While at the SHOT Show this year, I stumbled upon a product that really caught my eye. It is the STRATUS Support Systems weapon retention system. This handy little device allows you to carry your weapon on your belt or MOLLE vest without the use of a sling. When I saw this I immediately thought back to my years as a cop and SWAT officer. Man, I wish I had this thing back then!
The original STRATUS Support System has a belt attachment point with a band you wrap around the buttstock of your rifle. It was designed for hunters to work in conjunction with a sling or to be a stand alone support. I tried it on my .300 Win Mag elk rifle as well as on my Browning Citori and it worked great with both of them. Without a sling, you still need to hang on to the gun but it does help take the weight. With the sling, it helps hold some of the weight but mainly helps keep the gun secure and prevent it from swinging around your body as you walk.
The Gen 2 version is designed to work with more tactical type weapons. The Gen 2 features several different attachment options including a Picatinny rail mount, an AR buffer tube replacement plate, a QD pin and replacement trigger pins for both Remington and Mossberg shotguns. I put the Picatinny mount on my AR and tried it on a MOLLE vest while still using my 2-point sling. It worked great and I immediately wished I’d had it 20 years ago, which makes sense since this product is designed by Law Enforcement and in use by numerous agencies around the world.
Another popular use of the product is in the Airsoft community. I gave it to my son, Austin, to try out and he loved it. He has his Scorpion Airsoft rifle set up with a 2-point sling so he put the MOLLE attachment on his vest and the Picatinny rail on the top of his gun. He found it made it much more enjoyable walking to and from the playing fields since the gun was kept secure to his body rather than swinging around. He also had numerous other players asking him about it and how they could get one!
The STRATUS Support Systems are worth every penny and easy to put on multiple weapons. Try a couple ASAP, you won’t be disappointed.