Body Armor Thread. Advice and information.

[chemist]

I was about to buy a concealable III-A gold shield vest some months ago, but then i happened upon this post that explains how contact-range shots are not reliably stopped by "polyethelene laminate soft armor":

Soft Body Armor - M4Carbine.net Forums

Gold Flex is mentioned by name; is this similar to Gold Shield? From what i can get in the documents, they seem to be made of the same thing.

GoldFlex and Twaron are made from the same fiber, an aromatic amide, which is sold by duPont under the familiar trade name Kevlar. These are very high temperature materials that cannot melt - they're thermosets, not thermoplastics.

Contrast those aramid-based vests with polyethylene-based materials, most based on the Honeywell trademarked Spectra fiber. This UHMW polyethylene is much stronger and lighter than aramid, but it's a thermoplastic, melting at a low 150°C. That's why SpectraShield could (in principle, anyway) fail in a contact-shot scenario. I'm not so sure. Not every pistol belches fire like a .357, and it's the heat from the muzzle flash that's the danger, not the impact.

Where weight and volume are critical, SpectraShield is a clear winner. If high reliability trumps all other considerations, then aramid might be the best choice. Personally, I couldn't afford a SpectraShield vest.

 

[Decker]

So would it be reasonable to wear IIA for normal daily and add a front/back plate for more troubled times? Or is that mostly meh and just buck up and roll with a IIIA?

I ask becauase... well, mostly because I'd like to have some body armor for each member of my family but I suspect they'll think I've finally gone over the deep end of things so thinking that if I spent a week wearing something and they never notice it on me it would be easier to convince them to give it a go.

-d

 

[Arkarayne]

Level IIIa Body Armor Vest

Not made in america, but an alternative at least. (personally i'd buy 2 if i could afford it right now. maybe if there's some on tax-return day)

Personally, after I was out in downtown Medford last week, I've realized the general populace's intellienge level has reached unforgiving levels.
I was picking up a friend from Shenanigans and walking through the parking lot across the street to my car (about 2am or so), someone lets off a 38 revolver (at least the noise and lack of brass clink made me think it was) in the middle of the lot, then pockets it and walks away casually. (muzzle flash looked like a up-in-air shot.. fortunately) needless to say I got myself and my friend out of there.. who was too drunk to care. And it'd be the one night of course I didnt have anything on me.

I'll take a little discomfort and a jacket in the winter months for the best protection for myself and my girl (who's a seemstress and I'm sure can modify it for her.. ample needs.) I dunno I hope I still don't need it going to get cat food, or on the freeway, but it's been geting scary lately.