What we’re reviewing today is a complete package from Mayflower that includes the Low-Profile Armor Carrier with Level IIIA Soft Armor from Velocity Systems and the Mayflower UW Chest Rig (Quick Disconnect).
With the addition of hard armor plates, we feel this combined setup creates the most versatile, modular and lightweight low-vis system available today.
Mayflower R&C proudly uses materials and workmanship that are 100% made in the USA.
Low-Profile Armor Carrier
Low-visibility is the overall theme of everything we’ll be reviewing today, and the Low-Profile Armor Carrier is no exception. It does a tremendous job of concealing armor as we’ll show in the videos below.
The use of 500D Cordura throughout the entire carrier aids in concealability by offering lightweight fabric that mitigates telltale printing and bulk commonly associated with carriers using heavier-weight fabrics. Our medium carrier weighed in at 1.1 lbs. (sans armor w/ female fastex buckles attached)
The purpose again behind this system is speed, mobility, concealability, and adaptability. Utilizing some of the other fuller cuts of soft armor such as SPEAR and BALCS would increase the bulk of the system, and take away from it’s intended purpose.
Concealment cut armor still provides adequate protection while minimizing bulk and allowing increased freedom of movement when climbing and running.
As a carrier for PSD or ASOT work the system truly shines. It can be worn under or in-conjunction with indigenous clothing and pass a 5 sec. @ 15 ft. detection test, which means that at a quick glance around 15 ft. you’d never even notice it on.
Features
Further above is a large 5″ wide x 3″ tall loop velcro field for patches, IR Flags or unit identifiers.
The webbing shoulder adjustment features small 3/4″ wide tabs like the waist adjustment to aid in removal.
Even with a chest rig clipped into the armor carrier, it’s easy to remove or insert plates.
The hard plates are secured in the external pockets via a velcro tail that works wonderfully and further reduces bulk found in other systems we’ve seen for securing plates.
One last feature of the carrier is the ability to further up-armor with ballistic groin protection. This is done by removable, opposed male and female Fastex slide-release buckles to clip in Mayflower’s Groin Protector Carrier.
This groin protection features seems to run counter to the objective of the armor carrier system, but it’s good to have options.
Soft Armor
They also meet or exceed the USASOC Fragmentation requirements and meet or exceed the DEA test protocol.
The front panel measures 14.75″ at the tallest part of the panel and 18.125″ wide. The back panel measure 18.25″ wide x 15.25″ tall. Together the panels weigh in at 3 lbs. 15 oz.
We’re interested in talking to Doc Roberts about these to see if he’s had a chance to put any through the FBI Body Armor Test Protocol yet.
UW Chest Rig
It’s designed to be a lightweight, streamlined, general purpose, mid-sized vest platform that’s just as concealable as the Low-Profile Armor Carrier.
Made of 500D Cordura, the UW Chest Rig weighs in at a mere 11.5 ounces! Lightweight is hardly a proper label for this rig, featherweight seems more fitting to us.
Features
On the top of the panel are three 1″ wide elastic loops for routing antennas, comms wires and hydration bladder tubing.
A color-matched 1″ webbing two-point waist strap is secured with Fastex side-release buckles and completely removable.
The shoulder blade area features a 5″ wide x 2″ tall loop velcro field and shoulder straps feature 3/4″ wide webbing strips for additional routing of antennas, comms wires and hydration bladder tubing.
1″ color-matched webbing creates the adjustable straps that secure to the panel underneath the armpits via Fastex side-release buckles.
When the H-Harness is removed to facilitate the attachment to the armor carrier, the remaining female portion of each unused Fastex side-release buckle gets tucked into a 1″ elastic retention loop behind the chest rig panel.
What’s truly exciting about the possibilities of the UW Chest Rig is the ability to have multiple pre-configured chest rigs set up for attachment to the Low-Profile Armor Carrier and switch them out as dictated by your environment, mission requirements or the continuous changing setting in a PSD/ASOT scenario.
Comments
We understand why Mayflower chose to go the sewn-in route on the waist strap though, as it provides a nice way to simply grab the triglides on either side and quickly adjust the length.
To make this modification you simply have to unthread the slack on one side of each triglide, double the remaining webbing over and tape a large pull-tab on each side.
By doing this you create a quick-adjust feature in the waist strap. By grasping both tabs with your hands and pulling away from your body, and then in towards your back you can make a nice, tight adjustment to the waist strap.
Check out Video #1 below for a live demonstration of this feature.
It wasn’t anything that caused the rig not to fit, just a note.
One thing we’d love to see with the UW Chest Rig is the ability to open at the top via velcro, in order to store documents/notebooks etc.
That may not be feasible though considering the weight of the 500D Cordura, and needing the male connecting buckles at the top to have all the support they can get.
Closing Notes
Other than a few sim round splatter stains it cleaned up great for the photos.
Again, we feel that with the addition of hard armor plates, this combined setup creates the most versatile, modular and lightweight low-vis system available today.
The Low-Profile Armor Carrier and UW Chest Rig are available in the following colors: Coyote Brown: 500D solution dyed, Crye Multicam: 500D, ACU: 500D, Black: 500D, Ranger Green: 500D solution dyed.
All Fastex slide-release buckles featured on the carrier and rig are manufactured by ITW-Nexus.
For more information visit Mayflower Research & Consulting.
Photos and Video Review
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