Any videos of how 308 performs after exiting those plates?

If budget is a concern start stripping away unnecessary capabilities in order to keep weight down. Basically I think you made the right choice.

Buffman tested them against .308 rifles.  16 and 22 inch barrels from 45 feet.  It stopped them but backface deformation was pretty significant.

That's what I kinda figured. Since you already have them I'd just keep them. You could always use some soft armor backers to help mitigate the bfd. Or realize that if someone was going to take a pot shot at you it would probably be from far enough away that the bfd wouldn't be that bad.

These plates come in at about 4.5 lbs, which is a lot lighter than the set of lvl 4 plates I have, and they do pretty well in testing.

Get backers and don't wear them when low visibility is a priority. I'd think the m210s would stop most non magnum hunting rounds but it's gonna lump you up without backers.

Yeah, that's an option I need to look into.  They are fairly inexpensive.

The gear whore in me says I may just need two separate plates carriers.  One low vis and one overt

This is the way. The lv119 is pretty low pro for an overt carrier but the reality is your not gonna wanna strip it down once you have everything set. Get a slickster type for low vis so you just pull your plates and leave your overt set up how you like it.

I think the LV119 will work well enough for me for low vis use.  I wore it into town today under a short sleeve button up and went into a few stores.  Has 2 AR mags and IFAK contents in the elastic cummerbund cells.  Nobody batted an eye.

I'll probably end up getting something with mesh/padding for heavier overt use down the road.  Not a really high priority right now though.

Do you like the narrower cut for shooting reasons or weight? It feels like 10x12s cover enough, it's inside the nipples though and I can't figure out if that's bad or it's enough to cover the important stuff.

Playing with some setups.  Just got this stuff this week so I'm just getting started on trying to set it all up.  All the pics are reversed since they were mirror selfies

Low Vis.  

2 AR mags, TQ, Israeli dressing.  Ordering a pair of chest seals to keep in map pocket behind front plate.




Overt

4 AR mags, 2 Glock mags, TQ, Israeli, will have chest seals in map pocket too once I get them.




Overt with extra mags and medical.

5 AR mags, 2 Glock mags, 2 TQ, 2 Israeli dressings, 2 chest seals, some other misc medical stuff.




Worn under a short sleeve button up with 2 AR mags, TQ, and Israeli.  





I'm already thinking about selling the Mk4 placard and SACK Mk3 dangler.  I'm just not sure they fit the role this plate carrier is for.  I probably should have just gotten the Unobtanium Gear SLEDs from the start as that's what I'm eyeing now.

Maybe I'll just keep it all set up as a chest rig.  Just as fast to go on vs the swift clips plus can be used without the plate carrier.

@sparky-kb I did that.  I’ve also got m210s.  Over is a crye SPC and low profile is a trex ac1.  I can wear the ac1 under a hoodie and it’s not really noticeable but anything less than that you can tell.  I think the only low profile armor option is soft armor honestly.

@bdover Are you just swapping plates out depending on which one you want to use or did you buy two sets of M210s?

I'm really thinking this LV119 can do both for me.  I went with the covert rear plate bag when in bought it since there are zero realistic scenarios I foresee where I'd need back panels.

I'm playing with using it as a slick carrier with chest rig over it instead of clipping on a placard if I need more gear.  I pulled the clips off the front and am just throwing the other stuff (Mk4 placard and SACK dangler) on as a chest rig.  It takes me 14 seconds to throw it on over the top of the slick carrier which is negligible and leaves the carrier as slick as possible.  



Anyone else still doing that or are you all just adding placards as needed?

@sparky-kb swapping the plates.  They live in the crye then get swapped to the trex as needed.  I’ve also got it so that in winter I wear the trex with plates over a base layer, the hill people wind cheater, then a spiritus thing 2 for a chest rig.   Lets me layer & maximize my versatility.

Cross posting from the minimalist carrier thread.

T3 Tomahawk LC just came in. Threw in some RMA 1092’s (Medium, 9-1/2” x 12-1/2” SAPI and 1” thick, multi-curve) and tried it on, got it fitted how I like.

Plate fitment is alright. Back bag is good, would like to sink the cover a little deeper, but it works. Front bag is snug getting the plate in, but the closure makes me think it was sized for something thicker. Most 10x12 and true SAPI mediums should fit pretty well, maybe trauma pads or 3A backers necessary for really thin plates.

Initial impression, I like it. It’s not quite as comfortable as a LBT 6094/AWS OCPC, but it’s much lighter and breathes better. Shoulder interference is… Well, it’s got a couple caveats, but it’s clearer than a 6094, though not quite as good as the JPC.

Shoulder straps are as minimal as you can get. The webbing has sharp edges, so the unpadded sleeves are a necessity, and you’ll probably still want a shirt with a collar unless you add pads. Basic loadout shouldn’t be uncomfortable without padding, it’s just a potential chafe issue.

They pull from the front of the plate bag, so over time, the edge of the front plate may dig into your chest, it also creates an annoying snag hazard for the toe of your stock. Magpul SL-K (Fuck this thing, by the way. Whomever it was at Sig that decided to include these with the MCX ought to be kicked square in the daddy bags) would catch on the webbing and the little plastic D ring when coming off the shoulder, every time. Sopmod stock doesn’t do this, though, so another win for the classic sopmod, but YMMV based on your preferred stock.

EOD mentions that placard ride height may be goofy based on the webbing loops for the buckles, but it fits an Esstac kywi placard absolutely perfectly from the top loop, the bottom of the placard is flush with the bottom of the plate bag.

The cummerbund is nice. It’s sized to go from shmedium-sized dudes, all the way up to fat boy sizes. I think Heavy 6, or even a gayTF agent could fit into it, it’s at least a couple inches longer than the T-rex elastic cummerbund. However, the tabs at the top of the mag cells tend to rub against the underside of your arm when moving while carrying a rifle, I could easily see this being really annoying after hiking all day if you’re wearing short sleeves.

The drag handle is fucking nice, this is what should be the standard rather than the goofy little carry handle built into most PC’s. It’s tubular nylon, and plays out to about a foot above the wearer’s head, it does most of what a DARCI strap does, though it’s not secured to your belt, so it probably still chokes out the dragee. One of our members has a video illustrating this on his channel, Modern Tactical Shooting, in his plate carrier video.

QD setup is nice. Without a placard, you can jettison this thing in under two seconds. Little fiddly to grab the strap when throwing it on, but much better than hefting everything over your head while trying not to knock one of your teeth out.

EOD Fish has a (Relatively) quick overview of the construction and features, for those that want to see what I’m talking about.




Easily worth the $200, and a steal for the $137 I paid when T3 had their Memorial Day sale.

Just adding the placard. Reason: less bulk, easier on/off and fewer opportunities for straps to cause entanglements.

Does anyone have any opinions on velcro front placards, for securing the cummerbund to the front for quick and easy don/doff/adjust? Seems to me this would be more convenient than tubes for rapidly adjusting, and I'm kinda surprised it's not a common thing.

I've only found a few factory options, HRT Modulus, Def. Mechanisms molle kangaroo, and one from midwest armor. Would like to try out a 4-mag one as well, see if that works better with radio wings due to the dead space that arrangement creates.

Leaning towards something that'll take a Lunar Concepts insert, though I'm getting rather annoyed that none of the manufacturers bother mentioning the orientation of the interior velcro, whether it be loop/loop or hook/loop.

I'm also curious about seeing if 3 single, or 2 dual inserts will conform to the plate a bit better than the more rigid tricert/qucert.

I'm afraid I'm not getting what you're asking,  but I'm not really smart either...

I'm looking for opinions from folks that have tried running their cummerbunds on the front of placards covered in loop velcro, Trex has a kywi placard with this setup.

Trex link

I wanted to see if anyone else has tried it and found glaring problems with that setup before I drop $120 on a modulus and lunar tricert, since I'm not as big a fan of kywis. I haven't yet found a modular 4-mag placard covered in loop, either, so I was hoping someone else knew of one.

Tracking. I've done it a few times. I prefer to do it with my beez/ ferro combo when with actual placards just because of size and stretching. But for a fast on solution... absolutely would.

How much adjusting do you need to do? Personally, I can't imagine not having tubes. The attachment by way of shockcord to the back panel gives me plenty of flexibility.

Not a necessity, just a belated lightbulb idea when a coworker asked me about an instructor belt vs a cobra belt.

It’s not about having a greater range of adjustment, (The LC Tomahawk cummerbund is phenomenal in that regard already) but having a quick-adjust when adding/removing layers while also being QD/QA like tubes. This also sizes itself perfectly every time you put it on.

After wearing a Ciguera for the past six months, I’d forgotten how nice an instructor belt is for daily wear, and I figure the same benefits probably applied to plate carriers as well.

Pretty sure I didn’t think of it before out of concern for wearing out the velcro, but in this instance, it’s the cummerbund and placard that get worn, not the front of the PC. And of course, I get 5 years out of an instructor belt, I don’t see a PC getting worn out anytime sooner than that.

ETA: This is also cheaper than tubes, and removes a failure point from the system.

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I always appreciate another perspective, and hopefully this helps others.

Ferro has a 3 mag shingle but it's elastic so re-inserting is tough/impossible. I think their thinking is that you can slap it on the Slickster when you're very low profile without having to hook anything up. Pull the velcro cummerbund off slap on the mag carrier, pull the velcro over it and go.

Saw that, pretty neat for a way to plus up.

I’ve got a few other options I’m looking at, not least of which is modifying the kywis with a heat gun.

Agilite AG3 placard/pouches are supposed to be rigid enough to re-index mags without issue, and the sleds have pretty good reviews.

I’ve spent a bit more time playing with the LC tomahawk, the unpadded shoulder straps are alright with a basic load, but the moment you add anything on top or to the back, (Backpack, hydro panel, etc) it begins cutting into your shoulders pretty noticeably.

It plays quite well with the DZ rig, only adjustment you need to make is to the sternum strap. I hope it still fits together this well after adding a set of qore shoulder pads. I’ve found that I’m much more inclined to leave the PC pretty slick and carry my gear in the belt kit, it’s startlingly comfortable when doing dumb shit, though I’ll probably keep a placard in my pack to plus up as necessary.

Slick

As a civilian I think that's a solid plan. I have two Slicksters and I'm thinking about selling the MC one running the gray one as slick as possible. I like the G hooks that Ferro uses since they are so low profile.

@sparky-kb

What plate carrier is that, and is it modular enough to run without a back panel?

I’m looking for a soft panel carrier that doesn’t have side plates that I can incorporate into a SOE micro-chest rig with an h-harness.

I’m trying to put together a light setup as part of an active shooter response kit for work. It will be ammo light, just carrying one spare rifle mag and two spare pistol mags.

Everything else will be some chest seals, bandages and tourniquets and couple small components like some 550 cord and an extra light.

The whole idea is something I can throw on quick and be on the move fast and maintain a low profile with.

It's a Spiritus Systems LV119 with covert rear plate bag meaning it has no zippers or provisions for attaching back panels.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by running it without a back panel or how it would play with a SOE micro rig and H-harness.

If you're talking using it with no zip on back panel, then yes.  If you mean making it into a Rhodesian Rig of sorts with armor in front only and no rear plate bag, then probably not.

I’m talking about running just a minimalist front panel with soft armor and none on the sides or rear., along with a micro rig with an h-harness.

So essentially the later of the two you described.

Think I’ve seen a surplus chest rig/tactical apron that does what you’re talking about…

Hang on.

Here it is, Rhodesian chest rig

Not surplus, it’s newly manufactured as a reproduction of an older rig. Think you could find an older surplus one if you look hard enough.

I wouldn’t call it minimalist, but it’ll hold whatever you want, and you can leave it mostly slick to keep it low profile.

Not sure how comfortable it would be with a rifle plate, but a soft armor panel probably wouldn’t be too bad.

US palm used to make something like that called the "Desert Tracker" plate carrier, basically an older style of plate carrier but instead of a rear plate bag it has an H harness.

If you don't mind me asking why do you want just a single soft armor panel with a chest rig?

I cant imagine that putting on two H harnesses, two waist straps, etc. would be faster or lower profile than appropriately set up armor.

Plate carriers and plates can get pretty dang minimal now, this is a pretty basic one I put together a few years ago and I imagine it can be improved upon and optimized by those more experienced and knowledgeable than I.

first spear slick
Hesco m210 plates
phokus IFAK behind front plate
2x rifle mags
1x pistol mag
handheld light
cat tq

weighs like 13-14lbs if I remember correctly as shown, if you take the mag shingle off its like 10-11lbs slick I believe, it stows under a seat or in a bag with or without the shingle, slim enough to still allow me to draw pistol from AIWB, can be thrown on while seated, can be deployed one handed if needed, and once its on it only requires you to close the one open side of the cummerbund to be ready.

I have posted this pic before, apologies.
Attached File

I’m wanting to put together something as part of an active shooter response kit. My agency issues rifle rated plate carriers, but the issue is the size and weight.

An active shooter response is to move to the threat as quickly as possible. Some of our schools are pretty large and a full on plate carrier with gear is going to slow me down and wear most folks out faster than they realize, me included.

While I understand the potential for ambush scenarios and the dangers of clearing rooms and working angles, the goal of an active shooter response is to move to the threat quickly.

The Haley rig I’ve used in the past worked well with an h-harness and was quick to deploy and only needed the two side straps cinched down to be secure.

That’s almost exactly what I had in mind. The only thing I would like to be different is for the carrier front to be the size of the soft armor plate (8x10 or 10x12) instead of the wrap around sides.

https://tracer-tactical.com/products/rpb-rig-plate-bag-front-pre-order

Maybe that add on plate bag will work with your existing micro rig?  

I love my JPC 2.0 and the Ferro Slickster is very slick but the K19 got into Agilite and now I'm fucking hooked on the KZero as my Lite and Heavy rigs...................Absolutely love these damn things and while the pincer placard and esstac are very nice you pair the Kzero with an Unobtainium Gear Sleds placard you got PERFECTION>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Just getting started setting up my newest Kzero in gods color of course!!  Would've only bought one if this M81 were an option from day one!!



No plate yet for this one as I'm going to spend real coin on the lightest HESCO's available........................

This is absolutely what I was looking for. I thought I had seen something like that and could not think of what it was called.

Thank you!

Do you know if the regular esstac placecard would work with the Agilite K-Zero carrier ?

Do you know if Esstac started making those?

Didn't see them on the site but may have overlooked them.

How are you liking the K-Zero ?

I'm looking to get another set up and was leaning on the JPC at first.
Now after seeing some youtube vids on this one I'm thinking it may be a better option.

The only thing I'm not sure about is wether or not I could use the Esstac 3 mag kiwi's on it.

I'm not a fan of the elastic retention for mag holders.

Well disregard all my questions.

After looking at a Third line defense video that I guess I missed while researching carriers I just ordered the Agilite K19 carrier that's on sale at Botach.

I saw I guess the first video T.L.D. put out on the K19 I didn't like the bulky quick release buckles on the shoulders so I had decided to go with the K-Zero.

Since seeing T.L.D.'s updated video on the K19 3.0 he demonstrated that on the updated 3.0 the QR shoulder buckles can be removed and replaced with I guess it's called a slide.

Plus on the K19 it has molle where I can use the Esstac kiwi which I like.

Esstac if you see this then disregard the email I sent about a velcro backed kiwi shingle.
I'll just order another molle backed one.

I've had this AVS laying around for a year or so after getting it and going back to a JPC pretty much immediately. The reason i didnt like the AVS originally was the inner cummerbund. Back in the day when i wore a CPC it didnt bug me but with all the quick velcroless cummerbund stuff nowadays anything velcro just makes me mad
Also, the inner harness itself, I get annoyed by it and constantly feel like its not adjusted right on my chest, its hot, and it doesn't add much for me as far as support goes as i tend to leave my sides slick.

So, for science, I ended up cutting the inner harness cummerbund back so it only wraps around my sides slightly, I left the outter material long velcroed it back on itself.

Now when i wear it i get all the comfort and structure that i love about the AVS/CPC but no bulky hot inner bund annoying me. This is a similar concept to AXLs AVS micro harness but i wanted to keep the back and shoulder harness parts of the original crye rig.

So far i really like the way this feels, it was obviously pretty sketchy taking scissors to a $1000 plate carrier but im glad i did it its been a concept ive had for awhile now.

Mag shingle added and shoulder pads put back on.
4 mile run
Attached File

I think I might move my tq in between my magazine and the cumberbun instead of between the magazine and the plate.
Attached File

I received my Agilite K19 plate carrier Friday.

I'm wanting to put an Esstac 4 mag shingle kiwi on it.

The K19 has 5 row's of molle down and 6 across.
The same as my LBX carrier that I have the Esstac 3 shingle on.

Will a 4 mag shingle fit on the Agilite ?

If you figure out a setup for it let me know. I am rocking a 3 still.

Well I was still just hearing cricket's here again so I emailed esstac.

They said a 4 mag shingle would work good for the K19 do to lack of needed molle row's. 8 I believe.

So I'll just order another 3 mag and work out an extra mag pouch somewhere. Maybe