Category Archives: DIY

DIY, Giveaway, Tactical Gear, Website News

Tiger Stripe Chest Rig Giveaway – You can’t buy this!

It’s that time. Time for another giveaway. I have a few pieces of one-off gear that I have build over the years as a professional gear maker. Why not give a few of them away? Here we have a unique tiger stripe chest rig. Is there anything groundbreaking here? No, not really. But it is a fairly effective configuration and features a pretty nifty set of side pockets.

How to Enter

In a nutshell you need to like this video on any (or all) of the 30MC social media channels (listed below). IMPORTANT: YOU MUST SUBSCRIBE TO OR FOLLOW THOSE CHANNELS AS WELL. You can’t just hit “like”.

When a winner is selected I will verify that they follow 30MC on that platform. If not, I will have to pick another winner.

  • 1 like = 1 entry.
  • 1 comment = 1 entry.
  • Comment by tagging a friends name = you AND your friend each gain 1 entry.
  • UNLIMITED ENTRIES ALLOWED

The Channels

https://www.youtube.com/@30magazineclip https://www.instagram.com/30magclip/ https://www.facebook.com/30magazineclip/ https://twitter.com/30magclip/ https://rumble.com/user/30MagazineClip/ https://www.reddit.com/r/30magazineclip/ https://www.30MagazineClip.com

The Fine Print

Drawing will take place on or about Saturday June 3rd, 2023. Winner will be notified via PM/DM on the platform that they used to enter (ie: facebook, instagram, etc). If the winner does not respond within 1 week of being contacted a new winner will be selected. No substitutions or cash value. Void where prohibited. No Warranty. This item was built using known and good procedures and techniques. However, no extensive testing was conducted. This piece should be considered a novelty piece of gear and you should treat it accordingly. NONE of the related or unrelated equipment in this video comes with the rig. The item will be shipped to the winner free of charge to a US address. If the winner is outside of the United States they may decide to pay for the shipping charges themselves or forfeit the prize.

DIY, Informational, Tactical Gear

3DSR Buckle. Ever heard of it?

You may or may not be aware that my day job is in the tactical gear design and production industry. Because of that I get lots of samples of new buckles either via mail or trade shows such as SHOT Show. Back in 2019 I received a few samples of the Three Dimensional Side Release (3DSR) buckle. I looked at it and tried to thank of a good use but at the time nothing came to mind. I forgot about it until it was rediscovered in a drawer at my shop. A very well thought out design and while reexamining it I wondered to myself why I hadn’t seen other gear-makers using the 3DSR. It has some great properties and the only conclusion I came up with was simply that nobody knew about it. So, here is me doing my part. If you are not aware of the 3DSR then consider yourself informed.

Image of 3DSR Buckle from Mil-Spec Monkey.

Features and Stats

  • 300 lbs load capacity.
  • Squeeze really well in your hand due to shape (easy to release).
  • Will release when overloaded instead of breaking.
  • Releases fairly easily under load.
  • Fragmentation Resistant (info below)
  • NIR (Near-Infrared Reduced).
  • 1″ webbing interface.

Properties

This is probably the most impressive part. This buckle isn’t made from the traditional acetal polymer that you usually associate with other like components. The manufacturer calls it “shatter proof” and was originally developed for USMC/ARMY pack frames and is supposed to keep its physical properties down to -40 degrees. The image below shows one of the buckles that has been shot by a 5.56 round at 20 meters (test not conducted by 30MC). You can see that the round passed through the buckle while it was mated together. The buckle pictured was still operational after taking the damage. An accidental disengagement of the 3DSR is unlikely as you must squeeze both sides to release.

Image of shot 3DSR buckle from documents from Down East Innovation, LLC.

As I stated before I am not exactly sure where this buckle would be used to the greatest effect in the “tactical space”. Perhaps in the should straps of plate carriers or even a on-riggers type of gun belt. It seems a bit wide to be used as a quick detach element on a rifle sling.

There you have it. The 3DSR. I promise to not take four years to report on an innovative components I come across, next time.

Most resellers of the buckle have it listed as an ITW Nexus product but I don’t believe that is the case. The confusion probably came from the fact that Fastening Systems distributes the buckle and they are largely associated with ITW due to the volume of ITW components that they ship.

Purchasing

I receive nothing from your purchase of this item. A simple google search revealed a few places where the 3DSR is available.

DIY, Industry News, Informational, Tactical Gear

ITW Nexus releases the EVO SR buckle

For all you DIY gear makers our there. ITW Nexus has released a video showing off their new EVO SR buckle. According to ITW Nexus the EVO SR will launch in 10, 15, 20, 25, 38mm versions. Only color option so far is black. The buckle features a 2-way funneling type latch and body so it can be properly engaged without having the angle exactly correct when pushing them together. I am not sure if there is a great militarized application (over what is already available) for this buckle but it certainly is interesting and I am sure it will find its way onto future gear. Download the specs pdf from the ITW Nexus website here. If you are looking for an ITW Nexus supplier make sure to stop by the Materials and Sources page here on 30MC under the “Tactical DIY” section.

From the ITW Nexus website:
The Evo SR is the next evolution in fully featured side release buckle design. The Evo SR was designed using extensive user research, leading to real and impactful improvements to the user experience. These improvements include contoured, integral triggers, which makes the releasing the buckle easy and comfortable. The Evo SR also features new, innovative side-to-side and top-to-bottom angular funneling action for seamless buckle assembly. The minimalist aesthetic and accessible function make it a great fit for a variety of applications.

DIY, Informational, Reviews

Chinese made automatic webbing cutter. Should you even look at it? A DIY Gear Review of the RbaySale

This review is mainly targeted at the DIY tactical gear makers out there. Anyone from the hobbyist to the guys running side gigs making gear out of their basement, garage, extra bed room. If you fit into this spectrum then you have probably considered getting a digitally automated hot/cold webbing cutter for your shop but cringed at the prices.

Image from Amazon.com listing.
Continue reading Chinese made automatic webbing cutter. Should you even look at it? A DIY Gear Review of the RbaySale →
Comparison, DIY, Night Vision

Is Flecktarn NIR Compliant?

UPDATE: This information has been transplanted to the master “Is It NiR Compliant” page.

There was a pretty good response to the somewhat of a joke-post about MultiDoge (DogeCam) being NIR compliant or not. So, why not make this an actual series and get something out of it? Hopefully I can post some of the more obscure and harder to find patterns that I have access to for those of you who make your own gear.

So, how did genuine Flecktarn material do under Infrared?

Continue reading Is Flecktarn NIR Compliant? →
DIY, Informational, Tactical Gear

DIY Make Webbing From Fabric

Video description: Welcome to the first episode of our new series ‘Because I Sew That’. These tutorials will not be meant to cover any hyper-complex procedures or methods. Rather a simple introduction into building your own gear and some tips and tricks to make things a bit easier.

In this episode we are making 1″ webbing for PALS out of 1000D Cordura fabric. This could be useful if you are not able to get matching webbing for your project. It will also match the rest of your project perfectly being made from same material.