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Thread: Vests, Chest Rigs, and Bandoliers - Useful or just LARP'ing?

  1. #61
    Quote Originally Posted by BillSWPA View Post
    When I lived in Arkansas in the 1990’s, INS would raid the chicken processing plants regularly and frequently. Pictures of the raid in the newspaper always showed them in jeans with thigh holsters that could more accurately be called knee holsters, and no body armor that extended anywhere near that holster. I always questioned the advantages.

    I do understand dropping a holster a few inches lower to better clear body armor.



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    It's hot in some of those chicken houses! And the biggest threat is migrant woman with a broom, how much armor do you really need?

  2. #62
    The Nostomaniac 03RN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lester Polfus View Post
    Oh we will need to see pictures of that when it is done.
    Yes

  3. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by bravo7 View Post
    A thigh holster is retarded no matter what, and I don’t know how you can take one that sports that seriously.
    Seriously?

    I guess that depends on what your job / gear set-up requires.

  4. #64
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RevolverRob View Post
    Yet, I’ve never met anyone, including myself, who has ever been questioned by a stranger or police officer when wearing this vest in gray - https://www.concealedcarry.com/produ...cealment-vest/

    I’m not going to say that I haven’t been “made” while wearing it. But I will say, no one has ever mentioned it to me. So either people noticed and said nothing or people didn’t notice. Either way the desired effect of concealment was achieved.
    Think it would invite questions if worn in a Texas August?
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

    Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

  5. #65
    Quote Originally Posted by bravo7 View Post
    A thigh holster is retarded no matter what, and I don’t know how you can take one that sports that seriously.
    Works pretty slick when you’re in and out of vehicles all day, doing manual labor while not wanting a pistol butt jamming into your side, or on horseback.

    In any of those situations, a chest mounted holster would probably be better, but I didn’t have one, and still don’t.

  6. #66
    The R in F.A.R.T RevolverRob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by awp_101 View Post
    Think it would invite questions if worn in a Texas August?
    Hasn’t before. I wear it anytime I am in Texas.

    Last time in July I walked right past three Dallas PD officers on my way into Whole Foods, not even a blink.

    I do usually wear it unbuttoned when it’s hot out. The “Safari” version has a mesh vented back and is a damn sight cooler than anything this side of a silk Hawaiian shirt. I also always wear two shirts, because I sweat like a whore in church when the temp is above 80. So I need a sweat absorbing undershirt.

  7. #67
    Site Supporter Rex G's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by WDR View Post
    I have an old Eagle "Patrol Bandolier" that I keep in the truck with a rifle. It holds 4 AR mags and two pistol mags (or a flashlight/multitool/etc), it has a strap you can toss over a shoulder, and another on the back with a snap to secure it to your belt to keep it from flopping around. I have tried to practice with it a bit, and as a way to carry reloads when I got into a hot stretch of jackrabbit fields (blasting through 5 30rd mags of .223 at running jackrabbits can be a lot of fun)...

    It makes for a decent "grab and go" and is a good way to keep a few mags handy and portable. The flip side is that actually running a reload from the pouches, particularly if you have not secured the back loop to your belt, is a fumbly mess. Its gonna be slow. Running without it secured is also a show. Securing the belt loop on the back helps a lot with both problems, but creates others, like blocking the primary pistol reload pouch on my belt, and making it harder to reposition the bag to get into certain positions, or to get it out of the way while doing other tasks. It can be concealed under a jacket/coat, but anyone looking close would pick it out fairly quickly.

    It serves its purpose for me, but as a "fighting" way to carry a few mags, it lacks a lot of things. I always wanted to buy one of the old Eagle/SKD chest rigs, but I never pulled the trigger. Something like a HPG kit bag with a 1-3 mag "shingle" on the front could be useful, and serve similar purposes.
    I have one of these, in the shot shell version. A good piece of kit!
    Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.

    Don’t tread on volcanos!

  8. #68
    Quote Originally Posted by bravo7 View Post
    A thigh holster is retarded no matter what, and I don’t know how you can take one that sports that seriously.
    First, take your pistol, and put it in any hip holster at 3 o'clock. Next, grab your rifle/carbine, and sling it barrel-down. Step 3: try and get your rifle off your back and into your hands in a hurry. Guess where your barrel goes! Ditto for a long plate carrier that comes down to the belt-level--it's gonna interfere with anything coming up from the belt.

    Both problems could be solved by a holster on the chest rig itself, but there are plenty of reasons why those could suck for someone. Standard thought is that thigh holsters are uncomfortable as fuck, but I can neither confirm/deny, as I've no experience with new/good ones + walking far. I've seen enough people that say generally non-retarded things using them that I'd imagine they can't be 100% retarded themselves.

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by JRB View Post
    If you've got a better method for carry while wearing a full IOTV with hard and soft armor, plus all required Soldier gear, ammo, IFAK, etc, that doesn't involve putting the pistol on the vest itself and fucking up gear access and offhand emergency draws even more, I'm all ears.

    With a full IOTV I've found a *properly configured* thigh holster is very useful. Not the oft-seen kneepad with a weapon in it, but properly riding high enough to put the weapon's grip on the band of your wristwatch or higher on that side. This often starts to block the pants pocket on that side, depending on the Soldier and the collective gear involved.
    Configured like that it clears up the waistline and when going prone, crawling, climbing etc in gear the holster doesn't hang up or pinch against the IOTV or gear mounted on it. It also allows the use of a battle belt below the IOTV if desired.

    The kneepad holster effect sucks but it's a result of the institutional aversion to proper pistol training among big Army and across the other branches, with rare niches of exceptions. I instruct proper holster set up when I'm NCOIC'ing a pistol range or otherwise in a position of authority, but I'm powerless to fix the Army as a whole. So common misuse sucks but it doesn't mean the gear is useless, or that anyone who uses it is not to be taken seriously.

    I carry via two methods; AIWB in a JMCK Wing Claw, or in a Safariland drop holster. I've gotten myself practiced enough that my muscle memory draw switches to the drop holster when I'm wearing my IOTV/battle rattle, and back to AIWB when I'm not. So if I were to wear a chest rig I'd likely go with my Safariland thigh holster as well, and if I'm wearing a chest rig I'd probably have a rifle, too. It all falls together for me, but I practice both ways as much as I can.



    I wish I was home - I've got a bin full of 4 and 5 cell Hungarian canvas AK magazine pouches that work wonderfully for this kind of thing. They've got a shoulder strap and belt loops so they grab and carry quick and easy, and they look more like a vintage hipster man bag than a magazine pouch. I'll happily send you one or two this summer if you're interested.
    IOTV......sorry.....I get it then as your options are extremely limited. I wish they’d come up with something better for you guys.

  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redhat View Post
    Seriously?

    I guess that depends on what your job / gear set-up requires.
    Seriously.

    A properly worn thigh rig winds up being the same height as a belt mounted holster with a mid drop shank.

    All that is required is enough drop to clear armor.

    Given the prevalence of two strap thigh rigs bring improperly worn as knee rigs I almost hate to call a properly worn one strap rig a “thigh rig.”

    It’s kind of like how original meanings the terms “gay” and “comrade” are mere shadows of what they have devolved into.

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