Airsoft Action June 2020 | Page 43

THE CAGE BELT KIT Spec webbing; this belt has a row of hook Velcro on the inside which marries up to first belt, it is then secured by way of a removable belt and composite GT Cobra buckle. Although it’s marketed as a two-piece system there are, in fact, three components to the system; the inner trouser belt, the outer belt with the GT Cobra and then a MOLLE sleeve which covers that. Overall, this means that you have a versatile and very strong system that will support the weight of multiple pouches and a holstered pistol. And talking about pouches this is, in my mind, where WAS have been thinking ahead, as the system comes complete with a variety of their excellent models, including a Single Pistol Magazine Pouch, two Rifle Magazine pouches, a Slimline Foldable Dump Pouch, IFAK First Aid Pouch, one Small Horizontal Pouch and their incredibly useful Universal Pistol Pouch/Holster (UPH). Although you can add and subtract from the pouches provided, the Universal Pistol Pouch/Holster is a godsend for me as it saves having to change out my holster when I’m testing different pistols on the range. Also, if I’m attending a real firearms course overseas and don’t know the exact pistol model the trainer will be providing, I can take the UPH confident that it will retain virtually any model safely and securely. This, I have to say, got me started on the two-piece belt and since then I’ve also come to love the lo-profile Mustang system from Direct Action. The inner belt works simply as a trouser belt and as a stabiliser for both the Mustang and Warhawk outer belts. As it attaches to the inner Velcro loop panels of those belts, it prevents ride- up during dynamic movement or when drawing a pistol from a holster. With this belt in place there’s no need to use suspenders or a drop leg panel in order to achieve a secure pistol draw. Made out of proprietary laminate and Velcro this is simply a flat, feather-light accessory to keep your pants up and your working equipment belt where you’d expect it to be. The ultra-thin profile of the trouser belt effectively eliminates “buckle over buckle” discomfort and can be worn all day long. Made of heavy duty tubular webbing, proprietary laminate and lined with Velcro loop the Mustang Rescue/ Gun belt is bartack-reinforced in stress points, stiffened to carry the weight of holsters and magazine pouches and secures with a certified AustriAlpin Cobra buckle. There’s an anchor point for carabiner/lanyard/tether next to the buckle and this is compatible with FROG buckle or shackles. It’s Velcro-loop lined on the inside so that it mates perfectly with the inner trouser belt, so you can have all your range-ready kit pre-mounted and be good to go within seconds. I have two of these setups now, one in simple Adaptive Green for training and one in PenCott GreenZone for games. Both are set up identically with a safety tether, two primary magazine pouches, two secondary magazine pouches, a dump pouch, a TQ pouch and an IFAK (all the pouches are DA or Helkion-Tex, and the HTX Modular Individual Med Kit pouch is an absolute gem!). I use holsters from Taig at Kydex Customs with QD belt clips so I can swap out my secondary as desired. I’ve worn my personal setups regularly both at home and abroad and already given them some serious abuse and, thus far, they’ve been nothing but exemplary. In fact, I’m so impressed that I’ve just ordered the slightly wider Direct Action Warhawk outer belt! WHAT THEY SAID! So, with this in mind I spoke to the rest of the guys on the AA team and asked them what they were currently using and this is what they had to tell me: Scott: “I use a belt to hold my jeans up because I can’t do my jeans up as I’m getting fat stuck indoors! I’ve never used belt kit other than in a sniper role years ago; I always find chest rigs easier all round.” Callum: “I have two go-to belts; my Tactical Tailor belt with Blade Tech Fast Mags for my Mk18, and a Wartech/ ANA mash up for my Russian kit with the 104.” Jon M: “A very bare bones WAS Shooters belt setup for me; Holster, Dump Pouch, Retention Lanyard, Glove Holder. It’s all I need.” Stu: “I used them a lot more back in the UK and liked the comfort and convenience of having everything set up on different belts for my various primary guns like my QBZ97 and SVD which had very different mag geometry, as well as running a lot of Five-seveN mags on one. They’re great for weight distribution and carrying stuff on your hips/waist instead of straining your back or shoulders which is an issue for my buggered back at times. More recently I’ve switch to 6094 plate carriers or the JPC 1 since moving to Taiwan, but all my guns run similar mags “THIS, I HAVE TO SAY, GOT ME STARTED ON THE TWO-PIECE BELT AND SINCE THEN I’VE ALSO COME TO LOVE THE LO-PROFILE MUSTANG SYSTEM FROM DIRECT ACTION. THE INNER BELT WORKS SIMPLY AS A TROUSER BELT AND AS A STABILISER FOR BOTH THE MUSTANG AND WARHAWK OUTER BELTS. ” www.airsoftaction.net 43