Maintaining proficiency with a handgun has been a goal of mine since leaving the 75th Ranger Regiment. Actually, it has been more of a mission than a goal. Complacency is a bad habit that surrounds us in our daily lives which can ultimately kill you. My wife occasionally busts my balls about being on the look-out for trouble but deep down, she knows it’s for our own protection. I highly doubt the level of training that most conceal carriers partake in would be sufficient for a real world shootout. My experience shooting with some of the best soldiers on the planet exposed me to the number of rounds needed to maintain that level of proficiency. One item that helps me stay organized is the Range Master bag from 5.11 Tactical.
With that in mind, I spend between 2-4 hours a week at the range with a pistol and carbine in my hands. Having a personal range nearby and 2 eager sons that love shooting, it’s more fun than work. One of many keys to a successful day at the range is having the proper tools on hand. And making that a possibility is always having a dedicated range bag packed and ready to go. 5.11 Tactical has created the Ranger Master line to fulfill the needs of all shooters. I’ll be taking a closer look at the Range Master Qualifier Set.
5.11 Range Master Qualifier Set Video Review
The Qualifier is the smallest of the Range Master line measuring 27 liters of cargo space. What’s nice about the new offerings from 5.11 Tactical is the modularity. Each set includes a few additional organizer bags that nest neatly within the cube like shape of the main bag. This allows ultimate organization of your essential items when traveling to the range. Included with the Qualifier are the Single Pistol Case and Medium Pouch. Each of these cases are padded for protection and have handles for ease of use. The Medium Pouch even includes a velcro name tape for the user to identify the contents.
Range Master Qualifier Features:
- 5.11’s signature Center Line™ design
- Padded duffel w/top lid opening
- Compression molded EVA top lid w/internal org & external name tape
- External web MOLLE & rear slip pocket
- Target straps or compression straps
- Removable shoulder strap and top / side carry handles
- Internal elastic on sides to hold single pistol case
- Fits Single Pistol Case & medium Range Master Pouch (included)
- 500D Nylon (main body)
- 1680D Polyester (lid)
- MSRP $129.99
My go to weapons are my Daniel Defense Mk-18 and a Glock 19. So packing the Range Master Qualifier goes something like this. In the bottom goes the Large Pouch I purchased separately ($24.99) with 16 AR mags inside. That’s 480 freedom pills! Next in is the Medium Pouch with loose 9mm ammo. On top is my Glock 19 in the Single Pistol Case along with 6 loaded magazines. This leaves just enough additional room for my gloves, Peltors and Oakleys.
The sturdy nylon exterior handles sewn on either side make grabbing the Qualifier Bag from a trunk or truck bed pretty easy. Also of note are the padded top handle, removable padded shoulder strap and four compression straps to reduce the size of the bag if necessary. Inside the lid of the bag you’ll find elastic loops capable of holding 8 handgun magazines or a small suppressor. Along with a zippered mesh pouch where I typically store my gloves or eye pro.
If this isn’t enough room for your range day loadout, take a look at the larger 47 Liter Duffel. That set includes the same Pistol Case and Medium Pouch with the addition of the Small Pouch. And if you’d rather carry your gear on your back, 5.11 offers the 33 Liter Range Master Backpack with the same pouches as the aforementioned Duffel. 5.11 has adopted a cubic form factor for all three of the Range Master offerings along with the pouches. This allows all the pouches to fit within each bag with ease.
Final thoughts:
I’ve been using the 5.11 Range Ready Bag for the past year or so and it has served me well. I continue to use it for 3-gun competitions due to it’s slightly larger size of 43 Liters. But for just my typical 2 gun proficiency range day, the Range Master Qualifier is perfect. It’s sturdy design affords good protection for the contents plus the shape allows easy storage and stickability in the back of my truck. Overall, the entire Range Master line is a high quality and well thought out system of bags and pouches.
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