#CableManagement

and are on the scene and unsupervised at the Magpul booth to check out some of their latest products including their new all-polymer 30-round translucent TMAG, MOE PR Carbine Stock, and some of their new rail covers and wire management products. We won’t hit everything in the booth but we’re going to cover the most interesting products we saw.

Strike Industries is a prolific manufacturer of firearms parts and accessories. This Las Vegas-based company’s product catalog spans a huge array of components for ARs, AKs, CZ Scorpions, a variety of handguns, several shotguns, optics mounts, modular pistol chassis, and much more. One particular product category they’re proud of is their Cable Management System. With the significant proliferation of wired gun accessories like weapon lights and infrared laser aiming devices used with night vision, more shooters than ever have cables running across their handguards. Since plenty of buyers would prefer a more elegant solution to this issue than the old-school methods of tape or Ranger bands, quite a few companies have come out with cable management attachments that affix to Picatinny or M-LOK rails. However, it has now been announced that the SI version will be the one that the US Army has chosen for its NGSW program. Get more details in the press release copied below.

The advances in technology for accessories mean nothing without a solid platform on which to mount them. While high-end thin handguards can be plenty strong, some people still prefer the tank-ish quad rails of old. As someone who just ditched mine earlier this year, I get it. If you have a quad and also enjoy the use of an angled foregrip, here’s an option just for you. Strike Industries has made their Strike Stacked Angled Grip with Cable Management System compatible with Picatinny rails.

I remember at one of my first gun shows, I was enthralled by the, by today’s standards, extremely long vertical grip with the bipod in it. I think it also had a spot to mount a light. That one piece of gear probably weighed almost a pound. Coming from a time when people put everything they could on their guns, it’s a giant relief that we’ve gone in the opposite direction. Firearms are slicker and accessories like VFGs and handstops have shrunk. New from Strike Industries, the Mini HandStop follows this trend, with an added bonus of cable management.

When it comes to vertical grips, most people that I know will buy a longer grip and cut it down. The Strike Stacked Angled Grip turns that process around, allowing you to build the length you want from a base unit. Now, the Stacked Grip that you love in black is available in flat dark earth, and includes Strike’s cable management system.

When you start straying away from bone stock rifles without lights and start putting things like IR illuminators, weapon lights, and switches on your gun, cable management can be absolute hell to deal with. Strike Industries has just introduced their new Link Cobra foregrip which incorporates a cable management system allowing for a more streamlined platform that should reduce the risk of your cables getting in the way or getting snagged on things they shouldn’t.

Cable management can be a pain. It wasn’t until recently that we had effective options that replaced the trusty and jagged cable tie. One downfall of some of these mounting methods was the expense. Strike Industries has given us an extremely low-cost option with their new Cable Management System Sleeve.

I still live that quad rail life. I have a lot of Picatinny rail on my AR, and a few cables, as well. I’ve cut myself on enough sharp edges from crudely severed cable ties to know that there must be a better way. Strike Industries has been releasing a lot of cable management products this year, and this is the newest. Introducing the Multidirectional Picatinny Rail Cover with Cable Management.

As we add more and more crap onto the handguard of our carbines, things can get a bit messy. Most of what we attach is electronic in nature: weapon lights, IR devices, marital aides, etc. Many of these also have cables. If you run an M-LOK handguard and need some help keeping your cables organized, Strike Industries has been including cable management functions into their accessories. The most recent additions to Strike’s line of CMS (Cable Management System) are the long and short M-LOK Cable Management Covers.

Emissary Development is a new name in the firearms accessory game. However, by no means does that indicate they don’t know what they’re doing. Although the company only officially launched about six months ago (at the time of this writing) and began behind-the-scenes establishment roughly six months prior to that, Emissary is actually a subsidiary brand of Milspec Retail. Milspec Retail was founded in 2014 first as a military surplus distributor/reseller and has since grown into a major retailer for many of the top brands in gun parts, accessories, and related gear. As you peruse their website today, you won’t find brands or products that most people would consider “entry-level”; it’s pretty much all top-quality stuff. Combine this with customer-centric policies like fast and free shipping or 30-day free returns, and it’s clear why they’ve enjoyed the growth and success that they have. These elements of Milspec Retail also provide insights into Emissary, since it’s an in-house brand directly under the domain of Milspec’s product team. The ideas of commitment to top-tier equipment and excellent service appear to carry through.

TNVC, or the Tactical Night Vision Company, has been an industry leader in the field of night vision and related shooting gear and accessories for about the last decade, as well as offering low-light/no-light training classes. They’ve come out with some excellent products of their own, like the Mohawk helmet attachment series and the PBM-A dual PVS-14 powered bridge mount. A few months ago, in January, they also put on vSHOTT, an all-online mini stand-in for the cancelled 2021 SHOT Show. They’re no stranger to collaborative product work, either, having previously partnered with companies like Steiner on the TOR-Mini laser, Unity Tactical on the TAPS dual pressure switch, L3 on the civilian version of the PEQ-15 IR laser/illuminator, and more.

If you run a light on a long gun, odds are you’ve wrestled with cable management issues before. Although these headaches can be circumvented by only using a clicky tailcap, or buying a Cloud Defensive OWL, these types of solutions won’t work for every gun or every shooter. Sometimes, you just need a remote switch – and that means cables. In the past, keeping your wires in place has often meant using velcro, tape, or zip ties. Unfortunately, most of these cobbled-together setups come with their own problems. Cloud Defensive’s REIN weaponlight actually provides a solid cable management solution built right into their remote switch’s mount. However, in most cases and with most other makes/models of lights, additional routing/securing hardware would be exceedingly useful in preventing snags or damage to your light’s wiring. Enter Arson Machine Co., with their WireGuide cable management system.

Rubber bands serve many purposes, including powering some very cool “firearms”. Some jobs are even exclusively for rubber bands, like on a tattooing machine or launching small pieces of paper at your math teacher. Our elastic companions have also been used for several purposes in the gun world. Shooters use them to retain slings, keep thigh straps in place, and for cable management. To fill the same roles, while doing a better job, Strike Industries has just released the Strike Bang Band.

Hot on the heels of the release of  Siegen M-LOK rail covers with cable management feature, Strike Industries has introduced two new angled M-LOK forward grips that also allow organizing the cables of light/laser pressure switches. The two grips share the same cable management solutions and differ in size, geometry and additional features. Let’s take a closer look.

For those who dabble with weapon mounted lights, specifically Surefire Scoutlights and their Millennium Series weapon lights, knows the problems with the tape switches. The ubiquitous ST07 tape switch comes with an alcohol wipe and adhesive velcro. Those don’t last long after a while. Other issues arise with the squishiness of the velcro. It gives when you push the tape switch and requires more force to activate the light. You can use rubber bands, tape or zip ties but those still have their own unique problems. One remedy is the SR07 tape switch that is molded rubber and clamps onto picatinny rails. Only problem with the SR07 is that it is not cheap. They retail for around $85.