Double Eagle Gunworks

We Review the S&W Officer Tactical Range Bag

Posted on by Carla Pittman

When buying a range bag you have to balance size and capacity. Too small and you can’t bring everything you need. Too big and it becomes burdensome to carry.

The Smith and Wesson M&P Officer Tactical Range Bag is not short on space. It will get heavy if you fill every pocket, but it is about the size of an average duffle bag for the gym.

M&P® Officer Tactical Range Bag
Smith and Wesson M&P Officer Tactical Range Bag. Use code “double10” to get 10% off your first purchase

Let’s explore the bag in detail and find out whether it meets your criteria.

The Measurements of the Officer Tactical Range Bag

Per the S&W website, the internal dimensions of the main compartment are 18″ wide x 10″ high x 10″ deep. The external dimension are 22″ wide x 14″ high x 10.5″ deep.

The two padded zippered handgun cases are 13.5″ x 9.5″ and the padded carrying strap is 2″ wide and adjustable in length.

I emptied the bag and removed the strap. My food scale weighed it at 3 pounds, 7 ounces. The strap and the extra inserts added 2 pounds, 6 ounces.

Later I loaded it with all the items that I will list for you below and the fully loaded weight was a whopping 27 pounds. I had to switch to the beam scale in the bathroom because the food scale only goes up to 11 pounds.

The Materials Used in the Officer Tactical Range Bag

Smith & Wesson describes the material as “durable ballistic fabric and thick nylon strapping” with “heavy duty hardware, oversized zippers, and top-of-the-line hook and loop closures.”

I found the material to be as described. The nylon straps are firmly sewn into the body of the bag and feel solid.

The main strap has metal spring clips that clip to the metal tabs sewn into the bag. These will hold plenty of weight. The rectangular insert also has metal tabs sewn into its short sides.

The two zippers at the top are connected by a fabric loop so you can pull them both at the same time. The other zippers have smaller loops of a thin, tightly braided cord reinforced with rubber tubing to make an opening big enough for a large thumb to insert and pull easily.

The two layers of fabric on all sections sandwich thick, stiff padding to help protect your firearms when the bag is dropped or jostled. The outside pockets are constructed with gussets that keep the corners away from the body of the bag, creating more depth.

The hook and loop closures are strong and sewn in place rather than glued. The flaps on two outer pockets are quilted. The bottom of the bag has a removable piece that stiffens it for structural integrity.

The black color will repel stains and does not call attention to itself as military khaki might. The M&P by Smith & Wesson logo is embroidered on the long outer pocket on one side and one of the shorter outer pockets on the other in a silvery gray with just a little shimmer.

Two rectangular 5 1/8″ x 1 3/8″ rubber foot skids on the outside of the bottom serve to elevate the bag 1/4″ to prevent wearing out or dirtying the bottom of the bag. The skids are attached to straps that run the width of the bottom for further fortification. I sew, and this is good sewing.

One round open outer pocket has a grommet on the bottom big enough for me to pull a #2 pencil through it. The grommet is there to disperse moisture if you have to carry something that gets wet.

The Configuration of the Pockets

Smith and Wesson evidently put a lot of thought into the arrangement of this bag. There are pockets in the pockets. I measured them for you.

Let’s call the longest pocket the front. It runs the length of the bag and has a 3 3/4″ wide by 1 7/8″ tall embroidered logo on the right third.

Two 2″ wide nylon straps are sewn into the outside with 7/8″ between them and divided into 10 loops each. You could store pens, laser bores, screwdrivers, and other small diameter items. I managed to get a Ruger SR22 magazine in one but it was rather snug.

This pocket unzips to a fully open position to give you a flat surface. This could be useful if you need to reload or work on your gun and there is no clean surface available. In the pocket there are 8 pouches 4 3/4″ high, suitable for storing magazines. They open 3/4″ at the top.

Moving to what I will call the right side pocket, we find it embellished with a clear plastic pocket on the outside suitable to hold a photo ID. The pocket zips halfway down for secure storage of loose items and is 2 1/2″ deep.

Working our way to the back side we find two pouches, each taking up half the length of the side. The quilted flaps are secured by hook and loop tape and are 1 1/4″ deep. The one on the right has an embroidered logo 3 3/4″ wide by 1 7/8″ high.

The final side, to the left of the front pocket, has two pockets, each taking half its width. The one on the left takes the full height of the bag and is 2 3/4″ deep. It zips halfway down.

The one on the right is open and fits a 16.9 ounce bottle of water, which explains why it has a drainage grommet at the bottom.

The top has zippers at the edge that run parallel and are connected by a strap for easy movement with one hand. The leading edge is secured by hook and loop tape. This makes a big flap that you can open for full access to the inside of the bag.

The inside of the bag is a big open rectangle with an open pouch on each of the two long walls. The bottom of the bag is reinforced with a fabric covered stiffener that can be removed for cleaning.

The Inserts and Accessories

The biggest insert is the ammo bag, which is 8″ tall x 15″ wide x 5 7/8″ deep. It is open at the top, with 2 dividers that can be adjusted due to hook and loop tape along both long sides. It has a zippered pouch running the length of each long side and 3 magazine pouches on each short side.

The ammo bag has carrying straps and metal tabs so you can attach the main strap and use it as your range bag on a day when you want to pack lightly.

There is a cylindrical bag 6 3/4″ high and 5″ in diameter with an open weave at the bottom and a drawstring at the top. It has a metal spring clip that you can attach to the ammo bag. You can throw your used brass in it.

Finally we have 2 padded, zippered hand gun cases, 13.5″ x 9.5″ with plenty of room for a nice big handgun.

Everything we loaded into the S&W M&P Officer Tactical Range Bag

What We Put Into The Officer Tactical Range Bag

We don’t need all this at the range every time, but we wanted to see how much we could put in there. We could have added more, but it was getting a bit heavy. You can watch Chris fill it in the video above.

Here’s the list, with links

How The Officer Tactical Range Bag Compares to Other Bags We Have Owned

This sucker is big. We could carry our old range bag in this bag and have room for more. Given its size it is light weight, but resist the urge to treat it like a purse and carry everything you own in there. Edit your bag with each trip because you could end up throwing in multiples of things.

I could easily pack this for an overnight stay in a hotel. If you are inclined toward prepping, this would make a fine bug out bag.

Our Recommendations

Chris loves his new range bag. He finds it well built and spacious. It is easy to carry to the range and the weight is balanced over the whole bag.

You will see it in our future videos because it makes a trip to our backyard range much quicker than carrying out multiple armfuls of guns, ammunition, and accessories.

We recommend you get one if you need a sturdy, capacious bag. If you are looking for something smaller, try this one, also from Smith & Wesson.

Smith & Wesson® Recruit Tactical Range Bag
Smith and Wesson Recruit Tactical Range Bag, a smaller version of the one we reviewed in this article.

Keep reading our blog and watching our YouTube channel for more helpful information on everything gun related.