the CORE Nano wallet is now available for pre-order. The CORE Nano is rugged, compact, lightweight wallet designed to secure not only cash, credit cards and ID but small gear that you normally carry in your pocket. You can fit earphones, flashlights, micro multitools, flash drives, lighters anything that will fit in the palm of your hand will tuck into the CORE Nano wallet. A unique and new approach to wallets that will most definitely appeal to your adventurous side. Even if you never place anything besides your cash and cards in the CORE Nano you will still love it! The tri-fold design creates a very slick look when closed and secures your cash, cards and ID even under the toughest conditions. The tag line of Triple 7 Gear is "Changing EDC one system at a time" so are you going to give us a shot at your system?

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NEW YEAR - NEW GEAR!

SOME CHOICE TACTICAL GEAR TO S

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$65.00

WHITE RIVER

KNIVES KNUCKLEHEAD

AMERICAN MADE STEEL!

Constructed of only American-made CPM S30V high-carbon stainless steel at a 60 Rockwell hardness, its 2.875-inch, chisel-ground blade is intended to hold a highly effective edge for a lot of heavy cutting. At just 1.7 ounces, the Knucklehead is near feather-light for its potential uses. The ergonomically designed CNC manufactured holes make a super-positive, slip-resistant finger-inserted (if desired) grip in most any conditions. The rearmost hole even doubles as a bottle opener. Two models are available - a natural stone finish and a black PVD ionbond® finish.** PVD is an ultra-hard, abrasion-resistant finish that is rated at an astounding 85 Rockwell C hardness. White River's intelligent Kydex sheath allows you to wear the Knucklehead as a neck knife, boot knife or on the belt by using its unique multi-position clip to adjust the wearing position to your preference. In addition to its American-made steel, every Knucklehead component is made and manufactured in the U.S.

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$199

MILSPEC MONKEY BOSS BEAVER

TACTICAL AND HARD URBAN USE!

After the success of the Milspec Monkey Adapt Pack, they had some requests for a larger pack with more organisation features. With that in mind, MSM started to take a look at the market and found an appreciation for the expandable beavertail bags. However with a large amount of them on the market already MSM had to think of a way to improve the already functional design. One thing that was painfully apparent was the floppiness of the beavertail itself. So with those concepts in mind they took the foundation of the Adapt pack so you get those cool guy features, then upsized it and added a self contained beavertail along with plenty of organisation options. The result makes the Boss Beaver good at both tactical and hard urban use!

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$554

TRIJICON MRO

PREMIUM OPTICS!

Trijicon have for years been one of the premium manufacturers of optics and have brought us some of the finest examples the world has seen. With their range of ACOGs already a huge hit within the tactical world, you know you can trust the name. And unlike another unnamed manufacturer, they don’t have any lawsuits hanging over them so you won’t feel the need to air on the side of caution when buying from them! With all of that said Trijicon have recently released their latest product, the Trijicon MRO - and boy does it look good! The Trijicon MRO™ (Miniature Rifle Optic) is a sealed miniature reflex sight intended for use on rifles, carbines and shotguns to provide fast target acquisition. The large aperture and tapered light path maximizes the viewing area and allows for better situational awareness and fast target engagement. Combine all this with the ambidextrous brightness controls, sub-flush adjusters, advanced lens coatings and the fully sealed, waterproof, hard anodized forged 7075-T6 housing and you have the ultimate mini reflex sight for all your shooting needs.

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10

$119

KINETIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP SIDELOK MOUNT - TRIJICON MRO

REVOLUTIONARY NEW MOUNTING SYSTEM

With the introduction of the Trijicon MRO, we thought we’d also give you some way of mounting it. The former executive sales and development team of a U.S. firearms manufacturing company decided to found Kinetic Development Group to pursue their innovative ideas and small arms solutions unhindered by the bureaucracy of a large corporation. The team felt if they stuck together, they had momentum that would carry them forward successfully under a new banner. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion or momentum. Potential energy is energy stored in a system of forcefully interacting physical entities. As a team, these partners believe they had the Kinetic and Potential energy to dominate the premium tactical accessory market. The Sidelok is a revolutionary new mounting system for optics. The patented cam system locks the mount down onto picatinny without the need of tools, side levers, or huge knobs. The release system allows users to change out there optics on the fly with less hassle. The 2 levels of locks (MRO Mount) ensure the optic will not move unintentionally, maintaining zero for the shooter, and returning to zero when remounting in same position after removal. This mount utilises a lower 1/3 co-witness.

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$39.95

MAGPUL

MOE SL-K STOCK

WEAPON ATTACHMENT

When it comes to polymer weapons attachments, we all know Magpul are up there with the best. With a range of innovative designs, Magpul have been able to cement themselves in the upper echelons of the firearms industry, and with a expansive range of attachments, and more being added by the month we can’t see them dropping the ball any time soon. The MOE SL-K Stock is a drop-in replacement buttstock for AR15/M4 mil-spec carbine buffer tubes, the SL-K is designed for compact PDW style weapons or users desiring a small and light stock. Features a short and slim profile, a smaller rubber butt-pad with rolled toe for easy shouldering and sure grip, and a 1.25” footman’s loop with the ability to accept an optional M-LOK QD Sling Mount for push-button style QD sling swivels. A new, unique, ambidextrous release latch minimises rattle on the receiver extension without requiring additional locks, levers, or springs.

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$29.99

EDGEGEAR SHIFT

$29.99 SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE

The Edgegear Shift is a little “out there” so to speak, but is still a good idea nonetheless. Essentially the Edgegear Shift is a fancy watch strap, but it completely changes the ergonomics of your watch. Designed for use with a variety of smartwatches, the Edgegear Shift does away with the traditional watch strap and uses a unique system to mount it on what can only be described as the outside of your hand; almost adjacent to your thumb. The idea came due to the fact that the team behind Edgegear are all avid runners, and with the explosion of the Smartwatch and it’s ability to aid runners through a variety of apps. What they began to realise was this information wasn’t in their natural line of sight whilst running, with the usual watch position making it difficult to view any data or interact with it without becoming unfocused or having to stop all together. Edgegear realised these issues and began working, eventually coming up with the Shift! The Edgegear Shift is currently available for pre-order, with shipping estimated for February. Whilst we personally don’t own a smartwatch, we can definitely see the benefits here!

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K Y D E X

H O L S T E R S

K Y D E X

S O L U T I O N S

U N D E

MOULDED HOLSTERS HOLSTERS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A LOT LONGER THAN YOU PROBABLY THINK, AND AREN’T JUST MODELLED FOR FIREARMS, IN FACT THE EARLIEST FORM OF A HOLSTER WAS FOUND TO COME FROM 11TH CENTURY BC, WHERE THE FUTURE KING OF ISRAEL, DAVID USED SUCH A DEVICE TO CARRY AROUND LARGE ROUND STONES FOR THE ‘REMOVAL’ OF BIG BULLIES. HOWEVER IN MODERN TIMES, THE USE OF A HOLSTER HAS LARGELY BEEN FOR THE HOLSTERING OF HANDGUNS. Over the years, the make up and construction of holsters has massively changed, with companies keeping up with the evolution in materials available. The likes of leather, nylon and polymer have been put into use, and until recently had almost been the ‘Holy Trinity’ of holster materials. That was until Kydex was introduced to the scene. Kydex was the brainchild of Rohm and Haas Company, a Philadelphia-based materials manufacturer who worked within the aircraft interior business. In the late 1960s, a range of industries began to realise that kydex sheets could be manipulated into almost any shape through the application of heat, allowing you to hold the material around various different forms. And so in 1997, Kydex, LLC was born. Kydex has seen use in instrument consoles, lavatory pans, door liners, aircraft pulldown trays,truck fenders and a whole heap more, including our subject matter - firearms holsters. But why Kydex over other popular materials such as leather or nylon? Well you’re right in thinking that both leather and nylon holsters have always been a very popular choice within the firearms world. Leather offers it’s users a product that is both physically strong and aesthetically appealing, whereas nylon offers a product that was cheaper but just as physically strong. However on the downside, leather holsters are sensitive to temperature, moisture and humidity. They also require a ‘break-in’ period and need to be thoroughly maintained. Nylon likewise is sensitive to moisture and takes a long time to dry out, leaving you with a soggy holster and a soggy sidearm. Both can also lead to negligent discharge as well due to their reholstering difficulties.

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On the other hand, Kydex offers a product that is maintenance free, don’t require a break in period, don’t absorb any moisture, and re-holstering is a breeze. Essentially Kydex is a material that offers all the things you’d want for the perfect holster, and last a lifetime. Another big plus side regarding Kydex holsters is the fact that each holster is hand made and made exactly for the sidearm you plan on holstering in it. None of this ambidextrous, multi-pistol nonsense, simply a holster designed to holster your sidearm on the side designated by yourself.

SO HOW ARE THEY MADE?

In it’s most basic form, making Kydex holsters is very simple. However to create quality products, a lot of time, effort and love goes into the process. To create a Kydex holster, makers heat a sheet of Kydex, mold it around a form, cut off the excess material and polish the finished holster. Sounds easy right? What this doesn’t take into account is the hours put in prior to learn the process so you’re able to follow it through flawlessly, as well as the quality control that goes into the product. You’ve then got to have a certain level of expertise to follow the process through, for example Kydex needs to be heated to a very precise temperature and cooled in a very specific way.

KYDEX HOLSTERS

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

Does a Kydex holster sound like the one thing you’ve been missing from your life? Do you need one at this very precise moment? Well unfortunately we’re not magicians and won’t be able to magic you one up. However we have put together a list of some of our favourite Kydex holsters, enabling you to jump on the internet and place your order!

W W W.RAIDER-MAG.COM

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N D E R

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GM TACTICAL CUSTOM

W W W.TA C T IC A L-K I T. C O . UK

New kids on the block GM Tactical are a UK based brand specialising in Kydex creations. These guys will literally custom make you anything you want, as long as it’s made from Kydex! So far we’ve seen magazine pouches, magazine wedges and the mightily impressive Q-CAT; a tourniquet holder made out of Kydex! Their holsters are by far the creme de la crop of their product range so far though, and they will custom make you a holster to fit your sidearm of choice. The build quality is perfect and all of their products are made from genuine Kydex material flown in from the US. Each product goes through intensive quality control prior to postage and the final product really is solid. With the GM Tactical website under construction, you can currently purchase a range of GM Tactical items through our friends at Tactical Kit. You can find them at www.tactical-kit.com.

PREDATOR GEAR INC.

W W W. P R E D AT ORGE A R INC . C OM

Predator Gear Inc. are a Denmark based company that make a range of gear including holsters, magazine carriers, a range of accessories and general everyday carry gear. Their Kydex holsters are some of the best on the market, and come in two different models - the popular Mongoose OWB and the Mongoose OWB - WML. The Mongoose OWB holster is a handmade, formfitted kydex holster. It features two adjustable retention points and a superb fit. It is compatible with all Predator Gear Inc Accessories, and a wide range of SERPA/ Bladetech accessories. The holster is made from .093Ð kydex. The Mongoose OWB - WML offers everything the original Mongoose does, but does it with the ability to cater for a weapons mounted light; hence the WML designation. One of the great things about the Predator Gear range is the amount of options you have when it comes to purchasing. Not only do they cater for a huge range of sidearms, but they also offer various mounting options and a range of different colours!

RAVEN CONCEALMENT

W W W. RC S GE A R . C OM

Raven Concealment are a US based brand that grew from humble beginnings. Starting as a basement project by three friends hand-forming Kydex holsters back in 2005, the company grew into a multi-million dollar manufacturing enterprise that now offer a huge range of different holsters and accessories. Their Kydex range has slowly grown and now offers a wide range of different products, with some really cool little items within the range such as back up gun holsters. The Phantom range covers a wide variety of sidearms and comes in both non WML and WML variants. The Phantom was designed from the outset to provide the highest possible level of concealment by being adaptable to wear with virtually any style of clothing. What makes the Phantom so unique is its ultra-thin, body-hugging pancake profile. This profile, in conjunction with their Eclipse Modular Mounting System, allows the Phantom to be worn either on the belt or inside the waistband.

G-CODE

W W W.TA C T IC A L HOL S T E R S . C OM G-Code have been a player in the Kydex holster game for a long period of time now and have consistently produced solid products at a ridiculously cheap price point. Their OSH RTI Kydex Holster is by far our favourite of the range. It combines the heavy usage, precision formed modular Kydex holster as seen in the original OSH holster, but pairs it with their brilliant RTI mounting plate. The Rapid Transition Interface is one of the best mounting platforms we’ve seen, giving the user a variety of different ways they can mount their sidearm, but is also super lightweight and very low profile. The OSH RTI range caters for a range of different sidearms, and also comes in a variety of colours. If you’re after a holster that provides you with a range of different options in one package, the G-Code OSH RTI range is definitely the way forward in our opinion.

W W W.RAIDER-MAG.COM

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HSGI B A T T L E T E C H

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G E A R

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R A D

NE W HIGH SPEED GE AR!

HIGH SPEED GEAR, MORE FREQUENTLY KNOWN AS HSGI HAVE LONG BEEN INNOVATORS IN THE TACTICAL GEAR MARKET. WITH PRODUCTS SUCH AS THE HSGI TACO, COSTA LEG RIG AND MANY MORE, THEY HAVE SOME OF THE HIGHEST SELLING PRODUCTS WITHIN THE TACTICAL GEAR MARKET. NOT ONE TO REST ON THEIR LAURELS THOUGH HSGI HAVE JUST RELEASED A RANGE OF NEW ITEMS THAT WILL SURELY HAVE YOU TALKING.

SPC-BRAVO/MPC-BRAVO

High Speed Gear® has been manufacturing high quality, battle proven tactical nylon soft goods since 1999, and are dedicated to building the best 100% Made in the USA, “Battle Proven Tactical Nylon Gear™”. Their products are designed for the highest level of comfort, functionality, and versatility. They guarantee satisfaction for all of their customers; whether military, law enforcement, or responsibly armed citizens. Their products are user driven and have been designed based on the operational experiences from a wide variety of end users. They have a history of producing some of the most versatile tactical gear in the industry, with their TACO range being one of the best received tactical pouches on the market and have continued to build their legacy. With a range of equipment that is popular the world round, their user base spans all walks of life from casual hobbyist shooters all the way through to top tier operators from various nations.

IN KEEPING WITH THEIR VERY HIGH STANDARDS, HIGH SPEED GEAR HAVE RELEASED A HANDFUL OF NEW PRODUCTS THE SLICK PLATE CARRIER-BRAVO, MODULAR PLATE CARRIER-BRAVO, RANGE/GO BAG, SHOT SHELL TRAY V.2 AND GAS MASK/SPENT MAG POUCH V.2.

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The SPC-Bravo and MPC-Bravo are a natural progression of the already versatile SPC/MPC line of plate carriers. Both feature the same 500D Cordura plate pockets, interior mesh cushions and HSGI neoprene shoulder pads of the original SPC and MPC, but now feature nylon and Velcro loop PALS on the front and back for further customisation and adaptability. The SPC-Bravo also utilises two-inch Gripper Elastic side straps, uniquely enabling it to be paired with any of the pouches from their belt-mounted line. This makes it the perfect plate carrier for law enforcement needs. The MPC-Bravo features a Sure-Grip Padded Belt for further comfort and stability, as well as their Chest Platform, both of which provide additional attachment points for your customisation.

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THE HSGI® SPC-BRAVO

A light and comfortable plate carrier with: ■ Plate pockets constructed of 500D Cordura® and durable 1” PALS webbing. ■ Mesh cushioning allows airflow and the padding improves comfort. ■ Shoulder pads offer comfort and stability. ■ Two-inch wide Gripper Elastic side straps are perfect for HSGI® belt-mounted magazine or utility pouches. ■ Loop front with nylon webbing to allow installation of SPC Chest Platform.

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THE HSGI® MPC

A stable and comfortable plate carrier with: ■ Plate pockets constructed of 500D Cordura® and PALS webbing. ■ Mesh pockets on the back improve airflow. ■ Sure Grip belt with adaptor for plate use. ■ Comfort and stability due to neoprene lining. ■ Additional MOLLE storage capacity. ■ Versatile and comfortable sizing options. ■ Includes SPC Chest Platform (40CP00) and H-harness for use with or without plate carrier. ■ HSGI neoprene shoulder pads for comfort.

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RANGE/GO BAG

The Range/Go Bag is a 15Ð x7.5Ð x10Ð, 1000D Cordura bag with five rows of PALS webbing on either exterior side and four rows of loop PALS on either interior wall. The stiffener sewn into the bottom of the bag offers a self-standing feature, and a removable, padded, internal divider allows for protection and separation of internal items. This bag can be hand carried via the reinforced-webbing handles or shoulder carried via the 1.5Ð-webbing shoulder strap. Eight D-rings, one at each corner, further enables the bag to be customised for backpack-style carrying.

■ 5 rows x 10 slots of Molle on sides of bag allow for external attachment of accessory pouches. ■ Reinforced webbing handle on each side for bag for hand carry. ■ D-rings on 8 corners for shoulder or back pack strap attachment. ■ Shoulder strap made from 1.5” webbing. ■ Stiffener sewn in the base of the bag allows for self-standing feature. ■ Reverse zipper opens to bottom of bag allowing maximum access. ■ Internal pockets on each side of the bag. ■ Internal loop molle, 4 rows x 10 slots allows for attachment of hook backed or molle pouches. ■ Internal padded divider allows for protection of inside items.

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SHOT SHELL TRAY V.2

The Shot Shell Tray V.2 is an updated and improved design to their already popular mountable shotgun shell card. The new HSGI Shot Shell Tray design consists of two Velcro hook-backed, rubberised-nylon web platforms with five shell slots each. The rubberised-webbing loops will hold (10) 12 gauge shotgun shells. A Velcro loop-backed MOLLE panel offers compatibility with PALS platforms. Either tray be attached to any Velcro loop surface or inserted securely into a standard TACO. ■ Rubberized webbing loops will hold (10) 12 gauge Shotgun shells. ■ Velcro hook backed platforms can be attached to molle loop panel and attached to various PALS applications. ■ Velcro hook backed can be attached to any Velcro loop surface.

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GAS MASK/SPENT MAG POUCH V.2

The Gas Mask/Spent Mag Pouch V.2 can be used as a gas mask pouch or dump pouch, and can be worn as a drop leg or with a shoulder strap. This pouch holds up to the largest popular tactical gas mask models. Both the drop leg components and shoulder strap are easily removed for full conversion to either carry style.

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AD TEMPLATE.indd 1

30/09/2015 12:10


ME DI A R E V IE W DE VIL’ S PL AY GROUND: BY SIMON CHAMBERS

DEVIL’S PL AYGROUND ISN’T YOUR AVERAGE WARTIME BOOK. YOU DON’T GET THE USUAL GUNG-HO VIOLENCE AND MONOTONOUS HYPERBOLE USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH BOOKS BASED ON WARTIME PERIODS. INSTEAD YOU WILL GET A DOWN-TO-EARTH, INSIGHTFUL, HONEST AND ACCURATE PAGE-TURNER THAT WILL KEEP YOU HOOKED RIGHT UNTIL THE VERY END.

DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND BY SIMON CHAMBERS

VERY RARELY DOES A BOOK OF THIS CALIBRE PRESENT ITSELF, GIVING YOU AN INSIGHT INTO A WORLD NOT HEARD OF BEFORE. DEVIL’S PL AYGROUND AS WRIT TEN BY ‘SIMON CHAMBERS’; A PSEUDONYM GIVEN DUE TO THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF HIS WORK, GIVES THE READER A FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF HIS TIME SPENT AS PART OF AMERICA’S BIGGEST PRIVATE SECURIT Y COMPANY - BL ACK WATER. IF YOU’RE BY ANY WAY INTERESTED IN THE ACCOUNTS OF A MAN WHO SPENT UPWARDS OF 7 YEARS WITHIN THE PMC WORLD, THEN DEVIL’S PL AYGROUND IS A MUST READ.

Simon Chambers’ book, “Devil’s Playground” tells of his epic experiences in ‘The Devil’s Playground’ as the first British soldier to join the infamous Blackwater Private Security Company, a name synonymous with the PMC world. The original book was banned from being published due to its sensitive nature, but all legal references have now been lifted, and you now have the chance to read a first hand experiences of Simon during his time in Blackwater. Simon Chambers’ CV reads like one of a fictitious superhero from the realms of fantasy and fiction, yet he is the real deal and he has all of the relevant credentials to prove it. As a former member of Britain’s elite Parachute

Regiment, Chambers was trained and ready to form the spearhead for the British Army’s rapid intervention capability; soon progressing to 1 PARA as part of the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG). The years that followed cut similar paths in various other army roles, amongst which Chambers was only marginally slowed in pace by a particularly bad parachuting accident whilst jumping as part of the Royal Corps of Transports Parachute Display team - The Silver Stars. This is a man who sought - and still does seek, to survive on the near constant presence of adrenalin pulsing through his veins, so it should be of no surprise that when his long tenure in the British Army came to a close, there were

very few civilian jobs to match such a colourful working history. But what there was available to him was the vast work of Private Security. Having attended a close protection course, it wasn’t long before Chambers was offered a job with one of America’s top close protection companies. This was just the beginning of another 7 years of putting his life on the line, but this time as a hired gun as part of the biggest Private Security company on the planet - Blackwater. During his early years in Iraq he was a vital part of Paul Bremmer’s bodyguard team. As one would expect, when living your life so close to the edge, there were times Chambers almost lost his balance, and his times saw him shot and wounded twice and blown up twice. Yet he survived all of these ordeals. Devil’s Playground isn’t your average wartime book. You don’t get the usual gung-ho violence and monotonous hyperbole usually associated with books based on wartime periods. Instead you will get a down-to-earth, insightful, honest and accurate page-turner that will keep you hooked until the end. What you gain here is a real insight into the emotions and experiences of life for any who are brave enough to ‘dance with the Devil’ in his very own playground.

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WELCOME TO DIRECT ACTION. DIRECT ACTION IS OUR HOMAGE TO OUR MILITARY ROOTS, AND GIVES OUR READERS AN INSIGHT INTO OPERATIONAL DUT Y AROUND THE WORLD. WITH THE MAIN DEBATE REGARDING THE ARMED FORCES AT THE MOMENT REGARDING SYRIA, WE THOUGHT WE’D TAKE A STEP AWAY FROM THE NEWS OF FURTHER BOMBINGS AND TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE MORE ‘NICHE’ WORK OUR ARMED FORCES DO, LETTING THE CHRISTMAS CHEER ALMOST ROLL OVER TO THE NEW YEAR AS OPPOSED TO GETTING VERY MUCH BACK ABOARD THE ‘DOOM AND GLOOM’ TRAIN.

on the scene!

■ PAGES: 50-51 EBOLA AID MEDALS FOR MILITARY MEDICS IN YORK

■ PAGES: 52-53 ROYAL NAVY IN MEDITERRANEAN DRUGS SEIZURE

April 2015 saw the outbreak of the Ebola virus, and Sierra Leone being one of the worst effected countries in the world. Not able to idly sit back, medics from 34 Field Hospital were deployed, providing 3 months of aid before charity workers could come in and take the reigns, saving hundreds of lives. Now those medics have been awarded honours for their work.

The Royal Navy do a lot of work ensuring our shores are kept safe. However that doesn’t just mean patrolling our shores to stop any threats from entering British waters. They also play a huge role in the safety of main shipping routes and the seizure of drugs before they hit UK shores. This month HMS Richmond and HMS St Albans were able to intercept a huge shipment before it landed on UK shores.

■ PAGE: 54 BRITISH JOBS SECURED THROUGH UPGRADE TO NUCLEAR DETERRENT SUBMARINE Having a nuclear deterrent in this day and age is a must. But having a job for your everyday person is much more important! Thankfully the Ministry of Defence have been able to secure 2,000 jobs for skilled workman as part of an effort to extend the life of HMS Vengeance and HMS Vanguard.

■ PAGE: 55 2015 CHRISTMAS GIFT INITIATIVE FOR ARMED FORCES LAUNCHES ON HMS BELFAST

And finally, carrying some of said Christmas cheer through to the New Year, our final story of the month comes from UK4U and their continued yearly effort to supply Armed Forces personnel with a little taste of Christmas wherever they are in the form of a Christmas Box!

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EBOLA MEDALS

FOR OUR UK MILITARY MEDICS! HAVING DEPLOYED IN APRIL THIS YEAR, MILITARY MEDICS FROM 34 FIELD HOSPITAL BASED IN YORK RECEIVED THEIR OPERATIONAL SERVICE MEDALS FOR RUNNING EBOLA MEDICAL FACILITIES IN SIERRA LEONE,AT A SPECIAL CEREMONY HELD IN YORK.

Fifty Army and Royal Air Force medical staff from 34 Field Hospital marched onto parade in front of crowds of families and friends at the presentation held at Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Strensall. The barracks adjoins Towthorpe Lines where the medics underwent specialist training in the Army Medical Services Training Centre before deploying. They received the cross-Government Ebola Medal for Service in West Africa for the three-month operational tour in Sierra Leone. They were part of a team of 100 Regulars and Reserves from all three services including 18 members of the Canadian Armed Forces which treated those who cared for Ebola patients and later contracted the disease themselves. The Kerrytown Treatment Centre was opened in November last year, providing 80 beds in the centre run by Save the Children fund and 12 beds in the unit staffed by British Army medics specifically for health care workers and international staff responding to the Ebola crisis. The medals were presented by Her Majesty’s Vice Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Mr Peter Scrope and the Director General of the Army Medical Services, Major General Jeremy Rowan - it was his last engagements before leaving the Army. In his speech to the soldiers and their families, Major General Rowan said: ”It is just about a year since I gave Op Herrick medals (Afghanistan) to this regiment and

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here you are back on parade, having done a completely different mission. An enormous challenge, I say probably the most dangerous thing the Army Medical Services has engaged in since the Korean War. “Not only did you achieve on Operation Herrick the best poly trauma results in the world, you then went on to Sierra Leone and delivered better results than anyone else has achieved to date in the treatment of haemorrhagic viral fevers. Quite extraordinary, very brave, very dedicated and I commend and thank you for it. “ Among those who deployed was RAF Reservist, Sergeant Julie Jones, a member of the Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at RAF Brize Norton and a nurse at the Centre Parks holiday village in Sherwood Forest. “It was very hot and humid and it was difficult to work in the PPE (protective clothing) which obviously you can’t replicate here. But once you were working in the unit you did get used to that,” said Julie who was a nurse in the Ebola Treatment Centre and comes from Nottingham. “ I felt quite confident in the kit I was wearing and drills I had been taught and I felt reassured as long as I stuck to the drills. You always worked with a partner so you were constantly observing each other and as long as you followed your drills – your kit changing, donning and doffing drills – I felt safe and protected. “I feel very proud today. It is nice that the families

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can come and watch us receive our medals. It is good to receive recognition for the work we have done.” Sergeant Chris Elliott, a regular Army nurse from Defence Medical Group North had also done the training and felt confident in the drills they had been taught. “In terms of frightening, it was always at the back of your mind I suppose, that this disease was there and it was very real,” said Chris who comes from South Shields. “However, within a week or two of being on the ground and going out and seeing patients, it sort of all went away and you dealt with those patients as if they were any other. “Although it was challenging, we got a lot of opportunities we would never have got in any other operational environment. “Today is the culmination of a lot of effort – being involved in the training process, deploying and then coming back and the medal parade concludes this chapter. I think it is great the guys are getting the recognition they deserve for this.” Operation GRITROCK, Defence’s contribution to the wider government’s efforts to bring the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone under control, only formally ended in October this year. Since its formation in October 1996, 34 Field Hospital has served on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Sierra Leone Iraq and Afghanistan.

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THE ROYAL NAVY IN MEDITERRANEAN DRUGS SEIZURE

FOR YEARS THE ROYAL NAVY HAVE PROTECTED ENGLISH SHORES AGAINST A NUMBER OF THREATS, NOT ONLY BEING A DETERRENT AGAINST POTENTIAL INVASION, BUT IN MORE RECENT YEARS KEEPING KEY SHIPPING CHANNELS SAFE AGAINST ‘PIRATES’ AND ALSO STOPPING THE ILLICIT TRADE IN DRUGS. THIS MONTH HAS SEEN THE ROYAL NAVY UPHOLD JUST THAT, STOPPING A LARGE IMPORT OF CANNABIS FROM HITTING UK SHORES.

HMS RICHMOND IN HUGE DRUGS SEIZURE

The crew of a Royal Navy warship have seized around £3m worth of cannabis during a security patrol in the Mediterranean. The Portsmouth based frigate HMS Richmond sent up her Lynx helicopter that spotted what was believed to be a drug smuggling boat and immediately moved in to investigate. With Richmond nearby her Royal Marine boarding team was sent into action. With the aircraft flying overhead the crew of the smuggling vessel threw their drugs shipment overboard and fled the scene. Richmond’s team recovered 1,015kg of cannabis that was bound for mainland Europe and potentially the UK. Officials estimate the drugs would have had a value of around £3 million had they reached the streets of the UK. HMS Richmond’s Commanding Officer, Commander Mark Anderson, said: “The Mediterranean is a known route for smuggling drugs into Europe and the UK. As soon as the smugglers were detected it took minutes to launch the ship’s boarding team and intercept and recover the drugs.”

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E D I T E R R A N E A N Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “This goes to show the value of the Royal Navy, not just keeping key shipping channels safe but stopping the illicit trade in drugs. Our cutting edge warships and highly trained personnel have once again proved their flexibility to adapt their tasking to the war on drugs with good effect.” Captain Paul Simmons, Royal Marines, who is in charge of the boarding team, added: “The team remains at high readiness throughout their time onboard for exactly this type of situation. With the assets available in HMS Richmond we can detect smuggling vessels over large distances, close with the location and quickly move to intercept.” Richmond is on a nine month deployment, protecting UK interests’ worldwide. Since deploying in March she has assisted in the interception of £26.5 million worth of heroin in the Indian Ocean, and disrupted people trafficking in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the European Union led “OPERATION SOPHIA”, helping to save hundreds of lives in the process. The ship is due to return to UK waters before Christmas.

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THE MEDITERRANEAN IS A KNOWN ROUTE FOR SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO EUROPE AND THE UK. AS SOON AS THE SMUGGLERS WERE DETECTED IT TOOK MINUTES TO LAUNCH THE SHIP’S BOARDING TEAM AND INTERCEPT AND RECOVER THE DRUGS.

HMS ST ALBANS SEIZE 320KG OF RESIN

The Royal Navy has carried out its second drugs bust in the Mediterranean in as many weeks with HMS St Albans seizing around 320kg of cannabis. Having left Portsmouth on a nine month deployment less that a fortnight ago the Type 23 frigate stopped the drug smugglers during a routine security patrol and prevented around £1 million worth of narcotics reaching European markets. It is the second drugs bust carried out by a Royal Navy vessel in the area in the past two weeks, as HMS Richmond also recovered 1,015 kg of cannabis worth around £3 million. While on patrol, HMS St Albans spotted a small boat acting suspiciously and so launched her Merlin helicopter, this spooked the small boat crew who then tossed several large packages into the water before speeding off into the dusk. The frigate then sent one of her sea boats to investigate the packages which later turned out to be approximately 320kg of cannabis resin. St Albans’ Second in Command, Lieutenant Commander Jeff Gulliver, said: “The Mediterranean is a well known smuggling route for drugs into Europe and the UK. The team have trained long and hard at home for tasks such as this. Having only just deployed from UK last Monday, it is great for them to prove themselves so soon. I’m proud of my sailors for reacting so quickly and helping to keep these drugs off the streets.” Armed Forces Minister Penny Mordaunt said: “After just two weeks on operations HMS St Albans is already having a tangible effect in ensuring the security of the UK by keeping these illicit drugs off our streets. I wish her crew fair winds and following seas for the remainder of their deployment.” Providing an eye in the sky was a Merlin Mk 2 helicopter from 829 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall. Lieutenant Commander Lauren Hulston, who is in charge of the Merlin Flight, added: “This was the perfect demonstration of the versatility and capability of a Merlin and its crew. With the ability to send live imagery back to the ship, the team was able to act quickly to disrupt this drug smuggling activity and recover a lot of the cannabis. We hope it’s the first of many on this nine month deployment.” St Albans is on a nine month deployment, protecting UK interests’ worldwide and will return to UK shores next summer.

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BRITISH JOBS SECURED WITH UPGRADE TO NUCLEAR DETERRENT SUBMARINE TWO ROYAL NAVY NUCLEAR DETERRENT SUBMARINES HAVE REACHED KEY PROGRAMME MILESTONES WHICH WILL EXTEND THEIR LIFE AS THE BACKBONE OF THE UK’S CONTINUOUS AT-SEA DETERRENT.

HMS Vengeance has left Devonport dockyard following a Long Overhaul Period (Refuel) and sailed past HMS Vanguard, which is due to start a scheduled Deep Maintenance Period (Refuel). HMS Vengeance has completed the Devonport part of the £350 million refit and refuel programme which included a complete overhaul of equipment on the submarine as well as the installation of improved missile launch equipment and upgraded computer systems. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence is due to sign a contract worth around £200 million with Babcock to undertake a planned period of maintenance for HMS Vanguard. Additionally, some of the cost for the upkeep will be met by the Maritime Support Delivery Framework which was signed with the company in October 2014. The contract to refit and refuel HMS Vanguard is expected to take nearly four years and will secure the future of more than 2,000 jobs at Babcock in Devonport, and involve over 100 companies subcontracting throughout the project. Defence Minister Philip Dunne said: “As well as securing 2,000 highly skilled jobs at Devonport dockyard, this contract forms part of our £178 billion plan to ensure our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and typifies what has proven to be a very successful programme of refuelling our fleet of nuclear submarines which helps ensure their service into the 2030s.”

“The protection and defence of the whole of the UK is the primary responsibility of Government and the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review confirmed the Government’s commitment to maintaining the UK’s independent nuclear deterrent to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life.” Chief Strategic Systems Executive at the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support organisation, Rear Admiral Keith Beckett, said: “The highly sophisticated nature of the work involved in the deep maintenance of these vessels is testament to the experience and skills of the workforce in Devonport and those in the supply chain across the UK.” The contract to refit and refuel HMS Vanguard will involve the replacement of the nuclear reactor core, which powers the 16,000 tonne vessel. Submarine and missile launch systems will also be overhauled and new capability added to the submarine sonar equipment, upgrades to computer and communication systems and equipment and machinery replaced. HMS Vanguard is one of the UK’s four Vanguard-class submarines, designed to carry the UK’s Trident ballistic missiles which together form the backbone of the UK’s Continuous At-Sea Deterrent. Naval Base Commander Devonport, Commodore Ian Shipperley said: “The success of the HMS Vengeance refit and refuel

is due to the close collaboration of many agencies and contractors but particularly the joint project ethos that is dominant between the Ministry of Defence, Babcock, Rolls Royce and the Ship’s Company. “The departure of HMS Vengeance after the successful completion of her refit at Devonport, followed by the arrival of HMS Vanguard now at the beginning of her four year Deep Maintenance Period, highlights the expertise of the workforce in Devonport which makes it the centre of excellence for this type of hi-tech work.” Following the successful refit of HMS Vengeance she will undergo sea trials before returning to fleet duties with the Royal Navy.

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2015 CHRISTMAS GIFT

INITIATIVE FOR FORCES LAUNCHES ON HMS BELFAST PERSONNEL FROM THE ARMY, NAVY & ROYAL AIR FORCE JOINED SPONSORS, SUPPORTERS & TRUSTEES OF THE CHARITY UK4U THANKS! TO LAUNCH A 2015 CHRISTMAS BOX CAMPAIGN ON HMS BELFAST.

uk4u Thanks! Have produced more than 7,500 Christmas Boxes this year, ready to be sent to every Serviceman and woman serving away from their loved ones across the world over the festive period. Guests came together on HMS Belfast to mark the occasion. Each year the location of the launch moves to highlight that uk4u Thanks! Supports all three military Services. Guests included personnel who have received Christmas Boxes whilst on operations. Flying Officer Lesley Woods, a Reservist in the Royal Air Force who received a Christmas box in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan said: “I remember the anticipation when the uk4u Thanks boxes were flown in by Chinook helicopter, and how we kept them under the trees in our office with a “not to be opened until 25 Dec” sign. It was our equivalent of Santa’s delivery for Christmas morning. UK Forces deployed at Christmas this year will be in various locations around the world, including the Middle East, Africa and in Europe. They will be engaged in duties such as disrupting people trafficking in the Mediterranean, training

in the Ukraine and supporting the counter-Daesh campaign and working with the UN in Cyprus. The charity will also send boxes to personnel based in the Falklands, those serving on HM Ships and Submarines, and to those recovering in hospital over the festive period. The launch was attended by Minister for Reserves Julian Brazier who said: “I’m proud that the Ministry of Defence is supporting this campaign. The Christmas boxes offer more than a taste of home to those who are away. These boxes gift wrap our thanks, the thanks of a grateful nation, for everything our Servicemen and women do on our behalf. While our personnel might not be here in the UK for the festive season, they remain ever in our thoughts.” Sally Little, uk4u Thanks! trustee said: “uk4u Thanks! is thrilled to be able to continue a tradition started by Princess Mary of sending a gift from the nation to our Armed Forces on operations, away from their families, loved ones, and friends at Christmas. We are ever-grateful for the continued support of our sponsors and the British public, which makes this possible.” uk4u Thanks!’s Christmas boxes are sent out using the British Forces Post Office. Members of the public who want to support the Armed Forces this Christmas are urged to donate to a Service Charity. Further information on the work of uk4u Thanks! can be found at www.uk4u.org.

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As publishers, we are passionate about printed products. There’s nothing better than the feeling of opening up a fresh magazine and seeing our hard work in print and to be able to add another volume to the shelves is a satisfying experience but we realise that for many people, reams and reams of paper magazines just isn’t feasible. If you live your life on the go, have limited space or just don’t fancy cluttering up your house with piles of magazines there’s now another option. We realise the way that many people read magazines is changing. Sometimes it’s just not practical to carry a paper copy around with you on busses, trains or on holiday and with amazing devices like the iPhone, the iPad and the Kindle, reading in a digital format is now easier and more comfortable than ever, no matter where you are. We also realise that because of the proliferation of the Internet and near instant transference of huge amounts of data, people expect to be able to get their hands on things, fast and rightly so. Why should readers the world over have to wait in this day and age? With Raider’s digital version everyone can get their copy at the same time. If you are particularly environmentally conscious, Raider Digital versions are also much greener. Even though our paper magazines are produced responsibly and from sustainable sources an application needs no freight carriage and has no wastage so it will always have a lower carbon footprint!

VOLUME

GUNFIGHTER INTERVIEW! LUDUS

FIGHTING FIT

THINKING OF JOINING THE BRITISH FORCES? WE TALK YOU THROUGH ALL THE PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

£4.25

THREE PEAKS

AFTER A NEW CHALLENGE? THEN WE’VE GOT JUST THE THING FOR YOU!

CHRIS COSTA

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 3

WHY GO DIGITAL?

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ALPHA MALE

OUTDOORS - ADRENALIN - TACTICAL - ESSENTIALS - FITNESS - EXPLORE

£4.25

HERE AT RAIDER WE ARE COMMITTED TO BRINGING YOU THE BEST MAGAZINE WE CAN AND TO MAKE IT EASIER TO GET YOUR MONTHLY FIX. THANKS TO SOME HUGE IMPROVEMENTS IN HOW WE DELIVER OUR DIGITAL VERSIONS WE ARE NOW PROUD TO SAY THAT RAIDER IS AVAILABLE IN MORE FORMATS THAN EVER BEFORE!

04/06/2014 10:38

11:15 17/03/

2014

15:38

VISIT WWW.POCKETMAGS.COM AND LOOK FOR RAIDER MAGAZINE! NO WAITING, NO QUEUES. READ IT YOU WANT IT, WHERE YOU WANT IT!

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V O L U M E

GUN REVIEWS • GAME REPORTS • HOW-TO GUIDES • GEAR TESTS

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publishing ltd.

JUNE 2014 VOL:10 ISS:1

£4.25

ebcon

BUILD A MK18 PTS RM4 ERG REVIEWED PROJECT PTW INTERVIEW TACTICAL T-SHIRTS JUNE14 Cover.indd 1

28/04/2014 08:58

V O L U M E

THE WORLD’S FIRST DEDICATED SIM RACING MAGAZINE

LAUNCH

1

1

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ISSUE #

1

WIN A MEGA BUNDLE OF STEEL SERIES KIT!

KAMUI KOBAYASHI INTERVIEW!

S I M R A C E R

CHILL BLAST! SIM RACING PC’S FULLY REVIEWED INSIDE

THRUSTMASTER GEAR REVIEWED

POSTER INSIDE!

MADCATZ PRO RACING WHEEL REVIEW

BEHIND THE SCENES

ebcon publishing ltd.

£5.99

S AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK

LAUNCH VOL:1 ISS:1

■ SIM RACER TAKE

NIVIDIA GRAPHICS CARDS TEST

SIM RACER LAUNCH ISSUE.indd 1

26/08/2014 13:53

ebcon publishing ltd.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ALPHA MALE

OUTDOORS - ADRENALIN - TACTICAL - ESSENTIALS - FITNESS - EXPLORE

TRAVIS HALEY

GUNFIGHTER!

WE TAKE A KNEE WITH WORLD CLASS GUNFIGHTER TRAVIS HALEY IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK AND HOW THE WORLD OF HALEY STRATEGIC PARTNERS REVOLVES . . .

HARDSHELL JACKETS!

WE TRY BEFORE YOU BUY! 8 HAND-PICKED JACKETS UN-ZIPPED AND BARING ALL!

COMMANDO SCHOOL PAGE 25

WE GET TO GRIPS WITH TACTICAL TITANS ARKTIS AND SHOWCASE A SELECTION FROM THIER MILITARY AND POLICE RANGE

BCB DEPLOYMENT ESSENTIALS TACTICAL HOODIES ON TEST! FITNESS ON THE MOVE SEPT14 RAIDER.indd 1

EBCON HOUSE AD.indd 1

ebcon £4.25

publishing ltd.

VOLUME 7 ISSUE 5

AS SEEN ON TV!

HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO COMPLETE ONE OF THE MOST GRUELING PROGRAMS?!

ARKTIS UNCOVERED

04/08/2014 18:31

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