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

[d-r]

d-r, would you mind weighing in on these? http://highcomsecurity.com/collectio...uardian-4sas-7

Thanks much for your time and efforts!

Can't comment, as I have not handled or used these plates. Should be comparable to other level IV plates out there. But remember, for CONUS use, I generally recommend level III, since IV is one and done, III is six rounds to failure.

[Inquirer]

d-r, would you mind weighing in on these? http://highcomsecurity.com/collectio...uardian-4sas-7

Thanks much for your time and efforts!

[d-r]

Smashy, that's actually ANOTHER Ultra-Hard steel plate that is coming out. It is an exciting time for steel plates, that's for certain.

[smashycrashy]

D-R mentioned this on his blog, 3.4 lb steel plate rated for M855, M193 and M80 ball coming soon:

https://drmorgear.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/ultimate-concealable-level-iii-steel-plate-coming-soon-from-maingun-surplus/

[d-r]

MAJOR UPDATE 5-28:

A company called Armor Wear just beat everyone to market with their new AR680 plates. These are Ultra-Hard Steel, and will stop M193 at 3000 fps and above. I NO LONGER RECOMMEND AR500 steel plates, the minimum being Mil-HHS (Maingun), and best practices being UHS.

https://armour-wear.com/shop/all/ar680-steel-plate/

With this steel now being available in rifle plates, there are virtually no compelling reasons to use lesser steel for protective gear.

[DeliveryBoy]

When I'm at a computer I'll be able to discuss further (on the cell). I too ran through these plates/companies/options.

[BDR529]

BDR this is from the OP on the first page of the thread, I recommend you go back and read his entire first post before making a purchase.

"Avoid Spectrashield, Spectra woven, or Dyneema: This material is based on polyethylene, the same stuff that milk jugs are made of. The armor version is referred to as Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly-Ethylene (UHMWPE). In situations where it gets hot (and most car trunks in the summer can get HOT), it will denature, reverting back to simple milk jug plastic. Armoring FAIL. I used to be a fan of this stuff until I read some great info by Kevin "Mad Dog" Mclung and Doctor Roberts ("DocGKR"), two names that you should look up and listen to. They did some eye opening tests (especially Mad Dog) on the dangers of Spectra. If the material goes over 180 F, it becomes a danger to its wearer."

From my earlier readings in this post I was led to believe that UHMWPE is to be avoided for soft armor purposes but, if used as a plate, is alright.

Unless something has changed Tencate doesn't sell directly to end users, they supply other armor companies. If you call Tencate, they'll probably direct you to some options.

Thank you for that information, I sent an e-mail and am awaiting a response.

Speaking of III+ armor options... D-R, have you heard anything (I presume you haven't tested) about "armour wear" plates? Specifically their 3+ but I guess any of their offerings or the company in generally? They're pretty new to the armor game.

I wanted to ask you a while ago but I knew you were away from cg. So now that you're back!

Thank you for bringing these to my attention, it is basically exactly what I'm looking for. That being said, I'm still searching and want to make a few more comparisons before I pull the trigger.

These were brought up earlier, but does anyone have any experience with Grey Ghost plates?

http://www.greyghostgear.com/product-p/3610.htm

Spartan has been mentioned a few times, but no talk of their III+ ceramic/polymer plates

https://www.thetargetman.com/product/level-iii-spartan-armor-defeats-m855-avanced-ceramiccomposite/

Or these offerings from Body Armor Outlet:

http://www.bodyarmoroutlet.com/bao-tactical-10-x12-sa-level-iii-06-cert-hard-armor-plate-bao-3610m.html

***One More: The Paraclete Speed Plate Plus is under 5 pounds for a 10X12, claims to stop M855, and (what I found most interesting) is only .55" thick! Just another option I came across. However, it appears they only tested it with M193, M855, and a mild steel core 7.62X39 round, with no claims of any other NIJ testing.
http://www.pointblankenterprises.com...ed-plates-plus ***

All of these offerings are made of a ceramic/composite, cost less than 500 dollars per plate, claim to be able to stop M855, and weigh less than 5 lb's per plate. My question from here is, what's the difference between them, and why are the offerings from armour-wear half the price of all the others? Why are some other plates constructed of the same materials almost 600 dollars per plate? Is it just a brand name or quality control thing? Am I a fool to think I should just buy the Armour-Wear plates, or is there something I'm missing?

[d-r]

Buy from AR500.com!

Edited 5-29-2015: AR500 steel is no longer recommended for anything other than steel targets at this time. Ultra-Hard Steel (UHS) is the best practices for steel rifle plates, with Mil-Spec HHS being the absolute minimum standard.

[kimbrel425@yahoo.com]

Buy from AR500.com!

[d-r]

Speaking of III+ armor options... D-R, have you heard anything (I presume you haven't tested) about "armour wear" plates? Specifically their 3+ but I guess any of their offerings or the company in generally? They're pretty new to the armor game.

I wanted to ask you a while ago but I knew you were away from cg. So now that you're back!

Had been looking at these. They might be worth a mention, as the price is decent (mid-range) per plate, and they will stop green tip (a concern with most PE plates). Weight is on the upper end for a PE plate at 4.5#.

The construction is interesting as well, a combo of PE and Kevlar. Of course, like most PE plates, you are looking at increased thickness (1").

All in all, these look like a decent offering for the combination of attributes claimed.

[Dee_Dub]

anyone here have any experience with safari land level III plates?

[DeliveryBoy]

Speaking of III+ armor options... D-R, have you heard anything (I presume you haven't tested) about "armour wear" plates? Specifically their 3+ but I guess any of their offerings or the company in generally? They're pretty new to the armor game.

I wanted to ask you a while ago but I knew you were away from cg. So now that you're back!

[esskay]

I'm 6'4", 290 lbs, and am interested in purchasing some hard plates. Based on another write up (which I can't remember where or who posted it) I took a liking to the Tencate SAPI Hybrid plates, Defense Tech DT855, and TAP Gamma Plus. Unfortunately I couldn't find any of these for sale in my searches. Reading through here I found a lot of great information, but I'm looking for some advice. I'm looking for a large or XL sized plate, that weigh less than 6 pounds each. (thinking some of the dyneema or other polymer options). Cost is a bit of a factor, I'm hoping for less than 500 per plate. Lastly, looking for Level III or III+. Any leads would be great! Thanks for any help!

***Edit: Does anyone have any information regarding the Hardwire Dyneema ballistic plates? Botach has them listed as Level III+, but their website only states Level III. Since III+ isn't an official rating, just wondering if anyone has any experience with these plates or if they're worth it. 250 each for a 4.25 lb level III plate seems like a great deal if they're not garbage!***

Unless something has changed Tencate doesn't sell directly to end users, they supply other armor companies. If you call Tencate, they'll probably direct you to some options.

[DeliveryBoy]

That's not entirely accurate... The uhmwpe is at greater risk in soft armor and is not as large a risk with the solid hard armor plate. D-R will most likely chime in momentarily as he is the originator.

[esnyderr]

BDR this is from the OP on the first page of the thread, I recommend you go back and read his entire first post before making a purchase.

"Avoid Spectrashield, Spectra woven, or Dyneema: This material is based on polyethylene, the same stuff that milk jugs are made of. The armor version is referred to as Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly-Ethylene (UHMWPE). In situations where it gets hot (and most car trunks in the summer can get HOT), it will denature, reverting back to simple milk jug plastic. Armoring FAIL. I used to be a fan of this stuff until I read some great info by Kevin "Mad Dog" Mclung and Doctor Roberts ("DocGKR"), two names that you should look up and listen to. They did some eye opening tests (especially Mad Dog) on the dangers of Spectra. If the material goes over 180 F, it becomes a danger to its wearer."