Made In Vietnam
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Pouches
Specs
Proper fit is achieved by adjusting the shoulders and cummerbund so that the weight sits at your natural waist above your hips.
Pay attention to the height of the vest and position of the upper magazine pouches, as this will place the padding and magazine pouches in a way that will cause minimal intrusions to the wearer when shouldering a rifle.
To don the rig, simply put it on like a "Jacket" and fasten the two front buckles. It's a one-and-done adjustment!
Common mistakes include wearing the rig too low (at the "belt line" of your waist), Too high (magazine flaps open up higher than your chin) and not tightening the cummerbund enough so that the weight of the rig is entirely sitting on your shoulders.
New Production SADF Pattern 83 Battle Jacket
In 1983, the first well-known modern chest rig was made somewhere most people wouldn't expect — South Africa. Developed during a time of canvas and metal fittings the SADF's "Pattern 83" brought new materials like Cordura, Velcro, nylon webbing, and plastic buckles to the forefront of military kit. It went on to inspire chest rig designs for generations to come... Including our own.
In 2021, we saw the writing on the wall — military surplus isn't forever. Supply would run dry one day, and before it did, we took it upon ourselves to breathe new life into the rig that frankly needed very little fixing.
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It's easy to don, easy to doff, and easy to use — Like early originals, it features ample storage for magazines, quick access to gear & tools, and enough room to sustain you for intense reconnoitering.
Made for high tempo counterinsurgency, the P83 design sits tight & comfortable, setting a precedent for the "tactical vest" blueprint.
Heavy-denier CORDURA Nylon never went out of style. It was durable in the 80s, and thanks to 2020s cut & sew processes, is even more durably constructed & consistently high quality.
It's a rig that will serve you for years to come and remain timeless with its retro silhouette.
If you're using a popular, semi-automatic magazine-fed rifle, odds are P83 fits at least 6 of your mags. Want to know for sure? We've tested dozens of different platforms and detailed our results below.
You can help expand this 'verified compatible' list by submitting your results to help@kommandostore.com
"short" 7.62x51 battle rifle magazines and STANAG 5.56 magazines may need the assistance of the ejector strap, ranger plate, or mag assist to compensate for the rig's deep pockets, as they were originally designed in 1983 for South Africa's R4 (Galil) 35 round magazines.
In general, Magazines for the 7.62 SCAR, HK G3/HK 91, 7.62 AR 10 PMAGs, 7.62 FAL, and Metallic STANAG Magazines all fit without issue.
longer magazines such as those found on AK platforms work without need of the ejector strap.
The process of "modernizing" a chest rig like this is a balancing act. Change too little and there’s no benefit to the end user. Change too much and you might ruin what made the original good.
In our view, almost everything about the P83 rig was done right the first time. The philosophy of the SADF is clear, and we agree with their conclusions. We decided our big design changes should be saved for a whole new rig, but also offer an option to get the classic factory fresh.
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Quality Counts
Our rig is cut and sewn by an experienced manufacturer in Vietnam.
We commissioned custom-run mesh, 1000D Cordura, and ITW Nexus hardware for consistent, top-notch quality.
You're getting a higher quality product, while matching the original's charm (minus the surplus smell).
Near-Infrared Fabrics & Dyes
Our rig is held to the same standards as modern high-end mil-spec gear is. Special non-reflective fabrics & color absorbing dyes reduces the rig's signature when viewed from night vision devices.
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Rated 4 out of 5
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You can carry everything you need to find out whatever it is you need to find out.
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Rated 5 out of 5
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As the saying goes, if it ain't broke don't fix it. A timeless piece of kit.
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Rated 4 out of 5
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The Pattern 83 Battle Jacket was already my go-to on range day, or even on a hike, and if you're as much of a sucker for a good woodland camo pattern as I am this is a natural next step.
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Rated 5 out of 5
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I am so sexy. Why you no return my fone calls? Check out this sexxxxy British DPM?! If you can guess how many pockets I have on my full rig, Kommodo Store will give you $1,000,000 dollars!
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Rated 5 out of 5
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