NEW: MVT CUTT Chest Rig, by UW Gear

I have been talking to Diz and Hawkeye from UW Gear for a long while now, discussing various ways to design gear in line with both of our philosophies. I have most recently been settling on using a light battlebelt, which is comfortable enough to wear most of the time, augmented by a chest rig. I feel that this is the most practical application across operational environments; it works well for both dismounted operations, vehicle operations, and with or without armor.

UW Gear make some great chest rigs. In discussions with them, I found that I wanted to carry more magazines. I had been using a chest rig from another company, which was very well made, but there were two disadvantages: 1) it only held 4 x 5.56 magazines and 2) it had velcro on the admin pouches. When you are on patrol, and you want to silently get that piece of gear out of your chest rig, the load sound of velcro is not cool. UW Gear make some great tuck tabs which they use on their admin pouches, and normally on their magazine pouches.

More recently, if you have been following the discussion on the Citizen Unconventional Tactical Team (CUTT), you will know that I want to ability to carry .308 magazines.

So the guys at UW Gear jumped all over this. Today in the mail I received a new design of chest rig. Diz didn’t take photos before he shipped it to me, so I have quickly taken some photos. I aim to do an actual GoPro review on this as follow up, but I wanted to get the photos out there.

THIS RIG IS EXCELLENT

he concept is that I wanted a rig capable of carrying a good amount of .308 or 5.56 magazines (more than 4). I wanted admin pouches on the front of the rig, secured by the tuck tab, not velcro. I was not interested in big pouches under the arms, or too much MOLLE 0 I just like the pouches to be designed into the rig.

Diz created a rig with a removable magazine insert. Shown the photos is the .308 insert which will take 5 x 20 or 25 round .308 magazines. Instead of the tuck tab, elastic is used on open topped magazine pouches, which is optional to use for speed of access, so that different magazine lengths can be accommodated.

The rig will also take a 5.56 insert that will take 6 x 30 round 5.56 magazines. With both inserts, you have the option of running.308 or 5.56. Perfect. (I’m sure he will also be persuaded to do an 7.62 x 39 optional insert also…..)

There is also central elastic that can be used for a TQ, accessible by either hand. Behind the magazine pouches there is also an admin pouch where map type items can be stored. .

Below: new rig, empty:

Below: Rig with .308 magazine insert removed.

Below: loaded rig.

In the rig in the photo are:

5 x 25 round .308 magazines

SOFT-W Tourniquet front center

FLIR Scout (silently accessible) – 1 admin pouch

Emergency ration bars – 1 admin pouch

Batteries, lighter, water purification straw, water purification tabs – 1 admin pouch.

Smoke – room for more in that pouch.

There is also an orienteering compass and whistle in the rear admin pouch, and a pen flare launcher in some loops between the pouches (yellow non-tactical color!)

This is an excellent piece of gear, not too bulky or lending itself to too  much gear. It’s just right. Tremendous. I will do a video review as soon as I can.

I am hoping they will let me call it the MVT CUTT rig, or something like that, but that is up to them…;-)

Let’s see if Diz can be persuaded to put these up on the UW Gear website for sale.

Max