Originally Posted by RevolverRob
Agreed and I have given it much thought - but given all that has been written about such vests (and the derisive "shoot me first" name), are they really that low profile?
Agreed and I have given it much thought - but given all that has been written about such vests (and the derisive "shoot me first" name), are they really that low profile?
The specific Concealed Carry Clothiers vests mentioned by RevolverRob are not the typical "shoot me first" photographer's vests. They are well-designed to look like they are simply part of your outfit for the day.
If you think you're fooling anyone while wearing a vest, I don't know what to tell you.
The only thing they give you is a fig leaf of deniability and normality vs. wearing something that is blatantly "tactical" in nature. But you're not going to fool anyone.
Suvorov- If you want the BFG chest rig to also work with AK mags ensure you purchase the .308 version with three mag pouches on it. The 5.56 versions 10 speed pouches are not quite large enough for AK Mags...This is going to be the route I'll most likely take. I already have a fair amount invested in Blade Tech and High Speed Gear pouches and like the low profile this offers but the ability to back fill from and carry other gear on the chest is what I need. The BFG 10-speed looks like the right option for me to hold a couple mags and some additional gear without being bulked out and being a Larry Vickers inspired product is no doubt capable of working with AK mags.
Interesting comments about the recent drive NOT to look tactical - I havent' been to a class in years but I sense that trend on the forums.
One other option I was thinking about was to use my ubiquitous "photographer vest" (I have the True-Spec) to carry extra magazines in the pockets "Paul Harrell" style but it seems the magazines are likely to rattle around inside the pockets and be a harder to get at.
Also on the spectrum of LARP, where does such a vest put you?
And plates are a whole other subject I have yet to try and decide on..........
Again - I really appreciate everyone's thoughtful and informed replies.....
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.
It’s interesting that people say that.
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.
That vest style was recommended by Tom Givens right here on P-F. I asked Tom about it being “a tell” his response that I’m paraphrasing was something like, “The two times I’ve drawn a weapon from underneath it, the goblins that were trying to do bad things seemed very surprised that I had a gun.”
That was good enough for me, I’ve had the same vest now...3-4 years? I only get compliments from people over it (I do have a body type and structure that looks good in vests of all types).
Meant to respond to this in the last post.
I guess I would say they are no more “high profile” than a softshell jacket with a chest rig underneath.
Now I mentioned the vest in terms of needing it in a low-profile situation. For a class, a dedicated chest rig may work better.
Besides a ChiCom rig and a concealment vest still doesn’t cost what one of the various fully modular chest rigs does. Those two pieces may not be as versatile individually, but I bet they are more useful together than a dedicated modular chest rig.
THAT SAID - I do keep meaning to buy a ChiCom-type rig for sub-gun mags and I do find chest-mounted rigs like the Hill People Gear Kit Bag highly useful.
If you go black on ammo, your mag pouches can carry battlefield pickups? Is that the idea?
Don't let anyone here stop you from LARPing, the one we've got now might be the last Republican president
I have two chest rigs, one setup for AK mags and another for AR mags. Like rob s and others have pointed out, they come in real handy in classes and I wear one even when just larping and training by myself. I can't really do battle belts, I have back problems that prevent me from wearing that much weight on my waist, and I found them to be rather cumbersome to wear.
I've never liked vests so I don't use them.
As far as bandoliers, I have a couple of these from Midway USA. They work with AK mags too, but the flaps don't have as much bite on the velcro, 20 round AK mags would fit perfectly. They're a good, inexpensive option for having a grab and go mag option.
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/939189814
I have a Spiritus Systems LV119 plate carrier that I can hook the chest rig into if I want to. I don't own the plates and carrier because I think I'll need them, I own them just in case I do.
He's talking about backfilling his "speed reload" rifle pouch, from the chest rig. Not filling his rig with unknown pickup magazines...
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