Chest Rigs vs Plate Carriers
Table of Contents
Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy wanted to compare chest rigs to plate carriers. These pieces of kit are utilized by a wide variety of shooters in the present day. Both armed professionals and prepared citizens utilize chest rigs, plate carriers, or both. Our goal with this blog post is to define these pieces of kit while delving into their pros and cons and other traits. Without further ado, let’s get into it and talk chest rigs and plate carriers.
What is a Chest Rig?
A chest rig is essentially a piece of equipment which allows an end user to retain magazines and
gear on their body. These rigs are typically attached to an end user via a harness. These types of harnesses will typically feature shoulder straps, usually in an “X” or “H” pattern, and are supported by waist straps.
Classic examples of chest rigs can be traced back to the early 20th century in the form of bandoliers and web
gear. These older pieces of kit served the same purpose as modern examples as they were designed to keep
ammunition ready to go at moment’s notice. Chest rigs and bandoliers were also worn over
armor and other protective
gear once they became available and issued to troops. Modern examples which are common today can be worn over existing
gear, used as standalone units, and even integrated onto plate carriers.
While a majority of the modern chest rigs on the market will feature a Velcro backing, there are some offerings which lack this feature. Some of the rigs lacking this feature will be of the split front variety, allowing them to quickly be donned and doffed at a moment’s notice.
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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Pros and Cons: Chest Rig
Pros:
- Chest rigs are ultimately much lighter than their plate carrier counterparts. This is mainly due to the fact that they are constructed from less material and do not have to carry armor plates. Simply put, one will have less weight bearing down on them with a chest rig than they will if they run a fully configured plate carrier.
- Chest rigs are standalone pieces of kit. Generally speaking, complete chest rigs that are range-ready are more accessible and common than plate carriers of this type. Unlike plate carriers which may require additional components and plates to be fully functional, chest rigs generally just need a harness and magazines.
- Complete chest rigs will generally be cheaper than a complete plate carrier. To be functionally complete, all a chest rig needs is a harness and means to hold magazines, a setup which is considerably cheaper than a fully configured plate carrier.
- Versatile as both a standalone piece of kit or when attached to something like a plate carrier.
Cons:
- Generally speaking, chest rigs will not provide any ballistic protection. With the minimal designs of most chest rigs, there is typically no provision for adding armor plates to a rig.
- Due to their minimal designs, chest rigs will offer fewer potential methods for storage and attachment than plate carriers do.
- Chest rigs will generally feature poorer load bearing capabilities than their plate carrier counterparts. This is mainly due to the fact that these pieces of equipment are minimalist in nature and simply not build to be capable of carrying heavy loads.
Pros and Cons: Plate Carrier
Pros:
- Due to the fact that plate carriers are able to accept armor plates, plate carriers can potentially provide a wearer with some form of ballistic protection. The level of ballistic protection afforded by armor plates is ultimately dependent upon the specific rating of the plates themselves.
- Plate carriers will also generally feature a greater potential for adding attachments and storing gear than their chest rig counterparts. Plate carriers can typically feature some form of integral admin type pouch and easily accept more storage solutions. Plate carriers will also benefit from the fact that they typically have cummerbunds which can accept gear, equipment, and pouches.
- Plate carriers also boast superior load bearing capabilities over their chest rig counterparts. Plate carriers typically will feature more robust shoulder straps and more material overall which is well-suited for load bearing purposes. Additional weight associated with armor plates makes them useful for some forms of endurance and resistance training.
- Generally, plate carriers are capable of accepting a variety of placards and chest rigs to provide versatile and adaptable magazine storage.
Cons:
- Generally, plate carriers are going to be significantly heavier than chest rigs will be. The overall weight of plate carriers is influenced by the fact that they are responsible for holding armor plates. It is also worth noting that armor plates will have different weights depending on the material and how they are manufactured.
- Generally speaking, plate carriers are not standalone pieces of kit and will typically require additional purchases to get fully configured. Some carriers will require additional purchases of cummerbunds and other major components. Plate carriers will also not offer any level of ballistic protection until plates are installed.
- Plate carriers are generally going to be much more expensive to acquire and configure than their chest rig counterparts. Most plate carriers will lack a means to store and retain magazines, meaning a prospective buyer will need to make an additional purpose to achieve this function in most cases. Plates are almost always an additional expense unless one were to purchase a bundle of some sort.
Who Makes Chest Rigs?
Currently, chest rigs are made by a number of reliable companies who produce high quality products. Companies such as Haley Strategic, Spiritus Systems, Velocity Systems, First Spear, and Ferro Concepts are among some of the notable American chest rig manufacturers. Chest rigs are available in a variety of colorways, ranging from solid colors like black and ranger green to camouflage patterns such as Multicam and M81 Woodland. Accessories for chest rigs are also available in matching colorways, allowing for easy color coordination.
There are also a variety of old manufactured chest rigs on the market which are enjoyed by shooters of all types. Whether you are budget conscious, wanting to run old school or historical kit, or just simply want to run older
gear, one can absolutely do so. Common examples are surplus rigs manufactured by Eagle Industries or the famous Chinese Type 56 Chicom rigs. The Eagle Industries rigs of this type will typically feature built in flap magazine pouches or feature MOLLE webbing which will accommodate a variety of pouches. While originally intended for AK use, Chinese Type 56 Chicom rigs feature large pouches which will also accommodate things such as AR magazines.
At the end of the day, chest rigs are quite readily available from both new and old sources. Shooters of all budget levels can either purchase a complete rig or piece together one over time, building something that fits their needs and budget.
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.
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Conclusion
At the end of the day, you cannot go wrong with either a chest rig or a plate carrier. Both pieces of kit are versatile and well-suited to a variety of use cases. While both chest rigs and plate carriers are versatile pieces of
gear, there are some tasks that one excels at over the other. It is ultimately up to the end user to determine which piece of kit best fits their needs and preferences. Or, they can just get examples of both to have a wide variety of equipment at their disposal. Regardless of whether you run a chest rig or a plate carrier, you will need
ammunition to hone your skills and run your kit. We here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide variety of
ammunition well-suited to this task and are here to help you get stocked up. 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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