All About Plate Carriers
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to go over plate carriers. These pieces of kit are widely used by armed professionals and civilians alike and provide a degree of ballistic protection. Our goal with this blog post is to provide a brief overview of these pieces of kit and go over some of the features and considerations associated with their use. Without further ado, let’s talk plate carriers.
What is a Plate Carrier?
Like the name suggests, a plate carrier is a piece of equipment that is designed to hold
armor plates. The use of plate carriers is most common among law enforcement and military personnel as they offer ballistic protection. In recent years, private ownership of body
armor, specifically plate carriers, has increased significantly. The number of civilians who own some form of plate carrier is higher than it has ever been, a trend which shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
Plate carriers serve as a modular evolution of
body armor, allowing the end user to fit a protective piece of kit with equipment and gear which accommodates their needs. Early body examples were usually bulky, cumbersome, and not easy to get on and off of the body. Modern style plate carriers feature cleaner and slicker form factors than their predecessors.
Plate carriers actually consist of multiple parts. The plates themselves are stored in plate bags which feature shoulder straps to be worn by an end user. These plate bags require a cummerbund to fully secure themselves to a wearer. These cummerbunds can often feature flexible elastic construction or be more solid structures which feature webbing. With modern, modular plate carriers, one will find that they are able to run various cummerbund options with their plate carrier of choice.
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What Are Plate Carriers Good For?
Due to their ability to contain
armor plates, plate carriers are good for protecting a wearer against gunshots. Granted, a plate carrier is dependent upon the presence of plates to actually protect the wearer. The carrier itself will not offer any ballistic protection of any kind. Furthermore,
armor plates carry different ratings as far as ballistic protection goes. For example, one will encounter plates with NIJ ratings of Level IIIA and Level 4 in both steel and ceramic form. The level of ballistic protection and weight are dependent upon the specific rating and the manufacturer of the plate. Simply put, plate carriers are suitable for practical ballistic protection purposes if paired with appropriate plates.
When paired with an appropriate placard or chest rig, a plate carrier can allow an end user to keep magazines at the ready when the unit is worn. Furthermore, a plate carrier can allow an end user to develop shooting skills while wearing
armor and hone their reloading skills. Additionally, the fact that plate carriers can accommodate gear such as first aid supplies and tools allow an end user to keep a wide variety of gear on their person at the range.
Plate carriers are also able to be used for physical training purposes due to their load bearing capabilities. Individuals engaged in athletic endeavors such as Crossfit or The Tactical Games often utilize plate carriers for endurance training.
Compatibility with Chest Rigs and Placards
Most modern plate carriers can be fitted with chest rigs or placards. These pieces of kit are typically added to a carrier via SwiftClips or G-Hooks, making them easily donned or doffed at a moment’s notice. Most placards and chest rigs will either attach to a Velcro field on the cummerbund of a plate carrier or a large Velcro field on the front plate bag itself. Specific attachment methods differ depending on the carrier and kit in question. Some plate carriers will even have ecosystems of their own which are proprietary in nature and work specifically with product lines their manufacturers have developed.
Who Makes Plate Carriers?
There are a wide variety of plate carriers currently available on the market. Companies such as Ferro Concepts,
Haley Strategic, Crye Precision, 5.11 Tactical, and Spiritus Systems are among some of the notable producers. These carriers are available in a number of colorways and encompass solid colors and camouflage patterns. Many of the companies that produce plate carriers offer multiple designs and variants, providing prospective customers with more options to consider. Plate carriers can range from slick, minimalist options to intricate and complex designs.
Some companies sell their plate carrier products in the form of separate items. For example, the plate bag, cummerbund, shoulder pads, and other components can be purchased as individual items. This allows a prospective customer to effectively build their plate carrier setup just the way they want. There is often some overlap and compatibility which can be observed across company lines, providing users with even more freedom when setting up their rig. It is also worth mentioning that some companies will offer plate carriers which include cummerbunds and major components as one item. These all-in-one offerings allow an end user to quickly and easily get into a carrier that is ready from the get-go.
Plate carriers are available in both surplus and modern form, allowing users to acquire fresh examples or save money by purchasing old stock. Plate carriers are also produced at many price points, meaning that shooters of all budgets can potentially acquire a plate carrier if they so desire.
Modular and User Configurable
Plate carriers can easily be configured to provide one with equipment and gear conducive to their shooting needs. For example, if you find yourself running an AR-15, you can easily affix a triple mag shingle placard or a chest rig to accommodate magazines for your rifle. If you decide to shoot something like an MP5 or another subgun, you can easily find a placard or chest rig designed to accommodate those types of magazines.
Due to their large size and many ways to accept attachments and accessories, one can easily tailor their carrier to their needs. One can easily add things such as additional magazine pouches, general purpose pouches, and medical pouches to their carrier if they so desire. These pouches and attachments can be either placed onto the body of the plate carrier itself or onto its cummerbund. Some cummerbunds will feature webbing or built in pouches which accommodate a wide variety of gear and equipment.
The modularity of plate carriers and ability to configure them in a variety of ways is a boon to shooters. An optimized plate carrier can absolutely enhance a shooter’s time at the range and allow them to more effectively train with their gear.
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Some Caveats
It cannot be overstated that plate carriers lack ballistic protection without plates. One should not expect any level of ballistic protection from an empty plate carrier. It should also be known that the presence of plates alone simply does not make one invincible. Most plates will only cover a small area of the body due to their typical 10x12” size. Plates are mainly intended to cover vital organs such as the heart and lungs, meaning that one’s lower abdomen and area above the pelvis are still exposed. While plates may prevent a bullet from penetrating and impacting the body, they do not stop kinetic energy transfer. It is not uncommon for those who endure hits on their plates to still suffer some degree of trauma to the body. This trauma can range from bruising to more severe issues such as broken ribs. It should also be known that the use of trauma pads can help protect against backface deformation and soak up some of the energy transfer.
The purpose of stating these caveats is not to downplay the effectiveness of plate carriers or plates by any means. It is to simply highlight some of the realistic factors one must consider when on the subject of
armor plates. In a dicey scenario, it is better to have some degree of protection than it is to not. If
armor plates and plate carriers as a whole were ineffective, they would not see mass issuance and use by law enforcement and military personnel across the globe.
Conclusion
All in all, plate carriers are versatile pieces of kit as they potentially provide users with ballistic protection and optimal equipment storage. These benefits can be enjoyed by armed professionals and civilians alike. These pieces of equipment allow end users to train effectively with
armor and work on things such as reloads. Whether you are running a plate carrier or not, it pays for a shooter to build proficiency with their firearms and gear. To do so,
ammunition is necessary. We here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide variety of
ammunition suitable for training applications in pistol, rifle, and shotgun calibers. Regardless of whether you are after something like
5.56x45mm NATO or
9mm Luger, we have got you covered. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at sales@trueshotammo.com for more ammo options.
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