setup saturday

Building The Modern Minute Man: Plates and Carriers

There it is, we have covered what I consider to be the basic equipment to carry every day to be an effective armed citizen and the foundation of what it takes to be a modern minute man. Trust me, I know it is a lot of gear to wear every day, you see why cargo pockets will never go out of vogue for the gun culture. We simply carry too much shit.

This week we are going to dive deep into the murky waters of support gear that will elevate your EDC role to neighborhood support/modern minute man. It will also elevate your tacticool LARP status as well. These articles are going to have to be long format, it is just the nature of what we are dealing with and the gross volume of stuff to cover, so, if you’re reading this on the crapper at work, go ahead and wave your hand to reset the automatic lights, settle in and prepare for those legs to get numb.

I flirted with how to kick this off, personally, I think armor and carriers are a great place to start since, to me at least, not getting shot is more important than shooting someone. Armor won’t stop you from being shot, it will stop that nasty little piece of angry lead from entering your body, at least the vital stuff anyway. If you have looked for even a fraction of a second you know that every company in Gods creation makes armor and carriers now, that’s great, we want people to have the equipment available to best protect themselves and their families, but how do we sort the trash from the gems? Who makes the best? Who has the best price? And who does it with the most style?

If garand thumb taught us anything, it is that looking cool when in full LARP is what matters most. So, armor. When you hear body armor most people think of the 1992 swat cop t.v. show they saw as a kid were they gear up in their soft armor for the raid, those have a place, but generally speaking those are for pistol rounds only. What we are looking for are plates, armor designed to stop rifle threats, at a minimum and as a general rule you want to be able to stop the caliber you carry.

There are different levels of armor plates, you can read up on those on your own but as a general rule you should buy the best you can afford. Lets start with armor first and we will run it on a scale from poors to big chimp energy. As a side note, nothing that I recommend will be inferior wish.com garbage, you can bet your life on all of it, some will just have significant drawbacks which we will get into.

AR500 plate and carrier bundle

Starting at the bottom we have AR500 armor and their steel plates, they are the most budget friendly by far because they are typically running a special every week and those specials usually include the carrier. It is a great company that makes awesome armor that anyone can afford and their bundle options are awesome, they definitely have a carrier and armor to suit your needs.

Pros to steel armor, it is multi hit capable, it is not fragile (if you like to throw your gear around in the truck or after a long day these are great because they can take a serious beating), their plates have a crazy long shelf life, and they come in at really nice prices, typically $200-$300 with a carrier. There are some cons, steel armor has risk of spall (shell fragment that splatters as it hits) so you definitely want to opt for the built up anti spall coating, you 100% must get curved plates, you don’t know suck until you’ve worn flat steel plates for a 6 hour class, their shipping time is usually about 12 weeks out sometimes longer. Mine took about 13 ½ weeks to arrive so you need to be patient. The biggest con is weight, these girls are hefty, with each plate coming in at around 11 lbs. That puts plates alone at 22 lbs not including the carrier and any mags or accessories you were planning to add. It doesn’t sound bad on paper but trust me, that weight will beat you into the ground faster than Mike Tyson. If you are ballin on a budget and don’t have any other choice and just cannot afford to go any higher, you could do a lot worse.

RMA 1155 plates

Our middle of the road offering comes from a company called RMA. Their most popular modes are the 1155s, they are a level 4 polyethylene ceramic blend. These come in about $100 more than the AR500 plates but add better ballistic coverage and save on weight. These little chonks come in at about 8lbs per plate, 6 lbs may not seem like a lot of weight savings but when you’re wearing this in a class, you’ll cut off a leg to save a few ounces.

Pros to these are better ballistic threat coverage, way better lead time with the majority of the time being next day shipping, and a definite weight savings. Cons are going to be the higher price point, they don’t come with a carrier, they are thicker at about an inch, and they are more fragile. You won’t wanna be throwing your carrier around with ceramic plates.

hesco l210 plates

Lastly, big chimp energy, the high rollers, the big ballers. Possibly some of the best armor on the market is made by Hesco. They make a wide array of styles, like everyone, but they seem to always do it better. I want to highlight a specific plate of theirs, the l210 special threat plates. These are an in between from level 3 to level 4, they don’t meet the level 4 requirements but they will stop light armor piercing intermediate cartridges. I encourage you to read up on the levels and NIJ certifications as well as size and cut of armor when you’re done here.

Pros to the l210s are definitely weight, coming in at 5.4 lbs per plate they feel great to wear all day, they’re only .6 inches thick, and they typically ship in 1-2 business days. Cons are going to be that they aren’t full level 4 and they drop M80 ball protection but they pick up light armor penetrating protection, lastly is the price these come in about $400 for just the plates.

Those are my three picks for plates covering a wide array of budgets, but I would like to add a note. This list is not comprehensive, there are a billion options and each of the companies I mentioned each make multiple models. I will tell you this when it comes to plates, buy the best you can afford. If you can buy the 3 lb mac daddy ultralight super hescos with multicurve, buy them. This is not an in depth on each plate or every model from every company, I am giving you three very solid picks and I hope you start doing research about them to make an informed decision. If you have any questions about selection, drop a comment and we will be more than happy to help you out.

Now we are going to shift gear to carriers, why did we cover plates first? Same reason I tell people to buy the contents of a backpack before they buy the bag, you need to know what’s going inside so you can buy the carrier or bag to fit. If we don’t we (guys) will overdo it and get the biggest most ridiculous carrier or bag we can find and it will be too heavy to comfortably do anything in or will have excess wasted space.

Most of the plates out there fall into the medium category, and this is important so pay attention. When you buy a carrier it will ask medium or large, the sizing has nothing to do with your body type and everything to do with plate size. Medium plate carriers fit standard 10”x12” plates. I am a big guy 6’ 3” and 275 lbs and I run a medium plate carrier that has great vital coverage.

 testudo gen 2 carrier

So, you know the drill by now poors to big chimp. AR500 will once again take the first slot because they are just so darn affordable and if you bought their armor package it was coming with a carrier anyway, I want to specifically highlight their testudo gen 2 carrier. I was incredibly impressed when I got mine with how rugged and well made it was and I recommend it often. Even if you bought the Gucci plates they would feel right at home in this carrier. The shoulder straps are nicely padded and the cummerbund is adjustable to someone much much bigger than me.

ferro concepts slickster carrier

Mid level will be the ferro concepts slickster which is my favorite carrier and what I personally use right now. These are a bit harder to get your hands on because they are so popular and when you do find one it is a la carte and you have to buy their cummerbund separate. It is an annoyance if you’re looking for a one stop shop but nice for those of us building something specific. I prefer it because of how low profile it is and the scalability from concealed carrier to overt.

spear strandhogg carrier

Lastly there is the first spear strandhogg, at the price of a new Glock this thing is pricey but comes with more sex appeal than Jennifer Aniston. This can be purchased all together or a la carte as money allows and is made with the highest quality materials. One of the biggest perks is it does not use Velcro to secure the cummerbund like the other two do, instead opting for a quick detach interlocking tube design.

No matter your mission there is something in here for you, if this is your first time purchasing armor or a carrier and you really want the best you can get, get the big pimpin plates and save on the carrier. I promise you won’t be disappointed. This topic can be somewhat controversial and really does require research that I just can’t include without making this a book, read up on this stuff, make a selection, if you have questions just drop us a comment and we will be more than happy to steer you through it. These waters are murky, they only get murkier and deeper as we go along.

Setup Saturday: Get Some Training

need trainingChasing the Gucci unicorn, it can be as addictive as crack and twice as expensive. If you’ve been on Instagram or any gun gurus social media you know exactly what I’m talking about, the latest and greatest that the firearms industry has to offer. Here is the deal, most (not all) of those people get that gear sent to them for free to show to you so you will rush out and buy it, it is marketing at its core. In reality people have budgets, mortgages, kids, and car payments so how do we decipher what is a must have versus what am I buying because it looks good on the gram.

Unfortunately, the answer is as varied as each person. My mentor has a saying when asked about a specific piece of gear, “what’s your mission?” Is your mission to carry a gun to protect yourself? Are you in law enforcement looking to setup your new Sam Brown belt? Each person is operating in their own mission and each person has an operational budget for gear. If you are a CEO your operational budget is much greater than mine but is that new wiz bang 6000 necessary for what you do? Or just a way to flex on the poors?

In the past two weeks we have covered carry gun selection as well as belts and holsters. That will get you out in the world as an armed citizen. Extra credit if you booked a class to learn how to fight with that weapon. But what comes next? I see too many people looking for the NEXT gun or the NEXT mod they can have done. There is nothing wrong with that if it is being done with purpose and not just because you liked how your salesman’s gun looked.

gucci glockI’ve been behind that counter, trust me, most of the time we are crying inside when you start talking about stipple patterns, lightening cuts, triggers, and dots. Learn to shoot what you have now, the way it is right now. I understand that we all want nice things, we work hard to buy things that will last and that will work. In today’s disposable world it can sometimes be hard to come by. I also understand that I will recommend things that are considered “Gucci” just ask my friends. There is, however, a difference between buying a quality flashlight once vs adding a red dot to your gun without having first mastered the irons.

I’ve done a full Gucci Glock from the ground up, rmr, comp, trigger, all of it. Do I still have it? Nope. What do I run now? A stock gen 3 Glock 19. What I found is all that fancy techno wizardry added up to me being just as fast as irons, at traditional gun fight distances. Is there a place and purpose? Absolutely, it just wasn’t for what I do.

Stop idolizing the Instagram warriors, the YouTube gunslingers, and the new new in the industry. There is only one mod you can buy that will make you better, faster, and more accurate and that is training, go get some and I promise, the world of gear will become more clear.

Setup Saturday: Gun Belts and Holsters

To carry a gun you need quality gun belts and holsters designed to support the weight of a firearm. They work together as the foundation for a secure comfortable carry.

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Setup Saturday: What Equipment Do You Need To Start Shooting?

what equipment do I need

When I first started figuring out the types of posts that I wanted to do weekly, an equipment series was defiantly one of the first that came to mind. One of the biggest things that new shooters deal with when they first start training is what equipment they need. It can be completely overwhelming looking at a 24 foot wall of handguns, or holsters, or whatever. The choice and variety is both a blessing and a curse of the industry. I figured who better to help me with this than the person that has helped guide me through the maze of available gear. Thankfully he agreed so I would like to introduce you to one of my friends, and one of the best shooters that I have the pleasure of knowing, Travis Glinski.

Every week he will cover the essential gear that every shooter should have. From every day carry (EDC) to advanced training Travis has the knowledge and experience to help us all make sense of all He has decided that he would like to call this series “Building the Modern Minute Man”.the options. Enjoy this first installment below.

Gear, we love it, we crave it, we flex on instagram with it, but are you buying the right gear for you? Or are you buying it because your favorite online operator is being paid to sell it to you? It is easy to get deep in the weeds on gear and they only get thicker the further down you go. So why not start at the top and cover the absolute basics for everyone, beginner or seasoned this should be the bare minimum for the prepared individual.

Before we get into gear, there is a disclaimer. No amount of widgets, gadgets, optics, or money can ever buy you skill. That is earned under the watchful eye of a competent instructor. If you are new, that’s fine, this will get you the basic equipment needed to get started. However, after you’re started, instead of buying another wackmaster 4000 or phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range, go get training to use what you have.

With my infomercial done we can truly begin. I figured we could start at what seems most logical, the gun. I mean, that’s why we all got here, right? Hopefully this will not only provide you with what to get but why to get it, I always feel that understanding why a purchase is being made can help me wrestle with the age old quantity vs quality problem. Buy the right thing and buy it once, do that and I promise you, I will have saved you so much wasted money.

So, where were we? Ah, yes, blasters. Its funny because when I started getting into guns there were like six options, now, you can get a single stacked pocket glock, or a modular sig p320 and anything in between. It is a blessing and a curse. The good news is new gun owners have so many options to find the right gun, the downside is there are SO many options, how could we possibly ever narrow it down? Easy, for absolutely everyone I recommend any companies version of the glock 19, everyone makes one. Whether its the sig 320, m&p 2.0c, canik tp9 sf elite, walther pdp, hk vp9, cz p10c, it doesn’t matter, just get that companies version of the glock 19.

They typically have a 4 to a 4.5 inch barrel, striker fired, polymer frame, and a magazine that holds 15 rounds and its chambered in 9mm. It is the perfect sized gun, it is small enough to carry but big enough to fight with. Of course, Im going to suggest you just get the original, the og, the one and only Glock 19.

its ugly Most people will buy everything before they buy a Glock, “its ugly”, “I don’t like Glocks”, “Glocks are plastic junk”, Ive heard it all and its all nonsense and excuses.

All the guns Ive listed are competitively priced so they all win there, what aren’t competitively priced are magazines, sig costs $50, cz is about $30-$40, s&w is in the $35 range, but glocks, $15 on sale $20 normally. Any company that makes a holster makes it for a glock 19, need a spare part because you dropped it, or lost it? They’re everywhere and they’re cheap. The cost of ownership is the lowest with a glock 19 and if after 40 years people are still trying to beat it, its a logical place to start.

~Travis Glinski~

Hopefully this post will help you if you are just starting out as a shooter or even have some experience but looking to add to your gear. Having the right equipment is the first step.

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