Bad is such a universally used word. Bad can mean either ends of the spectrum or even everything in-between. Rangers, DELTA and SEALs are bad, meaning they are the best of the best bad asses; or it can be used as in Justin Bieber is bad. Or as in this case it can mean great, as in Bad in Bad Company Tactical (BCT)! A great company with new innovative products that many people have not heard about…. Yet! Their new product line, that I think many people will be talking about, is the BCT Rapid Retention System or R2S for short. Have you ever had trouble finding a holster to fit your weapon with a light, laser or suppressor attached? How about a right vs left handed carry? This may have just become a thing of the past! Almost any attachment (within reason) will not interfere with the operation of the R2S and it’s fully ambidextrous. The system is versatile enough to be used with most of today’s tactical pistols, rifles and many other instruments of the trade. Using this system, changing out your kit to fit the your tactical situation at hand or rearranging kit placement, will only take seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-D3–NOR5M
Let’s first take a look at the system and see what makes it so innovative. The R2S is a two part system, consisting of a base plate (made of Delrin) and adapters (made of 6061-T6 aircraft grade aluminum). The adapter’s triangle-ish shape helps guide the adapter slide into the baseplate in only one direction until the retention system is engaged. The adapter will also not be able to rotate within the base plate and will keep the item in the correct orientation to be drawn. The base plate comes in a standard or slim design and they are extremely rugged and durable. It integrates the stable platform base with the removable level 2 locking mechanism tested to 150 lbs pull weight. Threaded hole patterns on the base plate allow it to be attached to a mounting plate or using Blade Tech, Molle or Tactical Tailor clips to mount the base plate in the vertical, horizontal or angled positions. It can be mounted in a vehicle, to a belt, vest, backpack; or with zip ties, to almost anywhere it can be secured down. The base plate can also utilize 3 types of removable trigger guards: the fitted, universal, or universal fitted as an extra safety feature for use with pistols. For the other half of the system there are several different types of adapters for the different configurations including two new adapters that are just ready for sale now. The Universal adapter, Pistol adapter, rifle adapters, and utility adapters can all utilize the same baseplates but are uniquely made to fit how the retention items will be held to the baseplate.
The Universal adapter can be used on almost any picatinny rail system to attach to the base plate. Used on a top or bottom rail, the Universal adapter would mount the attached item in that axis and is very unconventional for retention, but for those few configurations and places it provides an amazing solution to the unique problem. The Universal adapter is mostly used with Machine pistols, M320 40mm grenade launchers, an SBR, etc. Basically if it has a side picatinny rail, you can holster to it to the left or right side! While the R2S Universal can be used almost anywhere on any picatinny rail system, a pistols rail would cause the attachment at a weird angle and most rifle rails are so far forward that only an SBR would be practical, so there are other adapters to better position both pistols and rifles.
The Rifle adapter is for rifles longer than the SBR lengths, attaches onto the top rail and extends to either the right or the left. These are the new adapters that are just coming out on the market. It gives the longer rifles the ability to be holstered to your side or on a pack in an accessible position. It comes in two standoff widths to accommodate accessories or load outs. The dovetail is designed to withstand a maximum load of 200 lbs. Mounted to the top rail, they allow the rifle to stand off to the side in the ready position, with the rifle’s center of gravity below the attachment point. Bringing the rifle back to the ready position is fast and feels well balanced and controlled.
The Pistol adapter mounts on the bottom rail and brings the holstering point to either the right or left hand side. You can adjust the adapter so that there is a good position height for your hand to rest on the pistol’s grips and have your thumb on the release mechanism. The adapter seems to be in the way, but while using the system you quickly find it a handy resting place for your weak hand’s thumb rest. If you’re worried about losing real estate for your laser or flashlight, you are able to add a rail to the bottom of the adapter for those items! The system also removes the need for multiple holsters for your pistol based on accessories installed. Being creative, the Pistol adapter could be used in a vehicle or even a convenient covert under desk mount that locks in place or with the retention system removed. At the beginning of this article I used the term innovative. In explaining what makes up the system, I’ve touched a bit on why I think it’s so innovative, but think about this for a moment: you would like your kit and loadout to always be specific for the mission you’re conducting, but changing from mission to mission would be next to impossible….. but not so much if you are utilizing the Rapid Retention System. Think about it like this: your belt, drop leg, tactical vest and/or plate carrier, field pack, and vehicle mounts all have the baseplates for the equipment loadouts that would change. You can change your kit from holding magazines, first aid, search & rescue pouches, universal keys, radios and/or weapons to any configuration to fit your immediate needs or mission. Your kit can be switched out or your load changed to a new position as fast as you can clip them in. Now that is innovative!
The Rapid Retention System has been used by private contractors and is currently being evaluated by SWAT. This system is very innovative and it’s uses are only limited by your imagination on how it can be utilized for your varying missions. For those whose lives rely on their equipment, you can rely on the company with leading edge tactical equipment. …. and you can be all kinds of bad…. Bad Company Tactical R2S.