Precision Rifle Gear Support Bag Seam Reinforcement

[Bolt Thrower]

Looking for ideas to reinforce failure points in support bags to get some extra mileage before repair/replacement is necessary. I am specifically interested in methods to reinforce the seam at the “waist” of a waxed canvas schmedium game changer shown below:

I have tried a few things with varying degrees of success including otter wax, CA glue, shoe goo. Anything else worth trying?

 

[dirtybores]

Maybe a heavier material overlay like in that area of a fortune cookie. Or a box stitch overlay with a more durable thread like dental floss.

 

[parshal]

I emptied mine, turned it inside out and sewed with heavier thread. It helped for a while but the waxed canvas eventually gives way in that area. I'd love to see what others are doing. My bags are in otherwise fine condition except for that area.

 

[Brym427]

Does Armageddon have a warranty ?

 

[roostercogburn98]

Waxed dental floss makes great waterproof sewing thread. Used to repair lots of tears in field clothes like that. Sews with a regular needle as well.

 

[strikeeagle1]

I have been using braided flurocarbon fishing line to create all sorts of paracord zipper pulls , install glove loop keepers, repair backpacks and all manner ofthings with this method. I use the hot battery cautery to cut / melt the braided line in close quarters. Some variant of this method will secure your bag seam until the other seams give way.

 

[strikeeagle1]

.........you will want to get a set of heavy duty needles at Walmart fabric department or Hobby store; need to get an Amazon inexpensive heavy duty "needle driver", the curved needle profile would work well in your situation. The retired needle drivers shown are tier one surgical quality ($100's of dollars apiece) as I use them in my daily livelihood.

 

[parshal]

The thread doesn't fail on mine as much as the fabric rips at the thread holes.

 

[NiteQwill]

Does Armageddon have a warranty ?

Yes. They fix any damage or failure for free.

 

[strikeeagle1]

The thread doesn't fail on mine as much as the fabric rips at the thread holes.

.......repair outside the existing seam into un-perforated material.

 

[parshal]

That's exactly how I re-sew mine. What I'm saying is the initial failure on all of my bags is not the thread. It's the bag material failing at the holes where the thread perforates. That's how it also fails with the new thread.

 

[strikeeagle1]

Rather than use a simple over-and-over baseball styled stitching, for delicate tissues a vertical / or horizontal styled suture pattern is employed
that distributes the suture (thread) tension over several holes and a greater surface area thus creating a stronger seam. Going much wider from the seam on the first pass, the closing toward the seam on the second pass. Also notice that the suturing (or repairing) of the seam is done with individual sutures not a continuous method so repair reliance is not predicated on a single continous thread failure.

 

[Mr.BR]

How heavy is the waxed canvas used in support bags? 8oz ?

 

[DeathBeforeDismount]

I am convinced AG makes them this way to force us to buy new bags every year or so. I have like 5 gamechangers they all fail at the same spot.

 

[spife7980]

I just bunch up the hole in the fabric and sew it closed again. After awhile it fails again and repeat the process. The large heavy needles are the opposite of what you want to do to waxed canvas unless you are going through the leather handles on a pint sized, you want to make small holes that arent stretched so bad.

 

[Bolt Thrower]

Does Armageddon have a warranty ?

Yeah I’ve sent a bag back to them and they repair it for free. A+ customer service.

 

[superde]

I am convinced AG makes them this way to force us to buy new bags every year or so. I have like 5 gamechangers they all fail at the same spot.

The thinner the waxed canvas, generally the more stable because the bag conforms to the rifle and what it is sitting on better. The tradeoff to this is that they become consumable products.

 

[Bolt Thrower]

Anyone use methods other than sewing?

The thread doesn't fail on mine as much as the fabric rips at the thread holes.

This is my experience as well. It isn't the thread, but the material that gives. I know it can be re-sewn after it fails, but my goal is to reinforce the material in that area, so that it takes longer to fail. Shoe Goo kinda worked, but it is too messy to apply accurately and ends up going on too thick. I am going to try this stuff next: Seam Grip WP Waterproof Sealant and Adhesive . If it doesn't work, I'll try heavier material overlay that @dirtybores mentioned.

 

[parshal]

I am going to try this stuff next: Seam Grip WP Waterproof Sealant and Adhesive .

Did you get a chance to try this?

This is what we're all hoping to avoid, right?

 

[lash]

Anytime you have a high stress seam in material, the correct way to patch it is by putting some backing material in place, preferably iron on material if your home, or similar. I’ve even used jean material from an old pair of blue jeans. More flexible is better due to wanting the bag to work as intended.

Anybody that has had to field repair a button on pants/shirt that has ripped out knows this. It works and will often outlast the original product.

That said, I have one that’s getting weak in that area and I need to fix it before it’s a real issue.

 

[Bolt Thrower]

Did you get a chance to try this?

This is what we're all hoping to avoid, right?

Yes! I applied the Gear Aid "Seam Grip" to an older, beat up waxed canvas schmedium. It is pretty easy to apply and levels itself into a thin layer similar to the finish around zippers on Kuiu waterproof jackets. It takes 24 hours to cure, so not a viable emergency repair, preventative measure only. The bag was pretty much beyond its useful life (it has been repaired multiple times) and had a tear leaking sand when I applied the stuff. I've used the bag for around 5 hours of practice on barricades with a 19lb rifle. I brought it to a 2 day PRS match over the weekend as a backup. My buddy's bag popped before the first stage, so he ran it during the entire match. So far, it is holding up great. This appears to be the best non-sewing solution I have used so far. That said, it will take some more use to arrive at a final verdict. If it is still working well after another month of use then I'd endorse it as a tested solution to the problem.

 

[Lawnboi]

Tenacious tape makes a patch, I wonder how that would work if applied right away. Being that AG now sends them out waxed, I’d guess you would have to request a bare one.

Iv got cloths and camping gear that is all kind of torn up, those patches are tough.

 

[lash]

Yes! I applied the Gear Aid "Seam Grip" to an older, beat up waxed canvas schmedium. It is pretty easy to apply and levels itself into a thin layer similar to the finish around zippers on Kuiu waterproof jackets. It takes 24 hours to cure, so not a viable emergency repair, preventative measure only. The bag was pretty much beyond its useful life (it has been repaired multiple times) and had a tear leaking sand when I applied the stuff. I've used the bag for around 5 hours of practice on barricades with a 19lb rifle. I brought it to a 2 day PRS match over the weekend as a backup. My buddy's bag popped before the first stage, so he ran it during the entire match. So far, it is holding up great. This appears to be the best non-sewing solution I have used so far. That said, it will take some more use to arrive at a final verdict. If it is still working well after another month of use then I'd endorse it as a tested solution to the problem.

I think that I’ll pick some up as a preventative on mine. For $10 it’s a good backup plan.

 

[Bolt Thrower]

So its been around 5 months and I have used the Gear Aid "Seam Grip" on a couple gamechangers - a waxed canvas schmedium and a plus 1. Sadly, the original, haggard-ass gamechanger prototype was shot by 22LR and did not survive, so both these bags were new before applying the seam grip. It has worked really well and both bags have no observable wear in the waist area. The seam grip seems to last for a couple months of heavy use before it needs to be reapplied. I am comfortable saying that this stuff works and recommend it if you want to extend the life of you bags.

 

[BuildingConceptsllc]

I think iron on patch inside the bag is the only thing that might work well. If you get em ironed on right they work pretty good but it's hard to get the iron in some spots to do it. I think sending it in to them is the best answer so they can fix it.

 

[stanley_white]

Black Branch Shooting Sports released a new bag in an attempt to specifically address this problem.

https://blackbranchshootingsports.com/products/a-kite-barricade-shooting-bag

-Stan

 

[Bolt Thrower]

I think iron on patch inside the bag is the only thing that might work well. If you get em ironed on right they work pretty good but it's hard to get the iron in some spots to do it. I think sending it in to them is the best answer so they can fix it.

I have sent bags back to AG for repair. The goal was identifying preventative measures. The seam grip works really well. Iron on patch on the inside of a bag is a little more involved than I'd be willing to get.

Black Branch Shooting Sports released a new bag in an attempt to specifically address this problem.

https://blackbranchshootingsports.com/products/a-kite-barricade-shooting-bag

-Stan

It looks pretty rugged. Based on the shape, probably not something I'd use. I'm too set in my ways to change bags anyway. I've invested too much time training with a gamechanger.