Need advise on gear selection and rig set up.

[llO0DQLE]

Hi, newbie here and trying to figure out a few things. Please bear with me as this will be a lengthy post with different issues I'm trying to tackle. I am trying to figure out how to set up some gear, and what gear to get, that will facilitate certain basic training drills, geared to my specific set of circumstances. First, some background and considerations that will influence gear selection:

1. I'm Canadian, which means there are a lot of different legal considerations I have to follow.

a. We don't have 30 rd magazines for ARs. Well, we do but they're pinned to only hold 5. Techincally, we're limited to 5 round mags, but due to how the law is worded, there is a loophole and we can have 10rd LAR mags. My best case scenario with regards to highest capacity is to use .50 Beowulf 5 round mags and I can put 13 to 14 rounds of 5.56 in one mag. This is what I'm currently using.

b. We don't have CCW. Technically, it's in the law but the Chief Firearms Officers have conspired not to issue them. Even then, I would like to
train CCW related drills so that if in the future, we get some sweeping changes to our stupid Firearms Act, I will be ready.

c. My AR and handgun either has to be in a safe or in a locked cabinet with a trigger lock if not in use. I have opted for a safe with keypad combo for quickest access. They also have to be unloaded.

2. I'm a civilian so my considerations are for home defense. Realistically, the only time I will be deploying my weapon is in a HD scenario since we don't have CCW so basically, my guns are either in my safe at home and the only time they're coming out is if I grab them for HD or if I'm going to the range.

3. I am cross dominant. Lefty for carbine, right for pistol.

Questions:

1. I am contemplating getting a Ready Mag for my AR. My thoughts are that since it has to be unloaded in the safe and I am limited to 13-14 rounds per mag with my current .50 Beowulf mags, I can have a mag in the Redi-Mag and when I grab my rifle and insert another mag, I have 26 - 28 rounds ready to go and should be a decent starting point for a HD scenario. Any pros and cons to this? I am wondering, for those of you that run Redi-Mags, if it affects your muscle memory for reloads. Gotta remember that the first Emergency Reload is from the ready mag and if I need to do another Emergency reload right away (which is more likely with reduced capacity mags), then I go to the battle belt.

2. Being a lefty with my AR, I have a Troy ambi mag release. If I go with the Redi Mag, I will be giving this up. Which set up do you think would be better? Stick with the lefty mag release for quicker mag changes and consistency (all reloads are from the belt) or go with the Redi Mag for the advantages I mentioned above?

3. With regards to practicing reloads and carbine to pistol transitions, I am trying to decide what type of gear I'm going to go with and how to set it up. I think that a battle belt will be my ideal option as it is quickest to put on, say for HD or SHTF in my neighborhood. Since I am cross dominant and my mags for AR are low capacity and I am limited to 10 round mags for pistol, I am trying to figure out what is a good number of mags to carry on the belt and where to put them. I don't have a holster for my pistol yet (1911 but planning to get a Glock 17 too) but with dry fire with a plastic airsoft pistol, I think that I am going to be placing the pistol in the 3 o'clock position. I think that this is easier with a battle belt as well and happens to be more comfortable for me for my draw stroke than a 4 or 5 o'clock position (for CCW), and I think that it's probably best to keep it consistent, i.e. having the pistol at 3 o'clock either with a CCW holster or on the battle belt.

4. Is the battle belt a better option for me or should I consider a chest rig? I've read that reloading up high from a chest rig is more problematic. For my considerations as a civilian, if I'm grabbing more gear than just my rifle or pistol, it needs to be quick (HD scenario, not kitting up for raid like Tac teams). I think that a chest rig will be slower to put on. The only thing with the battle belt, is that if I have to put 4 of my Beowulf mags and maybe 4 pistol mags, and because I'm cross dominant, it will be challenging to position it properly for ease of access.to I'm just throwing 4 mags as a random number, I don't know if I need to carry that many. I will need some insight to this as well. I wear my rifle sling like LAV and when I drop the carbine down, depending on how far back I drop the carbine, the sling could be covering a portion of the left side of my belt which affects where I put magazines on the belt.

Thank you for taking the time to read and respond to my long post, appreciate all the advise I will get.

[glockmpw]

My issue with the use of the battle belt is, how will you be dressed when this happens? In your jammies or sweats there will be no support for the belt. Even with suspenders, the belts depend on an interface with your pants and belt for the stability they need to function properly. I would submit that an LBV or chest rig will better provide the support needed. It still won't be ideal, but better. You can even mount holsters depending on the rig you use and have an all-inclusive setup.

[llO0DQLE]

My issue with the use of the battle belt is, how will you be dressed when this happens? In your jammies or sweats there will be no support for the belt. Even with suspenders, the belts depend on an interface with your pants and belt for the stability they need to function properly. I would submit that an LBV or chest rig will better provide the support needed. It still won't be ideal, but better. You can even mount holsters depending on the rig you use and have an all-inclusive setup.

I haven't used a battle belt but I thought that they just wrap around your waist and sit there? You don't have to loop it into anything.. Are we thinking about the same thing or am I missing something here?

[Ledanek]

maybe this is what glockmpw is addressing


yes, what if you get caught in your boxers? I haven't ran a scenario in my house on which to grab.

I do believe in grabbing wife and locking ourselves in a "safe" room by our bedroom, where we can grab our SHTF gears and call 911 and inform 911 where we are, that we are armed.
after that is done, she has her TAG Banshee/ NIJ IIIA and I have my own TAG Banshee/ Level III/IV, ICW, 3 mags, IFAK and an AR.

I also have a belt setup, but besides, dry fire exercise, I might not need it.

sorry can't help with the rest