Building on the success of its tactical pistol and rifle bags, Lynx Defense released in 2021 its low-profile rifle bag “The Bronx”. Made from durable Cordura nylon, The Bronx provides a sleek, and unassuming way to transport your firearms from home to range, without drawing the curious eye or unwanted attention.
Made from 500D Cordura nylon, The Bronx has a clamshell design with an overall dimension of 36” (L) x 12” (H) x 4” (D) that can accommodate most full-sized rifles or smaller with a collapsible buttstock.
Exterior
From the exterior, The Bronx uses a two-tone black/grey color scheme common to many bags that provide a low exterior profile, and unassuming appearance. Additionally, both sides of The Bronx have integrated 1″ polyethylene, closed-cell foam inserted into the walls of the case that ensure the bag retains its shape.
On the outward-facing side, The Bronx has an accessory pouch that is secured via genuine, dual-shuttle Ideal zipper with rubberized pull tab.
The Bronx also includes a 1 ¾” wide removable nylon shoulder carrying strap (with movable pad) that uses metal hook-and-clip hardware to connect into two aluminum D-rings (secured to the top-most side or on the backpanel). Additionally, The Bronx has a single 1 ¾” wide nylon carrying handle on the same side.
Interior
The interior of The Bronx is accessed by its three-sided, continual Ideal zipper line that allows the bag to fully open and lay flat for unrestricted access.
On The Bronx’s interior is Lynx Defense’s new modular attachment system; which consists of a low nap hook-and-loop (female) material, used for attaching any of the corresponding pouches or retention straps (sold separately) for The Bronx. This enables the end-user to customize the interior storage space of the bag based on individual or mission needs.
In addition, included on the interior are three, 2” wide, removable weapon retention straps that use the hook-and-loop (male) material to secure against the interior.
The Bronx is available only in a two-tone Black and Grey (featured).
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Average (3/5): With its list price of $219, The Bronx is comprised of 500D Cordura with the Ideal-brand zipper, in a low-profile design that minimized the visual appearance so as not to attract attention. The option of the 500D Cordura is common amid the market and gives The Bronx a good degree of abrasion resistance with an appropriate (or average) flexibility for regular transport. In comparison, the Incog Rifle Bag ($195) from Haley Strategic, the LaRue Covert Rifle Case MkII ($199), and the Mayflower Hodge Defense Universal Case V2 ($249) all illustrate The Bronx is appropriately (or of average) price in the market given the materials and design.
- Comfort – Average (3/5): The extensive padding on all sides of The Bronx case and the shoulder strap, provided a good degree of padding to the contents while being transported. The 500D nylon exterior itself was soft and well stitched so as to avoid hard corners or abrasion to exposed skin. While the interior hook-and-loop material was soft and had a short nape, the securing hook-and-loop (male) bands still retained the rifle and pouches with a good degree of security and prevented any excess shifting. The carrying handle itself was a bit uncomfortable in the hand due to no padded cuff on the raw nylon, with the edges of the handle digging into the skin under the weight of a fully loaded case. This would be a point of recommended improvement.
- Durability – Average (3/5): With its exterior made from 500D nylon, the supportive structure to The Bronx gave added rigidity thanks in large part to the reinforced 1″ polyethylene, closed-cell foam inside the case. Double-line, bartack, and X-pattern stitching was noted throughout the case along all zipper lines, and at key high-stress points. Despite regular transport and rough usage, the nylon exterior held up well with no stitching nor fabric becoming compromised. One area of observed concern was the two anchor points where the shoulder strap connected to the same side of the case. With the case under full load (one full-length rifle and two magazines), these two points had a small surface/contact area, and bore the combined weight of the case against the shoulder strap. These connection points were appropriately anchored with X-pattern reinforced stitching—but this small of a surface area could pose problems over the lifespan of the case with potential failure of the stitching or fabric itself at these points. Lynx Defense may want to consider a broader/longer connection point, thus giving more surface area and rigidity for the strain to be distributed. One area of general recommendation for Lynx Defense would also be to add ruggedized material or a higher denier nylon on the inward facing exterior of the case or corners, as that was dominantly the side always placed down directly on various rough surfaces, or the ground, and will wear exponentially faster than the other.
- Functionality – Good (4/5): Although using a simplified three-sided design, The Bronx had a good degree of functional flexibility in its interior, full-length, hook-and-loop (female) material. This fabric allowed the end-user to configure the storage space as needed based on the configuration of the contents being transported. Lynx Defense offers a variety of pouches (sold separately) to configure the interior based on the individual’s need. The exterior accessory pocket did not have a large degree of depth to it, and was more appropriate for storing targets or other flat items. Overall the low-profile exterior design of The Bronx did well to minimize the outward appearance of a gun case, although the option of predominantly black was still somewhat a tell-tale sign when combined with the overall rectangular profile of the case. Lynx Defense could further reduce that profile appearance to The Bronx if it incorporated more civilian-friendly colors in the light-to-mid tones found in many backpacks or attaché bags.
- Weight – Average (3/5): At 3.6 pounds, The Bronx owes much of its relative light weight to the use of 500D nylon as a majority material. This enabled the case to be flexible enough for regular use as a soft case and not have such an obvious tactical appearance, but still retained enough abrasion resistance and structure for regular transport. In contrast, the Incog Rifle Bag (2.62 pounds) from Haley Strategic, the LaRue Covert Rifle Case MkII (2.5 pounds), and the Mayflower Hodge Defense Universal Case V2 (5.0 pounds) all illustrate that The Bronx fits in appropriately (or of average weight) within the market and that of comparable products.
Overall Rating – Average (16/25)
Product Link: https://lynxdefense.com/urban-legend-series/the-bronx/
I am reviewing this product as a courtesy to the manufacturer and via STL Shooting Enthusiasts, so that I can evaluate it and provide my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give positive reviews. All views are my own, and based off my personal experience with the product.
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