Question for Gunslinger II users

[Zerodown]

Just a heads up, I ordered a gs2 this week from Ceylon, should arrive today! Free option when you order is the gossamer frame sheet... Can't wait to try it out.


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[pmclaine]

Lets hear how it works out.

 

[ceylonc]

Lets hear how it works out.

+1! I just got my first Gossamer order last week but haven't had a chance to give it a full evaluation. Looking forward to the feedback shared here.

Since it is a new accessory, I decided to add it to the "freebie" list if you buy a Gunslinger 2 directly off the deltaoutdoorsman.com website. So, you can add one for free, and please post your feedback here on the 'Hide!

 

[Capt Academy]

I Have one of your Gunslinger 2 packs I got this Feb, how much for the Gossamer frame sheet off your site?

 

[BozFour]

I have the GS2, used it alot this weekend with no issues at all. DTA SRS A1 in the scab, also no issues. Good Pack.

 

[Capt Academy]

I got mine in Feb after all the hunts, so I'll need to wait until next season. Great to hear others experiences though.

 

[diverdon]

+1! I just got my first Gossamer order last week but haven't had a chance to give it a full evaluation. Looking forward to the feedback shared here.

Since it is a new accessory, I decided to add it to the "freebie" list if you buy a Gunslinger 2 directly off the deltaoutdoorsman.com website. So, you can add one for free, and please post your feedback here on the 'Hide!

Did you send one of those free ones to PMCLAINE?

 

[pmclaine]

Its been a couple months since I discovered my issues between the pack and my rifles.

The bag is in the back of my car almost every weekend and it has been a good purchase. I get my spray paint, stock bag, ammo, data book, Kowa, NRA style tripod, targets, bipod, magazines and some cold weather gear in a single package. With the MWS in the scabbard the load is no joke.

I havent had the beast on my back since initial fitting. The belt is off and stored in the Intex pocket. I have added some Mystery Ranch accesory straps that keep the shoulder straps from hanging up on everything (decided not to remove the straps as I may want to shoulder at some ranges). Because the Intex wont work with my forend rail the scabbard was a formless cloth box which kind of sucks as I carry the pack by the side handle suitcase style. The Mystery Ranch straps also secure the scabbard to the pack so the entire package becomes a solid piece of hand carry range luggage.

The pack is doing what I wanted it to do. It will be good if the Gossamer can make it better.

 

[pmclaine]

Did you send one of those free ones to PMCLAINE?

Not Ceylons responsibility. He didnt design the Intex or guarantee its suitability with every rifle (nor would Eberlestock be expected to make that claim).

If reports here indicate it is a good piece of gear Ill order one. Looking forward to some reports from owners.

...but thank you for thinking of my concerns.

 

[diverdon]

Not Ceylons responsibility. He didnt design the Intex or guarantee its suitability with every rifle (nor would Eberlestock be expected to make that claim).

If reports here indicate it is a good piece of gear Ill order one. Looking forward to some reports from owners.

...but thank you for thinking of my concerns.

I did not say it was Ceylons responsibility. I just always thought Ceylon seemed like the kind of vendor who did his best to help out a customer. And, He could certainly count on you reporting back on to what extent this helped with the problem. For my self as I was within days of ordering one of these for myself when you started this thread. You saved me from making a purchase that I would have been unhappy with. I would put more weight on your review than others. Thus I was hoping that Ceylon had taken steps to put one into your hands.

 

[pmclaine]

I did not say it was Ceylons responsibility. I just always thought Ceylon seemed like the kind of vendor who did his best to help out a customer. And, He could certainly count on you reporting back on to what extent this helped with the problem. For my self as I was within days of ordering one of these for myself when you started this thread. You saved me from making a purchase that I would have been unhappy with. I would put more weight on your review than others. Thus I was hoping that Ceylon had taken steps to put one into your hands.

I didnt think you were calling Ceylon out, sorry if it came across that way. Im a little generous to small business guys these days because I think they are getting porked in the present climate.

Im not sure if Im the best reviewer based on how I use the pack but two seconds with the sheet and a quick push on my rifle into the scabbard will tell me if the Gossamer is a better solution for me.

What matters most is how this pack works for guys that will hump it. I wouldnt hump my LMT with the Intex because of how it interferes with the rail. If I was hiking without the rifle in the scabbard the Intex would be beneficial.

 

[Zerodown]

Haven't had time to do anything other than load my bag with the intex frame, too busy to test it out, but I would like to before an upcoming 3day course the end of the month!


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[Zerodown]

I,too, haven't decided how to switch out frames, there wasn't any instructions.


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[pmclaine]

I,too, haven't decided how to switch out frames, there wasn't any instructions.


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In order to release the intex frame from the pack I had to do a little razor blade surgery and cut the strap keeper (Velcro strip running perpendicular to the securing strap) from the strap. I cut right along the edge of the Velcro piece and than was able to pull the securing strap through the nylon keeper.

Keep the little Velcro strap as it will still work if you roll the strap around it same as you would if it was still connected.

This is one of the design flaws of the pack. They make a removable frame than secure it with a strap that wont feed through the nylon keeper so you can remove it.

If my instructions are not clear please come back again and ask before you cut. Ill get pictures if need be to help you avoid damaging your pack.

 

[Zerodown]

Thanks for the heads up. I certainly appreciate the help!


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[BozFour]

In order to release the intex frame from the pack I had to do a little razor blade surgery and cut the strap keeper (Velcro strip running perpendicular to the securing strap) from the strap. I cut right along the edge of the Velcro piece and than was able to pull the securing strap through the nylon keeper.

Keep the little Velcro strap as it will still work if you roll the strap around it same as you would if it was still connected.

This is one of the design flaws of the pack. They make a removable frame than secure it with a strap that wont feed through the nylon keeper so you can remove it.

If my instructions are not clear please come back again and ask before you cut. Ill get pictures if need be to help you avoid damaging your pack.

I'd go ahead and post a vid or pictures. I have not needed to remove the frame but now that there is a new frame I may decide to switch it out. Thanks!

 

[Jäger Wilhelm]

I really want to get the GSII with the Gossamer frame. Are we saying you have to swap out the IntexII or do they come with the Gossamer ready to go?

 

[Autark]

Also in for some info for anyone who has tried the new insert.

 

[pmclaine]

Sitting by the mail box today was one of these



I never faulted Ceylon or Eberlestock for the issues I had with my pack. There are no guarantees made stating the scabbard is compatible with all rifles and I was able to make it work for my uses. If I was completely dissatisfied Im sure I could have sold it and recovered most of my costs.

Still Ceylon, never one to not try and satisfy a customer realized an opportunity when he saw one. He likes to provide his customers with good gear and he had a first class whiney bitch to provide a review of the GSII pack. In exchange for his kindness to me Ill give the Gossamer a try and point out some of the features of the pack. Im not getting this gratis he expects me to put out with some serious information so you guys can get a better idea of the features of the pack.

Here is my pack by the way. For anyone that caught my monotonous thread about what's the best way to hang a pack you can see I settled on Shaker style pegs mounted on the back of a door. The pack next to it is a London Bridge 3 day bought during one of their sales. Its also a nice piece of gear.

 

[drum13]

Thanks for posting. Looking forward to your thoughts on the new frame.... hopefully it does the trick.

 

[pmclaine]

This is what I carry and how I carry it...

Spotting scope, stand, some CW gear, a brass catch and the data book go in the main compartment



I bought the saddle bags for Paint, my rear bag and ammo. When I first started having issues with fitting my rifle into the pack I blamed the bipod. I bought the atlas bipod bag to store my pod. It didn't really help with the getting the LMT in and out of the bag but it has come in handy as I switch the pod between two rifles and now have a place to hold pod feet and extensions...



I carry my GSII like luggage by the side handles. When doing this the shoulder straps and belt hung out everywhere and stuffing the bag into the car was like stuffing a crab into a small pot. I bought some Mystery Ranch accessory straps to secure the shoulder straps and I removed the belt and stuffed it into the pocket the Intex frame is supposed to go in. According to Eberlestock removing the belt and stowing the foot of the scabbard allows the bag to become an approved size for airplane carry on.

 

[pmclaine]

Now for a real design headscratcher when you consider how Eberlestock has done so well thinking about some of their gear features....

This is what your Intex will look like secured in its pocket. a typical strap threaded through a nylon keeper with a neato Velcro strap keeper attached...



Thing is that little Velcro keeper is sewn perpendicular to the strap and it will not feed back through the nylon keeper in order to allow you to remove the Intex frame which we have been told is designed to be removed.



So soon after delivery of my medium expensive pack I cut the little keeper free and cauterized the nylon edges to keep them from fraying. The keeper can still be rolled up with the strap and it will function as intended. Now you just may misplace it if you are not careful...



This picture illustrates the problem I had with my rifle working in this pack. The bow of the Intex horizontal rail pushes on the scabbard pack and when I have crap in the main compartment pushing back on the frame my fat pig LMT MWS, and its slightly smaller MRP brother, get the rail caught on the frame. Forcing the rifle past the obstruction has my aluminum rail tightly sandwiched between two hard places and I don't want to test which of the three will give first.

 

[pmclaine]

So I removed the Intex and came here to shed some tears which lead Ceylon to go over and above by sending me a Gossamer frame. Here it is in all its splendor about to be slid into the pocket previously occupied by my pack belt and before that by the Intex frame. Note it only looks like carbon fiber......and Im assuming this is the correct way it fits in as there are no directions.



Getting it into the pocket I assumed the diamond shape cutout to be the means with which to secure the frame sheet using the aforementioned nylon strap. When I did so I noticed that the nylon keeper now became a hard item sandwiched between the Gossamer and the load bearing portion of the pack.



Me having demonstrated my "Princess and the Pea" like nature thought "That will eventually hurt..." so I undid the frame, pulled the sheet slightly, resecured the nylon strap back upon itself and I stuffed it through the diamond cutout so it was on the cargo side of the frame sheet instead of closer to my back. I am not using the strap to secure the Gossamer and the fit is so tight I don't think it is necessary.

 

[pmclaine]

So now Im packing my crap back up...

The belt will go in the bottom of the pack just in case I do want to carry the GSII like a backpack



...but that made my scope stand not really fit into the main compartment.



So I stuffed it along the side of my scope...



and fit everything else in...

as an aside two great pieces of gear

1. Mystery ranch accessory straps



They are very handy for lashing crap to the outside of the pack using the molle straps and will function as an emergency belt if yours breaks while skiing.

2. ITW strap keepers



These come in handy for securing the overly long straps on the scabbard cover. Odd that Eberlestock did not include integral keepers here where the overly long straps need their use.

 

[pmclaine]

I didn't stuff a rifle today. Ill be shooting next week and see how things perform. Im not a good test bed for this gear because, as stated, I hand carry my GSII as glorified range luggage. The Gossamer certainly gives the load bearing part of the pack some structure but the rifle scabbard is still this loose joint between the load bearing portion of the pack and the main cargo portion of the pack. The two sections can be made rigid by tightening down various lashing straps but doing so makes your rifle inaccessible until the straps are loosened. I think the idea of many is that the rifle is easily drawn from its scabbard at all times. It can be set up to be readily removable but doing so introduces instability to the cargo section of the pack.

More to follow when I load the pack next week. Im sure there will be no issue getting my rifle rail past the lumbar bow in the Gossamer frame. The plastic frame will not become the hard stop the aluminum bar is and the the Gossamer frame does "give" and bend I noticed as I pushed it into the frame pocket. So there will be no issue of wondering what will break first - metal alloy scope housing, aluminum frame or aluminum rifle rail.

 

[Capt Academy]

This does not seem like it's going to be a good fix to the problem. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[fireEMT5]

Pm,
So after a few weeks of ownership and use, what's the verdict? Improvement or not...... what say you?

 

[onethousandmeters]

Pm,
So after a few weeks of ownership and use, what's the verdict? Improvement or not...... what say you?

+1? .... It would seem after reading this thread, the pack never really worked out for you at all.

 

[pmclaine]

Thank you for getting me back. I wanted to use it a couple more times to try it out. I was at a range last week where I actually had to hump it for one of two hundred yards before I pulled my gear. Granted it was only a single shoulder strap sling so I don't think I'm qualified to really determine its pack ability.

There is no obstruction with the Gossamer. My rifle slides right in and out like playing hide the rifle. It does offer a bit more structure to the pack harness section. I do note that because the securing strap is not being used by me for reasons mentioned earlier the Gossamer slid out if it's pocket by an 1/8th to a 1/4 inch. I don't know if that would continue over a distance hike and I hope that if someone notes I installed it wrong they will correct me.

I still think its a good pack in the luggage role I use it for. One guy at the rang complimented it. Another member at the range, also a Hider, was sporting his new Eberlestock pack that he bought after being dissatisfied with his GSII.

At its price point it's a good pack and less anal folks or guys with skinny rifles probably will get 100% satisfaction using it. My likes may not be someone else's likes and I'm no gear expert by any means.

I'll use it, I'll keep it, and I hope to at some point put it in my back and pack it for real. If I was one of you western state free men though I think you may look for other features. Money not being an issue Mystery Ranch really appeals to me.

 

[fireEMT5]

For you G4 Operator owners out there - if your interested. I just got off the phone with a nice guy from Eberlestock. They are hoping for a June/July release of the Gossamer frame for the G4 if anyone wants to go that route. I hope to buy one and compare.

The C.S. gentleman also re-iterated as has been talked about above, that the easiest way to remove your Intex frame is to carefully cut off, or using a seam cutter, snip the tread that holds on the Velcro strap keeper in place. This keeper really isn't useful at all, other than to keep said strap tidy. You really can't see it anyway. So, cut off, or unthread the Velcro keeper, then unthread the strap from the buckle - remove frame and insert the poly frame. Now rethread strap through buckle and rock on.

FWIW, the slightly larger G4 Gossamer frame is said to be the same price as the one for the GS II when it comes out.

 

[onethousandmeters]

Money not being an issue Mystery Ranch really appeals to me.

That tells me all I need to know... Thanks for the honesty, and detailing your experience in this matter. I appreciate it.

 

[pmclaine]

Bolt guns slide in like an Irish guy at a whore house



And it makes a good rifle rest



I put it on my back for a 300-400 foot walk. It felt all right. The gossamer gave the scabbard some support. I could pack it but my little test told me that I carry way to much shit to the range.

 

[tools2teach]

tag

 

[pmclaine]

Saw this pop up on email as a thread I follow so I thought I would update

Ive been carrying my pack back and forth to the range over the last 2-3 weeks. As stated I use my GSII as an oversized range bag carried by a side handle horizontally. The Gossamer does give additional structure so I can flip the pack about and maneuver it around easier. It gives me a solid platform to toss around rather than just grabbing canvas material. Doing this I flex the Gossamer pretty hard and it has not cracked or split. The Gossamer provides some protection for my back of protruding rifle parts and I suppose would offer some protection to the rifle. My LMT with 5-25 S&B fits in/out of the pack, only having to stretch it a little bit at the pistol grip.

Im not a pack designer but if I were I think what might be ideal is traditional aluminum, carbon fibre or unicorn horn stays that make the shoulder harness/belt panel a solid carry unit that wont interfere with the scabbard section.

Buyers should expect some instability if the scabbard is left completely open/uncompressed as it is a flexible joint between the load bearing harness panel and the cargo pack. In order to improve things for times when you are not packing a rifle (something I never considered when buying this pack, nor do I intend to do it, I have another pack I would use for going out and about without a rifle) I would beef up the means to mate the cargo pack and the harness - maybe something like full coverage velcro panels supplemented by belts or nylon buckle hardware. Eberlestock has belts that somewhat do this now but there is still some movement. The velcro panels could be installed facing each other inside the front/back of the scabbard. A cloth cover would keep the hook and loop velcro seperate when using the scabbard to pack your rifle. In order to "lockout" the scabbard just pull up the fabric cover and mate the hook and loop. An HDPE sheet could be used as a tool to seperate the hook and loop by driving it into the scabbard "unlocking" the hook and loop lockout when you want to load your rifle. Im sure you could seperate it using a hand as a "knife" to pry the velcro apart.

If you are looking for an all in one design Eberlestock has it at a good price. You just have to make some trade offs for that.

 

[pmclaine]

Still in my possession. Working well as a range bag to carry all my crap. It is a heavy pig to carry from house to car but it works. Making a swell rifle rest with the Eberlestock rifle rest accesory.

Carrying the bag horizontal held top and bottom to position it as a rifle rest today the Intex II made some awful cracking noises as it twisted and tourqued but I think it was only noise and not actual destruction. I wonder if it would hold up same if out in freezing cold temps.