I don’t think I need to sell any readers around here on the idea that a firearm can be more than just a tool. For many of us it’s a concrete symbol of independence, something that will keep us safe when all other measures have failed, and often, an heirloom we plan to pass down to our loved ones. Given that monumental level of importance, why wouldn’t we exercise some level of diligence to protect it?
While there are a number of products on the market intended to fulfill that role, ranging from half-inch thick gun safes to glorified athletic socks, I think many readers will find the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag to their liking. It’s one of those “goldilocks” products that’s neither too slight nor too bulky, and it comes from Condition 1, a manufacturer worth getting to know.
Though I had some familiarity with Condition 1 based on its presence at my local range, I had the good fortune of being able to talk with Jimmy Bowren, the company’s Creative Director. Jimmy explained that although Condition 1 officially started in 2008, its parent company has been making cases of various kinds for more than 50 years — many of them produced as OEM for some very recognizable names in the athletic, tactical, outdoor, medical and photography sectors.
Condition 1 was the result of the company betting on itself and hanging out its own shingle. Armed with a mission of being able to compete with the big boys like Pelican and Nanuk, Condition 1 quickly made a name for itself for the quality of its products.
The Bag Itself
The Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag isn’t quite a soft bag, and it isn’t quite a hard case. On the outside, it looks to be made mostly of fabric, but try to push the container together from opposite ends and you’ll find that it just doesn’t yield. That resistance comes from a steel wire frame that provides the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag with internal support. The company has rated it to be able to withstand more than 60 lbs. of crush force. Suffice it to say that if this takes a drop off a truck bed or takes a tumble from one’s shooting bay, the gear inside will be unaffected.
Inside the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag, users will find two separate zippered pockets, which are lined with a material that feels very much like suede to the touch. You’ll also find the bag kitted out with six separate and generously sized magazine pouches. The pockets can accommodate magazines of up to 7” in length, so even your chunkiest of double-stack magazines will fit handily here. In my own tests, each cavity will hold two 1911 single-stack mags one on top of each other, giving you a capacity of up to 96 rounds of .45 ACP, assuming you stuff 12 separate eight-rounders in there.
As for the inside of the bag: a lot of the design iteration that happens at Condition 1 comes from following the market and speaking with shooters just like us. Back 30 years ago, you could probably get by with making a bag or pistol rug for the exact contours of a 1911. But, as Jimmy told me, it’s vastly more common to encounter shooters who have accessorized or customized their firearms in some way. As a result, the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag is comfortably engineered to hold two full-sized handguns with red dots, competition-sized mags, flared magazine wells, and rail-mounted lights.
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A close study of the outside of the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag shows that Condition 1’s quality control efforts have paid off. By my count, the bag utilizes four different textures of nylon, a rubberized insert for the Condition 1 logo, two rivets to secure the handles to the body of the container, and a generous block of velcro for morale patches and other stick-ons. Stitching is tight and consistent, and there are no weird transitions where one type of material meets another.
I like to give you readers these kinds of details precisely because it’s hard to gauge the level of care a company puts into its products from spec sheets or studio photos alone. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s that level of consideration put into the construction that elevates this above “just another pistol bag.” If you’re going to put a gun into this you’d consider an investment, I think you’ll find it to be well-protected.
Final Thoughts
It’s pretty remarkable to me that Condition 1 set out to make what they call “the working man’s bag,” noting that the Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag is priced at about the cost of procuring three extra magazines for your gun of choice. Frankly, the build quality present here is well in excess of what I expected.
Buying from Condition 1 supports an American company, and Jimmy adds that the small team is completely involved with its customers at all levels. Feedback through the company’s channels is heard by the very same handful of execs that make decisions. “Usually, we’re the same ones responding,” he said. “We don’t have social media interns. When you’re communicating with Condition 1, you’re talking to us.”
Again, it’s evident that care runs from leadership to the end product. I’m happy to have found a new storage solution for some of my personal favorite handguns, and equally appreciative to have gotten to know the ethos behind the organization.
The Kinetic 2 Pistol Bag retails for $88.99 and can be found in four different colorways on the Condition 1 website.
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