I’ve never really owned a purpose made “range bag”. For the longest time I used my “duty bag” as a range bag, and while adequate it was hardly optimal (partitioned inside for seperating paperwork, not gunstuff). When I returned to driving for a living I commandered the duty bag for its original purpose and ended up using a variety of other bags around the house to lug my range gear to and from.
This was hardly perfect either. I decided I needed a range bag, something that would be tough enough not to self destruct carrying accoutrements and ammo, something that would fit all the odds and sods comfortably and something that I could use expressly for this purpose so it would be ready to go on a moments notice and I wouldn’t have to waste energy racing around trying to gather everything together.
Dimensions: 18″ (46cm) Length x 12″ (30cm) Width x 8″ (20cm) Height
As luck would have it, a week ago, on the way to the range I found that K-W Surplus had Tactical Assault Commando Cases (or, in truth, black canvas tool bags) for $20. Space seemed adequate, construction seemed rugged, it seemed almost perfect, and it was cheap. Excellent!
Once home I transfered all the usual stuff over to the new range bag. Firearm Cleaning/Tool kit, spotting scope, groundsheet, eyes and ears (along with spare foam earplugs for guests), staplegun, staples and targets. Finally it also accomodated my Field Message Pad (which I use for holding my assorted goverment mandated firearms registration certificates, authorization to transport restricted weapons, range memberships and assorted notes). That there was adequate room left over to store a few hundred rounds of ammo, assorted magazines and whatever else I could jam in there was an added bonus. I was sold, this was to be my new “Range Bag”, just one step remained.
Almost perfect, but I felt something was needed to distinguish it from just another black bag sitting at the range. I had my tailor/seamstress/dry-cleaning lady sew a few patches (nametag and a corporate logo) on it, and we were set. In truth I should have thought this through more carefully as I will be sending the bag back for the addition of an inner partition running across the width of the bag approx 1/3 of the way down to seperate the cleaning kit and spotting scope from the ammo/magazine storage. I’d also like to add a plastic window on the end opposite the patch to keep my range membership card (saving me the trouble of wearing it while at the range).
Overall, however, I am quite pleased.
Thoughts?
Spiffy.
Spiffy? That’s it?
I think the bag is exceptionally disco. Of course my having dragged range gear out in almost every bag (from knapsack to plastic grocery bag) in the house might explain my excitement with the thing. On reflection I’m sure it’s pretty boring for others.
Ah well.
-GRIN-
Okay…
Spiffy!
See, did that hurt so much?
Everything but wheels.
Where’s the secound set of shooting glasses?
Nope, no second set of shooting glasses, but lord knows theres room. One long pocket down each side divided into three sections. Two small sections on either end and a long section in the middle. The end sections are the perfect size for glass cases and similar sized objects (in this case spare staples, a few cleaning rags etc), as it stands two of the pockets remain unused.
So we’ll add a spare set of shooting glasses to the list. More suggestions are welcomed!
The only reason I bring up the glasses is, i wear S&W shooting glasses for sunglasses and more than once have gotten cought shooting in twilight conditions. Now I keep clear glasses in the range box.
Is that a UBCS patch I spy?
Super Spiffy!
Hah! I just bought some S.T.A.R.S. patches off ebay to sew to my range bag a few weeks ago.
Piet: Hrm, good point. Although I don’t wear my shooting glasses anywhere but the range, and the yellow lenses seem just fine as the light starts to diminish (although they are a little bright when I first switch from sunglasses to shooting in the bright daylight).
Be good to have for visitors either way.
Grif: Dammit Grif! Can I sneak anything zombie related past you?
-GRIN-
Freddyboomboom: Thanks man!
Kit: Hehe, precisely where I got the UBCS patch, although it was meant for a Halloween costume I ended up never wearing due to food poisoning. It just seemed appropriate for the range bag.