Fellow gear enthusiasts...

What have your experiences been with shouldering your rifle while wearing a plate carrier? What carriers get in the way at all and which ones don't?

I'm shopping around for a plate carrier that could potentially be used for the rest of my time in the military (depending on my next unit's policy with that). The only real experience I've had is with the issued IOTV, which was apparently designed with complete disregard for the use of a rifle (among other things). A few hundred bucks would be well worth it to me for more effective range and field days.

As I look at viable options, I filter them by how likely their shoulder straps are to interfere with consistent buttstock placement. With some designs, this can be difficult to ascertain. For example, some straps appear thick but narrow, while others are a thin material but cover more area. Then I have to account for any attachment or release mechanisms. Most of my carbine shooting has been done as a civilian where I had no such considerations, but it's important that I find a solution where I can shoulder a weapon as consistently as possible between shooting without armor and with armor.

A secondary but important consideration is having a quick-release mechanism on at least one of the shoulder straps. This is much less about convenience as it is about casualty care if, for example, I were to be found lying face-down and needed the armor removed NOW. I would consider a Velcro strap design that a lay-Soldier could figure out and remove quickly as being sufficient (unless someone here knows better), and also isn't vulnerable to failure in wet/muddy conditions.

The carrier has to hold issued plates, and I'll have to buy backers for those. I don't think buying my own shooter's-cut stand-alone plates will ever be a viable option for duty use.

Some of the carriers I'm currently favoring based on the above criteria:

Blue Force Gear PLATE-6 MOLLEminus / PLATEminus V4 : The material in the shoulder area appears so thin as to be irrelevant to buttstock placement. The straps seem to be Velcroed together for most of their length, which I think would suffice for most realistic situations requiring a quick removal and I wouldn't worry about the Velcro failing over time or under extreme environmental conditions. I also like that out of my list this carrier most resembles the IOTV at a glance with its material coverage. Fitting in better does factor in. I'm not usually too concerned with what others think, but you know how some people can be sometimes when they see something that's too different than what they're familiar with and want to change rules about it.

Arbor Arms FLEX Assaulter (with maritime release kit): I would definitely change the cummerbund out for something that attaches with tubes, Velcro would even be preferable, but otherwise seems like it checks all the boxes.

Ferro Concepts FCPC V5 : Looks like it opens the shoulder pocket area up quite nicely. I like that the Cobra buckle can be placed on either side, but I want to know if it gets in the way at all regardless of which shoulder I'm using for the buttstock. I also like that the attachment mechanisms for both sides could be easily switched out for something else if I find an even better solution.

Crye JPC 2.0 : This must be so popular for a reason, but I always wonder if the polymer keepers on the shoulders ever get slammed into anyone's clavicle or cause the buttstock to roll/shift when they're trying to shoot. I've also heard of that shoulder-area material tearing over time.

Thanks in advance for anything you can contribute!

You haven't asked your TL, Squad Leader, or anyone else?  No experienced NCOs in your unit to mentor guys in this stuff?

Ya, not too concerned with the durability of the Crye.

So did the Crye "E-Doff" releases get in your way then?





I haven't asked much here. First, we're aviation maintenance POGs and don't wear them or even shoot all that much, and from everything I've heard/seen, they don't have as much collective knowledge/experience with different options as this place. Frankly, many of them look at personal gear purchases outside of boots, hot weather uniforms, and backpacks with derision. Second, I'll be PCSing soon and of course I'll be asking more questions there before making a purchase.

I've worn a few different armor setups for army stuff so I have some input. Hopefully the really experienced guys will find this thread too.

As you've said the IOTV is trash.

I used a Mayflower APC for a while, the narrow neck hole helped keep the shoulder pads out of the way a little bit. It wasn't the best but it was way better than the IOTV or IBA.

My JPC 2.0 is pretty awesome. The hypalon shoulder pieces leave a lot of room for a rifle stock and are durable. I haven't noticed the quick release toggles while shooting but occasionally they pinch under a ruck strap if they aren't sitting just right.

Currently I'm using a Velocity Systems Scarab. It has a narrow neck hole similar to the Mayflower but the shoulder straps are mounted on D-rings and articulate. The carrier is cut in a way to maximize room for a rifle stock.

Overall the JPC was the best but the other two carriers work well. Another consideration is plate size, if you are on the edge between two plate sizes go with the smaller one. Hell, even if you're not you may try downsizing the plates. It greatly increases your mobility and makes more space for a rifle stock.

The last thing I'll note is the rifle stock itself. The USGI carbine stock isn't great. Its footprint is big, the plastic doesn't grip well, and the sling attachment snags on shit easily. I use an LWRC compact stock which solves all these problems. The footprint is more pointed towards the bottom which gets around plates better, it has a rubber butt pad for grip, and I use QD mounts for my sling instead of that stupid loop. I'm sure there are other aftermarket stocks that work well too. I swap my LWRC on when I draw my M4 from the arms room and swap it back before I turn it in. Keeps the armorer happy and prevents my stuff from being stolen.

Thanks for taking the time. I did make sure they gave me mediums to help minimize the issues but it still sucks quite enough. We aren't individually assigned weapons and I don't know if this is how all/most aviation units are, but a different stock would be worth it to swap out if possible.



Coincidently, we did PT with our IOTVs this morning and our squad leader, who has been in a while including a "particular" aviation unit, had some kind of issued carrier that was not the IOTV abomination (but really wasn't too high-speed either). His answer was that yeah, we can usually use our own plate carriers for the range and field...but not on deployment because then the Army isn't going to assume responsibility should we get shot/fragged without their issued equipment.

So when considering the value of "training as you fight," is it worth it to be a little more comfortable/mobile in the field and be able to shoot more naturally for qualification and give up the consistency? Undecided at the moment. Also, if everything goes according to plan, my role in aviation will be a bit different in the near future and that could affect my choice.

Noted on the JPC, that's 2/2 in here. I'm liking the Ferro more and more, it seems to have everything I like about the JPC with some benefits. I'd probably end up attaching the straps with G-hooks and using a Beez cummerbund for tubes to get it just right.

Anyway, I was hoping this thread could become less about my personal situation and more about this design aspect of plate carriers.

It sounds like you're describing the FCPC V5 imo.

I have had a few, they are quite nice.

That's the one.

That second statement is kind of curious. Why a few? Do you still have them or did you move on to something else? Anything you didn't like about them?