When Breach, Bang, Clear asked me if there was anything from Mountain Partisan I was interested in checking out I replied, “I’m a simp for chest rigs”. Specifically, I have wanted a split chest rig setup for my .308s for years now. I like glorified .22 pea shooters as much as the next guy, but sometimes you want to roll heavy. A proper Battle Rifle needs its own set of support gear and logistics.
That said, full disclosure, this was provided to me for review. However, the best part about how writing isn’t how I pay my bills means I can say what I want. Of course, my morals aren’t for sale even at the job that pays my bills. I know as much as anyone that funds are tight for a lot of us today, and I won’t ever recommend something I wouldn’t buy myself. Spoiler alert: I would buy this with my own money; it’s very good.
The Split in Split Chest Rig
Diving into the specific features I really like about this rig I’ll start with the way it “splits” open. The twist and lift up mechanism is a departure from the standard buckles I’ve seen elsewhere, but makes for a very comfortable, tangle-free, and secure design. Admittedly, it’s not as fast and requires a little more contortion while prone but in a DMR role it’s not about absolute speed. It’s easy enough to unclip while standing before flopping down which is what most of us do with any design anyway.
One of the biggest criticisms of a chest rig is “I can’t get low enough when prone”. First of all, this often comes from guys with a belly the size of a medium ruck sack but that aside, the split chest rig design negates this completely. While most of my 5.56 guns are setup for a “stand and fight” role (think more CQB and work in and around a vehicle), many of my 308s have a bipod for longer-range precision work where you are much more likely to get prone.
A Rig of Many Magazines
I love the insert sleeves or “Shingles” as they call them. This gives magazine flexibility even within the same caliber family. The magazines come out easily when you want to reload but have a firmer grip than a toddler with a fistful of food they aren’t supposed to have up until then. They are not fast to put magazines back in, but I just haven’t found this to be an operational need, especially when paired with a dump pouch.
A huge benefit of this design is that you can pick how far you insert them so shorter magazines like my Ruger Gunsite Scout remain far enough out to get a purchase on them. Other pouches like Esstac, while great on the range, don’t have enough retention in my opinion or the ability to adjust how high or low it sits in the pouch. You often end up having to do something like my dark secret in these pouches:
Unlike 5.56 guns, 7.62×51 magazines run a gauntlet of lengths and having a pouch that is flexible is mandatory today. I run all sorts of larger caliber platforms, so I tested all of their magazines in this thing to see if I had a “do it all” setup on my hands. I did…and then some (see the HCAR below). This is crucial for me because, I’m a suburban dad on a budget. I can’t afford to buy weapon system-specific gear for everything I own, but I still don’t want to make a ton of compromises.
Much to my delight I found the VZ.58 Magazines with their unnecessarily large spine for just a 7.62×39 magazine fit well. Not super tight but snug enough to be retained and a great new option for me when running that odd duck platform. AR mags have essentially no retention unsurprisingly in a sleeve made for 308’s so I would only run them in this in a class setting. However, Mountain Partisan offers an easily swapped insert shingle for that application. For just $30 more you now have a multicaliber capable rig.
Lastly, I haven’t found anyone that makes a pouch for HCAR magazines. The modernized BAR is chambered in a full red-blooded American 30-06 round which are far larger than any .308 mags (even bigger than the HK 417). Playing around with this design and some spare parts, I was able to Jerry rig a way to carry them. I possibly could have squeezed them into the existing stretch sleeve insert (I mean I’ve been in tighter places before) but they might never have come back out. So, in the meantime this setup works but I would love to see an insert that has room for one HCAR magazine and one pistol magazine on each side. There are literally 3’s of customers out there clamoring for this, so maybe not worth the squeeze no matter how much I selfishly want it.
The Other Pouches
Going from left to right when looking at it the large GP pouch is perfect for all manner of things. For me I used the pouch for a range finder, a few first aid items, and a small ladder line antenna to boost my comms when stationary.
The medium-sized pouch can fit a radio provided it is fairly short (Baofeng extendo battery guys take note) but my trusty Yaesu FT-60R “Brick” fit perfectly in there allowing me to zip around the top.
The cable loops along the shoulder harness are great for comms junkies. There are also some built-in riveted holes that their website photos show some push to talk thing I’m not cool enough to own. In that same God’s plaid (M81 Woodland camo) photo, they show an auxiliary radio pouch that can be added on using their Chest Rig Expander Wing.
I like the expandability, but I think if you want a “heavy” chest rig setup then you should buy one with molle spacing already built into the sides past the included pouches. This rig is perfection in what it does because it is so stripped down and I don’t want to try to make it something it’s not. Still a good option to know it’s there.
I ran some cabling through the interior of the shoulder harnesses and found the spacing perfect to fit small, fixed adapters on the end of some feeds. I love how thin the harness is. I don’t need padding to support the amount of weight I’m carrying here, but I do want something comfortable when combined with other gear. Anyone who has ever put on a chest rig, backpack, and sling knows how quickly things can become a problem when overly large straps are sitting under other ones. It’s one of the things I always appreciated about my Eberlestock pack and this rig reminds me of an even lighter version of that.
The final small pouch is purpose-made as a Kestrel pouch. I don’t have one for the same reason I don’t have NVGs, I’m poor and so I have to guess wind and shoot at noises in the dark. It does hold a multi-tool well but I couldn’t squeeze a standard CAT tourniquet into it and get the lid to close.
Overall, the pouches maintain their shape, so it’s easy getting things in and out. The Velcro inside is a nice touch as well for organizer inserts or maybe patches too spicy for public consumption. While this comes setup from MP to go out and run as is, the pouches are removable should you have some very specific piece of kit you would prefer on the limited real estate.
I write about stuff I sometimes don’t hear mentioned but interests me, like what color things really are. Their Ranger Green is consistent with there being no consistent “Ranger Green” or “OD Green” for that matter either. I find it to be a great color, it is a nice deep matte shade I prefer. Plus, wasn’t it the FN SCAR that taught us all 20 years ago that mixing and matching different shades of the same color isn’t just okay but cool? What I’m saying is, if you have other green pouches, don’t worry about if they’ll match this perfectly.
For reference, I went with the “Regular” size because as I told my wife to be when we met, “I’m 6 foot and 3 inches”. She didn’t realize until much later that those are two separate measurements. MP lists the following and I can confirm there is plenty of room to get this thing both snug in a T-shirt and to fit over a winter coat:
36″ to 66″ Chest Measurement
Height – 6′ and under
Comparing to Others
I come from a time when the chest rig below was “high speed”, so this laser-cut molle business blows my mind. Just look at the size of this 15+ year old Esstac “Bushboar” chest rig that is set up to carry essentially the same load in 5.56. In fairness, Esstac still makes a greatly updated version of this, now named the “Trimmed Bush“.
The interesting thing is this rig is super lightweight but I wouldn’t call it a micro rig given how much I can carry in it. It’s really in a Goldilocks zone where I can take everything I need and some of what I want, all while staying highly mobile and comfortable.
One of my all-time favorite rigs is the Haley Strategic “Disruptive Environments D3CRX” (OGBYN…who names these things?) which is downright diminutive. It folds in half and fits great in a pack or center console of a truck. The Mountain Partisan is essentially the same dimensions, which is outstanding. Imagine how much battle belt bulk you would need to carry this much. However, the MP has the superior H-harness versus a cross X-harness, which I need help getting into half the time on the Haley rig.
It’s just a bit bigger than the “Contact Series Micro Chest Rig 3Zero” from G Code which can accommodate just two to three 308 magazines, depending on whether you use the space as I did for 2 pistol mags or not. To carry more, you’ll need to step way up to something like my Crossfire DZ LBE, which, along with a bunch of sustainment gear can carry at least 8 battle rifle magazines or twelve 5.56 magazines.
What is a Partisan?
This thing is made by Mountain Partisan and I think that the role of a partisan is really appropriate for this setup. A “partisan” is defined as “a member of an armed group formed to fight secretly against an occupying force”. While I think these guys are in the Montana portion of the “Great American Redoubt” I can relate to the mindset as someone that still owns a cabin in the Southeast Ohio/West Virginia portion of “Appalachistan”.
There’s an old story about a Revenuer during Prohibition stopping a kid in the Appalachian area and saying, “Hey kid, I’ll give you $10 if you tell me where your uncle’s whiskey still is.” and the boy says, “I’ll tell you but pay me before you go”.
The Revenuer says, “I’m not dumb, I’ll pay you when I get back and have confirmed it’s there”. The boy said, “You don’t understand mister, if you go up in those hills you’re not coming back.”
Some groups just want to be left alone and will defend what’s theirs when they’re not.
Complaints
Frank Sinatra in “My Way” sang “Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention”. I feel the same way about this rig, but I’ll mention them anyway because hey, no one’s perfect. Keep in mind, I had to dig deep here.
First the pull tabs on the zippers are great for gloved or sweaty hands but could use a place to be tucked away so they don’t flap around when shut. It’s just a pet peeve of mine, though, given the fabric they don’t make any noise.
Second I’m not one to attach chest rigs to plate carriers, but the option to do so is no doubt appealing to many. This rig does have laser-cut molle on the back so you could do it that way. It would take a lot more time than the standard Velcro backing that many brands have gone to. Given this is a split chest rig I think it would be an awkward and unlikely endeavor anyway, but I wanted to point it out for consideration.
Lastly, something I haven’t seen before is the magnetic buckle closure. While it is quick to open, I am concerned about it staying shut when crawling around or breaking brush. Now, in fairness most sensitive devices you’d run in there like a Kestrel could easily be put on a lanyard to ensure it stays with you. Also, I might be wrong because I had no issues to date with this, but I prefer a more positive system like a buckle. This does have the great advantage of being much quieter than Velcro, which I do appreciate. The two loudest things in the world when you are trying to be silent in a tactical setting are Velcro tearing open and a safety selector switch flipping off.
Final Thoughts
What wouldn’t I change? The Price. Let’s address the elephant in the room. This thing isn’t cheap. I get it, we all wish the world wasn’t so expensive. Taking a family of four to Chick-fil-A will easily cost you nearly $60 these days and that’s if you can talk the kids out of milkshakes. You get what you pay for though and this rig is quality. I didn’t even get into half the little well thought out details like drain holes in the pouches or elastic pull tab attachment point loops on the mag pouches.
Also, Mountain Partisan offers 100% Lifetime Warranty on this American-made product. That piece of mind isn’t something you get with knockoff Airsoft gear and generally means the gear is built in such a way that you’re unlikely to need it. Plus, they offer a 15% discount to active members of the United States Military which is always appreciated.
This rig checked all the boxes for what I was looking for in a split chest rig: Lightweight, comfortable, can carry everything I need to support a DMR role, is built to last, and most importantly, meets Rule #1: “Look Cool”. It’s a splurge, but I don’t see how you could be disappointed once you get your hands on this. In this case, “Buy once, cry once” is the advice of the day. I look forward to checking out their other products…and talking someone into making HCAR/pistol magazines sleeves for it!
Where to Buy
Mountain Partisan Split Chest Rig (Precision Mod)- Split Chest Rig (Precision Mod .308) | Mountain Partisan
Atropian Deployment Patch- Atropian Deployment Patch | eBay
WMD Patch- WMD Patch
Enter BANG7 at checkout to save a few bucks.
$325? Really?
Shame cause the article sold me on it! It looks well made but at that price point… not a chance. Should be able to come in well under that assembling with other off the shelf components which I think I will do.
Regardless, solid review. Been looking for something better to support gas gun comp as well as BR LARP.