PLATE CARRIERS
THE CAGE
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PLATE
CARRIERS
IN HIS GEAR ARTICLE LAST MONTH , BILL TOOK A LONG HARD LOOK AT CHEST RIGS BUT THE PLATE CARRIER STILL SEEMS TO BE THE CHOICE FOR MANY PLAYERS ! AS THE AIRSOFT ACTION “ LEGION ” HAS GROWN DURING THE LAST YEAR AND , GIVEN THE FACT THAT NEW MANUFACTURERS AND NEW MODELS OF CARRIER HAVE ENTERED THE MARKETPLACE DURING THAT TIME , HE THOUGHT IT WAS HIGH TIME TO REVISIT WHAT THE “ AA CREW ” ARE USING THEMSELVES AND WHY !
Plate Carriers are , in my mind , quite a strange
concept for airsoft in one way , as we really don ’ t need ( I hope !) the ballistic protection they offer ( or at least that given by the plates they conceal ), to protect us from those dreaded BB hits , now do we ? However , the humble “ Armour Vest ” has been transformed in recent years into something far more useful , carrying not only protective plates but also all the other “ shizz and shingle ” that we carry into contact with us !
Once upon a time ( and not so long ago , if I ’ m honest ), an “ Armour Vest ” was exactly that , a vest into which you fitted plates to protect you from harm and again , it wasn ’ t too long ago that these were simply called “ bulletproof vests ”, although that in itself was a bit of a misnomer ! Not truly “ bullet proof ”, the majority of vests were just about able to protect your vital core and organs from pistol-calibre rounds and movies of the time would often refer to bullets that would still penetrate these vests as “ cop killers ”, as the vests were predominantly used by LEOs .
However , materials science moved on apace and armour technology moved swiftly on with it . Plates became more protective , better able to withstand larger calibres ( even though impact trauma was still an issue , once explained to me in no uncertain terms by a prior-service USMC friend who ’ d taken an AK round to centre mass and lived to tell the tale , thanks to his body armour !) and lighter , although “ lighter ” is a somewhat relative term . That efficacy though , meant that a “ plate carrier , or PC ”, that combined the vest with load-carrying capability became both feasible and a reality .
These days it ’ s almost impossible to find an image of a soldier and indeed many police officers , where some form of plate carrier system isn ’ t in evidence and whilst I would revert to my opening comment - that perhaps we don ’ t need the ballistic protection element - the “ look ” is all-important if you ’ re going to create an even halfway decent MIL / LE airsoft loadout . Whilst the “ military ” plate carrier has changed in increments though , the “ civvy ” versions are pushing the boundaries of design , even being created to carry mock , weighted “ plates ” for exercise purposes ( I came across a guy wearing a 5.11 TacTec the other day when I was out with the hound , running happily wearing it !).
And it must be said that there are even some interesting and unique designs out there designed specifically for airsoft use and those are making the plate carrier even more affordable for even the most
72 MARCH 2021