Carneddau Triathlon

Nicknamed the 'shooters sidekick,' the Leatherman MUT multi-tool was made to provide tactical support for active duty soldiers. The MUT, which was introduced in October 2010, reduces the number of tools a soldier needs to carry while in the field. The U.S. Army collaborated on the concept, which focused on dis-assembling, cleaning and repairing firearms.

While military applications were of first consideration, the needs of civilian consumers were also factored into the final design. From law enforcement to hunters and campers, various uses were considered to make this an exceptional tool.

At first glance, the MUT resembles a Leatherman Super Tool. A closer look, however, reveals major changes. A knife blade, accessible without opening the handles, appears to be longer and made of thicker steel than the Super Tool blade. A simple, one-handed move makes the blade immediately accessible. It locks into place and has a serrated edge that provides rope-cutting ease. A mini-saw is one more tool that is available without opening the handles.

At first I thought it odd to see a knob that folds out until I realized it doubles a hammer. The Mut discreetly tucks it's carbineer clip and bottle opener into a handle. While each of the blades and tools lock into place they all have larger and deeper grooves for flicking the tools out of their nesting spot.

As mentioned, the Leatherman MUT is designed for the tactical shooter. Using the hammer and the pin punch set that comes with it, breaking down an AR-15 a M-16 or a M-1 will be simple. This multi-tool comes with a bronze scraper for removing carbin build-up. It also has a cleaning brush. The socket that holds the pin punches the brush and the scraper is a standard 832 thread which purposely is the same as military cleaning rods. The needlenose pliars were designed to aid in firing pin removal. Using these and the included bolt override tool you will be able to dislodge a jammed bolt in no time at all.

It wouldn't be right to have all this without the ability to work on your scope. On the inside of the handles are the necessary tools for working with optics, torx, hex and Philips bits that are all replaceable when worn out. There is a cutter that is designed to take care of flexi cuffs, tie-wraps, chord material and any kind of strapping you may encounter in the field. This of course has a replaceable blade as well. Included is a 3/8 and a 1/2 wrench that will assist in attaching your optics to the rail. The bits that come with this tactical tool are the specialty bits you need to make adjustments to your different types of scopes.

The carrying sheath is called a MOLLE Sheathe. The acronym stands for "Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment" and simply means that it has additional pockets to carry a 9mm pistol magazine and a flashlight, as well as other lightweight tools.

A spin-off for the Explosive Ordinance Technician is the MUT EOD. This multi-tool comes with much of the same as above with a few specialty items. The EOD has a c-4 punch, a cap crimper and wire cutters and strippers designed for explosive ordinance applications.