I currently have a Banshee PC. I think it's great, except the more I train and work with it the more the buckles on the shoulders are bothering me. When I shoulder my rifle they cause it to sit awkwardly. I want to keep consistency with where I shoulder my rifle weather the PC is on or off. I just don't really think it is working for me.

I saw another members Mayflower APC in the plate carrier thread and thought it looked like a great design. I am considering selling the Banshee and using that money to fund an APC. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this? Does the Mayflower have any advantages over the Banshee?

Another question I was looking at the sizing for the Mayflower. It looks like the cummerbund and the plate "bags" are two different sizes. At my navel I am 36" around so I would need the small cummerbund, but how are the plate bags sized? Does it depend on what size plates you have or is there a chest measurement you have to take? My plates are 10x12.

Thanks

I cant speak for the Mayflower but have you tried the hsgi shoulder pads for the banshee? Alot of people swear by them.
Also have you tried shouldering the rifle more towards the center?  It works with or without the PC and provides more recoil control.

Thanks for the response. I have the HSGi shoulder pads on the PC currently. I've also tried centering the rifle and it still sits weirdly. Well, for me at least.

Unless you use really small plates you are going to have a hard time shouldering a rifle the same way with and without a PC. It is what it is and takes some getting use to.

Gotcha, just trying to address software before hardware.
good luck.

I currently have 10x12's. I know what you mean it's really just the buckles that are bothering me. Other PC's I have seen don't seen to have them in the same place or have ones that are so bulky. For example: SKD's PIG and the Crye CAGE have buckles but the are more low profile. The Mayflower APC from what I can see doesn't have any that sit in the pocket of the shoulder.

I could be wrong though I'm just basing this off pictures online, I have no personal expirence with any of those PC's.

With the APC I can shoulder a rifle on my shoulder without touching the PC at all.

The shoulder straps come up near your neck which allows lots of shoulder room.

I vote APC for shoulder-pocket clearance. Banshee looks like it takes up a bit more real-estate.

The admin pocket on the APC is somewhat frustrating; I wish they'd either used a simpler, single-cell design, or eliminated it altogether to save weight.  Expect to run a different admin/GP pouch if you really need to carry something.

Revived my Mayflower APC this week. It is by far the most comfortable carrier I have ever laid my hands on. I am very glad I decided to ditch the Banshee. The APC is cut so that it does not interfere with shouldering your rifle at all. Another plus is that the shoulder straps sit close to your neck. To me this makes the carrier feel more balenced and increases comfort. This thing is awesome!

is there anyplace you found that sells the APC and armor at hte same time?

No I haven't seen a "package deal". It might be hard to find something like that. Your best bet is probably to buy the APC and then buy the plates somewhere else. I bought my APC from SKD Tactical for $225 shipped.  They did have 10x12 soft armor backers in both dynema and Kevlar in stock. I didn't notice if plates were in stock though.

The factory shoulder pads are fine, but are wide and chafe if you are not wearing a collared shirt. The carrier is cut just large enough to accept SAPI/ESAPI cut plates and backers in the size you order.  

I like the factory shoulder pads alot. I think they are better than the HSGI ones I had on my Banshee.