Body armor

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  • Dentoro

    Sharpshooter
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    7   0   0
    Nov 16, 2010
    670
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    Fairland
    Do you have any? Is this a prep? Is this a budget item or something you spend big money on? CATI has a carrier and two level 3 plates for $129. But any changes add up fast. LIners, curved plates, bigger plates, level 4 and...BAM! $400 bucks! Anyway, just curious and testing the water on thoughts and advice. I'm listening.
     

    Wolfhound

    Hired Goon
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    45   0   0
    Apr 11, 2011
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    Henry County
    Do you have any? Is this a prep? Is this a budget item or something you spend big money on? CATI has a carrier and two level 3 plates for $129. But any changes add up fast. LIners, curved plates, bigger plates, level 4 and...BAM! $400 bucks! Anyway, just curious and testing the water on thoughts and advice. I'm listening.

    I would imagine you will get a very wide variety of responses on the subject of body armor. I do not consider myself an expert or authority on the subject so I will make this short. I own both soft and hard armor and there are scenarios where using them makes sense and plenty of times it doesn't make sense. Armor can be hot and heavy and really make you dislike wearing it. It can also save your life.

    When it comes to hard armor that is rifle rated you are looking at either steel or ceramic plates. Steel is cheaper and thinner but you have to consider spalling. Ceramic reduces spalling but can crack and break.

    I look at armor as a prep. If I was expecting trouble in a EOTWAWKI or SHTF situation I would wear armor. If I had to take a vehicle under "sporty" conditions to retrieve a loved one I would likely wear armor. I wouldn't use it if I had to move around a lot or just under normal conditions. YMMV

    I don't know what exactly you are prepping for or what kind of a budget you have so you will really need to judge for yourself what type is best for you or if it's really even necessary.
     

    luger fan

    Shooter
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    0   0   0
    Mar 8, 2018
    308
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    Indy
    I wear one at the range, WAY too many idiots who have never shot a firearm before. I have been swept by a muzzle more times than I can count.
     

    mikefraz

    Master
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    53   0   0
    Mar 23, 2011
    1,758
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    Lakeville
    I bought steel plates that are level 3+ rifle rated. If you go the steel plate route, pay the extra for the LineX spall coating. The trade off for steel is weight. The trade off with ceramic plates is durability and price. Planning to only use my armor sparingly, the extra weight of the steel wasn’t a deal breaker. I personally feel like armor is worth it if you have the other basics covered (food, water, shelter).
     

    Dentoro

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    Nov 16, 2010
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    Fairland
    This would be just for the "sporty occasions". I was thinking just a couple Budget armor vests with no frills because of that. Condor sentry carrier with level three steel plates. No spall liner, no trauma pads, just protection. Below is what I was considering based on price. I know steel is heavier but looks like it can take multiple hits without fail. I really don't know know much about it, never considered it until a fellow prepper said he had it for everyone in the family. Price kinda always turned me off . Until I saw these I never considered them as an option.

    https://www.catiarmor.com/review/product/list/id/172/category/57/
     

    Wolfhound

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    Apr 11, 2011
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    This would be just for the "sporty occasions". I was thinking just a couple Budget armor vests with no frills because of that. Condor sentry carrier with level three steel plates. No spall liner, no trauma pads, just protection. Below is what I was considering based on price. I know steel is heavier but looks like it can take multiple hits without fail. I really don't know know much about it, never considered it until a fellow prepper said he had it for everyone in the family. Price kinda always turned me off . Until I saw these I never considered them as an option.

    https://www.catiarmor.com/review/product/list/id/172/category/57/

    That seems like a really good deal to me. I've never heard of that company but it's hard to mess up steel plates. It looks like there might be some sort of spall coating on them maybe.

    Don't forget to put together a good first aid bag as part of your preps. Something that gets over looked occasionally.
     

    NHT3

    Grandmaster
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    52   0   0
    I too wear one when I RSO. Probably unnecessary but I used the RSO work in my mind to justify getting one. After using it a couple of weeks I'm glad I have it. If you are going to wear it any length of time get something comfortable would be my suggestion.

    [FONT=&amp]NRA Life Member / [/FONT]Basic Pistol instructor[FONT=&amp] / RSO[/FONT][FONT=&amp]

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]"Under pressure, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training. That's why we train so hard" [/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Unnamed Navy Seal[/FONT][FONT=&amp]
    “Ego is the reason many men do not shoot competition. They don't want to suck in public”

    [/FONT][FONT=&amp]Aron Bright[/FONT]
     

    Vigilant

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    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
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    Plainfield
    This would be just for the "sporty occasions". I was thinking just a couple Budget armor vests with no frills because of that. Condor sentry carrier with level three steel plates. No spall liner, no trauma pads, just protection. Below is what I was considering based on price. I know steel is heavier but looks like it can take multiple hits without fail. I really don't know know much about it, never considered it until a fellow prepper said he had it for everyone in the family. Price kinda always turned me off . Until I saw these I never considered them as an option.

    https://www.catiarmor.com/review/product/list/id/172/category/57/
    Spall coating is absolutely necessary on steel plates, why have the armor stop the bullet only to bleed out because of shrapnel to the throat. As an aside, life saving equipment should NEVER be the cheapest thing you can find?
     

    Dead Duck

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    53   0   0
    Apr 1, 2011
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    Spall coating is absolutely necessary on steel plates, why have the armor stop the bullet only to bleed out because of shrapnel to the throat. As an aside, life saving equipment should NEVER be the cheapest thing you can find?

    This is why I always buy top quality hookers. :):
     

    WETSU

    Expert
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    3   0   0
    Jan 21, 2009
    990
    28
    Fort Wayne
    I consider body armor as essential preps. Yes.

    I wear soft armor regularly, and especially to train. I have two sets, II with no side protection, very minimal and a III with wrap around and a ceramic trauma plate.

    Then I have an Eagle slick plate carrier with curved ceramic with soft armor backing. Pair this with a cut out low pro-skid lid and I'm good to go.

    I keep a set of steel plates backed with soft armor in a Tactical Tailor rig set up for AK, in my Jeep. The steel has Kevlar spall guard.

    In my gear locker I also keep two sets of soft interceptors with soft only and 8x8 steel plates inserted, and two PASGT "flak" vests as a basic VIP back up.

    So yes, body armor is important. And TRAIN with it!
     

    CPT Nervous

    Grandmaster
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    17   0   0
    Mar 7, 2012
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    The Southern Bend
    I went with level IV ESAPI ceramic plates for weight considerations. Yes, steel is cheaper and more durable, but ceramic can take a beating, and it's much lighter. If you get hit more than 30 times in a plate, you're probably in a pretty bad situation, and a steel plate wouldn't be much better.

    ABSOLUTELY get spalling protection. When a bullet strikes a steel plate, it fragments, and sends shrapnel in every direction, including up, into your chin. That can kill you. As Vigilant said, it's no good to stop the bullet only to be killed by the shrapnel of a plate strike because you were too cheap to buy proper plates. Also, I would highly recommend trauma pads. They make non ballistic ones for under $20, and they will disperse the impact of a plate strike. If you don't put them behind your plates, you'll wish you did if you ever get to test them out. DO NOT SKIMP ON POTENTIALLY LIFE SAVING EQUIPMENT!!!!!!!
     

    Dentoro

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    Nov 16, 2010
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    Fairland
    Are the liners better than then than the sprayed on liner? I like the idea of liners better than the spray on. The spray on seems to seperate after a couple of hits no matter the brand.
     

    Wolfhound

    Hired Goon
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    Apr 11, 2011
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    You can get spall blocker pads. They go on the outside of the steel plates. Some are sleeves that the plate slides into. Not expensive.




     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
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    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
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    Indiana
    There is more to spalling than what is depicted in that image. When a high speed projectile hits a steel plate, it's possible for the impact to transmit enough energy and momentum to cause metal fragments from the back side of the plate to be projected in toward the wearer. This is what is likely to harm you with an uncoated steel plate and no soft armor behind it. Fragments from the front side could do some damage, but they're typically moving away from the wearer.

    Some anti-tank weapons are designed to use this spalling phenomenon to kill the occupants of the tank when penetrating the armor would be more difficult or impossible. The projectile is design to impact the surface of the tank and the end result is metal fragments emitted from the interior side and into the crew.

    If your plates are not designed to be stand-alone (i.e. worn without soft armor between you and the plate), then you NEED adequate soft armor between you and the plate.

    Also, there are now polypropylene plates that perform well against center fire rifle hits and are much lighter than ceramic plates. That's where I would focus my interest.
     
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