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Posted: 8/10/2011 2:10:12 PM EDT
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Hi
I'm sure this has been talked about many a time but I tried the search feature and didn't get anything. Maybe I'm just not doing it right. Anyway....I've looked at the Blackhawk Phalanx Homeland Security Vest and I love the fact that it covers multiple platforms. Rifle/Shotgun/Pistol ammo + some utility pouches. I like the look of it and because it isn't generic it has a look to it. However MOLLE vests are great in the way that you can customize it for each job you want to do. Since I'm no operator and just love tactical gear (and prepping for the zombie apocalypse) I was wondering what you guys think? Platforms or MOLLE vests? BTW is there a MOLLE vest that has that shoulder pading/non-slip shoulder bits for when you are shooting rifle like the Blackhawk has? |
| I'm kind of in a similar situation. For now I'm a college student but am in the ARNG and hoping to get to med school. Point being Im not a ninja spec ops operator but like you, want a solid rig for range, plinking, SHTF etc. I am looking at a 5.56 chest molle rig that has built in mag pouches but then has molle all over so I can set it up how I would like. That would be my suggestion since it has a good base loadout of ~3-8 mags depending on which model. I am trying to keep mine light and very basic and am going with this : Eagle M4 Chest rig |
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I would highly suggest the MOLLE. It will save you money in the long run. Trustme, you will change up your gear at least once a year if not more. I tried the fixed pouches on my first vest and it lasted about a year before I entered the MOLLE world. Since then, I have changed configurations several times.
My Eagle Industries vest also has the shoulder grips like you were asking for... 
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As others have mentioned, MOLLE is the way to go. For under $100, and for the best quality, I fully recommend this rig:
Eagle LE Active Shooter Chest Rig 
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Well I've been leaning more towards MOLLE for the last two months since I have MOLLE bags and backpacks now. The more I play around with the MOLLE the more the doubt starting creaping in about me rather getting a MOLLE vest as well.
The only thing I did notice is that it seems like they can fit more pouches onto a pre-build vest than MOLLE vests. Maybe it just the pictures I've seen. Or maybe the MOLLE guys (like you guys) have noticed that less is more and thus you move better with less stuff all over the place. Like I said I'm new to the vest market. BTW great gear guys and thanks for the links and pics. Much appreciated. |
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Quoted:
I would highly suggest the MOLLE. It will save you money in the long run. Trustme, you will change up your gear at least once a year if not more. I tried the fixed pouches on my first vest and it lasted about a year before I entered the MOLLE world. Since then, I have changed configurations several times. My Eagle Industries vest also has the shoulder grips like you were asking for... http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/bjwar10/IMG-20110719-00068.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/bjwar10/IMG-20110719-00066.jpg I don't see this listed on their site anymore. The only list two versions now and they are both plate carriers, something I don't need, and neither of them have the non-slip shoulder parts. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
I would highly suggest the MOLLE. It will save you money in the long run. Trustme, you will change up your gear at least once a year if not more. I tried the fixed pouches on my first vest and it lasted about a year before I entered the MOLLE world. Since then, I have changed configurations several times. My Eagle Industries vest also has the shoulder grips like you were asking for... http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/bjwar10/IMG-20110719-00068.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m248/bjwar10/IMG-20110719-00066.jpg I don't see this listed on their site anymore. The only list two versions now and they are both plate carriers, something I don't need, and neither of them have the non-slip shoulder parts. Here is one that I found. I've had mine for about five years and they have fallen out of style as compared to plate carriers and chest rigs. I did just recently take some gear off of it and put it on my belt. I like this better than a fully loaded vest...at least for now so a chest rig might make more sense but I like the idea of having some space available if I what to add pouches later. The one huge advantage I've found with the vest over a chest rig or plate carrier is that the vest does not have to have the load balanced like a chest rig or have plates in it like a carrier. If I use all the mags on my left side, the vest doesn't want to bounce and pull to the right like the chest rigs I've played around with...but maybe that is just me. The vest also tends to stay in place better than a plate carrier. I also saw your comment about the number of pouches that a prebuilt vest can have vs. the MOLLE. When I first got my vest here is what I did to it... 
Obviously, I was just goofing around but honestly, you can put as many pouches on a vest as you want. If you get the shingles that have MOLLE on them, you can stack pouches on top of pouches but also as you mentioned, sometimes less is more. The HSGI pouches that I have will fit three M4 mags but I doubt that I would ever do that. First, they are very difficult to remove when crammed in there and second, they stick out to far to comfortably go prone. |
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Nobody can argue logic like that. Thanks for the info.
I totally understand what you're saying about the chest rigs. I just don't like the look of them. I like the look and the idea of a vest much more. I must say from when I started window shopping on Eagle Industries' website their range has really thinned out. I guess it's due to the financial issues of recent years but their vest selection has shrunk big time and other gear like their breecher shotgun leg rig etc. etc. all just upped and vanished. |
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Well, solid vest is better if you know your load thoroughly - mags, grenades, flares and so on. Solid vest is light, compact and cheap.
As you start to change your load - shells to mags, GI canteen to Nalgene, walkie-talkie to MBITR  - you need modular vest. As you want to change mag pouch with velcro to mag pouch with fastex - you need modular vest.
It is difficult to find solid vest that fits you ideally, so maybe it will be a good choice half-modular vest with some fixed pouches and some PALs: http://google.com/search?q=TT+Ammunition+Vest |
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maybe it will be a good choice half-modular vest with some fixed pouches and some PALs
That's my suggestion also. After you know what kind of ammo pouches you like (Open top, or flap covers, etc.), find a rig that has built in ammo pouches with molle on the end sides. It will still allow you to customize the rig according to your needs as well as your budget. The very popular Eagle/SKD universal or the L.E. active shooter mentioned above are great platforms to start with, and I've seen many use them "As-is". Then the rarer, expensive MPCR is available with the MBITR and 5590 battery pouches removed and replaced with molle webbing. |
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I have a dedicated USGI MOLLE vest set up for each rifle and shotgun that I own.
If you are concerned about the slipperyness of the shoulder part of the nylon vest, either glue some textured, thin rubber sheeting to the buttpad of your firearm, or install a thin, slip-over rubber butt-pad. I prefer the USGI MOLLE vests because they will fit over armor, are user configurable, and are inexpensive. I don't see a lot of drawbacks to them. YMMV. |
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Think to yourself what is REALLY important to have on you. Ammo, IFAK, that's pretty much it. Keep shooting and stop bleeding. Water/Food/Tools are better suited in a backpack. Longer distance travel will require a bit of a change in your equipment, but I am a fan of easily scalable equipment, and loading too much bullshit on your person will just slow you down or snag you up. Take a look at something like this: http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=EYCRM4MSLEKH  |
I have the generic version of this vest:
I say generic because the pouches are arranged like the left hand vest on bottom, but like the right hand vest on top, which is to say on the left side I had 1 rifle pouch, the velcro placket, the multipurpose pouch with the velcro flap, and the rubber shoulder placket. The right side had the 3 AR pouches topped by 3 pistol pouches and a small generic pouch wthat was either too big or too small for anything I tried to put there. I took off the holster and added 2 rows of elastic shotshell loops and now I have a damn fine 3 gun vest for next to nothing. It holds 4 AR mags, 3 hicap pistol mags, and a whole box of shotshells with nothing interfering with my belt. I think the vest cost me $40 or so, plus another $10 or so for a generic elastic shotgun bandoleer to cut up and sew on. I decided I didn't like the opposing shoulder pouch so I removed it to free up more mesh. I also cut off the pistol mag pouch flaps and re-sewed them on so they fit P-14 mags with basepads. My next step would be to remove the molle loops from the back [like I could reach anything back there] for MORE airflow, and probably the useless shoulder rubber placket [all it does is make shouldering a long gun awkward and makes my shoulder sweat] but I haven't done it yet... |
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Quoted:
Think to yourself what is REALLY important to have on you. Ammo, IFAK, that's pretty much it. Keep shooting and stop bleeding. Water/Food/Tools are better suited in a backpack. Longer distance travel will require a bit of a change in your equipment, but I am a fan of easily scalable equipment, and loading too much bullshit on your person will just slow you down or snag you up. Not a big fan of chest rigs. They offer way to little realestate for gear. Only caters for 1 firearms here. Yes, it has MOLLE but can't add to much to it. Also for Z-day I want less to carry more. 1 Vest to grab and go that caters for all my needs will serve me much better than having 7 different bags/rigs/whatever to drag along. Also just don't like the look of chest rigs. reminds me to much of an suspenders. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Think to yourself what is REALLY important to have on you. Ammo, IFAK, that's pretty much it. Keep shooting and stop bleeding. Water/Food/Tools are better suited in a backpack. Longer distance travel will require a bit of a change in your equipment, but I am a fan of easily scalable equipment, and loading too much bullshit on your person will just slow you down or snag you up. Not a big fan of chest rigs. They offer way to little realestate for gear. Only caters for 1 firearms here. Yes, it has MOLLE but can't add to much to it. Also for Z-day I want less to carry more. 1 Vest to grab and go that caters for all my needs will serve me much better than having 7 different bags/rigs/whatever to drag along. Also just don't like the look of chest rigs. reminds me to much of an suspenders. What do you expect to keep in your vest? |
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