BODY ARMOR: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

[johnny1290]

I bought a tactical vest because reasons...and I'm too old and weak and cheap for plate armor. I have a level 3a vest already. Is it a terrible idea to wear this new tactical vest over the soft bodyarmor I already have? I swear I've seen police do this but I could be making it up.
I could buy soft inserts for $130 or so but I think I'd lose some coverage plus why spend the money.
I might save a little weight with the inserts, but other than that I think this should work.
Any thoughts or experience? Thanks all!

[crufflers]

I bought a tactical vest because reasons...and I'm too old and weak and cheap for plate armor. I have a level 3a vest already. Is it a terrible idea to wear this new tactical vest over the soft bodyarmor I already have?

I think you can layer whatever the heck you want that works for you where you can move and are not too hot. I have jackets that are designed to have PC worn over them like battle shirts and I probably would never do that unless it was real cold. Whatever you like. 'Murica. i wouldn't wear redundant layers of armor, but other than that I think anything goes. IIIA+ PLATES or whatever are light as hell. I'd rather wear 5 pounds than 12... but depends on whether you need to stop rifle rounds or whatever your imagined worst case scenario... doesn't matter if you are a sitting duck in level IV that is too heavy for you to move in. I think that part IS similar to a video game.

I'd wear a load bearing rig over a completely slick carrier... if it works. Similar to what you were doing? Slick carriers with slim light IIA+ plates are nota as flexible as the soft stuff but a lot is similar weight... like 1.3 pound per plate for example. Probably plate armor could be lighter at the same rating if it is modern UHMWPE.

Stuff like this is cheap and light 1.7 pound up to 4 pounds IIIA+ up to III+ plates and flex plates

https://botach.com/battle-steel-special-threat-level-iiia-ballistic-10x12-hard-plates/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-special-threat-level-iiia-ballistic-11x14-hard-plates/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-level-iiia-special-threat-10x12-ballistic-flexible-panels/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-level-iiia-special-threat-11x14-ballistic-flexible-panels-shooters-cut/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-level-iii-ballistic-plates-m855-ap-protection-10x12-shooters-cut/

[johnny1290]

I think you can layer whatever the heck you want that works for you where you can move and are not too hot.

I think you can layer whatever the heck you want that works for you where you can move and are not too hot.

I think you're right, the softarmor is slick, I'll throw the vest over it and see how it feels and if I can move.

Thanks for the links. That's exactly the softarmor I was thinking of getting. I didn't know about thosse cheap ceramics though, that's worth thinking about. This is where I always get stuck with the armor question, the whole cost/weight evaluation. It'd be so easy to drop $500-1000 on something I will never/seldom use.

[crufflers]

I didn't know about thosse cheap ceramics though, that's worth thinking about.

Well, cheap ceramics weigh as much as steel... those are UHMWPE and ceramic layers or COMPOSITE... light and stop a lot of threats. The flexible plates are UHMWPE alone.

[johnny1290]

Well, cheap ceramics weigh as much as steel... those are UHMWPE and ceramic layers or COMPOSITE... light and stop a lot of threats. The flexible plates are UHMWPE alone.

Been a lot of changes since I resarched this stuff. Thanks!!

[five.five-six]

For IDPA, people are loading just above PF, level II is probably fine

[johnny1290]

Here's the Border Patrol surplus I bought from Sportsmans Warehouse years ago. There's a female name written inside. Is this cut for females? I don't have a clue about this stuff or how it's supposed to fit. It's from 2003 FWIW. I took the insert out, it didn't seem particularly tailored to my eyes, but what do I know.

https://ibb.co/kxvw1vc

[crufflers]

Here's the Border Patrol surplus I bought from Sportsmans Warehouse years ago. There's a female name written inside. Is this cut for females? I don't have a clue about this stuff or how it's supposed to fit. It's from 2003 FWIW. I took the insert out, it didn't seem particularly tailored to my eyes, but what do I know.

https://ibb.co/kxvw1vc

Honestly, I would trust a NEW rock bottom budget $150 IIIA+ setup more than that old one.

[crufflers]

https://botach.com/battle-steel-level-iiia-special-threat-11x14-ballistic-flexible-panels-shooters-cut/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-level-iiia-10x12-ballistic-flexible-panels-shooters-cut/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-discreet-plate-carrier/

or

https://botach.com/longfri-level-iiia-concealable-ballistic-vests/

or

https://ferroconcepts.com/collections/all-carriers/products/the-slickster

https://botach.com/battle-steel-nij-certified-level-iii-10x12-ballistic-plates/

https://botach.com/battle-steel-nij-certified-level-iii-10x12-ballistic-plates/

[crufflers]

A lot of people turn their nose up at those BOTACH $15 plate carriers, but they don't bust and the material is strong and they do something that a lot of $160 or $300 carriers don't do. They will hold 10x12 or 11x14 plates securely.

Botach plates stop everything they are supposed to stop whether you like it or not, hahah.

[SBC400]

For Botach...in stock means a 3 1/2 week lead time minimum.

If you are worried that UHMWPE can't take more than 6 hits...My opinion is if I got hit once on the plate and no extremities were hit...That was my lucky day. Really multiple hits?

The steel plate vs., polyethylene only vs., level IV argument is best argued by age group and how healthy, and how good of shape you are in.

And is it better to have level III or more armor, or to not have it and be able to move faster with pistol rated armor, or even a chest rig with no armor?.

I am not answering the questions...Kind of asking.

[crufflers]

For Botach...in stock means a 3 1/2 week lead time minimum.

If you are worried that UHMWPE can't take more than 6 hits...My opinion is if I got hit once on the plate and no extremities were hit...That was my lucky day. Really multiple hits?

The steel plate vs., polyethylene only vs., level IV argument is best argued by age group and how healthy, and how good of shape you are in.

And is it better to have level III or more armor, or to not have it and be able to move faster with pistol rated armor, or even a chest rig with no armor?.

I am not answering the questions...Kind of asking.

Meh, I’m ok with 5 pound eleven ounces for lvl IV that stops it all. That feels like a feather compared to 8 pound steel with side plates to me. Three rifle mags and maybe a couple pistol mags on a belt. Rather than a chest rig with 12 mags - That's what mine holds.

If you have plates that are a pound they don’t stop any rifle rounds... that is scary to some people.

I don’t think I ever had Botach take more than about a week to ship plates. it is definitely not next day if that’s what you want.

[bugsy714]

Guys what kind of protection and materials are used in the military vests below?

https://www.wbparts.com/rfq/8470-01-092-8500.html

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[Master_Prestige]

https://www.optactical.com/

JPC 2.0 MultiCam
Hesco L210

Restocked

[Tere_Hanges]

https://www.optactical.com/

JPC 2.0 MultiCam
Hesco L210

Restocked

The 2.0 is not in stock. The non-2.0 is in stock.