Alternative to the Eberlestock ?

[breacher]

I was over in Miami for a week of rifle, shotgun and pistol tuition and comps recently and came across the following ............

I think the quality is up there with the AIM and the Eberlestock. Its just a little more compact and less overtly "gun shaped" / more discreet than the former. And a bit more minimalist than the latter which, when I had one, had so much space that one was tempted to put in far too much and it got very heavy ! The Smuggler is designed for carbines like AK47 or M4 etc

So, I reserved the last one in stock with the intention of picking it up at the end of the week and taking it home for my AR15 and CSR matches. But, they forgot it was reserved and sold it on me !!!

Anyway, there is only a couple of sellers here in UK and they want £200 plus postage for them. Buying online seems cheap at first but very few sellers will export due to the size of the box and the old reluctance to bother with foreign customers. The few who do, charge a very high rate of postage and insist on "prepaid" customs duty so they approach the £200 mark anyway.

However, all is not lost - I found a way around all this and managed to get myself one with no postage and no duty ! All legal - lets just say the USAAF is involved !! I dont get to choose colour - I just get what is given to me - black or tan I think.

So, expect a review soon.

[saddler]

Long overdue as the other brands you mentioned are too pricey for the average shooter...

Will look forward to reviews

[@nd]

I've had one of their smaller Plan B bags for a while,excellent build quality

[breacher]

Ok, mine have arrived, so here is a mini review.......

First impressions are build quality and material used, are on a par with the likes of Eberlestock. The case comprises of one main compartment with 330 degree zip. The zip is double secure with two buckles on each side. On the outside are three smaller compartments all with zips to three sides so they open fully. Its a little less "gun shaped" than other cases being an oblong shape. There is a compartment on the rear which I will explain later.


I wont go into dimensions as they are covered on the HAZARD 4 website. My AR has a 16" ( inc brake ) barrel and it fits inside nicely with Magpul UBR stock fully extended. With stock retracted, I think a 20" barreled rifle would fit. There are a couple of velcro straps for rifle securing and several points to attach more if required.


Included is a sort of padded sleve. This is for seperating two rifles when stored together. Its removeable and not really needed when one rifle is stored.


The top outer compartment is ideally sized for a cleaning kit or other small items.


The middle outer compartment is a good size and will easily hold my usual CSR complement of 6 x 30rd mags stacked on edge. It has a large velcro section for attaching another pouch etc


The lower outer compartment is bigger and includes an interior section for pens, pencils etc but could also be used for small tools I guess. This is where I will store the ammo needed for a day of CSR.


The reverse is nicely padded and has a single shoulder strap which can be set up for left or right shoulder use. When not in use it can be stowed in a slim compartment built into the padded area. This is easily big enough for an A4 sized item such as your score cards or range log etc if you wanted to use it.



All in all, I think this will be ideal for my intended purpose. I have an AIM 40 which works for my LMT as the rifle is a lot heavier and longer. Its mags are bigger and its ammo is heavier.

I wanted a smaller case which was no bigger than needed, and with pouches big enough for 6 mags, cleaning kit, ear protection and a days worth of CSR ammo. No more than needed and no extra room to tempt me to carry too much kit !

These retail for £200 here in the UK and only a couple of retailers stock them.

[DW58]

Sorry to nit-pick, but the USAAF ceased to exist on formation of the USAF in 1947.

Nice case.

[breacher]

Sorry to nit-pick, but the USAAF ceased to exist on formation of the USAF in 1947.

Nice case.

Well spotted clapclap

Yes -it is very nice.

[majordisorder]

I've got one now, in coyote, along with an added H4 molle broadside pouch and glasses case. Holds loads of kit, probably need one more pouch for the kitchen sink.....