Product: |
Ultimate Retention Device & TAC-PAC |
Manufacturer: |
Section 8 Tactical |
Reviewed By: |
B.T. Davis |
Date of Review: |
Mar 08 |
Section 8 Tactical
Ultimate Retention Device & TAC-PAC
March 2008
B.T. Davis
Joe Rankin with Section 8 Tactical of Cary,
NC recently sent over a couple of his
shooting products for review. As a bit of
background, Section 8 Tactical is a design
and manufacturing firm producing proprietary
firearms-related products for the tactical
shooter. Joe and his team are all
experienced shooters who also have close
ties with military and law enforcement
associates who have undergone advanced
tactical training. Based on the collective
experience of both their in-house and
extended associate network, Joe’s team have
produced several innovative products which
would benefit shooters of all skill levels.
Ultimate Retention Device (URD)
First up for review was Section 8’s nifty
Ultimate Retention Device (URD) for handheld
tactical flashlights. The concept of using
a handheld tactical flashlight in
conjunction with a handgun in low light
situations has gained widespread popularity
in recent years, with a solid body of
tactical doctrine having been developed to
support it. Based on manufacturer
offerings, the use of lanyard cords seems to
be one of the most common methods for
providing flashlight retention. An
illuminating (no pun intended) article by
Clint Smith in American Handgunner last year
spoke to the potential risks to the proper
workings of a user’s handgun caused by
improperly sized flashlight lanyard cords.
Smith advocated that handheld flashlight
lanyard cords need to both be shortened up
and have their “tag ends” removed so as to
not pose an obstruction hazard to your gun’s
action if the cord was inadvertently caught
between the slide and breech through an open
ejection port, tangled up in an exposed
hammer, or caught between a magazine and the
magazine well during a reload. In short, an
improperly sized lanyard causing a jam
during a low-light self defense situation
would obviously not be good.
Section 8’s URD is an innovative approach to
both the tactically effective employment of
a flashlight in conjunction with a pistol,
as well as to the elimination of the
potentially deadly issue of an errant
lanyard cord causing a gun jam at a very
inopportune moment. The URD is a one piece
flexible rubber device that is shaped like
the number “8”. To use the product, the
user selects one of three different sized
rigid finger inserts to put inside the
larger of the URD’s loop cut-outs. This is
the part of the “8” that the user will stick
their weak hand index finger through. The
other loop of the “8” is placed down over
the body of the flashlight. In my case, I
unscrewed the tail cap of my SureFire M3
Combat Light and slid the smaller rubber
loop down along the body of the light,
placing the URD’s retention loop just ahead
of the M3’s OEM rubber finger rests. From
start to finish selecting the correct finger
insert and properly installing the URD took
all of two minutes and required no special
tools. The URD is made out of flexible
rubber material which can be easily bent,
and the flashlight retention loop is sized
to be used with tactical lights which have
bodies that are in the 20-25 mm diameter
range (0.80” – 1.00”), such as those using
C123 lithium power cells. |
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In use the URD is quite simple and easy to
get the hang of. All the user has to do is
to put their support hand index finger
through the finger loop and flick their
wrist counterclockwise to roll the
flashlight over onto the back of their
hand. This allows the user to have
virtually the full use of their support hand
while still retaining their flashlight in a
relatively out of the way position.
Changing magazines, opening doors, etc… does
not require you to either lay your
flashlight down or drop it to dangle on its
lanyard. When the user needs to use the
flashlight all they have to do is flick
their support hand wrist clockwise and the
light will roll over into their hand’s open
palm. It was relatively easy and quick to
flip my light back and forth to use a
handgun grip configuration which allowed
both the activation of the light as well as
support for the shooting hand. In practice
either using the index finger, middle
finger, and thumb “syringe” grip, or the
four-finger and thumb grip to hold and hold
and activate the light, both grips proved to
be equally as easy and quick to accomplish
with the URD. |
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Prior to testing Section 8’s URD, I had
taken Clint Smith’s advice and cut down my
M3’s lanyard cord and had been using that to
good effect; however after living and
shooting with the URD for awhile I am very
impressed with both the product’s concept
and it’s functionality. I like it so much I
intend to continue using it due to the
benefits it offers by way of both speed and
flexibility. I particularly like that it
keeps my light securely retained while it’s
out of the way close by on the back side of
my support hand. If I need to use that hand
I don’t have to drop the light on its
lanyard and have it dangling around prior to
quickly flipping the light back into
position. Lastly, the URD’s small, flexible
rubber design would be of benefit for
military or law enforcement personnel who
carry their tactical light “head down in a
belt holster, and would offer much more
tactical benefit than a loose lanyard cord
which could get snagged on things and not be
as quick to employ.
TAC-PAC
The next Section 8 product reviewed was
their proprietary TAC-PAC storage kit
designed for carrying small user-level
repair items for firearms, power cells/spare
bulbs for tactical lights, and other
accessories. Specifically, the TAC-PAC is a
compact two-piece injection molded container
which incorporates interchangeable,
customizable foam interiors, which are
either custom cut for specific items, or
uncut so that the user can trim them to fit
their particular needs. The lid to the
container is a tight-fitting rubber piece
that forms a waterproof seal when securely
snapped in place. Think of it as foam-lined
Tupperware for your gear. |
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The TAC-PAC is designed to reside in a
Velcro flapped, nylon pouch, which also has
Velcro straps serving as a belt loop
attachment point. Of note, you don’t have
to take your belt off in order to remove the
pouch from your belt. The straps let you
keep the belt on as an option. The straps
will work with tactical or web belts up to
2” in width. Additionally the TAC PAC is
sized so that it can be carried in the
pockets of BDUs or other tactical clothing.
The custom cut foam inserts allow the user
to carry everything from a complete spare
AR-type rifle bolt, unassembled spare bolt
internals for an AR-type rifle, C123 power
cells, or AA power cells. The blank foam
insert can be custom cut to accommodate any
item that is no larger than approximately
3.25” wide by 3.5” high and 1” thick. From
a tactical standpoint the foam provides
quiet protection for your small items, while
the TAC-PAC keeps everything conveniently
grouped together and handy. Military and
law enforcement users would find the
TAC-PAC, with its range of customizable foam
inserts, especially useful due to it
dovetailing nicely with their typical gear
selection. Casual/recreational users would
find it a convenient weatherproof option for
storing their field repair and replacement
items which fits nicely in a shooting bag or
vest. |
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IN CLOSING
I highly recommend these pieces of well
thought out and well executed shooting
gear. Whether you’re a newbie or you’re a
seasoned pro, Section 8 has the gear to help
you succeed. To learn more about any of
these products or to place an order visit
Section 8’s excellent website at:
www.section8tactical.com or give Joe
Rankin a call at (919) 469-2776. |
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