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The Why Behind the SNS-UCR

The Why Behind the SNS-UCR

By Abner Miranda

 Abner Miranda Gun Drawing Stance

As with the SNS-R I wanted to give the background as to why I chose to create SNS-UCR. As an EDC citizen I carry a firearm most everywhere I go. Contrary to popular belief, calling 911 is not going to save you. Also, if you carry, you better have, at a minimum, one reload if not two or more along with an alternate light source. Searching isn’t done with a weapon light, more on this in a future blog.

For years I’ve carried my Glock 17 in my Bravo Concealment RTT zero cant holster, a single 17 round reload in my Bravo Concealment single mag and light combo. I’ve also carried one extra 19 rounder in my left and right thigh pockets in my Vertx shorts. With all honesty, a dual mag carrier was just not something that was on my radar. It wasn’t until my buddy Stef approached me with a specific request that I looked at the problem of a dedicated pistol rig. Stef is an undercover officer for a large northern agency and told me that after a significant terrorist attack occurred in his city he and the other guys on his unit found themselves strapped for ammo in a big way. Several of his guys had traded shots with the terrorists in a rolling gun fight and found themselves in a standoff with a barricaded subject with little to no ammo on their person and no plausible way to get any without surrendering their positions. So yeah I paid attention to his request for a dedicated pistol rig. 

The other issue at hand was the fact that his agency does not allow patrol officers to have AR-15’s. Dumb, yeah I know but Stef is doing the best with what he's got. Oh and for those of you who think that his is an isolated thing, news flash! If you knew half of what I know about some of our nations supposedly “best equipped and trained agencies” you’d be shocked. Even some of the agencies that have patrol rifles don’t have a clue on how to use them. But that’s a conversation for another blog. Ok, so here’s the rub. In an effort to create a sleek, dedicated pistol ammo rig I once again turned to the very competent people at Bravo Concealment. Just as with the SNS-R my most important criteria for this new rig was high retention of the mags and light. I wanted the rig to be open topped and have the mags seated as low as possible below the belt line. The reason for this is so that the considerable weight of the rig would feel less by being bottom heavy as opposed to top heavy and wanting to lean out away from the body. Trust me guys, it makes a difference when you wear a gun every day, all day. If your load out isn’t balanced it will fatigue you, and you will eventually stop wearing the thing.

Bravo Concealment SNS-UCR Proof

Bravo Concealment made up a couple of proof of concept samples and they were so good that we ran with the design unaltered. I still use those samples today. I rigged one of them up with paracord belt loops for use with leather belts in conjunction with nylon hiking pants. Yeah, you really should wear a pistol when hiking. I’ll cover why wearing a pistol in the deep woods is a good idea in a future blog. Actually that and my paracord loops thing too.

The name SNS-UCR which stands for Urban Concealment Rig just stood out as a given. Yeah this rig really hides in plain sight. It has a nice curve to it that hugs against the body and hides under a loose T-Shirt.

After receiving the rigs I took them to a couple of pistol classes and ran them hard by rolling over the top of them on gravel and banging around vehicles at Injured Shooter and Vehicle Defense classes with Talon Defense. Not only did I not ruin the rigs, they held up well and, as I mentioned earlier, they are still in use today.

Upon delivering a couple of rigs to Stef he ran them for some time and reported back to me that they were exactly what he and his guys were needing. He reported this to me over a dinner meeting at a MIL/LEO event being held in Virginia Beach. He sat across from me in a posh restaurant and I didn’t even know he had the rig on until he pulled his shirt tight against his body and I saw the outline of it. That impressed me because I’d made it a point to give him a top to bottom visual inspection as he walked towards me that afternoon. I hadn’t seen a thing on him. That goes to show you that even a practiced eye like mine can miss a firearm and support gear when the person wearing them knows what they're doing.

Bravo Concealment SNS-UCR and Glock with Inforce APL

Carrying a firearm is a big commitment and shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you’re not going out of your way to chose and employ top notch gear you’ll soon shun that gun to your glovebox and when trouble comes looking for you you wont’ be ready to meet it. My SNS-UCR is part of my EDC gear and I always have one on me. I used to think that the weight of carrying two extra mags plus a light on my belt would be restrictive but it’s really not. I now carry two Magpul 21 rounders and an INFORCE 6VT with little inconvenience to my free movement.

Carrying a weapon is like anything else that you put your mind to. I chose a modicum of discomfort so that I’m prepared should trouble come looking for me. I hope you’ll consider the SNS-UCR for your dedicated pistol mag concealment needs.

As always, God bless you all, get those guns out and practice. Have a good one!

~Abner Miranda is a former Police Officer, an FBI trained Hostage Negotiator, a First Responder, and Spanish Interpreter. He is currently a Firearms Instructor, an Armorer, and a regular contributor to our industry of both written and digital media. You can see more of Abner’s work on his YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/daddycop3

 

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5 comments

  • What type/brand of lights will it hold?

    Joe Dec 02, 2016
  • Looks pretty good. Is a variation for cuffs and a closer to appendix option for a Kabar TDI option in the works?

    Michael Exendine Dec 01, 2016
  • I have to admit I like the fact that it’s a one piece, rather than two separate mag holders. I have the separate holders from you folks, and they do have a tendency to slide a bit on my belt. I haven’t put much thought into finding a way to prevent them form moving around, possibly pancake style belt loops? I believe I have a set, might need a second set? But this is a great way to consolidate the mags, and I like having a light mount. I’m still using polymer Surefire lights, and a few other polymer led lights. If I decide to get a good aluminum led light I will definitely order one of these!

    Core Dec 01, 2016
  • You guys should explore the option of a magazine/handcuff combo holster…

    David Dec 01, 2016
  • Nice setup! A few questions…
    When will Bravo have these for sale?
    Will there be a one mag + light option?
    Who did the slide cuts on your G17?

    T.E. Dec 01, 2016

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