8RoundPing
Newbie
Is it common practice to wear just a front plate or does that cause the plate carrier to sag too much?
front plate only?
- Thread starter 8RoundPing
- Start date
Chriscanbreach
Established
Some have the mindset they will never be turning their back on the enemy and don’t need a plate in the rear. This is silly, but I’d still appreciate you wearing a back plate to catch the rounds from exiting your back and hitting me.
That being said one is better than none if that’s all you can get but it will take some effort to get a front plate to sit correctly without the counterbalance of the rear.
That being said one is better than none if that’s all you can get but it will take some effort to get a front plate to sit correctly without the counterbalance of the rear.
It isn't anymore, but early days of the GWOT there were a lot of rigs that had only one plate pocket in the front. Stuff like the RRV. For law enforcement use many patrol officer carriers have room for a trauma plate only in the front, but this is falling out of favor now that officers are getting setups so they can put a PC on over their soft armor. I wouldn't run a setup with only one plate.
8RoundPing
Newbie
My interest for a front only setup would be limited to civilian, non-duty use, home defense situation, to be donned quickly in the middle of the night if the need were to arise. Would this intended use change anyone's opinion? No barricade bounding in the streets for me. I am but a wee little civilian.
You would be better spending money on good doorframes, doors and locks, cameras and a dog, all of which are solid deterrence on house invasions, before plates. Most home invasions which aren't drug rips are over in a minute or two. Immediate armed response is typically going to cause them to flee. Not saying armor is bad, but that 60 seconds you take to fumble fuck into it in the dark may cost you.
A FS rig with Tubes is the only quick don setup I'd use.
A FS rig with Tubes is the only quick don setup I'd use.
What is the setting you are imagining? In overt armor sets it has been a long time since that was common. A lot of cops are gravitating back towards it in Concealment armor. Think uniform officers that you see every day in a traditional cop uniform. This stems from industries efforts to produce smaller thinner rifle rated plates that fit into the “trauma plate” pocket of the Concealment vest. Most newer Concealment carriers incorporate two pockets now on the front. The second pocket being slightly larger in the 7”x 9” range. Safariland has done a good job of developing ICW Special Threat rifle plates that are 1/4” thick and disappear in uniform. Their weight is manageable without sagging. I’ve doubled up the shoulder straps on mine to assist with combatting this and I don’t notice it at all anymore. Their is a matching rear pocket and if there is an event that requires a Class A standard duty uniform for other reasons but there is an increased threat, I use the back plate as well. I do notice that weight over the duration of an all day assignment. Due to it being shaped for the chest, it’s more noticeable to someone who knows what they are seeing when worn in the rear. It does however provide increased concealed rifle protection. As a result of those complications though, I most often wear the front only.
Most chest rigs that come single plate are a B-Word to put on by one self. I keep an RRV with a III NIJ plate and other items and putting that on requires light and patience by one self... two things that might not be present for a a bumb in the night scenario... but an older front flap style IBA might actually be what you would want in this scenario. None of the bad aspects of 2003 IBAs come into play in this context. Ebay/Tacswap should be a good plate to go, along with BPMe . Com