Chest Rigs

TheTick

Member
I currently have a Haley Strategic D3CR as my Active Shooter/ Major Incident kit for work as a patrol cop. I've obviously got the 4- M4 and 2 pistol mags along with medical kit, 2 pairs of cuffs, flashlight, knife, and chemlights. I just through this on top of my uniform so it's in addition to my duty belt loadout and medical supplies I'm already carrying.

I like this set-up because it's easy to don which, for Active Shooters, allows me to make contact with the shooter faster to stop them from murdering and either fight me or self select while still having a capable loadout upon arrival. I can even put it on while seated in the driver seat of my car.
 

rob_s

Member
My theory, as a non-professional carbine shooter, has long been to use the chest rig as a training-only device to sustain the volume of ammo I may need for a class or other event which is unlikely to match any real-world potential need I may have. Therefore, the carbine is loaded from a pocket, single belt-mounted mag pouch, or Redimag on the gun (all more "real world" for a non-professional user) and that pocket/pouch/device is back-fed from the chest rig.

To that end I worked with US Grunt Gear to design this rig, which I prefer with unpadded h-harness, no front tie-downs, and no map pocket. It was designed to take the best aspects from an Eagle LE chest rig and the Tactical Taylor Mini-Mav. It has room to add a multitool or pistol-mag pouch, or a strap-cutter (that I keep on the shoulder strap).

It will also click in to a Mayflower low-profile armor carrier at the nipple-clips so that I could use it for a shoot-house class or some sort of SHTFantasy.

He also makes an AR10 version which, in the pictures, is configured exactly how I like my M16 version.
 
I recently picked up a PUG UCR, with the h-harness attachment. It's lightweight, simple and easy to don/doff, even while sitting in my truck (where it's kept at the ready). I'm not LE/MIL so I don't have any major requirements as far as issued gear or items to carry. I've stripped it down to 4 AR mags, 2 pistol mags, IFAK, Leatherman, knife and a couple D-rings for attaching any little gear I might need (gloves, water bottle, light, etc).
 
My context for a chest rig is for Military (currently a reserve Infantryman). I use an LBT 2586G chest rig, with two Eagle canteen utlity pouches (one each side), then a smoke, a frag, a TQ, small Admin and a strap cutter on the front. Carries 6 mags. Med kit is a fanny pack.

for LE work I use a plate carrier opposed to a chest rig.
 

RickJames

Amateur
Been using an old Grey Ghost Gear split-front chest rig for a few years. Fits in my bag, and easy to don/doff while seated in a vehicle. Comes in handy for plain clothes work, when already wearing concealed armor.
 
My context for a chest rig is for Military (currently a reserve Infantryman). I use an LBT 2586G chest rig, with two Eagle canteen utlity pouches (one each side), then a smoke, a frag, a TQ, small Admin and a strap cutter on the front. Carries 6 mags. Med kit is a fanny pack.

for LE work I use a plate carrier opposed to a chest rig.
You just enlightened me to this paticular item! It covers a lot of the bases I was looking for. Thanks for sharing!
 

Grayman

Established
I got lucky and wound up with a very nice rifle plate that I am currently running up front in my under uniform vest. I have a full PC that I designed for use over my uniform...

With a plate in my vest I reassed the idea of a chest rig and decided that probably made more sense.

I am currently running an older mayflower chest rig I had laying around. I'm running 3x mags, a TQ and some other med goodies, a multi tool and a couple pistol mags.

I'll snap some pics soon
 

Wil

Member
I have an old Eagle Industries chest rig. I had the MBITR pockets cut down to match the size of the others. It's taken a beating and still kicking.
 

275RLTW

Regular Member
I prefer if I'm going to throw something over my head then it should have ballistic protection with it or its nothing more than an expensive gear bag. Although, when running low pro missions and I was wearing slick plates under a jacket, LBTs rig that snapped into their slick PC worked well. My team ran those (by choice, not issued) as we left the chest rig at the foot of the seat so we could grab with the long guns and go if necessary. A chest rig alone should not be considered a fighting load except in remote rural areas. If you have buildings or vehicles nearby, you should carry some level of armor to a fight.

For LE applications (Active shooter type scenarios), distribution of gear to other responders will be just as important as having the gear itself. A simple AS bag should suffice rather than trying to get straps over your head & all the grabby things on your uniform.
 

Corrie

Newbie
If you use a chest rig, you really need to hit up EGL for a VOCR rig. A custom chest rig is pretty badass. I love mine. Will post pics later on. for context, I am an active duty infantry squad leader.

This. EGL just built me a custom modular VOCR, possibly (so I was told) the first of it's kind. It attaches to my heavy armor and soft (low-pro) armor, and works as a stand alone chest rig. If you want a bad ass, bomb proof, custom rig, give Darrin a call, you won't be disappointed.
 

JCSpringer

Regular Member
For my mission is that of a patrol officer, using a plate carrier, is a response to reports of individuals armed with long guns/ and or the 'Active Killer' call. The chest 'rig' is an old Eagle plate carrier without a cummerbund. The shoulder straps I have completely cinched down to keep the ride height of the rig so that it comes to just above my duty belt. I have mounted on it is a OSOE Micro Shotgun rig in a left handed configuration as well as the auxiliary work issued blow out kit. The rig has two columns of six shotgun shells, 6 federal flight control, 6 slug. It also has two additional rifle magazines in the "shotgun tear off card pouch." If I find myself in a position where someone with a shotgun needs the additional ammo I've got some and if I ever find myself with a work shotty I have some spare ammo at the ready. Adjacent the ammo is a large pouch with another blow out kit. I am considering adding my riot gas mask to the back. Our most recent 'active killer' call involved an individual filling a theater with mace/ pepper spray and attacking moviegoers with a hatchet. I don't know about the mask bit yet, but it's crossed my mind. Otherwise the mask is in my hockey bag of riot gear stuffed in the trunk.
 

barchack

Amateur
I have been using a TT two-piece MAV for years. I initially bought it to use over an IOTV as an Infantryman in Afghanistan. It worked great in this role. It was rock solid and never shifted, but allowed me to doff it quickly if I wanted a slick vest. (In a turret, I rarely wore the chest rig)
After I ETSed, I didn't have armor for training, so it remained a training/home defense rig.
Now, in LE, I like that I can throw it over a wide range of layers and armor with very little adjustment.
I keep an ATS 5.56 triple mag shingle on the left side, tucked right up to the center line. The right side has an ATS CLAP for admin stuff and a GP pouch with the ATS medical insert.
Pistol mags, cuffs, taser and pistol either ride on an ATS warbelt or along all my other Batgear on a leather Safariland duty belt.

Prior to this, I had a Diamondback Tactical chest rig, with fixed 5.56 pouches and pistol mag/GP pouches. I loved this setup, but only over a low profile plate carrier where it was fairly easy to reach the side buckles. If I knew more back then, I might have picked up a split front Bush Boar and stuck with that.
 

Fatboy

Established
Over the years in the infantry I've used a TT MAV, split front MAV, and almost any variation of MAV with a harness back for every duty position from rifle man to Platoon Sergeant. Modularity is key. Well, that and buying a boatload of extra pouches for each duty position.
Currently as a LEO, if I'm not in a heavy vest I run point blank plate carrier as my chest rig. Front and rear plates, 2- 30rnd rifle mags and a blowout kit. I can throw extra pistol mags on it if needed as well. In addition I keep a rifle mag in my cargo pocket at all times, plus one in the gun for a total of 4 in case the S really HTF.
 

FosterEDC

Newbie
I currently have a Haley Strategic D3CR as my Active Shooter/ Major Incident kit for work as a patrol cop. I've obviously got the 4- M4 and 2 pistol mags along with medical kit, 2 pairs of cuffs, flashlight, knife, and chemlights. I just through this on top of my uniform so it's in addition to my duty belt loadout and medical supplies I'm already carrying.

I like this set-up because it's easy to don which, for Active Shooters, allows me to make contact with the shooter faster to stop them from murdering and either fight me or self select while still having a capable loadout upon arrival. I can even put it on while seated in the driver seat of my car.
Do you ever find yourself feeling like you are lacking or handicapped by showing up without hard plates? Granted im assuming you are wearing soft vest to start with.
 

TheTick

Member
Do you ever find yourself feeling like you are lacking or handicapped by showing up without hard plates? Granted im assuming you are wearing soft vest to start with.

Do I "feel it"? No, because I'm sure that many other people here can attest also, when you're locked in on a job, you just get to work.

But, "yes", I am aware that I'm not wearing full hard plates. I'm working to rectify that currently. My PD puts the old SWAT vests with plates in the trunks, but they are cumbersome and time consuming to put on and have to equipment attached. They are only ballistic protection. To me, the name of the game for Active Shooters is the fastest possible armed response and the shit in the trunk does not equate to that.

I'm in the process of figuring what PC to buy to mate to my D3CR and will bide my time until my current SWAT vest gets replaced and I will take my "expired" Level III multi-curve ProTechs and put them in my PC.

For what it's worth, the distributor dicked the dog HARD when we were getting our newest vests and made it up to us by giving every operator (35 +/-) a small hard plate that fits in a large trauma pocket on our patrol vests and I have that up front covering me from top of the chest to top of my stomach.

It could be worse.
 

Fatboy

Established
Our new daily vests have an ICW poly plate in the trauma plate pocket. It's a little extra piece of mind when there isn't enough time to grab anything but a rifle or shotgun and bail from the car, if you even have time for that.
 
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