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Body Armor Recommendations


sprite
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Anyone here have a vest they like and would recommend for home defense? Also what type of plates?

with how crazy the world is getting it seems it makes sense to have one on hand . Friday was crazy here in Atlanta with tons of shots fired nearby and some nearby high rises getting broken into and Molotov cocktailed. A friend of a friend also caught shrapnel in his vest when he got in a shootout with looters protecting his jewelry store.

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Hoplite Armor has great reviews and guys in the 2A love it. It can allegedly be hard to get your hands on with shipping issues and delays at some points. My guess is now is that time.

Get yourself a good plate carrier, but you'll want to do some research on what your load out is going to be. How many mags do you want to be able to carry, IFAK Kit, etc. You'll want to consider weight of plates (steel (heavy) vs. ceramic (lighter)).  Looks like if you are wanting to be able to withstand anything up to an AK (7.62 round) Level IV  would be what you want. But it'll be heavier, so if you know someone with some plates and carriers, see if you can try them on a get a fit.

Hope this helps, I'm hardly an expert, but i've done a little research on the subject matter. 

 

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3 hours ago, MasterShake said:

I have a couple plates from Armored Republic- AR 500  Armor.  They seem to perform well in all the tests I've seen.  ar500armor.com.

Good call. I've heard good things about them as well. So good even Alex Jones trusts them! :lol2: 

But seriously, heard good things on AR500. 

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DO NOT buy ar500 steel plates, there's a reason the military doesn't use them. They can get you killed due to the spall from the bullet as it impacts.

 

rmaarmament.com makes the most affordable stuff I've found with decent lead times. Level III+ is likely all you need, Level IV (for armour piercing rounds) is overkill in most instances in CONUS. You want the lightest stuff you can find in your price range and threat level. 

 

As far as plate carrier Crye is top notch stuff as is London Bridge Trading Co. 

 

Also training using this stuff is highly recommended. It may not seem like a lot but an 18# plate/carrier setup will slow you down a fair bit unless you are in really good shape, not to mention it hurts mobility in certain situations as well. My best advice as a brick and mortar business owner myself is don't put your life on the line for insured property by getting into gun fights with guerillas

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6 hours ago, jtrump said:

DO NOT buy ar500 steel plates, there's a reason the military doesn't use them. They can get you killed due to the spall from the bullet as it impacts.

 

rmaarmament.com makes the most affordable stuff I've found with decent lead times. Level III+ is likely all you need, Level IV (for armour piercing rounds) is overkill in most instances in CONUS. You want the lightest stuff you can find in your price range and threat level. 

 

As far as plate carrier Crye is top notch stuff as is London Bridge Trading Co. 

 

Also training using this stuff is highly recommended. It may not seem like a lot but an 18# plate/carrier setup will slow you down a fair bit unless you are in really good shape, not to mention it hurts mobility in certain situations as well. My best advice as a brick and mortar business owner myself is don't put your life on the line for insured property by getting into gun fights with guerillas

Good to hear some other thoughts. Does AR500 make ceramics? How do they hold up?

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On 6/1/2020 at 10:34 PM, Destructo said:

Good to hear some other thoughts. Does AR500 make ceramics? How do they hold up?

I don't believe they do. Ceramic is great but can be fragile. Many companies now use a ceramic composite mix that is very thin, light weight and can sustain multiple hits. My personal level III+ setup only weighs about 10lbs, but cost almost $1,000

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8 hours ago, jtrump said:

I don't believe they do. Ceramic is great but can be fragile. Many companies now use a ceramic composite mix that is very thin, light weight and can sustain multiple hits. My personal level III+ setup only weighs about 10lbs, but cost almost $1,000

Good to know, although I don't $1K is bad for a good plate set up. 

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2 hours ago, gutshot said:

Mesada Level III-A   On sale for $300.00 at Arms Unlimited.  Hell of a price for a good Israeli made vest.

https://www.armsunlimited.com/Masada-Body-Armor-Concealable-IIIA-Vest-p/cba-3a.htm

 

Huge difference between a vest and a plate carrier. Vest will stop pistol caliber rounds which will likely still cause severe trauma. 

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Yes I know, should have looked closer at the OPs question.

Having said that, if one has worn plates for any amount of time  while not in actual combat that shit gets old real fcuking quick.   

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3 hours ago, sprite said:

I worded it weird. I meant plate carrier but wrote vest. I think I'm going to get the JPC 2.0.

Good choice

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20 hours ago, gutshot said:

Having said that, if one has worn plates for any amount of time  while not in actual combat that shit gets old real fcuking quick.   

Agreed lol

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On 6/11/2020 at 6:40 PM, Destructo said:

I tell you one thing, even if it worked my guess is it would hurt like hell and maybe cause some internal issues? All looks way too thin, but i'm hardly an expert! 

yeah, that could cause tears in flesh along the seams as well.

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