I was recently contacted by a new company called Renegade Tactical. They asked if I would be interested in performing some testing on a new quick deployment rifle case they had designed. Being ever curious about new products on the market I accepted the challenge. While the name Renegade Tactical did not ring a bell, their parent company did. Renegade Tactical is an offshoot of the well known and respected Crooked Horn Outfitters. As with so many great pieces of kit, this one is the brain child of a company that cut its teeth making durable and performance centered gear for the hardcore hunter and outdoorsman. With that calling card, they had an immediate foot in the door.
The bag is called the Liberator and is designed as a quick deployment bag for carbine rifles. It came with a primary strap for securing it to a car seat as well as a support bag with MOLLE attachments. The premise of the bag is to provide people with a way to carry a carbine that provides not only protection, but quick access if the need arises. This is especially applicable for transportation. If you have ever had to keep a rifle in a vehicle, you know exactly what I mean. Ever since the first rifle got laid on a floorboard we have been looking for a place to secure them. I have seen a few attempts at solving this problem over the years, but until recently no one really gave it a serious effort. They simply recycled their rifle bags by giving them new names.
The first thing that stood out when I picked the bag up was its’ quality. In a time when I see more and more “airsoft and paintball” grade gear hitting the market, it was refreshing to see that Renegade had clearly taken the high road. In fact, it is one of the best made rifle bags I have ever worked with. Solid sewing and hidden seams coupled with durable material tells me that this bag will be in my load out for a very long time. The zipper on the top of the bag is serious and hearty. I did my best to abuse it into submission, but it continued to open smoothly. The form of the bag is maintained with a mix of special cut foam with a hard poly backer. In short, it meets the perfect balance between Pelican case and padded gun bag. This is an essential component because if the bag starts to loose its’ form, then getting your bullet sword deployed from it becomes problematic.
The bag is opened in one smooth motion by pulling on what I have dubbed the rip cord. I am sure Renegade has given it an official name, but the visual works for me. This is a 4” light rubberized strap. When grabbed, it provides great purchase and leverage. The strap also has a snap in it to attach it to the bag and eliminate flop when not in use. This is one of the very few things I would change by adding a couple inches to the strap. I had a few of my larger friends run the bag and their large meaty paws skipped a small beat while getting onto the strap. A minor point obviously, but I tend to look at gear across a wide spectrum. The bag is “hinged” on one side of the top third. This allows for that part of the bag to be folded out of the way which is what gives us quick access. The length of this hinged portion has obviously been carefully planned out. When you draw the bag open, the butt of the gun is exposed all the way to the grip. There is no fishing around inside to get a good hold on the gun.
As a guitar player, the shape of the bag reminded me of a well made guitar bag. In fact I believe some guitar companies could learn a lesson from this bag. The point of that is simple; it has a fairly benign look to it. To the uninitiated it does look more like an instrument case than a gun bag. Throw a few Fender and Gibson stickers on it and it ceases to be a gun bag to curious eyes.
The application of this bag is extensive. As an instructor in the law enforcement community, I see an indispensable new piece of kit. Officers struggle with solid places to store their rifles that provides protection to the rifle and optics while still providing quick access. I encourage Renegade Tactical to actively pursue this market and ultimately bring their obvious talents to making a way to secure it in a trunk. I also see a very solid application in the executive protection realm as well. In fact I have already used this bag on a detail and found it to fit the mission flawlessly.
For the tactical hog hunter, this case is a dream come true. If you have the headroom in your vehicle, when you roll up on hogs, it’s a quick reach behind the opposite seat to access your rifle. Alternately, it’s remarkably fast to access the rifle behind your own seat once you’ve exited the vehicle. For those who run dusty roads in open ATVs or UTVs, this case provides an easy way to both keep your rifle and it’s optics clean, yet give you instant access when you’re ready to deploy against the hogs.
Ultimately, I believe the bag has a place on every serious shooter’s gear list. I know that more and more people are traveling with rifles. It makes sense to secure that rifle while still having easy access to it.
While to some it may seem like “just an outside pouch,” I want to touch on the 6×9 MOLLE pouch on the outside of the bag. This is the perfect add on to the bag and demonstrates foresight on the part of Renegade Tactical. The pouch can easily hold two AR mags and I was able to force a third in. Not recommended, but I was curious. The small pouch is internally configured to hold a pistol and two mags in an elastic band form. Just like the rifle bag, the support pouch has a quick opening function. They have had the brilliance of sewing in tabs at the upper corners to facilitate a “tear open” motion to access the contents. Simply pull the tab down at an angle and the pouch opens giving you quick access to the contents. This bag by itself is a must have item!
Details are as follows:
- Overall exterior dimensions: 11”W (at widest section) x 2.5”D x 36”H
- Padded interior surface
- Padded hinged main compartment flap
- MOLLE attached general 6×9 purpose pouch
- General purpose pouch includes elastic slots for magazines / pistol
- 9”-16” attachment / carry strap
- 3 D rings for strap attachment
- Two grab and go handles
The Liberator Pack is available in three colors: coyote, black and ATAC. The MSRP on the bag is $199.99 which may seem steep but is about right given everything this bag offers as well as its quality. There may be deals in the future, but those of you who know gear already understand that you get what you pay for. I give this bag a 9.8 out of 10 and will recommend it to everyone. Details can be found at www.renegaderidgetactical.com.
