Well made plate carrier "system" ! - 5.11 Tactical TacTec Plate Carrier

The number one factor for me with gear like this is the quality of the stitching. This alone deserves a 5 star rating. The 5.11 Tac Tec Plate Carrier is well made and will easily secure heavy plates, even those with thick build up coating. The internal design of the plate holder appears to accomdate several shapes and tbicknesses and once secured, won't move around. In title I used the word "system" because that's what it is. The emergency pull release works as described and once you understand it, adjustments are set and forget. The drag handle also works well and is a smart feature. Like all plate carries, the shoulder strap padding is crucial when the plates alone can easily add 15 pounds, let alone the added weight to finish the kit. The shoulder straps and pads are good but could be a tad wider. The gap for a butt stock is adequate and it's too soon to tell if this will meet my requirements. Overall the 5.11 Tac Tec Plate Carrier is closer to a 5 star rating for this level of investment but time will tell if this will exceed the expected performance standards that 5.11 is known for.