The SF30AK from Eagle Industries was the second chest rig I owned. While stationed in Germany I had purchased a Arktis 42 Pattern Chest Rig. It was very lightweight and served me well but I was always checking out new kit.
Later, while stationed at Ft Bragg, I purchased the SF30AK chest rig, via mail order from Eagle Industries. I chose the OD version because that’s what gear was made from at the time and wouldn’t stick out quite as much as another color. I used it a bit during training but its only operational use was for a time during Operation Restore Democracy in Haiti. When we first went in, we wore RBA, making it a good choice to wear over the armor vest, but later in the deployment, I just wore a JS Industries Predator Vest with a Camelbak in the back slot or an issue ETLBV. Vests you could just slip on while outside the compound, were easier to don and doff than a chest rig.
Mine is long gone, but even years later, I still like the design for its innovation and carrying capacity. The pockets would accept up to 12 magazines and the GP pockets would take canteens or other gear. What’s more the ammo pouches featured Eagle’s silent closure which required a downward pull on the webbing tab to release or attach the flap.
At the rear, there were two male portions of 1″ side release buckles which would allow the attachment of the assault pack from the field pack, large internal frame. However, most everyone cut them off because they would dig in if you wore a pack. The Vest in the photos is later production and has Coyote buckles. Back in the day, they were Black.
Features:
-Four magazine pouches that carry three M4/ M16 or two AK47 magazines each.
-Two large side utility pouches with slotted webbing for “ALICE” clips to hang extra gear.
-Two extra pockets behind the utility pouches.
-One full length inside pocket.
-The back of CP-SF-30AK is padded and uses CoolMax mesh for ventilation and comfort.
-Drop loops will attach to the Eagle Duty Belt or military web belt.
-All closures and fasteners use Mil. Spec. hardware.
-Made in the USA
Unfortunately, they are no longer available.
Did anyone else use this chest rig?
Tags: Eagle Industries
Had one, used the hell out of it, loved it. Blackhawk made a copy which is also out of production. LBT offers a 0290 chest rig periodically on their website which is the same concept with the utility pockets replaced by ALICE.
Proud owner of LBT’s 0290D, and their current price is awesome ($70)
http://lbtinc.com/vhc/hh
I would be happy to see the RRV back in production.
Ha! I had one too – back around ’94
Don’t worry I will make reproduction of it 😉
Holy cow, now that’s a blast from the past. Had one of these as well but primarily used the IIFS.
I had one of these. It was my first non issued rig I bought.
As a kid/in college I had a knock off version of this *(airsoft) I used when doing OPFOR and screwing around playing paintball. Eagle to me was always one of the best companies when I was growing up- this is when the “big 3” to me were eagle, blackhawk and london bridge- all of which I couldn’t afford at 18.
thanks for bringing us back in the way back machine SSD.
This design to me is the quintessential chest rig.
Is this the rig that the BHI commando chest rigs are based on? If so, it seems like a bad idea to size down the gp pouches.
OF COURSE this is the design Blackhawk copied….I don’t think Blackhawk EVER had a original idea they didn’t steal from Eagle, then make a rip-off design of, only,made worse,usually for more money, you know, because the owner was a “Former USN SEAL” and we all know how head-over-heels people are for SEALs.
Even after decades of producing ripped off designs with sub par manufacturing, people still cunt them as “one of the best tactical gear makers”.
It would be amusing if the implications weren’t so severe.
Platatac made a version of this back in the glory days of Non issued kit being allowed in the ADF. Came in DPCU (Auscam) and DPDU (Desert Auscam) Differences were a zip pouch running under the magazine pouches (x3), the magazine pouches were sized for F88 Steyr mags and there was 4 or so standard 25mm webbing sewed horizontally on the shoulder straps to clip handsets etc.
TAG makes a CR similar to this but more appropriately sized for M4 mags, called the Rifleman Chest Rig. I have one and love it, the only thing I changed was to unsew the radio pouch from the back of the left GP pouch and resew it onto the front of it… then added the tac tailor extended x harness for H20 carriers.
Lots if guys had similar chest rigs like this when I finally PCS’d from Korea to Bragg and left 2nd ID’s draconian/outdated SOPs. I bought an SDS Ranger RACK in woodland camp. Its still my favorite as far as chest rigs go.
Always wanted one of these, but seemed like something else was always coming first.
Just the other day (Well, Monday,actually) I saw a used, but not much so,one in OD for sale here in one of the shops just off Ft Bragg.
NOW, I have so many other vests and rigs, I just couldn’t see filling my small apartment with another,even though it was only $30 bucks.
Looking back now,especially after reading this, I wish I had gotten it, instead of yet another “woobie”…even though THIS woobie was in the Vietnam ERDL, and for only $20 bucks.
Might try to go back and get it,because Eagle (along with the newer BFG) is my favorite of the original “Tactical Gear Makers”.
Still got one in woodland. At least I think it’s the same Eagle model. Found a box of them while clearing out a connex for layout. Apparently our SRT was using them for a while. They weren’t being used and weren’t on the property books so……
Five Finger discount……
I thought Blackhawk invented this thing ?
My first thought with the pic was the Arktis you said preceded this one of yours. Why did you trade off from Arktis to Eagle? Were there (do you remember) any significant differences between the Arktis and Eagle models?
The Eagle mag pouches look bigger than I’d imagine, but it’s got “AK” in its product code, so I assume they’re sized for those mags rather than STANAGs.
It’s interesting to see how combat loads, and load carage have changed over the last 15 years of combat. Here we see the heavy combat loads popular in the late 80s to early 2000s, with up to 12 mags immediately avalible on the front of the kit.
Now, after fighting out of vehicles in Iraq in heavy armor and lately in the high altitudes in the mountains of Afghanistan, we see many going down to carrying 6 or even as few as four mags immediately avalible (front of kit).