Leatherman has introduced a product line that caters to the military/LEO and tactical community. Steve Coulston recently got his hands on The RAIL and shares his thoughts.
Throughout the years I have always had a multi tool on my person or in my gear bag. I still have the Leatherman my Uncle Sam gave to me all those years ago. It sits, waiting to be used in my range bag and has come in handy countless times. Leatherman, is one of the most trusted names in the business when it comes to multi-tools. They now have a product line that caters to the military/LEO and tactical community. I recently got my hands on their nifty little pocket tool called the RAIL.
It is made from heat-treated 420 stainless steel which contains a higher chromium content for added corrosion resistance. It is very compact and comes in at 4.8 inches of overall length. It weighs practically nothing at 2.3 oz and fits nicely in the provided pouch that can be secured to your belt or MOLLE compatible gear. It is basically a 1/8th inch thick piece of steel with a bunch of various shaped holes, notches, prongs and hooks. At first glance it looks a little strange but it all makes sense once you get a feel for it. All of its features have a very specific purpose.
The front end of the RAIL has a clip with a one-way stainless steel gate that works like a carabineer. This makes it a snap to clip this bad boy just about anywhere. As an extra bonus, it works well as a bottle opener. Just make sure you save the suds until after your range session is over! Along the bottom it has a space for a ¼ inch hex bit driver. This allows you to use all your standard ¼ inch bits with this tool to include socket drivers, screw drivers, drill bits, etc. The bits are held in place by a tension bar on the bottom of the tool. This is an ingenious little feature that really does a really good job of securing the bit in place. This can also be used with a ¼ inch bit extension for some of those hard to reach places. Adjacent to the hex is another rectangular cut that accommodates the bits that come with the RAIL. They consist of a #2 Phillips and ¼ inch screwdrivers as well as a 7/64 inch hex and a Torx 15 bit. These bits are stored at the center of the RAIL along with a handy firearm disassembly punch. They are held in place with a rubber bit holder. These bits fit in the rail in the same manner as the ¼ inch bits and are held securely in place by the tension bar and will not slip when torque is applied.
The rear end of the tool has a prong that is specifically designed to adjust the front sights of your AR iron sights. This makes sight adjustment very easy and quick compared to using a bullet tip. Next to that is the open ended 3/8 inch hex wrench. The top and bottom of the RAIL has sections that have been tooled to provide a more positive grip when applying torque when using the wrench. Lastly, there is also a rectangular cut out that works to open oxygen tanks. This would be very handy for EMTs, Firefighters and other first responders.
Over all, I am impressed with this little guy. It has a lot of handy features in a very small and compact package. I can take it with me wherever I go either to the range or just for everyday carry. In fact it is so small and flat I forgot I had it in my front jeans pocket all day. With Christmas right around the corner, the Leatherman RAIL would make an outstanding stocking stuffer for the shooter in your family.
They can be ordered direct from Leatherman here: http://www.leatherman.com/831804.html#Tools
Cost is $45 and it comes with the Leatherman 25 year warranty.
