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Posted: 12/6/2009 8:12:27 PM EDT
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I am signed up for a 2 day carbine "operator" class. It will involve shooting on the move, cover,off hand etc...I am going to be transitioning from the rifle to a side arm and have to carry spare mags for both platforms on my person.
My question is what/who makes a reasonably priced vest or carrier that i can wear that will accommodate 4 ar mags and 2-4 pistol mags? I may be using my 1911 or my glock 19 unsure as of which yet. If you have any recommendations i would appreciate any and all input. Again looking for something that is adjustable and can be a belt platform or chest. I am in CT so the Pinned stock kills us on adjustment so something that doesn't have massive straps would be great. Thanks again joe |
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I personally like one that will accept ballistic panels.
Blackhawk is pricey. I like the QPC. I can fit ballistic panels and move any molle gear around. You can mix and match magazine pouches and put them where you want them. LINK Just an added bonus it has a cumberbund and fits nicely. |
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I would stay away from vests in the traditional sense like the one shown above. I find that chest rigs are much more versatile because they can be thrown on over an armor carrier. One of my favorites is the Eagle Universal Chest Rig (SKD Version). It looks like it is out of stock right now, but it is the most versatile rig for your needs.
I holds up to 8x AR mags and 4x pistol mags. |
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Quoted:
I would stay away from vests in the traditional sense like the one shown above. I find that chest rigs are much more versatile because they can be thrown on over an armor carrier. One of my favorites is the Eagle Universal Chest Rig (SKD Version). It looks like it is out of stock right now, but it is the most versatile rig for your needs. I holds up to 8x AR mags and 4x pistol mags. Nice rig, but wouldn't this present a problem when shooting from the prone position? |
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Quoted: Quoted: I would stay away from vests in the traditional sense like the one shown above. I find that chest rigs are much more versatile because they can be thrown on over an armor carrier. One of my favorites is the Eagle Universal Chest Rig (SKD Version). It looks like it is out of stock right now, but it is the most versatile rig for your needs. I holds up to 8x AR mags and 4x pistol mags. Nice rig, but wouldn't this present a problem when shooting from the prone position? I'd think most vests or rigs would... |
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I would stay away from vests in the traditional sense like the one shown above. I find that chest rigs are much more versatile because they can be thrown on over an armor carrier. One of my favorites is the Eagle Universal Chest Rig (SKD Version). It looks like it is out of stock right now, but it is the most versatile rig for your needs. I holds up to 8x AR mags and 4x pistol mags. Nice rig, but wouldn't this present a problem when shooting from the prone position? No more than any other vest/ chest rig, armor carrier. |
| Anytime you start hanging more stuff off of your chest, going prone is going to become more difficult. If you don't have to carry that many mags you could try just putting 1 mag in each pouch. Try it out beforehand to see if it is a big enough problem to warrant a change, worse comes to worse you could always go with a belt setup and put the pouches more to the side. You'll probably be alright as long as you don't have armor on as well, for me I can do either armor or mags but once I've got both on the front I feel like one of those weighted toys that you can't tip over. Good luck. |
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I use the Eagle Tac-V1-NU vest at work. It holds three rifle mags in single mag pouches, so it is not real bulky on that side. I use the pouches to carry snack food, mosquito repellent, rubber gloves, etc. The pouch above the mag pouches will hold 3 pistol mags in elastic loops. It is adjustable for girth and I have it adjusted so I can drop right on over my uniform (including body armor) and it works just great. I am 6-01 and it sits high enough that it clears my duty belt, so I still have easy access to sidearm, pistol mags, etc. You can also put a dedicated belt/holster/mag set up on it semi-permanently by attaching it with the loops around the bottom of the vest. I have no experience with a chest rig, and am thinking about getting on for the house, but one complaint I have heard and read is that they tend to be front heavy if loaded up quite a bit, though I also read this is not such a problem if worn over armor. Anyway, with the vest you have a lot more material making contact with your body so it can be pretty stable and not feel too front heavy. I personally avoid doing a crossdraw holster on the vest since 1) Not needed, since I can use my duty belt with my vest already, and 2) I have been carrying my pistola on my right hip forever and don't want to forget where it is.
Eagle makes really good gear. Here is mine: 
Another option, the V1-N, holding 12 AR mags. Personally, I feel if I can't get back to my extra ammo in my trunk with 4 30 round mags I hope my back up will be able to cover my retreat! 
If I was starting over now I would probably go with a MOLLE vest and use bungee or open top pouches, but all that stuff was pretty new when I put my rig together. With one of the above vests you wont be doing lightning fast reloads because of the flaps but I suppose you could keep an open top pouch on your belt and feed it from your vest. You can also tuck the flaps in behind the mags. |
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thanks for the info guys!
I am anxiously awaiting the load out list for the class, which I assume will be extra mags for both platforms, the m-4 and the glock I have a think build and have tried on chest carriers before and they seem very front heavy so I may end up doing a belt mounted option, two mags on my weak side for the m-4 and two spare mags for the pistol in front of those, may be cheaper and more effective in the long run joe |
| I know this is not a specific answer to your question, but have you considered setting this up on your belt. You can easily (a maybe cheaper than a vest) get two pistol mags and 4 ar mags on your belt if you don't have anything else on it. In my opinion having them on my belt is easier and faster than pulling them off of a vest. |
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I think another thing you need to consider is how you plan to deploy your gear beyond the class, and maybe you already have. I had been thinking about going the war belt route with a couple rifle and a couple pistol mags on it, maybe a pistol and holster, and maybe a limited amount of other gear. But I always have my sidearm on me, even at home now, so putting a war belt on over the handgun, mags, multi-tool, and flashlight I carry probably would not work out too great. Certainly would not be an option for, say, a cop, because again, putting the war belt around the duty belt and all that gear just is not going to work. For this reason I have decided to go the grab bag route and just keep it by my gun safe. That way, in a worst case scenario, when the zombies come you know, I can cover my or my families movement to the safe room with the handgun and, once there, just grab the bag and the rifle and I am set. A vest or chest rig would, of course, work for this as well.
Just food for thought, I am not saying you should do one thing or another, just trying to help. Just the more I think on it, the more I think a war belt would not work for my needs. |
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mfingar makes a good point. It's all about balancing what your needs are. If there are cops in the class, they will probably be wearing their duty or SWAT kit because you train like you fight. I have seen plenty of guys run classes with just a belt kit.as well.
My feeling is that you should be able to come to the line with enough mags to last the drills. While you don't need 12 mags for your rifle and pistol, you also want to make sure that you have enough so that you are not the guy holding everyone else up while you run back to the table to get more mags. As Mark said, call the instructors and find out what they recommend. |
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I'd contact the class, and find out what they would recommend. I always pity the guy who shows up like he's packing to invade Rhodesia, and all was needed was a belt system with a couple mags and a holster. That's how I showed up to my first class about 8 years ago. I looked and felt like a fool. I would have never used that vest rig outside of classes. Now that I'm in LE, I wear a MOLLE tactical outer vest that holds my ballistic panels but mount 2 AR mag pouches on my duty belt. They're easier to grab and less bulky. I've gone to classes with some guys that have plate carriers and all sorts of high speed gear that they'll never wear outside of a class and those are the ones who the instructor/s usually poke fun of. Nothing wrong with it if you have the $$ to blow on it but it's not needed unless it's why you wear and use for work. A low profile chest rig or belt mounted mag pouches will do just fine. |
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exactly....the reality of the situation is...the ar sits in the safe and the pistol is always on me, so a "active shooter" type vest seems the way to go 100$ ish and holds 3-6 ar mags and 4 pistol mags...have to see what they recommend for the class
thanks guys! |
| I went to a two week SWAT school years ago and we were all loaded down for bear with gear..except for one guy that I worked with..he was a former Navy SEAL. He showed up with a thigh holster, pistol mag pouch, and rifle mag pouch on a rigger belt and he had all the gear that he needed to do everything required. I quickly learned the hard way in 100+ degree weather that lighter is better.. |
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Overall, less is more... you want as much as you need, but not more. Bear in mind that civies, LE and mil all have different needs. I think that civies are more similar to LE than mil in their needs, so I'll focus on that. After talking with several cops, I realized that they never grab extra gear when responding with a rifle, maybe an extra mag. So, if it's not on the rifle, it's likely not going. *light bulb* It's just like the Sidesaddle on my shotguns.
Okay, I got a Redimag and my rifle is the primary reload, with whatever extra stuff I have available as backup to the Redimag. Okay, all that said, I now have a Blackwater subload that can carry 4-mags and with 2 pouches for a flashlight/multitool/pistol mag(s), etc.. I keep that around loaded as it's less bulky to store than the chest rigs and its a dust collector in reality. I'd also recommend any of the kydex single mag carriers for your belt, I like my Bladetech version just fine. So, I've got 56-rounds on the rifle, with an extra 28 on the belt––84-rounds total in a very compact package. Somehow that's not enough? Got 112-rounds in the subload that I've (hopefully) fought my way to cuz it was in the rifle bag. But what if I know I'll need more? Um... yeah, that's not happening. But... A SKD Tactical chest rig is on my wishlist and will be added on of these days. 6-mags for the AR, an extra G19, 2 G19 mags, a flashlight and a multitool. Easy to store and it makes no assumptions that I had my primary G19 on me when the zombies/SHTF/Katrina/DNC scenerio finally occurs. It's overkill, honestly, but it's a smart loadout without extras and without leaving anything behind. |
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There are certain to be exceptions, but in every class I have taken I was able to leave my range bag full of loaded mags at the rear or the range. In at least 3/4 or the classes I was able to simply back up my pickup to the rear of the line so I could sit on the tailgate and load mags during breaks. What I have found works best in class settings is a belt rig with just a pistol, a few pistol mags, a few rifle mags and a dump pouch.
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| Do yourself a favor and sign-up here: Light Fighter . Specifically read this thread on 1st Line belt setups and go with such a rig. Don't waste time with chest-rigs/vests right off the bat, as a belt setup will basically last you forever, as it'll always be a 1st line kit (essentials) when you add gear. |
| If you do decide to go with just a belt kit, I would suggest adding some suspenders as 5-6 AR mags and 4-5 pistol mags on a belt won't last long without them. Most of the classes that I have been to, the instructors have wanted you to step up to the line with at least that many mags because they tend to run through several drills before breaking for everyone to go jam mags. |
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+1 on contacting an instructor
I also signed up for my first 2 day carbine class and had the same concern you did (having enough mags on my person so that I could complete the drills). After talking with one of the instructors (first through email and then a phone call) it turns out I only need 3 mags for their drills (one in gun, two on my person). I'll be bringing a bunch of mags to cut down on reloading time but will just be carrying the two extra ones on a belt. I probably will eventually get a chest rig as I'd like to take carbine courses from various places and I know some do require more then 2 on your person to get through the drills and more then 2 on a belt seems like it'd be too much. I'm probably gonna get that new bravocompany one that just came out. I'll still carry two on my belt though and just feed the belt through the vest so that I'm always training the same way (reloading from the belt) to build in muscle memory |
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What about a drop leg mag pouch? Something like this...
http://primaryarms.com/product.sc?productId=239&categoryId=19 |
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My question is what/who makes a reasonably priced vest or carrier that i can wear that will accommodate 4 ar mags and 2-4 pistol mags? Bravocompany recently released a Modular Chest Harness that holds 4 single AR magazines and has a hydration pouch on the back. It also has some webbing that you can use to attach a couple two-mag pistol pouches, which would give you your 4 ar mags and 4 pistol mags. Low profile, so going prone won't bother you too much, and it rides high enough that you can wear a holster (and mags, if you prefer) on your belt. You can read more about it here |
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My question is what/who makes a reasonably priced vest or carrier that i can wear that will accommodate 4 ar mags and 2-4 pistol mags? Bravocompany recently released a Modular Chest Harness that holds 4 single AR magazines and has a hydration pouch on the back. It also has some webbing that you can use to attach a couple two-mag pistol pouches, which would give you your 4 ar mags and 4 pistol mags. Low profile, so going prone won't bother you too much, and it rides high enough that you can wear a holster (and mags, if you prefer) on your belt. You can read more about it here I just ordered this from Bravo the other day. I've never used anything like this before so I'll be curious as to how it works out at a Practical Rifle match next month. |
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Thanks ANIMUS 
An updated review can also be seen here: 
03designgroup | Blue Force Gear SOC-C Modular Belt System (updated with armor package) 
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Oh, if you decide to run a thigh holster, pay attention to how 03 has his set up. Most people run them way to low IMO.
The quick release belt attachment for the Safariland is convenient, but doesn't allow you to adjust the holster up high enough. Mileage and opinions vary, but I thought I would share mine. |
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I just noticed that....I spoke with the instructor of the class and he basically told me that we aren't going to be doing mag dump after mag dump....The class is for my benefit and if I see myself grabbing two mags and tossing them in my pocket when I use my rifle then thats how I should carry my gear. While I wont be wearing a plate carrier and carrying 10 mags, I can see the benefit to the Blue Force Setup, Basically just toss it on buckle the belt and off you go loaded with 3 mags for primary and 2 for the secondary with what looks like quite a bit of mobility.
Looks as though this setup is great for classroom and god forbid real world application if need be..... thanks again... Joe |
| I think one of the considerations should be "Train the way you Fight so you will Fight the way you Train". My thoughts are get the Blue force set up ..... get a vest setup.... Train with both outside of a class and find what suits you best. Hopefully if you are a Civi you will never have to wear a vest loadout or remotely have a need to. From what I have seen people need to make sure the Brain is engaged with the way they train and the choices they make. It seems like the Blue force setup is the right way to go for the class. |
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There's a pretty good discussion here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=124&t=183215 Where Chris & Travis are giving opinions on this very topic. I'm gonna ask a stupid question, but I won't know unless I ask... Looking at the padded belt from Blue Force.. does that attach to your pants in any way or does it just buckle around your waist? I've never used a belt like that. I like the idea of having suspenders because my pants have a tendancy to slide down when I have a holster or any of weight attached. Also, for a civilian... wouldn't a vest provide a better overall solution in case of a real situation.. the kind we a lot of times talk about but hopefully never happens... such as major civil unrest, rioting... that sort of thing. I was just considering buying a vest more as part of my emergency preparedness equipment. I think for a class, that Blue Force setup would be perfect, however. |
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There's a pretty good discussion here: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=2&f=124&t=183215 Where Chris & Travis are giving opinions on this very topic. I'm gonna ask a stupid question, but I won't know unless I ask... Looking at the padded belt from Blue Force.. does that attach to your pants in any way or does it just buckle around your waist? I've never used a belt like that. I like the idea of having suspenders because my pants have a tendancy to slide down when I have a holster or any of weight attached. Also, for a civilian... wouldn't a vest provide a better overall solution in case of a real situation.. the kind we a lot of times talk about but hopefully never happens... such as major civil unrest, rioting... that sort of thing. I was just considering buying a vest more as part of my emergency preparedness equipment. I think for a class, that Blue Force setup would be perfect, however. Look at the link I posted. It has a pic of the BF w/suspenders. METT-T dictates the gear. I personally don't think I need a vest for civil unrest/riots, but I have a plate carrier w/plates. Up to you. |
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Got it. that's what I thought. I need something that hooks into my pants. That why I was thinking about a vest because the bottom has clips that attach to your pant belt and keep your pants up when your running around. I guess a good chest rig can do the same thing, but I'm not sure I want a rig with the mags pocket in the front like most are. That just seems bulky to me, though I have no experience with it. I guess I just need to try some different rigs. My thoughts really aren't about what would be best for class, but more for if my family and I had to leave the house with the need for the most protection. |
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after talking with the instructor a bit more in-depth it looks as though I am going to go with something even simpler. I will be carrying my 1911 on my hip and on the opposite hip Ill be running two spare mags, one for the primary and one for the secondary. Seems most real world to me 60 rounds of 223/556 and 19 rounds of 45....
Should buy me time to either get to the safe/bugout bag/whatever and won't break the bank joe |
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try find the 5.11 plate carrier. I got one just before xmess for less then $30, you'll have to buy mag pouches but all in I was under $70 for everything.
Vest, 3 AR single mag pouches, and a double pistol mag pouch. I also already had a Blackhawk serpa holster, so I just bought the molle s.t.r.i.k.e. plate which was $11 got everything from LA police gear Used it a couple times and everything is strong, and works well. |
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