As cops we are always looking for a better mousetrap. Along the way plenty of our brothers and sisters have tried their hands at starting a business to promote their latest gadget or gizmo, some of them pretty outlandish. I have to admit, I am somewhat jaded when it comes to "cop start-ups" but I try to keep an open mind and give every one of them a fair assessment. So when the Tactical Magnetic Keeper from Ambush 6 came across my desk my initial reaction was to scratch my head. Then I checked out the website, watched the instructional video by owner Cristian Aravena, and spent some time on the range with his invention. No more head-scratching. I'm 100% sold.

Sometimes brilliance is best represented by simplicity, and the Tactical Magnetic Keeper, or "TMK," is a great example. It is essentially a small yet very strong magnet sewn into a leather duty belt keeper with a sturdy metal plate protruding from the top. No need to take apart your duty belt to mount it, just replace one of your normal keepers with the TMK and you're good to go. So what does it do? Pretty much anything you want it to do.

The idea is that the magnet will assist you in weapons reloads and manipulations if you have an injured arm. It is strong enough to hold a full-framed duty pistol yet only takes up about an inch of real estate on your belt. This allows for one-handed reloads or transitions without having to tuck the gun between your legs or under an arm. The TMK is also a great place to stash a magazine after a tactical reload and the sturdy steel prong on the top is the perfect leverage point for pulling stuck magazines from the gun or racking the slide to clear a malfunction. Think of it as a little workbench on your belt. I tried all of the above with my TMK and was just blown away by how well it worked. And the cherry on top of the sundae? It's also a great place to hold your keys.

For $35 it is a great little piece of gear with a ton of functionality. Ambush 6 is a fellow LEO-owned company and the TMK is proudly made in the USA. What more could you ask for? You can support our brother in blue by picking one up directly from www.ambush6.com .

Ambush 6 Tactical Magnetic Keeper:

• Magnetizes fully loaded gun

• Magnetizes handcuffs, baton, cuff keys, magazines

• U shape rips out jammed magazine

• Easy to place on tactical belt

• Replaces traditional keeper

• Aids in one-handed operation of weapons

• Colors: Black, khaki, olive

• Size: Standard size belt keeper

• Price: $34.99

www.ambush6.com

A.J. George is a sergeant with the Scottsdale (AZ) Police Department assigned to the Technical Operations Unit, Special Investigations Section. He has more than a decade of law enforcement experience in patrol, field training, and traffic enforcement.