REVIEW: United States Tactical Elite Retention System

Whoever is on guard duty usually doesn't need to keep their weapon at the ready. Now, it would be practical to have something to securely hold the long gun on the body while still having both hands free. There are several solutions on the market, but today we want to present to you a very special solution from United States Tactical, the Elite Retention System (ERS).

At first glance, it looks like the gun is floating, but don't worry, there are no supernatural forces at work here. The assault rifle is not attached to the body by a sling, but rather mounted quickly accessible in front of the chest with United States Tactical. As you can see in the opening image: the hands are free. This allows the soldier to work on other tasks.

Thanks to its intricate mechanism, the ERS in front of the chest can be rotated 360°. This allows for all possible and impossible gun positions to be adjusted.

When the mount is turned upside down, it can be easily released from the socket. The back is made of high-strength plastic.

The mount that remains on the vest is made of the same material. In the image, you can see one drawback of the ERS. It takes up a lot of space on the Plate Carrier. The distance to the vest is such that exactly one standard USGI M4 magazine fits in between.

The gun is held on the ERS by a strap construction with quick-release buckles. The initial dressing of the gun is anything but easy, as the strapping needs to be adjusted while the shooter also has to hold the gun. A few helping hands from your buddies could be useful here. The ERS is designed in a way that for an AR platform, all important controls, such as trigger and mag release, are covered. Safety comes first.

To remove the gun from the holder, simply release the side buckles. You can release them individually, or use the quick-release feature. Just grab the small bag, release the safety snap button …

… and pull abruptly. The strapping will loosen and the gun will be free. This is quick and intuitive.

You can immediately aim the gun. Meanwhile, the straps of the ERS dangle down and should be secured when possible.

The attachment of the ERS can be relatively simple to implement. The latch needs to be unlatched and pulled out. It needs to be slightly lifted for this. It is recommended to use pliers if you want to save your fingers.

Reassembly can be done without tools. Simply slide the latch through the PALS loops and let it snap into place. In the image, you can see the LBE Harness from United States Tactical, which they specially developed for the ERS.

This stiffened Micro Chest Rig can be worn alone and it fulfills its purpose very well.

Even an AK74 is securely held in the ERS in combination with the LBE Harness. Unfortunately, the ERS does not fit well with bullpup rifles such as the Steyr AUG. Classic rifle designs, on the other hand, all fit nicely in the ERS.

The straps of the LBE Harness can be quickly removed. The back is equipped with three 5cm wide Velcro strips.

Thanks to these strips, the LBE Harness with ERS can be quickly attached to the Plate Carrier or protective vest. Simply attach to the front and close the Velcro over the sides.

SPARTANAT is the online magazine for Military News, Tactical Life, Gear & Reviews.
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