A torsion bar that clicks is a lock you can hear. Listen for it, then finish the strap — an unsecured tourniquet comes loose when the casualty moves.
At a glance
12 things to know about the TMT™ + RIGID TQ Case® combo
How the TMT is built, what the independent studies found, and what the case adds.
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01
It is evidence-based standard
The Evidence-Based Standard Devices & Adjuncts list names the Tactical Mechanical Tourniquet (TMT) under NSN 6515-01-656-6191.2 That NSN belongs to Safeguard's military version, part 31-115.3,6
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02
Designed with the U.S. military
Safeguard describes the TMT as designed by the U.S. military. It was developed by Combat Medical, now part of Safeguard Medical, and the military version is made in Brooklyn, New York, by Alphapointe.3,4
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03
A 2 in. strap
The TMT's strap is 2 in. wide — half an inch wider than the 1.5 in. C-A-T — which Safeguard states achieves occlusion at lower pressures.3,18
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04
No internal band
There is no band inside the strap, which Safeguard says eases slack removal and lets the tourniquet be reset quickly.3
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05
Two locks on the strap
A double-routed speed buckle and a hook-and-loop backed strap work together to prevent slippage and pressure loss.3
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06
A torsion bar that clicks
The torsion bar locks into its retainer with an audible click, so you can hear that it is secure.3,4
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07
A quick-disconnect buckle for trapped limbs
The buckle separates so the strap can go around a pinned limb, and its design prevents misrouting the tail.3,4
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08
Fits limbs from 5.75 to 38 in.
Safeguard rates the TMT for limb circumferences of 5.75–38 in. (14.6–96.5 cm).3
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09
Built to ride out of its package
A UV-protective additive in the polymers means the TMT can be stored outside its packaging; Safeguard's instructions say to store it in its one-handed configuration. Shelf life is 7 years from manufacture for the civilian versions and 10 years for the military 31-115.3,4
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10
Orange is a live tourniquet
The Orange TMT (PDF186) is the high-visibility version of the same tourniquet, made for fast identification — not a trainer. Safeguard describes it as evidence-based standard.3
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11
The evidence: level with the C-A-T, not ahead of it
In volunteers, the TMT failed 19.44% of arm applications against 5.56% for the C-A-T, and the authors judged the C-A-T as effective as the TMT; self-applied at mid-thigh, it succeeded in 71% versus 92%, a difference that was not significant.10,11 In a 2023 live-thigh study, 31 of 64 TMT applications were not correctly secured — finish the strap every time.14
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12
A case cut for the TMT
Eleven 10's RIGID TQ Case® for the TMT is injection-molded, carries a PVC medical cross patch and holds the TMT by friction — no straps, buckles or flaps — on a TEK-LOK for belts up to 2.25 in.7 The original version of Eleven 10's case was Kydex; the RIGID is not.8
How to draw and apply the TMT™
Safeguard's application steps, with placement and follow-up from the TCCC Guidelines.
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1Decide where it goes. Under threat, or when you cannot see where the blood is coming from: hasty — high and tight, as far up the limb as it goes, over clothing. When the scene allows and you can identify the source: deliberate — on bare skin, 2–3 in. above the wound; if that point lands on a joint, move above the joint. Never across or directly over a joint.1
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2Draw it. Grab the exposed tourniquet and pull it straight out of the case.7
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3Wrap it. Hold the strap end by the white time-label tab and let the TMT fall open with "PULL" facing away from you, then place it around the limb. For a trapped limb, separate the buckle, wrap the strap around and reconnect it.4
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4Ratchet the strap snug. Pull the time tab until the hook-and-loop tail separates. Grip the tail close to the buckle, pull up, out and away from the body, then down in a quick ratcheting motion; repeat until snug.4
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5Twist the torsion bar. Rotate the TMT for access if needed, then twist until the bleeding stops and the pulse below it is gone. It hurts — that is expected.1,4
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6Lock it — listen for the click. Lock the torsion bar into the retainer, then secure the excess strap with the hook-and-loop.3,4
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7Still bleeding? Add a second. Tighten further; if one tourniquet does not stop the bleeding, apply a second one side-by-side with the first.1
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8Write the time. Mark it on the time tab and on the casualty card.1,4
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9Reassess when you can. To convert a hasty tourniquet, put a second one on bare skin 2–3 in. above the wound, tighten it, then slowly release the first. If you still cannot identify the source, it stays high and tight.1,17
Where it fits
- Life-threatening bleeding from an arm or a leg, on limbs 5.75–38 in. around3
- A traumatic amputation, even one that is barely bleeding — adrenaline constricts the arteries, and when it wears off they open and the bleeding starts
- A trapped limb — the quick-disconnect buckle goes around it3
- Belt carry beside a holster, radio and cuffs — the TEK-LOK fits belts up to 2.25 in.7
- Junctional wounds — the groin, armpit and neck — where a limb tourniquet cannot be placed; pack them with a hemostatic dressing and hold pressure1
- Placement across or directly over a joint
- Bleeding that firm direct pressure or a pressure dressing controls
- Other tourniquets in the case — it is cut for the TMT7,9
The evidence
Every TMT study cited above, what it tested, and how strong the evidence is.
| Study | Evidence type | What was studied | What it found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treager et al., J Trauma Acute Care Surg 202110 | Human · randomized crossover | C-A-T Gen 7 vs TMT vs SOFTT-W, arm and leg, volunteers, Doppler endpoint, then a crawl and drag | Arm failure 5.56% C-A-T, 19.44% TMT, 58.33% SOFTT-W; leg 27.78%, 44.44%, 61.11%; C-A-T judged as effective as the TMT and faster; no significant difference after movement |
| Beaven et al., J Spec Oper Med 201811 | Human · randomized volunteers | 24 British military volunteers self-applied the C-A-T and TMT at mid-thigh; ultrasound of popliteal flow | Success 92% C-A-T vs 71% TMT, not significant; median time to occlusion 37.5 s vs 35 s |
| Beaven et al., Mil Med 201712 | Human · volunteers | TMT and a pneumatic tourniquet applied by a researcher to both thighs of 12 service personnel (24 limbs) | TMT occluded the popliteal artery in every limb, median 3.8 turns and 16 s |
| Gibson et al., J Spec Oper Med 201613 | Manikin · laboratory | C-A-T vs TMT vs RATS on a manikin thigh, 2 users × 30 tests each | Effectiveness did not differ by model; C-A-T and TMT comparable on most measures, C-A-T applied more pressure |
| Wall et al., J Spec Oper Med 202314 | Human · live-thigh volunteers | 64 appliers each applied 8 tourniquets, including the TMT and C-A-T Gen 7, to live thighs | Not correctly secured: 31 TMT applications (17 strap, 19 bar) and 47 C-A-T Gen 7 |
| Montgomery et al., J Spec Oper Med 201915 | Expert review · evidence-based update | Review of limb tourniquets behind the evidence-based's April 2019 vote | First update to the evidence-based standard limb tourniquets since 2005; notes the lack of unbiased data and of official evaluation criteria |
| Kragh et al., J Trauma 200816 | Human · combat clinical series | 232 casualties, 428 tourniquets, Baghdad combat support hospital, 2006 | No limbs lost because of tourniquet use; tourniquet time not associated with increased morbidity |
Strongest to weakest: clinical series and live-volunteer studies, then manikin studies. Across the TMT studies the pattern is consistent: effective, comparable to the C-A-T, not superior to it — and securing the strap and bar is where users slip. No study has tested the case itself.
How it compares
The TMT against the two windlass tourniquets buyers most often weigh it against.
| TMT™ | C-A-T® Gen 7 | SOF® Tourniquet (Gen 5) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tightening system | Torsion bar that locks into a retainer with an audible click | Windlass rod locked in a windlass clip, then a hook-and-loop windlass strap | Aluminum windlass; TRAC clip holds it, Tri-Ring Lock™ locks it |
| Strap | 2 in., no internal band | 1.5 in., free-moving internal band | 1.5 in. polyester, slack indicator wedge |
| Weight | 3.5 oz (99.2 g) | 2.7 oz | 3.7 oz (105 g) |
| NSN | 6515-01-656-6191 | 6515-01-521-7976 | 6515-01-696-4522 (Black) |
| evidence-based standard | Yes | Yes | Yes — current generation of the listed SOFTT-W |
Weights, widths and tightening systems come from each manufacturer.3,18,19 The NSN shown for the TMT is the military 31-115; the civilian Black TMT (PDF185) carries NSN 6515-99-258-6320.3
Build the system
A spare TMT, the case on its own, other ways to carry it, the TQ-RAM it pairs with, and the dressings and trainer around it.
Questions buyers ask
Package & specifications
Available Options:
- Black
- Orange
Specifications coming soon. Contact us for detailed product information.
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