Blackhawk vs Eagle Industries drag bag comparison
In today’s article we are doing a side by side comparison of the Blackhawk drag bag to the industry Gold standard, Eagle Industries drag bag. The Eagle Industries bag has been one of the top choices of snipers around the world for 30 years. The similarities are obvious to even the newest of shooters, it’s a no brainer, why not copy the best bag there is?
The Eagle Industries bag used in the comparison is an older bag from when they were manufactured in St.Louis Missouri, from there they moved production to Virginia Beach and then on to Puerto Rico where today’s equipment is made. The Blackhawk bag is made in Vietnam and thus is not Berry Amendment compliant if that matters to you or your organization. However, for an offshore bag, these drag bags are head and shoulders better than 95% of the other offshore bags out there.
Blackhawk even did something that shooters have been asking Eagle to do for 20 years, moved the damn carry handle to where a heavy barrel rifle carries level in the bag. This simple change that costs a manufacturer absolutely nothing was a great improvement, try the two bags and you will see what we mean.
First up, and exterior of the two bags
The Eagle bag is a 48″ and the Blackhawk is their 52″ model. As you can see what was just mention with regard to the carry handle placement, this is actually a big deal, especially if you aren’t 6′ tall. With the Eagle you need to be aware that the muzzle end of the bag doesn’t snag the ground, the Blackhawk does not have this issue.
The backpack straps
The Eagle is the definite winner in this area, the fit, finish, and components are all heavier duty and the layout is better thought out. This is not to say that the Blackhawk design is bad, it will be great for 90% of all users. It is quite unlikely that the average user is going to have the dragbag full of gear and carry it on their bag for extended periods of time. That is not the market Blackhawk is designe for.
The Eagle note the beefy design of the shoulder strap and webbing with the secondary 2″ heavy webbing sewn to the padding. Also take note of how the 1″ web is not continuously stitch down the shoulder strap allowing the ability to clip items into the strap as require.
The Blackhawk, this bag lacks the details listed above but the strap arrangement weight wise is significantly lighter if that is of concern to you.
The Hardware
Lets start with the backpack tension clips and 1″ webbing, note the thickness of the one on the Eagle as shown.
Now, note how the Blackhawk webbing and tension clip is thinner. This setup is more than sufficient for 90% of users but we point out the difference so you are informe.
Buckles, the Eagle ones are American
The Blackhawk buckles and hardware are offshore, we have yet to break one though. Don’t judge that by the picture of the Blackhawk bag in this review, that bag was purchase to do this review so you will see what you are currently getting from Blackhawk.
The Zipper
You can’t fault either bag in this department, both have great zippers and we have yet to break one.
The interior
First up, the Eagle, very simple yet rugged design. The 2″ webbing strip running lengthwise down the bag is a cleaning rod pocket. This webbing is surprisingly strong making a spine in the bag, also protecting your rod. Also note the webbing sewn in the outer perimeter of the bag adding structure to the snap locations. This actually makes a difference and is a great idea. The top left corner is a tool pouch with webbing support for the snap closures, good execution.
Next up is the Blackhawk, same design and layout with lighter components and no webbing trim at the snaps. The snaps will be fine unless you are hamfiste, the Eagle is built to be given to people who don’t own it to use it in the world’s worst environments.
Stitch quality
The stitch quality on the Blackhawk are every bit as good or sometimes better than the Eagle. Mind you, sewing technology has improved in the past 20 years since this eagle bag was construct.
Conclusion
We have a few varieties of both Eagle and Blackhawk drag bags and over time with hard use it becomes very evident why the Eagle is the #1 choice of professionals. This is not meant to disparage the Blackhawk bag in any way, as we think it is an outstanding piece compare to most of the offshore market. The Blackhawk bag cost slightly over half the price of the gold standard Eagle Industries drag bag and is more than capable for the requirements of 90% of the market.
We also compared these bags in our Best Dragbags of 2022 article for further comparison. Happy Shooting!