I am looking to by my first PC. Looking at BDS carrier:
http://www.bdstacticalgear.com/pd-bds-tactical-advanced-plate-carrier.cfm
any feedback or advice would be appreciated. Thanks
BDS was my first carrier many years ago, it is made pretty cheap, I say buy once cry once, save up another couple hundred and get a SKD PIG, or LBT, or another top maker.
Ok thanks. Yeah I am leaning towards one of the brands you suggested.
John Willis can give you some first hand feedback regarding BDS.
Of SOE? I am afraid to talk to that guy…
Jk. I assume his feedback would not be positive?
Velocity system Scarab is pretty awesome as well IMO.
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Let’s just say that BDS used to be the first SOE. After a VERY nasty divorce, John’s wife ended up with it and renamed it BDS.
If I was in the market Id buy a First Spear STT from SKD. The 6/12 and 6/9 pouches are nice but not necessary, regular molle works just as well with the carrier. The tubes make getting in and out of the rig a breeze as well.
http://www.skdtac.com/FirstSpear-STT-Plate-Carrier-SKD-Exclusive-p/fsr.550.htm
That is the Rated G version of the story. It was very bad and the quality almost immediately went into the trash. I would rank it just about Blackhawk! gear.
Thanks guys for the feedback. Save me $100. I’ll save up and get a skd.
You can’t go wrong with the SKD PIG. Mine is the most comfortable plate carrier I’ve ever worn. I’ve also got a LBT 6094A and I prefer the PIG hands down. The only reason I got the LBT is I wanted a PC in woodland and it was the best of a limited number of choices.
The biggest difference that I can see is at least BDS is American made.
This is an AWS made version of a LBT 6094. Great reviews and a buddy in my unit has been running one for months and loves it.
Nice! And a lot less expensive than the LBT. Which model is the closest to the 6094? Is it this: #0-52813 Operators Choice Plate Carrier ?
Yep, great deal for $150. Just be aware you might need to be patient, sometimes it takes 'em awhile to get orders out.
Thanks a ton. Could I set it up similar to this setup?
Of course. I have a 6094B and it’s served me very well.
I’d recommend the MARZ carrier. SKD carries them
Good afternoon… I am The Director of Sales for BDS Tactical Gear and would like to comment on a few statements in this thread.
“BDS was my first carrier many years ago, it is made pretty cheap, I say buy once cry once, save up another couple hundred and get a SKD PIG, or LBT, or another top maker.”
BDS Tactical Gear carries a lifetime warranty and if the plate carrier that you have has any issues, please contact me directly and I will either have it repaired or replaced at no cost to you. Since I came onboard two years ago, we have had less than 20 warranty claims TOTAL and all have been taken care of within 48 hours of receiving the product back to our Oceanside, CA facility.
“John Willis can give you some first hand feedback regarding BDS.”
I always get a good laugh out of hearing these comments… First of all because 90% of the people making them have no idea what actually occurred at the time that SOE became BDS and secondly because 95% of the people making these comments have no idea what the current relationship is between SOE and BDS… I would welcome John to chime in here and comment, but there really is no need to. Just as I would/could say nothing bad about the products that SOE is putting out, he would/could say nothing bad about our products. Both companies are turning out quality gear that is made in The USA using materials sourced from the same companies…
“Let’s just say that BDS used to be the first SOE. After a VERY nasty divorce, John’s wife ended up with it and renamed it BDS.”
Again, unless you were involved you most likely have no idea what actually occurred between John, Jennifer and Mike Bornfriend (the current owner of BDS Tactical Gear). But here is some very basic information… John and Mike were friends (and still are). After Mike left The USMC, he was The General manager of SOE. After not very long, Mike left to pursuit a career as a police officer in his home town of Baltimore. Then John had some legal issues and Jennifer (his wife) was ill-equipped to run the company. Originally there were quality issues, management issues, etc. and the company name was changed to BDS Tactical Gear in an attempt to “start over”. Shortly after that, Mike left The Baltimore City Police Department and came back to California where he assumed management and then ownership of the company. Mike being a former 0321 Recon Marine and having a good sense of what worked and did not, made some changes to certain products and kept some the same. He started building quality gear that is now sold at all US Army, Airforce and Marine Corps exchanges world wide.
“That is the Rated G version of the story. It was very bad and the quality almost immediately went into the trash. I would rank it just about Blackhawk! gear.”
Im not sure if you are stating that the situation was very bad or the quality was very bad, but in either case I would not completely argue with you. The situation was horrible… 11 years ago A man went to prison, a handicapped son lost his father and a woman was left to fend for herself with very little knowledge of the business or tactical gear. When all of this happened, the quality of gear immediately took a turn for the worst because although the sewing technicians knew how to build the gear (some of the same sewing technicians are STILL with BDS Tactical Gear), material management became an issue because of bills not getting paid and/or simply not knowing where material came from. So shortcuts were taken, and quality took a hit. BUT, that was rectified quickly when Mike came onboard in 2005. He immediately made contact with the suppliers, and began what is now an 10 year old relationship with vendors, wholesalers and distributors that has lead to BDS Tactical Gear becoming one of the premier tactical nylon companies in The USA.
As I said earlier, BDS Tactical Gear is NOT the company that it was after John went away… It is NOT the company that his ex wife Jennifer ran, and it is NOT a company that puts out poor quality gear. It is a company owned and operated by a former 0321 Marine, managed by a team of former US Marines and the gear is being built by a team of sewing technicians, web cutters and quality control people who care about the product that they are putting out. BDS Tactical Gear is available on The GSA as well as through Prime Vendors and again… available in Army, Air Force and Marine exchanges world wide!
I will make the OP a dealer that he SHOULD NOT refuse… I will build him an Advanced Plate Carrier in the color of his choice at absolutely no cost to him. No special steps will be taken in its production and I wont even “look it over” before it leaves here. He can check it out, test it, use it, abuse it and then report back to you and let you know what he thinks. He has no obligation to BDS Tactical, and I would hope his review was completely honest and sincere. If he doesn’t want to review the rig, that’s fine too… He can still keep the rig and do with it whatever he wants.
Hey OP, you can’t beat that!