All posts tagged IDPA Vests

Rothco Concealed Carry Vests something to consider if you don’t want to pocket carry

That seems to be the dilemma with the season change.   The Smith & Wesson Shield is probable the most popular firearms right now because everyone is getting them with a $75 rebate and from a local gun shop.   It’s still cold this May of 2017 in Pennsylvania, but as soon as it gets hot, it’s pretty much shorts and a t-shirt for most of our customers.   We’re actively researching new products lines because many of the pocket carry friendly clothing brands we use to sell are no longer available.  It’s also getting  harder and harder to find real CCW vests because so many of them are overly designed and tactical.

The Rothco Under Cover Travel Vest and the Rothco Concealed Carry Softshell vests are exactly what caught our eye that we knew our customer base would like.   We’ve only been selling their products for a few months but they are reasonable priced and cut for CCW.  There are other Rothco Concealed Carry Vests, but I wish there was a 100% cotton version of the Rothco Professional Concealed Carry vest because it looks exactly like the Eotac 102 lightweight vest that so many IDPA competitors wore, but it is slightly heavier weight which might be an issue with some of our customers.

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Concealed Carry Vest Options if you wore Eotac Vests or Woolrich Elite Vests, now what? Rothco Vests

We have always had a very strong presence in the competition shooting sports, primarily because an enormous number of people that shoot IDPA, 3 Gun ect. wore the extremely popular Woolrich Elite 4424 Light Weight Tactical Vest, and we are proud to have attended and watched people use them at the IDPA Nationals that were hosted 2 times here in Pennsylvania several years ago.   There are plenty of vests out there that you can wear on the range, but can you wear it on the range and wear it with your EDC?   5.11 Tactical has always had several options, but some of their vests are too tactical or they design them and discontinue them before you can get around to getting one.   Tru-Spec had 2 vests and discontinued both of them and were not seeing a new one yet, even though we heard rumors they were working on one.  We’ve recently picked up the Rothco Vests and the majority of the Rothco product line because it really seems to have grown in the concealed carry market which, compared to many other tactical clothing lines, they don’t do CCW very well.

I can speak for the long term quality control of the entire product line, but seeing that Rothco has well over 100,000 Facebook likers, they have a lot of people where their stuff.   It still amazes the number of Rudy Project Competitors that were still wearing the Woolrich Elite 4424 and Eotac 102 Vests were have long ceased to exist, but in 2017 we really only can suggest people consider the 5.11 Tactical or Rothco Vests for competition sports or Concealed Carry.  There is always going to be issues and complaints about the material that is used, in hot weather, people want 100% cotton ripstop, but good luck trying to find a manufacturer for that, the majority of them are going to be 65/35 Polyester Cotton Ripstop or the Rothco 60% Cotton 40% Polyester.   The stiffer material sweeps better but it doesn’t breath as well as the all cotton.

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Tactical vests that are already thought out

I understand the need for a Molle vest and there is nothing more versatile than a vest designed for just about anything that can be attached to it, but sometimes you just need a tactical vest that isn’t going to  break the bank and isn’t going to make you have to wonder how many magazine pouches, what configuration ect you are going to need when the answer is pretty much what the basics are.  If you want a tactical vest, you either want a sidearm  holster on it or you don’t.   You most likely need magazines for an M4 or M16 variant and possible storage for pistol magazines.  The Woolrich Elite tactical vests are made of a cotton canvas material which makes them very comfortable to wear but won’t make you feel like you are wearing a parachute.

The 4 pockets out the outside of this vest can hold up to 2 30rd M16 magazines.  If you are using GI magazines it will fit easily, holding 2 for a total of 8 magazines of something like Pmags will work, but it will be tight.   Behind the 30rd magazine pockets are inner pockets that can hold single stack or double stack mags.  I use my Woolrich Elite vests for range bags as well as for tactical purposes.   It’s real easy and smart to keep your shooting glasses, ear plugs, tactical gloves and targets, batteries inside the vest.   That way when you need to go, just throw it on and you’re all set.   I have personally loaded my vest up and none of the stitching has torn.   I will say that a fully loaded vest will be a little uncomfortable if you need to be in the seated position.   The 30rd magazines will start to get in the way.  It would be nice to see another tactical vest from Woolrich that sat a little higher on the chest.

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