Ammo Test: Remington’s Ultimate Defense 38 Special +P

For the first couple episodes of the Great GunsAmerica Ammo Adventure, we looked at some interesting rifle rounds: the new Sig Sauer 300 Blackout Match Subsonic and Doubletap’s new 6.8 Remington SPC 90 grain Bonded Defense. They’re both really interesting, and if you consider the results, high-performance rifle cartridges. Now it’s time to drift into every day carry territory. For the next few episodes, we’ll take a close look at really common caliber options that make up a large proportion of concealed carry firearms.
This week’s feature is the Remington Ultimate Defense 38 Special +P 125 grain. If you look at the new Ultimate Defense bullets, they might seem familiar. They share the design of the famous Golden Saber projectiles. One difference you may encounter in the product family is that Remington is developing some loads optimized for short barrel handguns. Projectiles for the Compact Handgun loads are intended to expand more easily at lower velocities generated from shorter barrel guns.
I’ve got a number of calibers in the Remington Ultimate Defense lineup ready for testing, and from my observation, the product line seems to focus primarily on standard weight and standard pressure loads. This one is a +P, but all the others I have so far are normal pressure. Why? I would presume controllability. Standard pressure rounds will offer less recoil snap, less muzzle rise, and the ability to get back on target more quickly after each shot.

For this test, I decided to use a snub-nose revolver, a Ruger LCR 357.

Shootin’ the Jello

Before I talk about gelatin test results, I need to do some housekeeping for the Great GunsAmerica Ammo Adventure Series. We’ll test everything for velocity, function, accuracy, and performance in ballistic gelatin. When it comes to gelatin testing, we’re going to establish some testing rules for every load. The idea is to offer a consistent load to load comparison based on anticipated real world defensive scenarios. When the FBI or police departments test ammo, they test lots of scenarios that are far less likely to be used in a self-defense situation. While it’s possible that self-defense shots may need to go through a car window, door or other barrier, we’re going to focus on the most common situation: shooting through clothing barriers.

I used the FBI heavy fabric barrier in front of fresh Clear Ballistics 10% gel blocks.

With that said, the most consistent way to do this is to use the exact FBI testing scenario for fabric layers. The new “heavy clothing” protocol is:
1 layer of cotton t-shirt material (approximately 5.25 ounces per yard, 48 threads per inch)
1 layer of cotton shirt material (approximately 3.5 ounces per yard, 80 threads per inch)
1 layer of Malden Mills Polartec 200 fleece
1 layer of cotton denim (approximately 14.4 ounces per yard, 50 threads per inch).
For evaluation of personal defense ammunition, I like this medium. While nothing in the lab can replicate real world variables, this is a pretty likely scenario for the armed civilian market. Over years of testing, I’ve also found that medium to heavy fabric barriers like this can make all the difference. Virtually any projectile will penetrate and expand properly in bare, uncovered ballistic gelatin. When you add a clothing barrier, things tend to get inconsistent quickly.

Most rounds expanded, leaving a visibly dramatic wound channel.

For these tests, I’m using Clear Ballistics 10% gelatin packaged in 6” x 6” x 16” blocks and shooting at them from a distance of ten feet. The heavy fabric clothing barrier is wrapped around the front of the block, but not stretched.
At the time of this test, there was no Compact Handgun version of the .38 Special +P load on the market. I’m not yet sure if Remington will produce one or not. Most boxes in the Ultimate Defense line have no marking indicating intended use, but I’m starting to see some marked with “Full-Size Handgun” or “Compact Handgun.” We’ll have to see, but right now, it’s a little confusing with three different package labels floating around the retail shelves.

One of the rounds fired into bare gelatin.

I first fired five shots into a fresh gelatin block covered with the four-layer heavy fabric. Three of the five rounds expanded while two showed minimal expansion. Note the dramatic wound tracks in the photos. All five rounds passed completely through the 16” gelatin block, so if anything, penetration might have been a little more than expected.
Just for fun, I fired five more shots into a fresh bare gelatin block. All of the rounds expanded in this scenario, and four of the five exited the back of the block. The fifth penetrated about 15 ½ inches.
I didn’t bother to place a second block behind the first to measure exact penetration depth because, quite frankly, I didn’t expect more than 16 inches of penetration if expansion occurred. However, the rounds that passed through were mostly spent so you might assume average penetration in the 17-inch range, give or take.
I weighed the expanded bullet here and it kept the vast majority of its pre-shot weight with 124.3 grains.

Velocity and accuracy

Doing formal accuracy testing with .38 Special ammo that would likely be used from a snub-nosed revolver at a distance measured in feet is a bit silly. But just for fun, I set up a target and 15 yards down range and fired some groups from a sandbag rest using the Ruger LCR 357 revolver shown in the pictures here. Even with a very rough sight picture with the LCR’s channel rear sight, I shot fired some 5-shot accuracy groups. To reduce the effect of sight picture and user error, I measured the best 3 in a number of 5-shot groups. Bottom line? This ammo, fired from the Ruger LCR 357, hits right at the point of aim and grouped into a hair less than one-inch. Excellent. I’m not making claims here about the mechanical accuracy of this ammo or the gun that fired it. Rather, I’m verifying that shots are going to go right where you would expect on a consistent basis.
Even as a +P loading, the was a tame round to shoot. As I mentioned earlier, I think that’s part of Remington’s strategy with this series.

At 15 yards, point of impact was perfectly consistent with point of aim.

I set up a Shooting Chrony Beta Master chronograph 15 feet downrange and fired 10-shot strings to capture velocity and get some indication of variance between rounds.
Average Velocity: 878 feet per second
Slowest: 833.9 fps
Fastest: 916.9 fps
Extreme Spread: 83 fps
Standard Deviation: 30.34
Velocity was right what I expected. The Remington website claims 975 feet per second, but it also derives that measurement using a 4-inch barrel. Lose two inches of barrel length, with about a 50 feet per second velocity reduction per inch, and we’re right on target.
This round worked well in a snub-nose revolver. Based on its performance in a 1 ⅞” barrel, I would expect even better performance in a home defense gun with a 3 or 4-inch barrel.

Shooting History-Winchester 1873-Old Gun Review

Buy one on GunsAmerica: http://www.gunsamerica.com/Search.aspx?T=1873%20winchester
Shooting History is our continuing series where we take some old guns, shoot them and write them up like they were a new review gun.  The round counts are a bit lower as these old guns have already done that part.  Check out our past articles in this series if you have missed them here.  If there is a gun (or guns) you would like to see covered in this series be sure to comment below and we will do our best to get a “shooter.”

1873 Winchester

Model 1873

1873 was a big year in the firearms world.  Colt’s new single action was adopted by the Army and Winchester came out with their best lever action to date.  Originally chambered in .44 W.C.F., aka 44-40, the 1873 Winchester was the most powerful of the lever guns when it was introduced.  This was a huge step forward from the rimfire .44 caliber used in the Henry and earlier Winchester rifles. It could be said that the 1873 is the rifle that “made” Winchester.
From 1873 until 1919 Winchester made over 720,000 of the 1873.  They came in 3 major different configurations and barrel lengths: 24 inch rifle, 20 inch carbine and 30 inch barreled musket.  There were other barrel lengths offered as custom orders. Round and octagon barrels were also available. The 1873 was primarily  chambered in 44-40, 38-40 and 32-20.  There were also a few that were made in .22 long and short.

Design

The roots of the 1873 design can be traced back to the Volcanic Arms rifles and pistols.  The next step was the 1860 Henry Rifle.  This is the first to use what is called the toggle link action, more on it later.  The 1866 Winchester brought the side loading gate under Kings Patent that we all recognize on the side of a Winchester.  But those were made from the bronze/brass frame like the Henry.  It is the 1873 that first used an iron, and later steel, frame.  This made a stronger and lighter rifle.
The toggle link action is the heart of the 1873. It is simple, reliable, smooth and fast.  There is a reason that a huge majority of the Cowboy Action shooters use a ’73 for competition. It is all about the smooth and fast.  The newer Winchester designs are a lot stronger but they don’t have the super slick feel to them.  See the pictures to see how the action moves.

The brass you see is part of the lifter.

This is the basic function of the action:

• Lever moved forward pulls the bolt back and cocks hammer
• A new cartridge is pushed out of the magazine tube into the lifter
• Lever all the way forward raised the lifter to aline the cartridge with the barrel
• Lever pulled back moves the bolt forward pushing the cartridge into the chamber
• Lifter falls when lever is all the way back

There is one thing that will lock up an 1873. The action depends on the overall case length of the cartridge. Too short of a cartridge and the next one in the magazine will block the lifter from raising.  Too long and the cartridge that is being loaded will hang up on the frame. That is the reason 44-40, 38-40 and 32-20 have the same length. The .22 versions used a smaller lifter block.

This Old Gun

Hardly any finish left on this old gal.

The review gun was made in 1903. Even though there were new and stronger Winchester designs being made, the 1873 remained popular. One of the main reasons was the price.  In 1900 you could buy a new ’73 for around $12.  The ’94 sold for about $17 for comparison.  The review gun and two boxes of ammo was bought with a barrel of sorghum molasses.  I know this because it was my great-great grandfathers rifle. I also still take it out of the safe every other year or so to go hunting on land he owned.
This one is a rifle and has a 24 inch barrel.  It holds 15 rounds in the tube magazine.  Most of the original bluing is long gone, with just a little showing in a few places.  It has some nicks, dents and bruises.  Someone in my family refinished the stock and forearm at some point.  This is not in a highly collectable or valuable condition.  But it is worth more to me than anything else in my safe.

38-40

Right at 1,300 fps from the old Winchester in an old Winchester.

This 1873 is in 38 WCF or 38-40 which was the 2nd most popular cambering for the 1873 next to 44-40.  The 38-40 is an interesting cartridge. It is not a .38 caliber that a lot of people assume it is.  It is actually a .40 caliber.  This was originally a black powder load. But there have been smokeless loads available not long after smokeless powder was first offered.  Most commercially available 38-40 loads, in the past and present, have a 180 grain bullet that moves around 1,200 fps out of a rifle length barrel.  There is another round that reminds me of.  A .40 caliber 180 grain bullet at 1,200 fps… yep, you could think of the .40 S&W as the auto loading version of this almost 140 year old cartridge.  In theory, it would be possible to also push the 38-40 up into the 10mm range. There is plenty of room in the case to do that.  Of course these old Winchesters were not made to handle anywhere near those pressures.  Ruger chambers a Blackhawk or a Vaquero in 38-40 from time to time and those would be the best candidates for doing that.  This all assumes that the brass could take the pressure.  I for sure wouldn’t try it, but like I said, it could be done and I am sure someone has tried it.

Old Winchester on top, Ultramax on bottom.

There is also some variation in the cartridge case sizes.  SAAMI didn’t exist back in 1879 when the 38-40 was designed.  Take a look at the pictures to see two different ones.  I have some old Winchesters that have a lower and sharper angled shoulder than most of the modern cases that are available.  My 73 will chamber and fire both of them without issue but I have heard about some modern reproduction, especially Colt Single Action clones, that the new bass will not fit.

Shooting

This old rifle still shoots great.  I put 50 rounds through it for this review and never had an issue.  Over the years I have probably put another 100-150 through it with the same results. These guns simply work. Shooting was done from 50 yards and the groups were consistently a little over an inch with one pushing 2 inches.  These were all shot with the Ultramax ammo. I am sure if I took the time to work up a load and experiment with different bullets the groups could be tightened up a bit.  But this is not a sub MOA rifle or cartridge. Good enough for a 50-100 yard deer rifle. Kind of like a pistol caliber rifle.  Which is exactly what the 1873 is.

Relevant?

I have been ending the Shooting History series by asking if the firearm in question are still relevant today. If you are a Cowboy Action shooter the 1873 Winchester is very relevant.  There is a reason it is the most common style of rifle used at SASS matches. The action on a ’73 is flat out awesome.  Not the strongest by a long shot, be easily the smoothest and fastest.  Is it relevant as a hunting rifle? Well, it will work. But there are better choices out there.  A Model 94 Winchester in 30-30 will do a better job and is still a 19th century designed lever action.
Winchester is still making these.  Well, I should say there are new production 1873s with the Winchester name on them.  They are being made by Miroku in Japan.  You can check out our full review of the new one here.

It says .38 cal but it is really a .40.

38 Winchester Center Fire.

Cleaning rod storage in the stock.

The toggle link action closed.

Action open. It works kind like a knuckle.

Ultramax 180 gr averaged out to 1026 fts.

Best group from 50 yards.

This one opened up a bit and was a different shooter. Yes, those are coffee stains on the target.

Old Winchesters for an old Winchester.

Box says 1330 fts, we got 1298. Pretty close.

Winchester on left Ultramax on right. All groups were shot with Ultramax.

Trigger breaks right at 3 pounds.

Detail on the hammer.

This rifle spent most of its life 5 miles from where Dizzy Dean was born. Go red birds.

Cheap Guns: Hi-Point 45ACP Tactical Carbine – 4595TS Review

The Hi-Point 4595 TS is probably the cheapest pistol caliber carbine on the market. Your local gunshop probably has 4 of them on the shelf, in all the calibers. They work great, shoot great, and are accurate enough.

Hi Point Firearms 4595
http://hi-pointfirearms.com/carbines/45 On GunsAmerica
People get really emotional about Hi-Point guns. You could say that folks “either love them or hate them,” but I think there is a better explanation than that. Quality control and customer service are always an issue with small and fast growing companies. Hi-Point has had its ups and downs, so some people got good guns, and some people got very bad guns. Everyone I know who has purchased a Hi-Point in the last few years has been delighted with it, and my local gun dealer said that he sells a ton of them and none of them ever come back as having problems. To me that says that the word on the street is that Hi-Point guns are now generally reliable, and they have always been very inexpensive for what you get…when it works.

My big concern with this gun was accuracy, but it came in at about the same accuracy at 25 yards that I can shoot with a handgun. The top groups is where it came zeroed from the factory, I adjusted it down to zero at 25 yards.

This 45ACP carbine is the Hi-Point Model 4595 TS. The magazine holds 9 rounds. It has adjustable sights for both windage and elevation and weighs just over 7 pounds empty. The 4595 has both a bolt hold open/drop catch and a last round magazine hold open, when you use the included magazine. On GunsAmerica they go for $300-$400 depending on current demand and what accessories come with the gun. But most importantly, from our tests, and this was gun bought right off the shelf at a gunshop, the 4595 always seems to go bang, and it is both a pleasure to shoot and accurate enough for close quarters wet work. This is the second article in our new Cheap Guns series, and because there will be complainers, let me explain again why we are using the politically incorrect term “Cheap” instead of inexpensive or affordable. The guns are cheap, plain and simple. Cheap is not a relative term. In the world of firearms, a pistol caliber carbine for sometimes even under $300 is ridiculously cheap, and it is important to carry guns like this Hi-Point in our reviews, because some people just can’t afford $500 or $700. You don’t get a $700 gun for $300, and the materials on these Hi-Point guns and cheap guns in general are indeed cheaper to manufacturer for the most part. But you don’t often see cheap guns reviewed, because the companies that make the cheap guns don’t really advertise (they don’t have to), and most industry editorial is made of of the guns from the companies that advertise, and little else. For many people, $500, $700, $1,000 is way out of reach. Are some cheap guns reliable and accurate enough? That is our question. We purchase these guns at retail prices from GunsAmerica sellers, or off the shelf at a gunshop. And yes, a lot of cheap guns are great for what you pay.

The magazine holds 9 rounds of 45ACP. BEWARE that aftermarket high-cap mags can void the warranty on these guns.

To back up a bit, one of the reasons that I chose a pistol caliber carbine as the second installment in this series is that a lot of people can’t or won’t go through the hurdles to own a handgun at all. In many parts of the country handguns require special permits, even if you don’t intend to carry them, and that presents a price ceiling to many low budget gun buyers. You can’t buy even the cheapest AR for under $500, and even if you could afford the AR, a lot people have only indoor ranges at which to shoot. That leaves out a budget AR and just about every bolt action rifle in the market. So if you want to be able to just walk into a gunshop and pick up a that you can actually shoot, that leaves a handgun or a rifle that shoots a handgun cartridge. Polymer pistol caliber carbines are your best bet. The Hi-Point carbines aren’t just versions of their pistols with longer barrels and shoulder stocks. Some of the guts are the same, but the carbine has a very complicated disassembly and reassembly procedure that is actually my biggest beef with the gun. This is no field strip, and I’ve included a video in this article explaining the process. I elected to just clean the bolt, bolt face, and surfaces that I could reach rather than attempt it. Make sure if you buy one of these guns from a gunshop that they give you the special Hi-Point tool that comes with the gun. Mine did not have one, so I was left to find the correct Allen wrenches in my attempts to take it apart with that video.
Other than that though, I found the Hi-Point 4595 to be really a pleasant gun to shoot. It has a recoil buffer built into the stock, so even the smallest shooter won’t find anything unpleasant in shooting any 45ACP load. It comes with a cheap looking but very functional sight system with a windage and elevation adjustable rear sight and course adjustable front sight. It was zeroed to about 75 yards out of the box and I brought it down to 25 yards. For average tactical distances, you are better to zero for short yardage with the .45ACP, because even when you zero for 25 yards there is still a 13 inch drop at 100 yards. I have included the ballistics table from the Hornady Ballistics Calculator, and I used the increased velocity from the carbine length barrel that gave us an extra 30fps or so using Wolf Ammo.
Also note that I tested this gun with the cheapest ammo I could find, figuring that if you are doing a series on cheap guns, you better darn well use cheap ammo too. There is no reason to assume that expensive ammo would shoot better in this gun. But I will say something about the accuracy that I find interesting, because this is a pistol caliber carbine. If it was an AR shooting a .223/5.56, I’d say that the accuracy is dreadful, but as a compromise for a handgun, with a handgun caliber, it’s good enough. I was able to repeatedly put the magazine full into about 3″ at 25 yards. This is roughly what I can do with a handgun, so there is a tradeoff between the advantage of the carbine length, which is a long sight radius distance between the front and rear sights, and the better accuracy of a more expensive gun. Not a bad case in accuracy for $300 or less.
One thing I have to warn you about with these guns is aftermarket magazines. They just plain don’t work and may damage your firearm. If you go to the Hi-Point carbine accessories page you can buy 2 extra mags and double mag clip that attaches to the stock for $42. You can also buy side rails and other accessories made for the gun, and they are all pretty good deals.

Another quirk of this gun is the cocking handle. You use it to lock the bolt back without an empty mag, but it feels like it catches unless you intentionally pull it out.

The best gun review is when basically there is “nothing to report,” and this was pretty much what I experienced with the the Hi-Point 4595. You can buy a pistol caliber carbine from Germany for thousands of dollars, and even the Taurus carbine we reviewed is double the price of this gun. Do I love this gun? No. The metal is ugly stamped and cheap looking. The plastic is plastic, and I think it is ridiculously hard to take apart and put back together. Buy hey it works great. It’s accurate enough, and for a pistol caliber carbine the recoil and ergonomics are second to none. Don’t be afraid to buy a Hi-Point. They are great and very affordable guns.

I began to take the gun down, but when I realized that it is a project, I very nicely put the pins back in and called it a day. Later I found the video you see above, and it’s a job.	These mags may feel and look like 1911 mags, but they are slightly different, though I think it was stupid to use a proprietary design.
The adjustable sights are crude but work. This is the rear sight.	The front sight is rough adjustable, and can be removed if you want to use optics.
The recoil absorbers in the stock really work. You will be shocked at how light this gun shoots.	The safety is difficult to drop with your shooting hand, and the red dot is on safe, not fire, which is the opposite of most guns.
The magazine doesn’t want to go in with just a slap. You have to depress the mag release to get the mag in.	Most of my testing was with Wolf ammo, but all of these worked fine in the gun.
This warning comes with the gun, so if you buy one used, read them here. Don’t use aftermarket mags with the Hi-Point. They sell extra mags cheap.	I bought the gun new so there were standard safety warnings on the stock, which is better than stamping them into the gun.
If your gun doesn’t come with the Hi-Point wrench, you’ll have to use regular tools to take the gun down.	This Wolf ammo came up pretty fast on the chronograph due to the longer barrel length of the carbine. More powder gets to burn than in a handgun, so the bullet goes faster.
But the 45ACP is really a close range cartridge. Zeroed at 25 yards, there is a 13 inch drop at 100 yards. Click to make the chart bigger.

Tannerite Files Lawsuit Against NBC for Libel, Slander

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Tannerite Sports, the makers for the binary explosive Tannerite, is suing NBC for libel and slander following reports that appeared on The Today Show and a local NBC affiliate, WLEX, last week.
The Oregon-based company alleges that the reporters mischaracterized the reactive target, suggesting it is similar to bombs used by terrorists to kill Americans.
According to Mendelsohn, Drucker, & Dunleavy, P.C, the law firm representing Tannerite, NBC News is guilty of the following defamatory claims:

• On March 23, 2015, Defendant NBCU released a defamatory “report” that falsely claimed that Plaintiff’s rifle targets are “bombs for sale.”
• In a related video, Defendant NBCU’s investigative reporter falsely asserted that “I am basically holding a bomb in my hand.”
• NBCU’s report contains one or more written false statements that were intended to impugn
• Plaintiff’s rifle targets and Plaintiff’s reputation in the hunting industry.
• Plaintiff’s rifle targets are not bombs and are not well-suited for use as weapons.
• A bomb is a weapon that is illegal to make. In the United States, manufacturing a bomb requires numerous federal licenses.
• Federal guidelines allow consumers to mix and shoot Tannerite®-brand rifle targets for personal, non-commercial use as targets.

The lawsuit goes on to claim that the NBC report included statements that “were made maliciously, intentionally, and with reckless disregard for the truth,” that NBC News published “defamatory statements with malice,” and that the video and print reports ” have, in fact, directly and proximately harmed,” Tannerite Sports.
NBC has not yet commented on the lawsuit.

AR500 Armor Micro Plate Carrier

Check it out: http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armor-micro-plate-carrier

The Micro is small. Very small. But that’s the point. It helps to have a bulletproof beard.

Armor evolves. The invention of the firearm put a huge roadblock in the path of wearable personal protection, but we’re catching up. Kevlar, ballistic steel, and ceramic plates have all proven track records. But where does one go to get bulletproofed? Who can you trust with your life?
For me, the choice is simple. I had the chance to review AR500’s steel plates a couple of years ago. I beat the hell out of those plates. I shot them with everything I could get my hands on. After more than 300 rounds of various calibers, I finally punched the plate with a .50 BMG. After seeing it firsthand, I understood.
AR500 Armor supplies Americans with low cost, highly effective armor plates. Utilizing ballistic rated steel and Paxcon coatings, they have developed an array of plates ranging from back pack sized shield plates all the way down to a 6”x6” square side plates. AR500 is now manufacturing soft armor inserts made from Honeywell Spectra Shield, Gold Shield, and DuPont Kevlar. AR500 is quickly establishing them selves as the one-stop-shop.
New for 2015 is a plate carrier that breaks the mold. The AR500 Armor Micro Plate Carrier challenges our notions of ballistic protection. This is truly a minimalist rig. The plate maintains ballistic coverage of the vital organs, but not much else. The benefit, of course, is a reduction of weight and bulk. If you are looking for compact coverage, this is it.

With the soft plates inside, the Micro is thin and flexible.

Features

• Accepts 8″ x 10″ Soft and Hard Body Armor
• Adult & Youth shoulder strap configurations
• Removable Shoulder Pads included
• ITW GT Cobra Buckles allow quick donning and doffing
• Inner mesh lining improves comfort and air flow
• Front & Back webbing for MOLLE/Pouch attachment
• Velcro web sections for ID panels or lower mounted chest rig
• 100% Made in the USA

Designed for armor

Bigger is sometimes better, but when it comes to ballistic protection there is only so much coverage necessary to properly ensure protection of your vital organs. Anything extra is nice if you ever do take fire, but the 99.9% of the time that you aren’t those same plates weigh you down and restrict your range of motion.

Level III or level IIIA, either way.

The Micro Carrier to utilizes 8”x10” plates; making for an extremely small and light package that offers just the right amount of protection and mobility. Beyond its size, the Micro Carrier also offers comfort and convenience that make this rig realistic for daily use.
The Micro Carrier’s shoulder straps and side straps are fully adjustable and secured with polymer cobra buckles. The straps also have Velcro fixtures for securing the excess strapping. The carrier ships with foam backed shoulder pads, and the inside of the carrier is covered in plush foam backing designed to increase comfort and airflow.
The carrier is also expandable for tactical applications, the rig is covered in molle strapping and velcro making the addition of pouches and other mission essential gear as easy as threading the straps. At the base of the carrier the molle is 6 loops wide for the use of magazine pouches. The carrier ships with a 2x double M4 magazine pouch and a double pistol magazine pouch.

Running the Micro Carrier                                        

Options! So many options! Setting up the Micro Carrier for success all depends on your needs. You can pick a path and walk the thin narrow line of being prepared and being overly prepared. Or you can do what I did and maximize this tiny carrier for the best of both worlds.

The carrier covers only the most essential organs, and leaves shoulders and sides free for movement.

First lets talk about plates, why pick one type when you can have two? Deciding to invest in more than one type of armor is a big decision. You are increasing your cost, adding to your bulk, and giving your wife one more reason to complain about your spontaneous spending. But it’s a necessary move if you want to truly get the most out of the Micro Carrier. Utilizing the hard plates at a tactical carbine class, or in the rare natural or social disaster, you are golden. While wearing the carrier normal training circumstances the, level IIIA soft plates give you more than enough protection and offers you a light weight option (they weigh under 1lb apiece).
The Micro Carrier ships with 2x double M4 magazine pouch and a double pistol magazine pouch. This will work, but is not ideal if you ever intend on using the carrier in concealment. To maximize efficiency adding a lay flat pouch like a BlueForce Gear 10speed pouch gives you the option to carry the ammunition you need. When not in use, the BlueForce pouches stay tight to the carrier presenting no added bulk.

The Vanquest pack keeps everything organized and accessible.

When I’m not wearing the carrier, it stays idle inside of a Vanquest IBEX-30 backpack. That’s another benefit of the small carrier. It fits easily inside the bag along with a broken down rifle and all the fixxins. This set up is ideal for the undercover officer, or anyone who wants to be ready for anything at any time. You could even throw the hard plates in the bag if you think you are a total shit magnet and might run into real trouble.

Ergonomics

Running the Micro Carrier presented no real issues. There are two sizes of shoulder straps making this an ideal rig for smaller frame shooters and ladies. Everything is up-close and personal. The magazines are right at the top of your chest, which makes magazine changes fairly easy. It does take a little getting used to having the magazines so high on your chest, but once you figure out the tactical chicken dance, mag changes are fluid and are just as fast as any other chest rig I’ve run. The cobra buckles make putting the chest rig on and taking it off extremely easy and 90% of the time it can be done with one hand.

Wrapping Up

The Micro Carrier retails for $270 with the standard package (including flat level III hard plates), and just under $600 with all the bells and whistles–Micro Carrier, curved hard plates, 2x trauma pads, 2x IIIA soft armor inserts, and BlueForce Gear 10 speed shingle. If you need that level of protection, it is a great option.
Check out these videos below for more detail on how the armor itself stands up.

The minimalist protection is easy to see.

The BlueForce Gear 10 Speed pouches collapse flat.

The cobra buckles make putting it on easy.

The Vanquest pack is a great option for a grab-and-go bag.