Pros and cons of body armor. Is it even needed for your prep kit?

Airborneguy said:

Did someone post that they planned to wear plates all over the place? It seems like the conversation is focused that way. Every defense/offense item has its place, the key is knowing when to use it.

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I don't think anybody did. I think some are just making that assumption.

So I ran across this vest from Bulletsafe, a level III A vest.

The BulletSafe Bulletproof Vest



The good: it's something you can wear concealed in a SHTF scenario to blend in but still get some protection. You can also get one their plates to upgrade in level protection if you want.
The bad: After some research, the vests are made in China. The company that sells them is located here in the U.S. in Troy, Michigan.

Some jackass in Boston wore body armor and just shot 2 Police officers.

Not good. Crimes like this will be used to push making body armor for civilians illegal

is NY state try to ban it for people?

If they try to make it illegal in NYS , that won't pass a court challenge because it's passive. SCOTUS decisions with 9-0 as case law to support such passive protections. Grandmother from the projects to talk about gun shots as a plaintiff-even liberals can't support it. Some police Chiefs might ask for it but it won't pass because if they got death threats they couldn't wear it

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Some jackass in Boston wore body armor and just shot 2 Police officers.

Not good. Crimes like this will be used to push making body armor for civilians illegal

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Body armor won't stop a head shot. In a Korea jungle the average kill shot might be center mass at 300 to 400 yards, but in the urban jungles of America the average kill shot is probably more like 10 to 20 feet. You can do head shots with a wrist rocket at 20 feet with your eyes closed.

lbt-6094 with ar680 plates from armour wear is what i have, truthfully i use it more as a weight vest than anything else. the likelihood i will ever need it is extremely low, (i would probably wear it if i got into 3 gun just to be safe in the event of dumbasses), in a firefight, the chances of you sustaining a hit in the plates is pretty small, they are just there to protect your heart/lungs, liver, and spine, still plenty of exposed areas if someone is wearing a large carrier with side plates.

the pros are obvious, protection of vital areas and good carrier provides a way to mount gear and a drag handle in the event you are incapacitated. the cons are weight, restriction of movement, breathability, and if you don't have the paxcon coating on steel plates: spalling (which is still better than direct hits from rifle fire)

Snappo said:

Body armor won't stop a head shot. In a Korea jungle the average kill shot might be center mass at 300 to 400 yards, but in the urban jungles of America the average kill shot is probably more like 10 to 20 feet. You can do head shots with a wrist rocket at 20 feet with your eyes closed.

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Not when they're holding the pistol sideways above their head.

Celt said:

Not when they're holding the pistol sideways above their head.

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Ovomit said if he had a son, that's how he'd hold it. Free Trayvon!

carpediem said:

His own actions got him "freed" in a way.

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I saw some news show that said he was making something called LEAN where they mix cough syrup, skittles, and watermelon drink. Because lord know heroin, cocaine, and crystal meth aren't already available on every street corner. Walter White would be proud.

Sorta thread bump . . . Was at a LGS the other day and I saw something called Paraclete, made by Point Blank. It is a super lightweight plate made of polyethylene. I think it's less than a half inch thick and a 8x10 weighed less than a pound. Demo had 30-06 hits that didn't penetrate. Price on the back was $110 ! ! ! Naturally I said "I'll take one." Sorry, no go for non LEO. Any LEO using this stuff? I think a couple of 11x14 plates in a carrier would be the DEAL!

FLA45fan said:

Sorta thread bump . . . Was at a LGS the other day and I saw something called Paraclete, made by Point Blank. It is a super lightweight plate made of polyethylene. I think it's less than a half inch thick and a 8x10 weighed less than a pound. Demo had 30-06 hits that didn't penetrate. Price on the back was $110 ! ! ! Naturally I said "I'll take one." Sorry, no go for non LEO. Any LEO using this stuff? I think a couple of 11x14 plates in a carrier would be the DEAL!

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Buy it online. These FFL's and gun shop employees are worst than the gun grabbers themselves.

FLA45fan said:

Sorta thread bump . . . Was at a LGS the other day and I saw something called Paraclete, made by Point Blank. It is a super lightweight plate made of polyethylene. I think it's less than a half inch thick and a 8x10 weighed less than a pound. Demo had 30-06 hits that didn't penetrate. Price on the back was $110 ! ! ! Naturally I said "I'll take one." Sorry, no go for non LEO. Any LEO using this stuff? I think a couple of 11x14 plates in a carrier would be the DEAL!

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Why LEO only??? Was that a store policy or a law?

FLA45fan said:

Sorta thread bump . . . Was at a LGS the other day and I saw something called Paraclete, made by Point Blank. It is a super lightweight plate made of polyethylene. I think it's less than a half inch thick and a 8x10 weighed less than a pound. Demo had 30-06 hits that didn't penetrate. Price on the back was $110 ! ! ! Naturally I said "I'll take one." Sorry, no go for non LEO. Any LEO using this stuff? I think a couple of 11x14 plates in a carrier would be the DEAL!

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bulletproofme.com

Drinkthekoolaid said:

Why LEO only??? Was that a store policy or a law?

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Absolutely store policy. Anyone can buy vests and armor!

GOPerfect said:

Absolutely store policy. Anyone can buy vests and armor!

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Thanks that's what I thought and why I was confused that the store didn't want to make money and sell some of their inventory.

NY has a law about wearing body armor while committing a felony. That's it. It's legal for everyone.

I have a plate carrier with AR500 in my trunk. The job only gives us trauma plates rated for like 1 .30-06 direct hit.

So, have you heard of polyethylene plates? Paraclete? Any data on THIS type of armor? Yep, I would have bought it right then and there. For 110 bucks, what do you have to lose? But is it any good?

I like the ar500 plates. If you have a gun for self defense at home, why not get a vest too? Not something you have to over analyze. You can get great armor these days for under $200.

FLA45fan said:

So, have you heard of polyethylene plates? Paraclete? Any data on THIS type of armor? Yep, I would have bought it right then and there. For 110 bucks, what do you have to lose? But is it any good?

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I thought those were rated to stop up to 5.7 armor piercing rounds? I know those are on par to many rifle rounds, but the standard in my opinion should be focused on commonly used rifles like the 5.56 308 etc. I'm not sure if those newer tech soft plates offer higher ratings or not.

The new polyethylene plates are the way to go, especially if you have a need to frequently wear armor. I'll have to research the Paraclete brand. I know Spartan Armor has similar plates that are NIJ Level III compliant: UHMWPE Level III Set of Two I've seen them at some other websites in the $1000 range for a set of two. Considering they weigh a little over 3 lbs. for a 10" x 12", the weight savings is awesome.

carpediem said:

I wonder if they will withstand multiple hits. It would be good to see a test video, even though those can't always be trusted.

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Genuine Level 3 poly may take up to six hits of 308. Drawback to poly is thickness over one inch, and breakdown at 150 °F (no keeping it stored in a car).

BulletProofME.com Body Armor - Rifle Plates - Ultra-light Polyethylene

FLA45fan said:

polyethylene,
less than a half inch thick,
8x10 weighed less than a pound,
[multiple] 30-06 hits that didn't penetrate,
Price on the back was $110 ! ! !

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Please link to this miracle armor. Those numbers sound far fetched, especially as stand alone armor not needing a 3A vest supporting.

GOPerfect said:

Absolutely store policy. Anyone can buy vests and armor!

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True. As of right now.
Tomorrow? Maybe not. Look at Connecticut.

freddy said:

Please link to this miracle armor. Those numbers sound far fetched, especially as stand alone armor not needing a 3A vest supporting.

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Hard Armor Plates | PARACLETE
Check out the pdf file.