GO TIME ACTIVE SHOOTER CHEST RIG

[Army Chief]

I'm all for light-hearted banter when the occasion calls for it, but these kinds of jokes tend to work a lot more effectively if more than one person "gets" them.

AC

[Stickman]

I hate to break this to everyone, but most cops aren't carrying anything they aren't issued. With this in mind, I welcome every cop I train, interact with on my squad, or wearing a badge to go the extra mile and get what is needed for when times are hard. That starts with the proper mindset, with equipment being secondary.

If we are to debate equipment issues, thats fine, but lets keep the focus on what works for us, and why. If you are detracting from what someone else uses, please give solid reasons based on your training and experience why you feel it to be in error.

[NYLONSCIENCE]

I have read all the comments to my original post and I think they are all good ideas. To answer some of the first posts, I do have a connection to this Rig. I am the designer of it. A little background on me, I have been a full time police officer for 13 years in southern,Ca and I am still on the job pushing a black and white. I have also been in the Tac industry for 6 years. Just to clarify, This rigs design/concept did not come from seeing the Mini-Mav rig. At the time it was designed I did not know that rig was even on the market. And until recently after a little research, it wasn't even available on their website. So my rig came out on the market before the Mini-Mav. Enough with that. This rig was designed as a grab and go type rig. Unlike other rigs this one drops over your head and does not have other straps criss crossing behind the back. Rigs like that are good but they are not quick. It would take you some time to put that one on. My rig is designed because the incident with the active shooter is going down now. I'm not saying it's the total solution but it is an option. Most cops I see don't set up or carry anything for the most part. This was the first model. For those that want to set up their on kit on the front it also comes in a molle/pals version. There are also three other version coming out soon. One has 3 rifle mags sewn on the front with three rows of pals webbing to add even more gear.Most active shooter situations are going to be quick and dynamic, and you are going to have to handle business now. If it lasts a while SWAT will probably then be there. Go bags are great to have all kinds of different gear for your daily duties. But a bag with 10-20 mags or so are probably not going in with you on the active shooter hunt. I'd like to see someone carry one in. your gonna want to be light and quick to get the job done. More mags are great but the more mags = more weight. Thanks for all your input.

[Army Chief]

I could be missing the point, but I can recall instances in my own limited LE experience when a shotgun or patrol rifle was deployed more as a precaution than as a response to a known active shooter situation (i.e. clearing a warehouse at night following a call of possible suspicious activity, or responding to an alarm at an isolated industrial park which was known to malfunction with some regularity).

In situations such as those, a quick donning vest would have been just what the doctor orderered, whereas a full-on go bag would have almost certainly been left behind for the very reasons that Nylonscience mentioned. When you know what you're rolling into, it's easier to get the equipment mix right; when you've no idea what you're likely to encounter -- or more likely, not encounter -- the most streamlined solution is the one which is most likely to actually be deployed.

AC

[Cannon549]

Apparently I started a real firefight with my comment. That wasn't my intent. It just sounded like, to me at least, everytime he needs to grab his carbine he has to throw on a tac vest an grab a war bag. I have plenty of crap in my trunk and at the beginning of every shift I look like I'm packing the family truckster to go off to Wally World. To me it sounded like his possibly "antiqued" department policies were in need of change.

I know how it goes, we have the guys on the upper floors that sit there and think that it's not a problem for me to duct tape my vest on everyday because they don't want to pay for a new one. They even offer to buy the tape for me.

Back to this thread though, I have a "war" rig that has all of that junk (happy meal water and all) and then I also have a simple chest rig "bandolier" style that holds a couple extra mags for the "quicker" stuff.

[scumhunter]

I could be missing the point, but I can recall instances in my own limited LE experience when a shotgun or patrol rifle was deployed more as a precaution than as a response to a known active shooter situation (i.e. clearing a warehouse at night following a call of possible suspicious activity, or responding to an alarm at an isolated industrial park which was known to malfunction with some regularity).

AC

AC couldn’t be more on the point. This is where my conflict is coming from. We are comparing apples to oranges as far as the uses of a patrol rifle and the associated gear. Without question the rifle has many uses in law enforcement, but the featured product “The go time active shooter chest rig” it is being clearly marketed as an active shooter accessory.
“Active shooter” has a very specific definition in my simple mind and I immediately relate it to events such as Columbine, Virginia Tech, The Taj Mahal hotel or similar incident. We all know the ever lengthening list of mass murder situations where a gunman or gunmen enter a target rich environment such as a mall or school with the sole purpose of generating a high body count.
The featured chest rig provides access to extra ammo. Ammo is good, very good but I want more tools to get the job done when multiple people are being slathered. The officers and agencies that have had these horrible events preach a similar theme…..Go fast and go prepared. My personal choice for being prepared is the go-bag.
As we all know the rifle has many other applications. As mentioned, high risk traffic stops, perimeter duty, armed disturbances, the list can go on and on. I can think of a lot of situations where I would like to have the ability to securely carry and have access to additional ammo, just ammo. It appears “the go time active shooter chest rig” would be perfect for most all of these types of scenarios. I really like the fact that Nylonscience has made getting the rig on fast and simple. Back when I was using my thigh rig for extra ammo it got left in the car when things were happening fast. Even though it may have taken me 10-15 seconds to get it on, that is a loooong time when you hot stop a vehicle or roll up on a shooting scene. Pulling this chest rig over your head and engaging one quick buckle on the move seems to be well thought out.
Holy gear nerd, I’m about to totally contradict my earlier declaration of not liking your chest rig. I’m going to buy this thing and put it into service. The only catch is you have to rename it “the go time everything BUT an active shooter chest rig”. It will never replace my go-bag but by the grace of God it will get a lot more use!

[xjkrenzer]

i think you would be happier long term with a vest styled rig. In my experience, anything that hangs on your neck like that design will become a PITA during extended use, chafing, soreness ect. I am however biased towards urban combat styled rigs worn over a ballistic vest. look through the "Ranger Joes" webstore, they have a lot of similar priced items that offer more features and versatility.

[Lex Talionis]

how about a style that mounts to the leg/thigh like a tactical holster?

what do you guys think of that style?

[scumhunter]

I started out with a thigh rig but didn't like it. Even with the belt clip, I still had to run the straps around my leg and make sure they didn't cross in the process. It just took too long to get it on when rolling up on a hot scene. To top it off, the only thing it provided was ammo. I like having a few extra tools/toys available for some situations. See my lengthy rants above for further info.

[Policetacteam]

Man..apparently I'm just catching the tail end of this game!! Lots of great points and alot of different views. Most of the guys here probably work in very different areas (city, county, sandbox) and have very different needs. I agree with Stick in that if you have an arguement or different view at least back it up with real world experiences and why you have come to that conclusion. I have tried several different methods for carrying extra gear for active shooter situations.

1) 5.11 chest rig. This was nicely made and cheaply priced. It allows the user to configure it however they see fit. It was very easy to throw on and fit very well over my duty uniform with belt rig on. For the price, and if you are wanting to go "minimalist" this is a cheap solution!

2) 5.11 Active Shooter bag. Semi-small and just enough room for plenty of mags (both rifle and handgun), first aid kit, light, and other essentials. I have trained with this bag on while shooting my rifle and handgun and barely notice that its there! It may not be for everyone but it works very well for me!

3) Back-up SWAT vest in my trunk.

All three of these provide options. As a firearms instructor for my department I am always glad to have other officers come to me with questions about "what can I do to be more prepared". The vast majority of the officers that I work with are NOT in the warrior state of mind when they arrive for work. Being prepared is half the battle and we must show up ready to do work.

[cmoore]

I hate to break this to everyone, but most cops aren't carrying anything they aren't issued. With this in mind, I welcome every cop I train, interact with on my squad, or wearing a badge to go the extra mile and get what is needed for when times are hard. That starts with the proper mindset, with equipment being secondary.

I wish Stick was my sarge. He has the properr mindset. I always get my
!@#$ stepped on when I think outside the box in order to complete a mission more effeciently/safely.

I have to wade through the "administrative paralysis" on a daily basis....which is why I work nights

Thanks Stickman, for posting the truth...

cmoore...

out...

[Jerry R]

Being a "non-Professional" user of equipment, I would like to ask a question about this and other vest type carriers.

I see a lot of them with a buckle right where the buttstock goes. I know a Body Armor underneath would keep that buckle off your shoulder, but for those of us not wearing armor isn't that uncomfortable when firing?

That's why I have the 5.11 Active Shooter Bail Out Bag.

Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question, but ..........

[Failure2Stop]

I realize that I am about 4 months late to this party, but the recent post got me to read the whole thing and it prompted some interest.

I do some work with guys that use "go-bags" in a subdued military role in semi-permissive environments. We do quite a bit of vehicle-ambush and bug-out work. Without getting into TTPs, the final goal is a hasty withdraw through the known area with the least amount of incoming, which requires some rapid work to get out of the bullet-magnet and into a suppressive posture to permit small-team movement.

I have seen several instances of sub-optimal interaction with the go-bag- everything from throwing it on backward, losing mags, inability to retain partially filled mags, lots of shifting during movement, etc. Unfortunately, a conventional chest-rig is just too slow to don when you need to fight NOW. Bandoleers don't really work due to storage issues and how the gear is placed to permit instant access by the individual.

The Go-Time rig looks like a very viable alternative. For our application it would need to be a little heavier on mags- I would say 3 minimum, but the PALS version would rectify that by being able to mount exactly what we need. A few rifle and pistol mags with a strobe pouch, bleeder kit and small radio would be great. If the body could be opened to provide storage for maps and air-panels would be nice, but not really a deal-breaker.

The idea of something that you can grab and throw over your head for the immediate fight is pretty good. Not something I would want to wear for dedicated repeatitive patrol work, but for it's purpose it seems a better alternative to other options.