Im in need of a carrier for some plates I got for christmas.
I have a crye JPC and Im not sure I like it. My level 3a vest is an armor express light hawk and it seems to fit and hold tighter.
The cord used for the cumberbund doesnt give at all and Im not a fan of the no velcro on the back. I could get someone to sew that on but the cumberbund still sucks. Is there a fix or should I go with new plate carrier.
This is my active shooter / call out so any replacement needs to go on fast.
Blue Force Gear on clearance & Grey Ghost Gear (often on sale) both offer reasonably price minimalist PCs
Both have the option of a single plastic buckle for a quick one sided “slide in & buckle”
I leave the side I keep my med kit on buckled at all times so I only have to duck in quick under the shoulder straps turning my head (so you don’t break your nose on a plate-they’re hard) and buckle the open side (for duty, you’re probably already wearing soft armor)
If you want elastic, you can always modify one or both sides to include some type of elastic or bungee material.
The JPC is generally considered one of the best PCs, but wearing plates over soft armor you won’t feel ANYTHING anyway. So all you need is speed and durability. Not sure about the BFG on durability, but for occasional usage the GGG seems very good for the low price. Mk2 Pig shoulder pads from SKDTac make any thin should straps comfortable.
No doubt Velocity quality and design is better with far more comfy options.
I do that with my soft armor. I need to be able to doff the soft armor and move to the plates pretty quick. I want something quick but it has to be secure.
I like the blaze defense system but 100 is excessive for a couple cobra buckles and some velcro.
If you want to keep the carrier but replace the cumberbun you could get this kit from Arbor Arms. Jon use to design carriers for another company and opened his own shop. https://arborarmsusa.com/product-category/cumberbun-kit/
For a full setup London Bridge just had a sale on their MAS Grey gear but it’s over. Check back every once in a while, their stuff goes on sale around holidays.
You said this is an active shooter rig, but what are you thinking of carrying on it? I am assuming you’ll have your duty belt on so what, maybe 3 mags and some flex cuffs? You may want to check out a Ferro Concepts Slickster. I know you said no velcro due to speed but the cummerbund has room for mags/radios/med supplies so you could have it pre loaded. Something along the lines of 3 ar mags on one side, an israli bandage, tourniquet, and spot for a radio on the other. This will leave your front completely slick if needed to prone out or squeze through something on a foot pursuit. It would also be easy to don and doff. You could then carry a placard or chest rig in the trunk to plus up/be more comfortable for longer call outs. Think barricaded suspect once the imediate threat of active shooter has ended but you need to pull outer/backside cordon. Throw the placard on with 2 clips and transfer/empty your cummerbund. If interested PM me and I’ll send you a few pics of what I mean.
If that doesn’t work for you, I’d echo the comments of the STT from SKD or the First On from First Spear. If I remember, they have a decent LEO discount. I dislike how the mags are on the First On but if the price is right, you could make it work.
I am not a huge fan of the GGG/Tac Tailor minimalist PC. I don’t feel that the single strap on the side works as well as a true cumerbund (my personal experiance with one). But, DSG was just running a sale on wolf grey for about $70. BFG has wolf grey tripple ten speed pouches for about $16 on closeout so that gives you a decent option under $100. (A buddy just went that route as the price worked for his budget)