Im setting up my Tac / Training rig, all centered around a DDM4V7.   I have  Glock17, fairly custom, that I plan to use as main sidearm.  Having a pretty hard time finding a holster for it without modifying (removing stuff).  I think the G17 should be my go-to because it has an RMR and...its a Glock.  Specs:

- Trijicon RMR
- Surefire X400U
- Strike Industries Mass Comp driver (hence the Safariland compatibility saga)
-Si Slide and barrel, etc

I also have a Sig 220 that has no RMR, with a TLR1 (can put that on the Glock to fit the Safariland I guess)

My big move this labor day weekend is to trade a Scope for an an armored Eagle Industries carrier and a few other things my guy has (hopefully a chest rig, belt, etc)  

My questions (as a beginner) are:

+What do you guys think of my Glock 17 side arm setup?  (holster recommends?  Remove the X400U? etc)  Its as big as a Desert Eagle with the comp.
+How would I / SHOULD I get an RMR on my Sig 220?  Send it out or buy a slide?  Just feels so...legit.  I love all metal frames.
+What plate carriers and warbelts do you like?  General Rig Q's:

If this deal falls through, I have Eagle, Crye and Velocity at the top of my list for carriers, and Blue Alpha for the belt.  But there are so many products out there.  John Lovell cant fix everything for me.

*I know I need to go light on the carrier because Im not a solider and I just want to train well and not be an ass (and be ready for whatever is bout to go down in LA).  The Maritime Eagle is whats on offer in this trade I'm looking at.  What would you build aroudn THAT as far as Mag Pouches, Belts, holster, etc.

**I KNOW training trumps all, and I'm serious about it.  Just because I love gear and want the right gear...I'm not fooling myself.  

Training recommendations (and buddies) in the LA area very welcome.  

https://ibb.co/37JNQ6J
https://ibb.co/k2Zrm5k

You should train on taking pictures.

Pump the breaks fool.

The reason training trumps all, or at least one of the reasons, is that a lot of that gucci shit you're stressing over will end up failing you in one way or another.  Even quality gear gets in the way.  Less is more.  You obviously have money to spend, spend it on classes first.  What you need will become apparent to you as you train.  Otherwise what you're doing right now is a total fucking waste of time and money.

I'd get rid of the comp, put the X400 on the G17 and get a Safariland 6354DO (at least I think that's the right number).

Gear is an ongoing process. Start with the absolute necessities, start training and decide what you need  after that. It's easy to blow a bunch of money on high end gear and then realize it doesn't fit exactly what you want to do.

Trading first before the gear. You will learn what you do or don’t need, likes and dislikes. It will save you time and money.

This, you'll buy shit and think it will be great, looks great on the website, looks great in the mirror. Then when you take it out and run it, not so much. Sometimes its a little tweek to this and that. Sometimes you discard what you bought all together and acquire whats more fitting. The gear part is an ongoing process to match your wants/needs but you have to take it out and run it. Then run it again. Then run it again, and tweek it again, and so on and so forth. All the while getting training from different instructors with different ideas. Its a great journey. But the journey isnt the gear, its the training, the experience, growing as a shooter and the accumulation knowledge.

I'll even venture to say, most commenting here, have been there in your spot(me, definitely). Wanting the coolest kit, top of the line gear, new purchases that give an edge, an exclamation that not only are you willing but you are all in, wallet included. But we've all found some things we've purchased was a bit much, cumbersome, added weight without the benefit, or just plain didn't work. The gear doesn't dictate you and your training, you dictate your gear with your training ad experience. Have fun and train smart.

While most of the world forbids its populace to par take in this type of training outside of military/police. We have something special here. Might sound kinda goofy or hokey but its like the Samurai of old, with an open mind and emphasis on the sharpening mind/body in unison with the weapon, less on purchasing the newest wiz bang gun rag product that everyone has to have. Its truely a unique experience.

As far as training in SoCal, not exactly the LA area, but Tactical Hyve is located in San Diego. Their website is tacticalhyve.com.

Their cadre is made up of former Team guys and swat. They have classes for all levelS and typically have early bird sign up specials for like the first 5, etc.  

You can search their YouTube channel and you can see how one of the cadre set his plate carrier.

X400 series will not fit in a Safariland light bearing holster like the 6354do.

Huh. Thought they had the X400 option, my bad.

100% of shooters change their setups as they go through continued training.  No matter how you set up your gear and weapons now, you’re probably going to change them.  

Just don’t do some Fudd level BS like putting a stiletto knife on a drop-leg SERPA holster attached to the outside of your knee.  Or have a K-Bar mounted upside down on the shoulder of a Blackhawk vest.  Or show up to a carbine course with 9 rifle magazines strapped to your chest rig.  Or worse- show up to a pistol course with 9 rifle mags strapped to your chest rig.  
Yes, I’ve seen guys show up with that crap.

Also, if you go to training and someone with some legitimate experience tries to give you advice on gear setup, listen to it.  Don’t dismiss them or get arrogant/defensive about it.  When guys like me or my buddies go to training and we see someone with a new setup, we watch how they work their gear and we give them advice based on our experience because we want to help them.  We were taught to pass on our knowledge.  I once was in a course where a new shooter was being given advice by three SWAT cops with military combat experience, and that shooter was rolling his eyes at them and telling them he knew what he was doing.  It was fun watching him fumble around after that.  His 9 magazines loaded up in his off-the-shelf surplus vest spilled out on the deck when he went prone, creating what we lovingly refer to as a “tactical yard sale”. Several times in fact.  Everyone in the class thought he was a clown.  We named him Captain Clownshoes.  
In that same class we had a girl who was new to tactical carbine training and was fighting her gear, and we gave her advice and helped her adjust her setup, and by the end she was running everything at the same speed and proficiency as a lot of the LE guys in the class.

Since you asked...

Not a fan of your Glock set up... too Gamer

I like a stock G17 with a .25 Trigger job and maybe a Minus connector.
I decent light
Good set of Sights (I Like a black rear with an Ameriglo Green front dot)
Some grip tape
an RMR if you like.
I also like the Vickers extended mag and slide stop.
That's is about as custom as I go.

That set up will work in my Safariland ALS, and also allow me to use a G19 with or with out light and even my G44 when I want to conserve ammo, but still practice draw stroke and other drills where manipulation is the focus.


Shit needs to work off the range, when it's raining, muddy, dirty, windy, snowy, dusty.... etc.
And when I'm tired, cold, wet, miserable, or scared shitless.

Some good advice here from most of the posters.

Yeah, ditch that comp.  I like a Safariland ALS, whichever model works with that gun/light/RDS combo.  If you have to get a different light, so be it.  Or run without.

You're talking about an armor carrier, do you have plates yet?  Best to get plates first, THEN match the carrier to them.

As others have said, set up something basic, then get out and shoot/train with it as much as you can, to "dial things in".

And without knowing your proficiency levels, training comes first.  Maybe at the very least look in your hometown forum, see if somebody in there knows their shit and would be willing to get with you and show you some things.

What’s the minimum required gear one needs to even show up at one of these tactile classes without looking like a total stooge?  I would assume some type of gear that could hold a few magazines is better than trying to stuff spares in the pockets of my jeans?

Don't overthink it. A good belt that'll hold a couple pistol mags and 1 rifle mag. Reliable/sighted in weapons.a good attitude. Safe weapons handing(most important)

It depends on the course.  If it’s a pistol-only course, then a sturdy belt, good holster, and a way to hold at least 2-3 extra mags on your belt is the bare minimum.  If you’re a regular dude and you’re going to be running a carry holster, be it OWB, IWB or AIWB, that’s obviously where you want to make sure you have a quality holster that was made specifically for the task at hand.  If you want to carry a duty/tactical holster, that’s generally fine so long as you are familiar with it.  I’ve been to courses where people decided they needed a new tactical drop leg holster, and they were fighting the holster the first day because they weren’t used to the holster security features.  I just tell people to equip themselves similar to how they would carry in their normal everyday lives.

When I go to training courses, I either run my LE duty belt, or I run my tactical belt, which is setup the same as my duty belt but it’s got a padded belt sleeve, dump pouch, spare AR mag pouch and full IFAK.  Both belts have the same holster, with magazines positioned and oriented the same way.  

If there’s one piece of kit that I consider to be indispensable for training, it’s a dump pouch.  They’re great for pretty much everything from empty mags to a spare bottle of water to snacks to a notebook and pen.

For rifle, the bare minimum is a way to carry the minimum recommended number of magazines on your body.   This can be on a belt, a chest rig, or a plate carrier. Generally 3-4 mags on the body is sufficient.  5 or 6 mags on the body is pushing it, but going more than that is going to get excessive and cause problems like lack of mobility, excess weight causing you to become fatigued faster, or just getting in the way.  

Mag pouches can be based off what you want or like, but I’ll say right now that any mag pouch that holds 2 or 3 mags per slot/compartment is going to cause you problems.  Each pouch opening should independently secure only one magazine, so either a single mag pouch, or a two stacked single mag pouches.  Pouches with top flaps are also annoying and the top flaps get in the way.  The mag pouch should ideally have some kind of friction or compression retention, and if you want, a bungee strap over the top if you want it.
Pre-configured vests like those from Blackhawk are complete garbage, and they’re one-size-fits-none.  Every person I’ve ever seen with one in training courses has wound up fighting it the entire time, so avoid them.

I always highly recommend a tourniquet be visibly mounted on your body at all times during training.  Make sure people on both sides of you on the training line know where your tourniquet is from the start in case something happens.  If you have an IFAK, you can mount that up, but if you don’t have the training to use it, make sure that you know who around you does.  Classes should establish from the start who has medical training as part of the safety plan, be it instructors or students.  That said, carrying an IFAK to a course is sort of excessive if you don’t know how to use one and if nobody there has training to use it.  You can learn to use a tourniquet in 10 minutes on YouTube, so there’s no excuse not to carryon one of those, however.