Tac Shield Gun Belt and Mag Pouch ReviewThere are a number of reasons to invest in a high quality external tactical gun belt and I am not talking about the kind that just keep your pants up or hold your CCW holstered gun. This article focuses on an extremely high quality gun belt from Tac Shield which can be worn over clothes and your clothing belt or used as a high strength rigid belt for your pants.
Gun belts have become fashion in 3Gun but are just as handy in the tactical and defense world where having a gun belt ready to strap on at a moment's notice could deliver benefits. This type of external Tac Shield gun belt setup is also about 1000x more comfortable to move with and wear when you need more gear off the same belt holding your pants up. Another benefit is that once all your personalized accessories are added to the belt, the belt and gear can be easily clipped on or removed without having to partially disrobe.
From a training perspective it is really quite nice to arrive at the range and just clip on your gun belt with a holster and magazines pouches already attached and placed and start training, versus spending ten or fifteen minutes getting your holster and magazine pouches in the right spot. The Tac Shield Gun Belt is very similar to many of the other top quality gun belts on the market with a high strength sturdy webbing, double clasp buckle and a flexible velcro adjustment system to accommodate changes in clothing and … well, let’s face it weight change.
There are some aspects of the Tac Shield belt I like a bit better than other belts I have tested. The quality is exceptionally high with a quality Heavy-duty 2,000 lb. aluminum buckle with Double Release Levers, tough 1.5” double-wall 7000lb Mil-Spec webbing, and the velcro adjustment was easy and secure to use.
The Tac Shield Gun Belt is not a glorified EDC (Every Day Carry) belt for your pants. One feature I like is that the entire belt is reinforced with a special polymer stiffner which greatly increases the load capabilities of the belt. The stiffener is also one reason I would not wear it daily as an EDC belt. It could serve that duty, however from my opinion after testing is that the Gun Belt is just too stiff and thick in addition to screaming “shoot me first I am the tactical guy with a gun”.
If you are the type of person wearing 5.11 pants while grocery shopping, then you might love this belt to hold your pants up. Instead, my perception is that this is an awesome light-medium load bearing belt which might have a holster and a few AR and pistol mag pouches hung from it as are typical with 3Gun matches. This belt would be great option for those who may plan on doing some sporting competition in addition to using this belt for defensive training and use.
I highly recommend everyone with an AR15 and pistol complete some type of “extra” training each year to keep your skills sharp. On of my annoyances on my first training was that I was not particularly comfortable with a holster and two pistol mag pouches and a rifle pouch hanging from my tactical riggers belt laced through the loops on my 5.11 tactical pants.
Breaks in the training require all that crap to be removed which requires reversing the ten minutes of wiggling it to get the stuff on the belt in the first place. Plastic holsters and nylon pouches start to irritate and chafe your skin because they are sitting too tight to the body… plainly put it sucks if you don’t have a dedicated gun belt which you can just clip on and off as the training schedule dictates. An external belt pushes all those attached pouches and holsters out a fingers width away from your skin which delivers a world of improved comfort. Bottom line, if you do any training, buy a freaking gun belt. |
| LAG Tactical Battle Buddy - Mag Carrier |
What is a Gun Belt without holsters and pouches. I tested the belt both with just my LAG Tactical “The Defender” holsters for my H&K VP9 and Glock G17 pistols along with LAG’s “Battle Buddy” Single pistol and AR rifle mag carrier. The belt with only the LAG holster and Battle Buddy configuration netted a simply and easy light weight tactical pistol and AR15 rig which could support single reload drills or perhaps a hunting trip into the field.
For more comprehensive support of multiple firearm magazines, Tac Shield also manufactures some very high quality Universal Magazine Pouches. My Tac Shield Double Universal Rifle Pouch will hold (4) M16 Mags, (2) AK47 Mags, (4) SMG Mags, (2) M14/FAL Mags or (2) SF 60RD Magazines so that if I want to train with my AK47, I can all without changing the pouches. The same goes for the Tac Shield Double Universal Pistol Pouch which will hold pretty much any typical single or double stack magazine.
My thought was that with an investment of only $75 in these two Tac Shield Universal holsters that I would have support pretty much any typical magazine requirement I could have. I know high speed kydex or polymer mag holsters are all the rage, however I liked the idea that the legacy Mil-Spec flap pouch style offered more magazine retention security. 
I did add Tac Shield’s 5" x 5" x 2" Gear Pouch which I typically stuff with, my wallet, cell phone, a small medical kit and usually a couple power bars. Honestly this is the handiest pouch on the belt.
The Tac Shield pouches are all bar tacked for extra durability at stress points and all feature extended pull tabs for use with gloves. Attachment is via a simple and adjustable MOLLE style loop system which I found delivered accommodating positioning of the pouches. My only little complaint is that the Milspec MOLLE attachment slots deliver a little loose fit on the belt, however as we all know the MOLLE system itself is a compromise solution far from perfect on on anything except attachment to another MOLLE grid. Adding adjustable MOLLE belt clips would be my preference to tighten up the pouch and pack from moving around. FINAL THOUGHTS
I do have other gun belts which are more tactical dress belts that I have been using as external gun belts, so I have been thrilled with the quality of the Tac Shield setup. Aside from the LAG Tactical holsters and carriers, the Tac Shield Tactical Gun Belt, Universal Double Pistol and Rifle magazines only totaled around $164 which I consider one of the better accessory investments I have made which has increased my comfort, and improved the quality of my training. What I like most about this setup is realizing that it can transition and be used for everything from entry level competitive shooting, to serious defensive and tactical training, to even supporting your CCW firearm and hunting firearm magazine needs. Cool high quality set up for not a lot of cash.
SPECS TACTICAL GUN BELT
- MSRP $59.99
- Small: 30"-34" (SM) $59.99
- Medium: 34"-38" (MD) $59.99
- Large: 38"-42" (LG) $59.99
- Colors - Black
- 1.5 Inch width
- Easy Open Heavy-duty 2,000 lb. Aluminum Buckle with Double Release Levers
- Low-profile design includes tapered edges for snag-free comfort
- The buckle locks the webbing to prevent slippage with even the heaviest loads
- Double-wall webbing is reinforced with a special poly stiffener system.
- The patent pending design provides extra support in the holster/mag case region, while offering softer edging in the spinal area for additional comfort and protection.
- Offers four inches of adjustment with the hook & loop tail lock design
- Can be worn in traditional pant loops or tactical pant loops
- If sized correctly, it will fit over your pants for convenience in removing holster/mag case as a unit
- QR double lever buckle
- 1.5" double-wall 7,000 lb. Mil-Spec webbing
- Low-profile stiffeners improve carry comfort
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SPECS DOUBLE UNIVERSAL RIFLE POUCH
- Double Universal Rifle Pouch
- MSRP $43.99
- Available in Coyote (#T3502CY) and Black (#T3502BK).
TAC SHIELD® MOLLE Rifle Magazine Pouch is designed with durability and ease of use in mind. The tough 1000 Denier Nylon with special liner protects your magazines. The Mil-Spec 3” webbed flap is double thick, with a security strap ensuring vigorous dependability. Blackened grommets serve as convenient drain holes.
The heavy duty elastic retention strap and hook/loop holds your loaded magazines tight, while the handy pull tabs ease deployment with or without gloves. Special reinforcements with double stitching and bar-tacks in high wear and stress points deliver exceptional performance.
The Universal Double Rifle Pouch fits rifle magazines in either a double or single carry. It holds (4) M16 Mags, (2) AK47 Mags, (4) SMG Mags, (2) M14/FAL Mags or (2) SF 60RD Magazines.
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SPECS DOUBLE UNIVERSAL PISTOL POUCH
- Double Universal Pistol Pouch
- MSRP $29.99
- Available in Coyote (#T3602CY) and Black (#T3602BK).
TAC SHIELD® MOLLE Pistol Magazine Pouch is designed with durability and ease of use in mind. The tough 1000 Denier Nylon with special liner protects your magazine. The Mil-Spec 1” webbed flap is double thick ensuring vigorous dependability.
The heavy duty elastic retention strap and hook/loop holds your loaded magazines tight, while the handy pull tabs ease deployment with or without gloves. Special reinforcements with double stitching and bar-tacks in high wear and stress points deliver exceptional performance.
The Universal Double Pistol fits popular pistol magazines either a double or single stack. It holds (2) Double or Single Stack Magazines.
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SPECS COMPACT GEAR POUCH
- Compact Gear Pouch
- MSRP $29.99
- Product #: #T4101CY (Coyote) or #T4101BK (Black)
- Dimensions: 5" x 5" x 2"
TAC SHIELD® MOLLE Compact Gear Pouch offers a non-abrasive liner providing additional protection for important gear. Blackened grommets serve as convenient drain holes in case of access during downpours. Double zipper cords with easy "grabber pulls" work well with tactical gloves. The #10 heavy duty industrial zipper extends over the corners and down the sides for dependable opening and access ease. Mil-spec webbing offer additional hanging options for other gear.
SOURCES
Tac Shield - http://www.Tac Shield.com
Heckler & Koch - http://hk-usa.com
Glock - https://us.glock.com