For Serious Gun Lovers

Top 3 Pistol Bags for Self Defense and Everyday Carry [2024]

Over the last 20 years, pistol bags have become quite popular among shooters of all levels. Created and designed for weather resistance, maximum durability and support during transit, pistol bags offer you a plethora of storage space for everything you need while at the shooting range or for everyday carry.

Whether you’re in the market for shooting bags with removable ammunition totes, or you’d rather sport range bags with integrated magazine storage, pistol range bags provide you with the best organization for one or more handguns as well as transportation of your pistols and shooting accessories.

Although it may be easier at times to simply reach for your trusty old duffel or gym bag, pistol bags are specifically designed for the shooting range. There’s no worry of having to sift through a big mess, instead all of your accessories will be neatly organized into interior dividers. They’re made to carry your firearms, scopes, shooting glasses, ear protection, ammunition and anything else you’ll need for the shooting range.

Beneficial to both casual shooters and IDPA competition shooters, no two shooting bags are created equal. Your best bet is to choose a pistol bag from a reputable and well-established company, which leads me to my first choice, from Explorer.

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Explorer Tactical 12 Pistol Padded Gun and Gear

image of Explorer Pistol Range Bag

This highly functional range bag can fit up to 12 pistols plus any and all accessories you may have. There’s no fear of running out of room with this bag in tote. And even though this pistol bag is very roomy for everything you need, it’s actually thoroughly compact-sized. What could be better?

Designed ideally for law enforcement officials and tactical operators, it’s no wonder this bag is so reliable. The Explorer Tactical Padded Pistol Bag measures 16 inches x 9 inches x 11 inches and is made of tough and rugged 1000-denier ballistic nylon.

With a main compartment offering two weapons pouches with center foundation straps and a perfectly sized storage area for ammunition, magazines, eye and ear protection and more, this top quality pistol bag will last you for years to come.

All 13 compartments are well padded for the most extreme protection of your pistols and gear — scratches on your guns are obsolete.

Why ​​1000 D Heavy Duty Ballistic Nylon?

This material is extremely important if you want to get the best performance from your bag for maximum use at the range. You will especially love the 100-D if you’ve owned bags that tend to wear out use after a few uses. This heavy-duty material will not disappoint you.

Multiple Spacious Compartments

If you need a pistol bag equipped with plenty of compartments, the Explorer Padded Pistol Bag is the one for you. It has a total of 13 compartments that are fully capable of holding up to 13 handguns.

Reaching for your pistols and taking them out is quick and easy and you’ll never have to worry about time wasted on searching for you accessories.

On the exterior of this pistol bag are two additional side compartments ready to hold more items in case the padded pistol bag becomes full on the interior. In addition, each of these compartments are brilliantly padded.

You can rest assured that your delicate gear will be protected from potential harm.

​Detachable Shoulder Strap and High Quality Zippers

If you’re not keen on carrying this bag on your shoulder, you don’t have to. Just simply remove the strap from the pistol bag via its easy-to-detach-design.

On the other hand, if you prefer to carry the bag on your shoulders, this bag will only perform better. The strap is well padded to give you the comfort you need when carrying a heavily loaded range bag.

Heavy duty zippers top off this popular range bag. With a total of three, these durable zippers have intersecting heads which enable you to lock by way of a small padlock. And one zipper quickly unzips the whole side, making it easy to open the bag while it’s flat.

​​The Explorer Padded Pistol Bag is a favorite among shooters, as it’s extremely functional, has ample storage and simply is in it for the long haul. And at a price under $50, it’s a no-brainer.

Features

  • Constructed of 1000-D heavyweight ballistic nylon
  • Roll-up, two-zippered flap with hook and loop closure allows fast access on main compartment
  • Multiple nylon-elastic magazine and gear loops in main compartment and exterior compartments
  • Main compartment interior size: 12 inches x 9 inches x 9.5 inches
  • 13 densely padded compartments
  • Two gun/rifle pockets with center support strap
  • Two beverage/slash pockets
  • Large front padded compartment for additional gear
  • Additional pockets on either end of bag for small items
  • Designed in alignment with law enforcement and tactical operators’ needs
  • Dual exterior front pockets and ID pocket
  • Check latest price on Amazon

 


Blackhawk Sportster Pistol Range Bag

Blackhawk Pistol Bag

The Blackhawk company offers best in class tactical and outdoor equipment. They are superb designers and manufacturers of quality products and offer many models of bags and packs.

The Blackhawk Sportster Pistol Range is a fine example of their quality craftsmanship.

Although the Sportster is smaller in size and simpler in its design, it’s still large enough to hold two pistols and your magazines, as well as ammunition, shooting glasses and ear protection. It’s the perfect pistol range bag for today’s casual shooter.

This

well constructed bag is overtly functional for its price (under $30 on Amazon), but it doesn’t forgo performance or durability. Formulated with heavyweight, durable denier polyester, this pistol bag features two large dual-zippered compartments.

With unbreakable tenacious zippers, the Sportster also features spacious outer pockets that are equipped to store two handguns.

Why Choose Blackhawk?

As far as being a reputable name in the shooting industry, Blackhawk produces some of the most creative and popular products on the market today, and the Sportster is proof of their creativity.

Besides have a plethora of storage space for two pistols plus numerous accessories, there are also multiple padded dividers in this pistol bag.

You can rearrange or remove these dividers thanks to the Velcro that attaches them to the bag. If you’re seeking a super reliable and rugged pistol bag, Blackhawk makes some of the best ones for the economically conscious consumer.

 

Great Storage

Storing more than one pistol? Not a problem with this Blackhawk Pistol Bag. The Sportster offers you plenty of room to store all of your extra accessories. And the other side of the bag allows you more space with two additional slash pockets for small items.

The super strong seams on this pistol bag include heavy binding with two rows of locked stitching to ensure your valuables don’t go anywhere.

Another perk to make sure your gear doesn’t wander is the heavy duty, standard sized zippers on this bag. Lastly, the carry handle features a wrap-around design and offers MOLLE webbing to make toting this pistol bag a breeze.

Features

  • Heavyweight, tightly-woven 600-denier polyester with a dense PVC laminate
  • Dual-density foam design consolidates open-cell foam for rifle protection and closed-cell foam for impact on the exterior
  • Case interior offers super soft fabric to protect your firearm
  • Heavy-duty tactical webbing on shoulder straps
  • Heavy-duty, oversized coil zippers
  • Heavily-bound seams with two rows of locked stitching for extra durability
  • Two interior slash pockets — big enough to hold two handguns
  • Dual-slider interior pocket for easy access to gear and accessories
  • Features MOLLE webbing
  • Wraparound tactical web handles for added weight support
  • Measures 16 inches x 9 inches x 8 inches
  • Check latest price on Amazon


GPS Handgunner Backpack

This GPS Handgunner Backpack is a free standing backpack that is created to handle all the gear you need. Designed by G. Outdoors Products, these bags are made with separate pockets to store frequently used accessories and supplies you with additional protection and easy access.

The ingenious storage cradle inside of this Handgunner Bag slides in and out of the lower compartment, making adjusting your storage options a snap.

In addition, the cradle is designed to hold four medium to small sized handguns and is made of high-density foam as well as being cut with a CNC machine to hold each pistol by its trigger guard.

This is a great feature for added security when carrying your weapons on the go.

The GPS Handgunner Backpack is perfect for shooters who like to haul their own equipment to the range and it’s also designed for multiple handguns.

The base of the backpack has a bonus compartment to hold up to four pistols side by side and roomy pouches on either side of the backpack provide storage for 12 magazines.

For a range bag that allows hands-free transportation to and from the range, the GPS Handgunner Backpack is a solid choice.

If you’ve been looking for a great kit to transport your handguns, extra magazines, ammunition, eye and ear protection, targets, stapler, cleaning supplies and more, check out this range pack. You’ll be glad you did.

Features

  • Separate, protected pocket storage for your most frequently used accessories
  • Free standing backpack
  • Interior storage cradle slides in and out of the lower compartment
  • Superior foam cradle to hold four medium to small size handguns in a vertical format
  • Features a waterproof pull-out cover to help keep the contents dry
  • Visual ID storage system
  • Main zippers are lockable for legal transportation
  • Check latest price on Amazon

 


Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are many quality pistol range bags to choose from. But, it depends on what you’re looking for. Some people just opt for a simple sling pack while others want something a little bit more elaborate.

Just as every shooter has their own personality, a quality gun pistol bag can be personalized to fit each shooter’s style. Whether you want to go all out with bells and whistles or stay simple, yet organized, any of the bags reviewed above will do the job.

Like I said at the beginning of this review, the Explorer Padded Pistol Bag is my first choice. There’s so many compartments for pistols, accessories, tools, equipment and more. And just the fact that you can fit up to 13 pistols is a game changer for me.

No matter which pistol bag you take to the range, you can’t go wrong with any (or all) of these three top-notch bags. It all depends upon your needs.

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