Why steel body armor is bad. Bulletsafe video

Bon Sauvage · Apr 29, 2021

Medieval knights wearing plate armour faced a similar problem. Arrows and lance tips striking their steel cuirasses tended to deflect up into their faces. To counter this threat throat and face armour was added to their ensemble.

Another method was to attach a V shaped ridge of metal to the upper part of the cuirass. An arrow deflecting upwards would strike the V and follow one of the wings away from the throat/face. This V can clearly be seen on the cuirass at the 1:47 part of the video.

I suggest that makers of contemporary steel body armour might wish to experiment with this V or wedge shape as a means to deflect bullets from the face.

CamoDeafie · Apr 29, 2021

Bon Sauvage said:
Medieval knights wearing plate armour faced a similar problem. Arrows and lance tips striking their steel cuirasses tended to deflect up into their faces. To counter this threat throat and face armour was added to their ensemble.

Another method was to attach a V shaped ridge of metal to the upper part of the cuirass. An arrow deflecting upwards would strike the V and follow one of the wings away from the throat/face. This V can clearly be seen on the cuirass at the 1:47 part of the video.

I suggest that makers of contemporary steel body armour might wish to experiment with this V or wedge shape as a means to deflect bullets from the face.

They won't, because it means getting custom fit carriers for the plates, and as most of them are utilizing an "one size fits most" method in regards to plate carriers, unless ceramic plates start having the V shaped things, the steel plates won't follow suit. The closest thing would be those 3a throat guard addons but even then they're not 100% going to work as well as one may think, because these throat protectors, at least most of them attach to the outside of the carriers. This leaves a very easy gap for the fragments and spall to pass behind the throat protectors. The best ones seems to be those that are mounted behind the plate bags, but these are smaller and still leaves ones jowls relatively unprotected.. and then there is the increased risk of being choked out if grappled/close combat.

Old Dog · Apr 30, 2021

Some of us know guys whose live were saved by steel plates. Some of us know guys who got Purple Hearts because spall from the walls they were hugging peppered their faces. Technological advances are great, but just 'cause spall can pop balloons doesn't mean steel plates don't serve their intended purposes.

Ridge Walker · Apr 30, 2021

Old Dog said:
Some of us know guys whose live were saved by steel plates. Some of us know guys who got Purple Hearts because spall from the walls they were hugging peppered their faces. Technological advances are great, but just 'cause spall can pop balloons doesn't mean steel plates don't serve their intended purposes.

Armor has been evolving for millenia. What was old will be new again. I look for armor to go to full body protection systems eventually. Balistic face masks with filter systems, hydration, and a effective means of throat protection to come along and advances in soft and hard armor and even cooling systems.