View Full Version : Looking for a tac vest
Hey guys, I am LE and soon will be attending a rifle course to be able to carry my AR on duty. I will need some kind of rig that will allow me to carry AR mags. It cannot interfere with my duty belt, so I guess the only option would be a tactical vest. I dont need all the extra tacticool stuff, like frag pouches, and extra pistol mags, ect ect. I just need to carry extra AR Mags. Any advice from fellow LEO's as to what works best would be greatly apreciated.
I don't have any experience with this personally, but it was suggested to me in another thread and seems it may fit what you are looking for. Simple, inexpensive, carries a few AR mags and I don't think it would interfere with your duty belt.
Worth a look at least.
http://www.tacticaltailor.com/minimav.aspx
Are you looking for a vest or a chest rig? Would you like one that has molle or something that already has pouches on it? Do you need it to be able to hold plates or additional armor? I take it this is something you need to throw on quickly in the event of an active shooter or is it something you'll want to wear all the time on shift? There's a huge selection of gear, I'm not an LEO but I've had very good results with Eagle's Ciras vest and the SKDTAC Eagle Chest rig during my time in the Service. If you could be more specific for your needs and how much you want to spend it would greatly refine your results. Hope this helps.
id go chest rig. something like the blackhawk low profile or the ats chest rigs would be a very good start
Failure2Stop
03-21-10, 11:58
My thougt on this:
if you have enough time to throw on a chest rig, you might as well just throw on a plate carrier w/ hard armor.
I guess the question is: are you issued plates or willing to buy your own?
CaptainDooley
03-21-10, 12:58
My thougt on this:
if you have enough time to throw on a chest rig, you might as well just throw on a plate carrier w/ hard armor.
I guess the question is: are you issued plates or willing to buy your own?
I think this is great advice - especially since there are seem to be many options for lopro plate carriers with either MOLLE or mag pouches built in. Seems silly not to if your life is on the line every day.
Thanks for all the responses guys, I'll be a bit more specific this time. I am basically looking for something I can quickly throw on that holds AR mags, it doesnt have to be a "vest" style, just something that sits above my waist that doesnt interfere with duty belt. I already wear body armor under my uniform, so dont need the extra weight. This is not something I would be wearing all day. I liked the product the second poster showed, something along those lines would be nice.
try one of these
http://www.opticsplanet.net/511-tactical-weapon-accessories-bail-out-bag.html
can you not add anything to your belt. depending how many you want to run you could put at least a 20 rounder on belt or if your in cargo pants drop some in your side pocket.
http://www.buymilsurp.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=40575
i doubt youll need a fulll loadout so maybe something like this would be up your ally
http://www.buymilsurp.com/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=40575
Thanks for all the responses guys, I'll be a bit more specific this time. I am basically looking for something I can quickly throw on that holds AR mags, it doesnt have to be a "vest" style, just something that sits above my waist that doesnt interfere with duty belt. I already wear body armor under my uniform, so dont need the extra weight. This is not something I would be wearing all day. I liked the product the second poster showed, something along those lines would be nice.
Check out Eagle Industries Active Shooter gear such as the patrol bondoleer. It's a mag carrier with a strap.
The best I have tried, this guy hand makes these. Extremely durable - I have 3 of them and they last forever.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=27325/Product/AR_15_M16_GRAB___GO_MAGAZINE_POUCH
This one is available in Black:
http://www.skdtac.com/Eagle_M4_Chest_Rig_LE_6_Mag_p/eag.562.htm
Failure2Stop
03-21-10, 19:15
I already wear body armor under my uniform, so dont need the extra weight.
I am not a cop, and I am not trying to tell you your business, so take this however you want.
Unless you wear a concealed plate caipable of stopping rifle rounds I recommend having access to armor that does. Good plates are expensive, prohibitively so to some budgets, but having something that you can quickly grab and throw on that carries a few mags, bleeder kit, and stops common rifle threats is a really nice thing to have.
At the end of the day, it's your life, your budget, and your choice.
Brother. all up to you . I keep a Go bag for lower risk calls where the rifle may be deployed
i keep a Plate carrier set up for my rifle for high risk warrants / active shooters ect.
I feel the extra weight is worth it knowing i can take a hit from a rifle round should it all go south
I keep a TT MAV set up similar to my Carrier for training so i dont always have to have the extra weight
Plate carrier with mag pouches, for the reasons others mention. An Eagle PB or Sneaky Bag works well. Chest rigs have their merits and liabilities too.
If money is an issue, an Eagle PB is cheap. Carries four rifle mags and two pistol mags, fits in a gun case, and is easy.
You might want to check out the 03 MSF chest rig, it was designed by an LEO for the kind of use you're talking about: http://www.03designgroup.com/reviews/bcm-03-msf-chest-harness
I am not a cop, and I am not trying to tell you your business, so take this however you want.
Unless you wear a concealed plate caipable of stopping rifle rounds I recommend having access to armor that does. Good plates are expensive, prohibitively so to some budgets, but having something that you can quickly grab and throw on that carries a few mags, bleeder kit, and stops common rifle threats is a really nice thing to have.
At the end of the day, it's your life, your budget, and your choice.
believe me, If it was up to me I would wear a full EOD suit every time I steped out of the qsuad car. My class IIIA armor is restrictive as it is whe it comes to ground fighting, could you imagine wearing a plate that stops rifle rounds, I wear about 30lbs worth of gear as it is. I hope I never have to face a rifle threat, but if I do I just hope I am quicker and am able to put more rounds down range than the other guy
Here's a three mag chest rig from Shellback Tactical.
http://shellbacktactical.com/gotimetriplemagchestrig.aspx
Out of stock in black it seems.
Here's a three mag chest rig from Shellback Tactical.
http://shellbacktactical.com/gotimetriplemagchestrig.aspx
Out of stock in black it seems.
Thats a really good rig, exactly what I was looking for, at a good price too. Thanks man.
Hey guys, I am LE and soon will be attending a rifle course to be able to carry my AR on duty. I will need some kind of rig that will allow me to carry AR mags. It cannot interfere with my duty belt, so I guess the only option would be a tactical vest. I dont need all the extra tacticool stuff, like frag pouches, and extra pistol mags, ect ect. I just need to carry extra AR Mags. Any advice from fellow LEO's as to what works best would be greatly apreciated.
Everything you need, per the above, and nothing you don't: http://www.blueforcegear.com/product.cfm?type=cat&cat_id=12&prod_id=188
I use two of the 3-mag Ten-Speeds, one on top of a 3-mag shingle incase I need 6 mags on my vest, another to carry tourniquet, go-to bandage, and flashlignt/multitool/whatever. I had some stitching come out on one, and when I asked what kind of thread they used (so I could get the Mama-san in Q-town to fix it for me), they insisted on replacing it immediately on their dime.
The chest rig version sounds right up your alley, and it's not too spendy.
believe me, If it was up to me I would wear a full EOD suit every time I steped out of the qsuad car. My class IIIA armor is restrictive as it is whe it comes to ground fighting, could you imagine wearing a plate that stops rifle rounds, I wear about 30lbs worth of gear as it is. I hope I never have to face a rifle threat, but if I do I just hope I am quicker and am able to put more rounds down range than the other guy
no you don't...the EOD-8 (although i haven't heard how the EOD-9 is yet) sucks ass and is heavy and has the cooling fan of a person blowing through a straw...LOL...
when the SHTF wear a plate carrier w/ some ESAPI plates (yes I know they're expensive), but they will save your life...take my word for it (dual arrays EFPs suck ass--but i'm still here)...i picked up a carrier for $60, 2 triple mag shingle (6 mags), and a GP pouch for a first aid shit...and I even threw some morale patches on it...my carrier has straight old style level IV plates in it...no soft armor needed...this is just my 'world is coming to an end, 2012, health care reform gone bad, whatever' kit...
ESAPIs are awesome and light...pretty comfortable too all things considered...good luck with your selection....
Thats a really good rig, exactly what I was looking for, at a good price too. Thanks man.Just a heads up, rigs that only wrap around your neck in the manner of the shellback tactical rig, put a lot of strain on your neck over prolonged periods of time. If you are insistant on a simple mag carrier only, I would suggest one that is more of a harness like a mav or mini mav style.
However overall I would purchase a molle plate carrier style. You can always reconfigure or upgrade when you figure out your needs / likes / dislikes and as monies permit.
I cannot echo or stress enough what has been said already by others. I too am in LE and you obviously feel that a patrol rifle is a necessity. In a bad situation when you break out the rifle, there is a good chance that the need for rifle plates are very much warranted. No one is saying to wear a loaded down rifle plate rig all day, but when the time calls and the rifle comes out, it is just as easy to throw on a rifle plate with extra mags attached to it as a rig that holds mags only. Plus your a hell of a lot better off.
I kinda like the look of that ten speed chest rig. How are those pouches made though? Maybe I'm totally misunderstanding their pic on the website, but the pouches almost look elastic like? Also, the pouches don't look like they're made to hold anything specific, accept mags, if that makes any sense.
Nope, no "almost" about it, they're AR-mag-sized elastic cells sewn onto a Cordura backer. A 3-mag 10-Speed doesn't even break 3oz, lies very flat when empty, and fits all sorts of odds and ends other than mags (see my above post, and I'm not the only one who uses them for stuff other than magazines).
Ergo, the chest rig is going to be lighter and more low-profile that just about anything made of 500 or 1000 denier cloth. For those looking to use a chest rig for mags and very little else, it's a great solution that doesn't cost too much.
Brother. all up to you . I keep a Go bag for lower risk calls where the rifle may be deployed
i keep a Plate carrier set up for my rifle for high risk warrants / active shooters ect.
I feel the extra weight is worth it knowing i can take a hit from a rifle round should it all go south
I keep a TT MAV set up similar to my Carrier for training so i dont always have to have the extra weight
Good info her
Nope, no "almost" about it, they're AR-mag-sized elastic cells sewn onto a Cordura backer. A 3-mag 10-Speed doesn't even break 3oz, lies very flat when empty, and fits all sorts of odds and ends other than mags (see my above post, and I'm not the only one who uses them for stuff other than magazines).
Ergo, the chest rig is going to be lighter and more low-profile that just about anything made of 500 or 1000 denier cloth. For those looking to use a chest rig for mags and very little else, it's a great solution that doesn't cost too much.
So what is the elastic portion of the chest rig constructed of? How durable is it? Also, how is the elastic? I mean can you put one or two smaller things in it and they be retained, or must it be filled most of the way full to keep everything tight inside?
Not to be snarky, but the elastic is constructed of elastic, no other way to explain it. Think of a traditional lidded 2-mag pouch and the elastic material used to snug it up. Like that, probably a bit thinner. About a 5" wide (exposed material, and according to my 3" booger-picking finger, which is SL-3 to my hand) strip of it stitched to the nylon backer, with a line of heavy stitching used to separate it into the cells that hold magazines.
As for durability, my own pouches have survived a trip each to Iraq and Afghanistan since purchase, the latter of which I ended up eating dirt a few times, plus two carbine courses that included proning out on gravel. I had the stitching between a cell start to come out, contacted them to ask what thread to use for repair, and got yelled at for not simply asking for a replacement (kidding, kidding; top-notch CS), whereupon I got told they were shipping me a new one with a return label on their dime.
Tourniquet stays put unless pulled, bandage stays put unless pulled. The multi-tool has a tendency to want to slip out when I'm not wearing the PC, stays put until pulled. I also jam chemlights or a lighter in there with it, which keeps it there when the PC is unworn. A single pistol mag is likely to slide out unless you jam it in so that the baseplate is lipped by the elastic, two seem to stay just fine, so far.
Hope that helps. Bear also in mind that I'm comparing the 3-mag pouch to the carrier, so even though it's a direct adjunct of the former, the carrier, being snugged up close to you...I could see retention being less iffy in that regard. I also have no way of backing that up, just what I think of as reasonable speculation based on my pouches of same construction. There's at least one gent aboard this forum that's used the carrier, and I hope he chimes in, too.
Thank you very much for that explanation, it makes great sense to me now. The more I look at it and read about it, the more interested in it I become.
You might want to look at the Orig. SOE Micro Rig. It holds 4 mags and has a pocket for other gear like an tourniquet, flashlight, extra batteries, cuffs, etc. In addition to being a chest rig it can also be slung over the shoulder as a bag by removing one strap and lengthening the remaining one.
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