Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

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The Annoyed Man
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Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#1

Post by The Annoyed Man »

I took delivery on a new rifle case today - a LaRue Cover rifle Case, MkII, from LaRue Tactical: http://www.larue.com/covert-rifle-case-mkII. I also ordered an accessory velcro-backed triple magazine pouch....the case comes with a single pouch provided. Each pouch holds two 30 round magazines (see next to last photo). The accessory triple mag pouch is found at: http://www.larue.com/mkii-accessories-mag-pouch-triple

Price: $169.95 for the case, and another $29.95 for the additional triple magazine pouch.

I ordered it online on 01/31/2016, and received it on 02/02/2016, not 3 days later.

The website lists the rifle case's exterior size as 27.5” x 11” x 4.5”. With the case loaded, I saw a measurement closer to 26" x 10.5" x 5.5". The features list includes:
  • 3 ea, Buckled Tie Downs with Velcro Backers to secure weapons.
  • 2 ea, Velcro Hinges.
  • 1 Single Velcro-Backed Magazine Pouch (double & triple options available soon)
  • 1 ea, 26" x 3.5" Removable Barrier
  • 2 ea, 8” x 3.5" Removable Barrier
  • 1 Large 9” x 7” , zippered pocket for additional storage
  • 1 Large 10” x 7” , Velcro “loop” panel for attachment of Velcro-backed accessories
  • YKK Zippered front panel allows case to open flat.
  • Detachable adjustable shoulder strap adjusts from 25” to 46”
  • 1" Mil. Spec. "D" rings mounted in nylon webbing
  • Large 3” x 5” Velcro ID Panel on front
  • Embroidered LaRue logo on inside front panel
The available colors are: Black, Ranger Green, Coyote Brown, Charcoal, Navy, Foliage, Red, Blue. I bought mine in Foliage. In the pictures below, it looks almost like OD Green, but that is a trick of light. It is more of a medium sage gray.

This is what it looks like, pretty well loaded up. It seems to keep its shape pretty well, despite there being a number of oddly shaped objects inside of it.
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My rule shows the length at about 26", not the 27.5" advertised. The discrepancies in measurement don't seem to have mattered one whit.
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Height looks more like 10.5" instead of the 11" advertised.
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Depth looks more like 5.5" instead of the 4.5" advertised. Again, these differences are not enough in my opinion to matter.
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This shows the full loadout, as I have it currently. The whole thing is so configurable, it was actually hard to decide how I wanted to arrange it.....and I still don't know if this is how I want to leave it. The loadout includes a 16" carbine upper, the matching lower, a suppressor, an ACOG, a T1 Micro, a Vickers VTAC sling, a rag and bottle of Fireclean CLP, a Leatherman MUTT multitool (not shown, but attached to the molle straps to the right of the triple magazine carrier), and 8 30-round magazines.
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This is how I have it currently laid out. The dividers allow a great deal of latitude in how to do it. You can even store an 18" barreled upper cross-wise from upper to lower corners. As I said, the primary difficulty seems to be in trying to figure out exactly how to lay it out, and I expect that I'll make adjustments to it as I go, until I get it perfect.
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This shows the magazine loadout.
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The following items were included with the order: 2 LaRue catalogs, one marked ""Here's an extra catalog for your shooting buddy" (LOL), two bumper stickers, three copies of the Constitution of the United States, a bottle of "Dillo Dust" BBQ rub, and a LaRue "Beverage Entry Tool".
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First impressions:

The case seems to be very well made. All stitching and seams are straight. The color looks exactly like it does on the website. The padding is evenly distributed around the inside, and all items that were supposed to be delivered with the case came exactly as ordered. The only discrepancy was the fairly slight differences in dimensions from those advertised. The case by itself doesn't weigh much....my guess is around a pound, maybe less. The LaRue website doesn't give the weight. The shipping weight, box and packing included, according to UPS was 4.5 lbs, but there is no way the case weighs even half of that. Of course, with a 7 pound rifle, 8 loaded magazines, a 1.25 lb suppressor, plus 2 lightweight optics and other odds and ends, the weight adds up quickly. Even so, it carries the weight well, and it's short and fairly compact size belies the amount of contents it holds. I also own and use a Voodoo Tactical double rifle case quite frequently. (Those who were at the NE Dallas range trip get together the weekend before last would have seen this Voodoo Tactical case, as that was what I carried my AR carbine and my SCAR 17S in.) I have included 3 pictures below of both cases side-by-side to help give an impression of the compactness of the LaRue case.

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I also added three pictures that show my 18" barreled DMR rifle laid on top of first the Voodoo Tactical case, and then the LaRue Covert Rifle Case, to give a visual reference to the size of an assembled AR....keeping in mind that the AR inside the LaRue case is a 16" carbine......

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In these five pictures, the Voodoo Tactical case is completely empty. Add a rifle or two, magazines, etc., etc., to it, and it gets quite a bit fatter. However, the Voodoo Tactical Double Rifle Case looks very.....well....tactical. It looks like a gun case. The LaRue case does not. My son has a LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII in bright blue, and it looks even less "tactical" than mine....more like a small suitcase or carryon bag, or a largish computer case or briefcase, or something, but not like a gun case. I wanted something that was more nondescript looking so that it would (maybe) draw less attention if left in a vehicle, or carried in public places outside the context of a shooting range, and I think this bag fits the bill very well. Overall, some might think that the LaRue Covert Rifle Case, Mk II is a little pricey for a soft case that holds just one rifle (you can add pistols to the loadout), but it is very well made, and it does exactly what LaRue says it will do. At $170, I am satisfied with the purchase so far.
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misterlarry
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#2

Post by misterlarry »

Looks great! Thanks for the excellent review.

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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#3

Post by VMI77 »

I got one of these....not as nice or fancy but serves my purposes for a lot less money: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TU ... 1_3&sr=8-3

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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

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Post by The Annoyed Man »

VMI77 wrote:I got one of these....not as nice or fancy but serves my purposes for a lot less money: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TU ... 1_3&sr=8-3
How is it holding together so far? That's a darn good price if it holds up!
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#5

Post by jb2012 »

I paid $130 for a similar case to these at academy, and now ALL zippers are broken... Maybe I should stick to hard cases. For $40 more I could've bought a pelican...
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#6

Post by Scott B. »

Good looking case that doesn't scream gun.

I wish my Blackhawk Sportster case came in similar colors and was as sturdy. But for the price, and no Dillo Dust, I've been pleased with it.

http://blackhawk.com/Products/Bags-Pack ... -Case.aspx
Last edited by Scott B. on Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#7

Post by VMI77 »

The Annoyed Man wrote:
VMI77 wrote:I got one of these....not as nice or fancy but serves my purposes for a lot less money: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002TU ... 1_3&sr=8-3
How is it holding together so far? That's a darn good price if it holds up!
It hasn't seen a lot of use so I'm not sure I can make a fair evaluation. I've hauled it around on a couple of trips to West Texas carrying a shotgun, rifle, a couple handguns, and a bunch of mags....but that's about it. It seems to be pretty well made for the money. You'd get better information on it reading through some of the reviews on Amazon. It's got 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 1,000 ratings....which is pretty good as far as customer ratings go.
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#8

Post by Abraham »

I too bought the Blackhawk Sportster Modular Weapons Case a few years ago for $35.00, I can't believe how much they command in cost now.

Very well made, will accommodate 2 assembled AR's, is very well padded with good quality zippers with room for accessories.

In my opinion it doesn't look tacticool whatsoever. At 36" long, it's still pretty short and could easily be viewed as storing for other than guns...

Oh, TAM, I'm sure you'll never complain about the cost of a handbag/purse "SWMBO" wants...right?

Your new bag, I mean, (in a deep, manly voice) your new case, really is gorgeous!

LaRue makes very high quality gear.

I'm envious!

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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#9

Post by curryman »

I got this one at Academy:

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http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/tactica ... tid=625528

Supposed to be a 2 gun case. No way with optics and fore grips. Scored it on sale for $40

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Velcro straps hold rifles well. Holds 2 of my 10/22's like a champ.

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Larger pocket has a divider pocket for smaller stuff. The two other pouches are removable and there's tons of room for more.

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You can get 4 mags in them.

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Not as incognito as the OP's, but cheaper.

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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

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Post by The Annoyed Man »

curryman wrote:I got this one at Academy:

.................

Supposed to be a 2 gun case. No way with optics and fore grips. Scored it on sale for $40
The Voodoo Tactical case I showed in my OP easily fits two guns. I just now got back from the range. In addition to my carbine in the LaRue case, I brought my 18" barreled DMR rifle (pictured in OP) and my FN SCAR 17S in the Voodoo Tactical case. The DMR is topped with a 1-6X Bushnell Elite Tactical scope, and the SCAR is topped with a Vortex Viper PST 4.5-16x50mm MRAD scope. Both guns and optics (and accessories) easily fit in the case. OTH, it wasn't $40 either. That said, it wasn't $170 either, like the LaRue. I bought it on sale from CTD in the Fort Worth store a number of years ago, and I believe I paid about $80 for it. It is also a pretty nice case, well made, and rugged. I've been using it for years and it has held up very well too.

Rifle/Optic combos it has carried in addition to the above mentioned 18" DMR and SCAR:
  • 18" DMR/4.5-16x50 Viper PST AND 18" AR10 SASS/5-20x50 SSHD
  • 18" DMR/4.5-16x AND 16" carbine/EOTech
  • 16" carbine/EOTech AND M1A Sage Chassis/3-12x44 H25 Horus Tactical
  • 18 DMR/4.5-16x AND Gunsite Scout .308/Leupold 1.5-5x Scout Scope
  • Gunsite Scout .308/Leupold 1.5-5x Scout Scope AND 18" Model 37 pump gun
  • 16" carbine/T2 Micro AND 16" carbine/EOTech
  • 18" DMR/1-6x AND 16" carbine/4x32 ACOG
Etc., etc., etc. As long as the barrel lengths are 20" or less and/or the gun has a collapsible stock, I can fit two guns of pretty substantial weight with large optics into that case, and it will carry them just fine.

CAVEAT: I don't put them in the case with a magazine in place, so they can go in diagonally, and I don't have large vertical fore-end grips on any of my rifles. My latest carbine has a small BCM KAG handstop on it, but that doesn't stand too proud of the hand guard.
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#11

Post by curryman »

TAM

I hope I didn't annoy you with my post. :)

I only got it because I needed a quick cheap range bag. For traveling I have several larger cases and trunks. There was no way I was going to pay $100+ for a soft sided bag.

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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

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Post by The Annoyed Man »

curryman wrote:TAM

I hope I didn't annoy you with my post. :)
curryman, don't worry....you did not annoy me. Obama has that covered for you. :lol:
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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#13

Post by flintknapper »

Great review.

You may be certain...if it has the 'LaRue' name on it...it will work well.

I might have to seriously consider one.

I am pretty much a 'VooDoo' fan and have had good luck their products (I am hard on equipment).

That LaRue unit is very subtle, I like that. If it holds like I expect it will....its surely a winner.


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Re: Review: LaRue Covert Rifle Case, MkII

#14

Post by Scott B. »

Abraham wrote:I too bought the Blackhawk Sportster Modular Weapons Case a few years ago for $35.00, I can't believe how much they command in cost now.
They can still be had for around your price on the ol' Amazon. Pretty good deal.
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