Bringing together the strength of materials needed for heavy use, and the storage capacity for a full day at the range, the Pistol Bag from Lynx Defense leaves nothing to chance.
Made from 500D Cordura nylon, the 8” (H) x 16” (L) x 10” (W) Pistol Bag (PB) in intended to bring together a variety of storage options as well as features of benefit for those who spend a day on the range in training or competition. In addition, the PB can accommodate up to four handguns and accessories, and is Berry Amendment compliant (USC, Title 10, Section 2533a).
Exterior
Both the front and rear of the PB have a thick band of Type 13 webbing that anchors the 2” wide carrying handles. These handles themselves can be joined at the top thanks in part to a padded hook-and-loop cuff.
At the front is also a foldable pistol mat that is zipper-secured and can be deployed while still secured inside the PB with a hook-and-loop panel, or removed completely for independent use.
Both sides of the PB feature 8” (H) x 10” (L) x 2” (W) zipper-secured accessory pockets, with the left pocket featuring an additional 6” (H) x 8” (L) exterior envelope sleeve that is secured with hook-and-loop. At the front and back of both zipper lines to the side pockets are small nylon loops for attaching carabiners or other hook-type accessories.
The top includes dual zipper lines with connected shuttles that allow for a 5” wide opening that allows access into the interior. The shuttles and connecting nylon can be secured under a large hook-and-loop tab or can be left as is. On either side of the top are metal D-rings used for connecting the removable shoulder strap. The adjustable shoulder strap itself is 2” wide webbing with a removable shoulder pad and metal hook clip hardware on either end.
The bottom is unremarkable with a removable rigid liner that is accessed from the interior.
Interior
The interior of the PB is a single, unobstructed storage space with the two longer sides lined with hook-and-loop (female) to be used in conjunction with the two removable dividers.
The dividers themselves have a single band of MOLLE webbing on one side, with an open-top pistol sleeve on the other.
The Pistol Bag is available in Tan/FDE (featured), Black, Grey, Blue, Navy, and Green.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Average (3/5): At a $129 MSRP, the cost for the PB is appropriate (or average) in cost for the bag’s dimensions, features, and 500D genuine Cordura. Often many range bags simply do not use nylon to that level of abrasion resistance (or expressed as denier) as means of cost savings, but with its PB Lynx Defense opted to error to the side of quality and upgraded the base materials to something more adequate for a rugged life. In comparison, range bags of this similar design include Grey Ghost Gear’s Range Bag ($175), Velocity System’s Range Bag ($80), or Propper’s Range Bag ($59.95). Again here, the influencing factor to cost is design, features, and base materials—all of which places the PB by Lynx Defense at the upper range of cost but average for its higher durable material.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): When fully loaded and carried by the handles, the padded cuff anchored into one of the handles (with folded Box-pattern stitching) provided a good level of comfort to where the weight nor materials cut into the hand. Likewise, the shoulder strap itself was adjustable to allot for different lengths, and the metal hardware never made the connections feel weak or frail, but the removable shoulder pad itself could have been longer to cover more of the shoulder’s surface area. Otherwise, the comfort of the bag was determined by its contents, and how it was balanced within the bag. The customized internal dividers helped to ensure everything was spaced evenly. The zippers, while not YKK, did still function smoothly with minimal binding on the tight 90-degree turns to the exterior side pockets. The 500D Cordura still retained enough softness and flexibility so as not to be abrasive against the skin and easily contoured to bulky internal items.
- Durability – Excellent (5/5): If it’s one thing that 500D nylon materials are known for, is its durability to resist abrasion. And with its entire PB made from 500xD Cordura (an ungraded type of nylon), the range bag proved to be extremely adept at transporting a number of items with no stress to the materials or stitching. There was also extensive use of bartack and double-line/X-pattern stitching noted not just at key stress points, but throughout the entire range bag for maximum reinforcement. The result was a range bag that simply felt stronger with minimal concern for overtaxing the intended design (most pistol/range bags are meant to accommodate a single handgun and a maximum of 500 rounds of ammo—and for some of us that simply isn’t even the warm-up). Heavy use of the zippers showed no compromise to the shuttle or fabric line along the zipper, or its stitch line. When prompted about its use of non-YKK zippers, Lynx Defense responded saying that it opted to leverage a local manufacturer, Ideal Fasteners in Oxford, North Carolina, for all their needs as a means to foster American small business. Lynx has been using Ideal products for over seven years – all without a single failure.
- Functionality – Average (3/5): Functionally, the PB did as expected—which is to say it appropriately (or of average performance) carried several handguns, holsters, magazines, and accessories for a day at the range. As stated above, the zippers functioned without fail, and the hook-and-loop on the enclosure and carrying handle cuff provided a solid hold when transported. The rigid liner on the bottom gave the range bag good structure and kept its shape from collapsing when loaded down, but was easily removed when/if desired. The customizable interior dividers were very helpful in changing the overall interior storage space to correctly fit exactly what was needed. Otherwise, with the extensive amount of reinforcement, there was absolutely no trepidation in overloading the bag, and it easily accommodated all the necessities for a day on the range. Perhaps the only recommendations to the vendor would be to use a high-visibility color on the bottom of the interior to eliminate the darker corners and help identify smaller parts in the deeper reaches of the bag. Alternately, having a rubberized exterior material on the bottom would help prevent abrasion/wear as well as weatherize it from moisture saturation (such as setting the PB down in a puddle).
- Weight – Average (3/5): At 2.8 pounds (empty) the PB was still very lightweight given its material and extensive reinforcement. The limiting factor then became just how much weight it could bear, and unlike many other range bags intended for a single pistol with five magazines max, or about 200 rounds—the PB by Lynx Defense clearly was capable of holding a lot more. The rigid liner on the bottom also gave the contents a good level of support and balance to the contents. In comparison, Grey Ghost Gear’s Range Bag (2.10 pounds), Velocity System’s Range Bag (15 ounces), or Propper’s Range Bag (3.55 pounds) show that Lynx Defense’s Pistol Bag is well within the appropriate (or average) weight range for its size and materials. Lynx Defense could probably shave off a few extra ounces with less reinforcement—but that would have corresponding negative effects to its durability.
Overall Rating – Above Average (18/25)
Product Link: https://lynxdefense.com/shop/pistol-bags/lynx-defense-pistol-range-bag/
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