Body Armor

[Checkers]

Hey guys, I was hoping we could discuss body armor. Who here are it? What do you use? WHY do you have it? (Not arguing, just curious of others' reasoning).

With the state of the country right now, I'm trying to buy all my goodies before they're banned/prices spike/they're bought out. Is body armor at any risk of being outlawed? Each paycheck I've been putting a little aside for mostly guns (Just got my permit a few months ago) and I also recently caught the AR bug. I have plans for a few AR builds but if body armor may be going away, I'd like to pick some up sooner than later. Just a simple plate carrier with some AR500 steel.

Any thoughts?

Also, post pictures of your rigs!

 

[Snappo]

Hey guys, I was hoping we could discuss body armor. Who here are it? What do you use? WHY do you have it? (Not arguing, just curious of others' reasoning).

With the state of the country right now, I'm trying to buy all my goodies before they're banned/prices spike/they're bought out. Is body armor at any risk of being outlawed? Each paycheck I've been putting a little aside for mostly guns (Just got my permit a few months ago) and I also recently caught the AR bug. I have plans for a few AR builds but if body armor may be going away, I'd like to pick some up sooner than later. Just a simple plate carrier with some AR500 steel.

Any thoughts?

Also, post pictures of your rigs!

Remember back in the day that North Hollywood bank robbery where the cops were out-gunned and basically needed to grab everything off the Class III aisle at a gun shop? What did the bank robbers use back then? I kind of think it was makeshift.

 

[Uzi]

Yeah, they sewed up their own kevlar vests themselves.

 

[Snappo]

Yeah, they sewed up their own kevlar vests themselves.

Nowadays you can always find "better cheaper faster". I think a top notch body armor is like $400 these days and those soft-trauma inserts are like $25. Inserts for those exotic rounds is only like $75 too. So I bet for $600 or less you could stop a rocket launcher or godzilla from hurting you in a closed quarters battle situation. I bet right around the corner is China making top quality body armor for like $200 all-in and pushing it on Amazon and at Walmart. LOL Is Kevlar still the big deal? If not, I wonder if you can buy used body armor for dirt cheap as LEO's move to stuff that may be a little lighter, or a little better with body heat and sweat, etc.

 

[Snappo]

ETA: XL armor built in 2009-2010 for $200. BulletProof ME Body Armor - Police Surplus Bullet proof Vests at a Discount, $ 190 & up

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Check out cati armor.com for cheap plate carriers and lvl3 plates. I am also considering buying while I can before they are outlawed. I have it either body armor or a rifle for next big purchase

 

[Celt]

I have a pc with ar500 plates for shtf purposes.

Im also picking up a vest to keep in my truck just in case.

 

[Airborneguy]

I have two soft vests, one for work and one going to the guy who posted above me () and a plate carrier with CATI plates. The plate carrier is in my car at all times and also carries 6 Glock 19 magazines. I considered for a long time carrying a rifle in the car, but have decided against it for the time being, so I am at least satisfied having the extra ammo and mags for my side-arm along with the body armor.

 

[Steal2B]

When body armor is made unavailable for citizens to protect themselves from protected invading thugs, high speed rounds that can penetrate level III (already being used by invading thugs) will likely be made unavailable to law abiding citizens also. If you are considering purchasing one, maybe you should also consider investing in the other also. Also, if you have to bug out on foot, a pouch full of high speed rounds is much lighter than armor.

 

[carpediem]

Interesting video.

 

[speedkills27]

I grabbed a set of level III+ plates from Spartan armor for a pretty reasonable price. Then I picked up a barely used Banshee PC from a friend and had a whole armor package for $350-$400

 

[Marine Cpl]

I have two soft vests, one for work and one going to the guy who posted above me () and a plate carrier with CATI plates. The plate carrier is in my car at all times and also carries 6 Glock 19 magazines. I considered for a long time carrying a rifle in the car, but have decided against it for the time being, so I am at least satisfied having the extra ammo and mags for my side-arm along with the body armor.

Just keep a Glock stock for your 19 in the car. You'd extend your range out to 50 yards easy.

 

[MilesTeg]

Just don't make cast iron plates. 9mm is so powerful it will punch right through it.

 

[Marine Cpl]

Just don't make cast iron plates. 9mm is so powerful it will punch right through it.

Well actually.....

 

[Phazer]

Just keep a Glock stock for your 19 in the car. You'd extend your range out to 50 yards easy.

View attachment 934

Cool. What's the opinion on such an add-on stock for a pistol? BATFE has stated that making a rifle from a pistol does not "create a new weapon." But, making a pistol from a rifle does "create a new weapon."

Does a pistol with such a stock become an AW under the unSAFE Act? Is it an ANT? Or, is it just a registered pistol with a funky stock?

EDIT - Never mind. From their site:

Disclaimer: When you buy this product, your Glock® will become a short-barreled rifle. You must first register your Glock® with the ATFE using ATFE Form 1.

 

[carpediem]

Cool. What's the opinion on such an add-on stock for a pistol? BATFE has stated that making a rifle from a pistol does not "create a new weapon." But, making a pistol from a rifle does "create a new weapon."

Does a pistol with such a stock become an AW under the unSAFE Act? Is it an ANT? Or, is it just a registered pistol with a funky stock?

Doesn't it become a short barreled rifle?

 

[Marine Cpl]

It does make it into a short barreled rifle but in Airborne's case, who's gonna arrest him when the SHTF and he has that along with a gold shield around his neck?

 

[Uzi]

It would become a FEDERALLY illegal SBR with a stock on it. No NFA items and or tax stamps allowed for law abiding citizens in NY state. You can add a stabilizer brace and keep it under 50oz's legally though.

 

[Marine Cpl]

We can use this though since it doesn't attach to the gun. It's held by your hand pressure.

APS 1SHOT: A Stock For Your GLOCK, No Stamp Needed? [VIDEO] - The Truth About Guns

 

[carpediem]

W

It does make it into a short barreled rifle but in Airborne's case, who's gonna arrest him when the SHTF and he has that along with a gold shield around his neck?

When SHTF, who will be worried about arresting any of us, gold shield or not? I would imagine some gold shields would go flying during SHTF too, might make survival even harder.

 

[Phazer]

We can use this though since it doesn't attach to the gun. It's held by your hand pressure.

APS 1SHOT: A Stock For Your GLOCK, No Stamp Needed? [VIDEO] - The Truth About Guns

View attachment 940

I just came across that to. I'm sure BATFE has, or will, find that this still violates the NFA. They just need to specify that friction constitutes a method to "attach" a stock to a pistol.

 

[Marine Cpl]

I just came across that to. I'm sure BATFE has, or will, find that this still violates the NFA.

Yea when stupid people start asking them for verification.

We can make our own out of wood. Who here is a carpenter?

 

[carpediem]

Back to the body armor side of things, I like the Spartan Armor over the AR500.com stuff because it doesn't take literally months to get your order. The wait is a bit too long with AR500. Spartan Armor has a little better price on their plates as well.

 

[MikeyCNY]

My girlfriend likes to joke when she sees me putting on my CCW about "Are we going into battle?" It's a quote from 'The Mummy', one of her favorite movies.. recently I responded by saying "if you ever see me put body armor on, then yes".

Basically, my personal opinion, if it is bad enough outside (riots, coordinated terror attacks nearby, etc) that I would consider donning body armor, I wouldn't go anywhere if I could help it. I do plan to acquire some, someday.. but right now my limited funds are aimed (ha!) at spare parts, ammo, holsters etc.. I have heard good things from Spartan armor though.

 

[carpediem]

This is another thread where body armor got discussed for certain scenarios.
Pros and cons of body armor. Is it even needed for your prep kit?

 

[Airborneguy]

Sorry to derail, but since it was mentioned. I met a guy at my range a few days ago who showed me a, ahem, rifle, with a short looking barrel.

I asked how the hell he got that approved and he just laughed. I'm sure there are plenty out there, but that's legitimately my first time seeing one since the Army.

 

[Frankly]

It's always going to be a triangular choice of price, weight, and quality - pick any two, you can't have all three. Weight equals protection at the expensive of mobility. Lighter higher tech materials cost more.

AR500 Armor - Body Armor, Ballistic Plates, and Trauma Plates has some reasonably priced Chinese made plates and carriers that have universal fit in the $200-$300 range that might serve well for one-time emergency use but if I had to wear armor regularly I know I'd want a fitted, expensive set with US-made quality.

What about helmets? Or is it better just to be dead quicker?

 

[Snappo]

I can't see that value of body armor if you are already at a bug out location, but it is cool to have for $200. Any EMT will tell you a shot that opens the femoral artery is like a 1 minute bleed out, so leg and groin armor is important too. And head armor. Any average hunter with an average rifle can easily head shot or groin shot a fairly stationary human at 400 yards, I would think.

 

[Snappo]

It's always going to be a triangular choice of price, weight, and quality - pick any two, you can't have all three. Weight equals protection at the expensive of mobility. Lighter higher tech materials cost more.

AR500 Armor - Body Armor, Ballistic Plates, and Trauma Plates has some reasonably priced Chinese made plates and carriers that have universal fit in the $200-$300 range that might serve well for one-time emergency use but if I had to wear armor regularly I know I'd want a fitted, expensive set with US-made quality.

What about helmets? Or is it better just to be dead quicker?

It's best to live in a rural location now while farm prices are extremely low and doing the 60 minute commute to
work. You can get a decent farm on 100+ acres in Central or Upstate NY all day long for under $200K and property taxes on farms are low, often $1K a year or less. And owning a farm gives write-offs that can drop your federal taxes from 30% to 10%.