Christmas_gift_-_man_holding_gift_behind_back

So, we are still a month out from Christmas, and there is still time to get one or two of these suggestions out. You can also get them for the cop or shooter in your life. For these suggestions, I reached out to friends around the country who are working cops.

The Foundation belt from EDC Belt Company.

Your belt is the foundation to how you carry your firearm and spare magazine. Enter the EDC Belt Company’s Foundation Belt. It is constructed differently from other concealed carry belts. The design is not rigid all the way around. The buckle is very low profile when compared to other designs. I have been using the belt they sent me for a couple of months now and find it quite comfortable for AIWB carry of a M&P Compact with an optic and a short, fixed blade knife. It is available in either Black or Desert Sage for $45.00 to $49.99.

https://edcbeltco.com/


One of three books recommended by John – Given’s Concealed Carry Class

John, a supervising L/E ranger with the National Park Service, recommended three books, two of which I have in my collection. 1st, Tom Given’s Concealed Carry Class. It is a print version of an extremely well-presented concealed carry permit class followed by training on the skills necessary to carry a concealed handgun “in the wild.” The 2nd book is an anthology of essays titled Armed Self-Defense: What the Experts want you to know.  While I doubt it impacted John’s recommendation, he did write one of the essays.

His third recommendation is Walls, Wires, Bars, & Souls: A chaplain looks at prison life by Peter Grant. While I have not read the book, I have known Grant since before the turn of the century and his insights would be worth reading.

You can find all three of these books on Amazon.

AMG Lab’s Comander shot timer.

An Orange County, California patrol sergeant, Clint, weighed in and suggested AMG’s shot timer. Having and using an electronic shot timer is beneficial in developing shooters. Just don’t base everything on the timer. Clint has used the AMG-Lab timer in classes, which has benefits over other models. It is a bit bigger than a deck of cards; it can be set to share the data to Practi-Score via Blue Tooth automatically, the start can be instant or delayed, and the sensitivity is adjustable.

$158 from www.amg-lab.com



ReadyUp Gear’s Roger 22 electronic hearing protection and belt clip (sold separately).

Three friends recommended electronic hearing protection. Electronic ear pro should be mandatory today, given the cost and the benefit of both safety and knowledge transfer. The ability for an instructor to hear comments from students or issues on the range is invaluable. Likewise, students can hear the directions and information being given to them. Bryan, a patrol sergeant in the Midwest, recommended the Roger 22 model from www.Readyupgear.com MSRP is $39.99, and you can order soft seal gel ear pads for $29.99

Benchmade Knives’ out the front opening Phaeton model.

I had the chance to examine Bryan’s other suggestion a few days ago – a Benchmade Phaeton – an Out the Front (OTF) opening knife. It opens with a forward push of a button on one side of the handle. The blade retracts by puling that button rearward. The drop point blade has a DLC coating on CPM-S30V (58-60) steel.

While I have no other experience with the Phaeton, I have been using and carrying other designs of theirs for a few decades. This knife can be engraved and has an MSRP of $425 on www.benchmade.com

The police and armed citizen sashes from DSM were worn by a fellow Gunsite instructor and DSM’s owner.

Last week I met Mike Lessman, the principal of DSM Safety Products – Don’t Shoot Me. He has high visibility, compact, lightweight, and easy-to-don identification sashes for current or retired law enforcement, medical personnel, church security teams, security personnel, and school staff. He is also developing a completely different design for lawfully armed citizens.

Vetting is required for those trying to buy the Police, Retired Police, and LEOSA versions.

The sashes vary in cost from $32.99 to $53.99 at www.dsmsafety.com

Magpul’s new Daka padded pistol pouch.

Magpul’s Daka line now includes a padded pistol pouch. The interior dimensions are 12″ by 7 1/2″. They close with a stout, self-sealing zipper that covers nearly half of the pouch’s exterior. These are so new that they are not yet on the Magpul website. I have been storing one of my M&Ps (converted to a UTM pistol with an optic and a weapon-mounted light on it), in one of their earlier pouches. It will be moved over to this pouch.

$39.95 from www.magpul.com


Cerus Gear’s padded gun cleaning and maintenance mats.

Cerus gun cleaning mats

These should have been in the first article. You might have seen it as the background for some of my photos. They are padded to protect the surface I’m using them on. You can get them with schematics for your favorite firearms, cartridge collections, other designs, and your custom design.

MSRP for the mats runs from $11.99 to $50.99 at www.cerusgear.com

We hope these suggestions help with your Christmas and Hanukkah shopping. If you have other ideas, please share them with us on our social media pages.

 

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