Poll: Body Armor....What say you?

[EPS]

 

[Jcon268]

Just got this in the apartment parcel mailbox. edit I got them to fit the green custom carrier, with some space for soft backers! Turns out it was a little tricky to insert cleanly, but some fiddling and bam they slid right in.
From lots of research..
Global Armour UK series;
Made by LBA International (now under Safariland Group LTD)
10.25-10.5" x12" according to tailor tape
Multi curve
Shooters cut, not swimmers
silicon boron and kevlar composite-ceramic
1.9kg/4.2lbs per plate
5/8" or 0.625" thickness, according to my tailor tape
Level III+SS109+RF1 NIJ01.101.04 certified on 06 plate, not RF1 on 05 plate

SS109=M855 series. RF1= 7.62x51 NATO soft core rifle ammunition (sort of redundant when Level III NIJ specs says 7.62x51 FMJ rating? )
Since they're missing model numbers/serial numbers, I believe they are also ICW plates as the ones I could find most info on. The package did not come with soft plates.. ebay auction did say hard plates only, perhaps only mentiomed soft plates as required to get full Level III+ protection.

So now I need to hunt down a set of good level 3A soft kevlar/aramid plate backers Then sew up a custom tailored carrier for them. They are too slim and small for the Diamondback Tactical carrier, which takes older spec Large SAPI plates.
View attachment 686680View attachment 686681View attachment 686682

View attachment 686691View attachment 686692

Do we have the same carpet color? Because if so, that's just crazy...

 

[CamoDeafie]

I believe 7 mags are recommended for a battle setup. 6 on you and one in the rifle. It is personal preference on where you want to put them all.

Back when I was in the Army ...
Our standard load for magazines was 7 ...one in the rifle and six in two pouches.
Now with that said....
I would often carry extra magazines in a Claymore mine bag when out on LRRP / LRSD patrols and the like....
At times I would ditch my "web gear" and just use the Claymore mine bag to carry the magazines , depending on my role at that point in a particular mission.
Andy

Right, I'm not quite talking about how many mags , the plan is 7-10 total on my person, however...

The question is... plate carrier over the LBE? (LBE worn first, then armor second)

Or plate carrier under LBE? (Armor first, then LBE/LBV/Chest rig)

Do we have the same carpet color? Because if so, that's just crazy...

I live in an apartment complex. Its probably the same carpet colors/source

 

[Andy54Hawken]

The question is... plate carrier over the LBE? (LBE worn first, then armor second)

Or plate carrier under LBE? (Armor first, then LBE/LBV/Chest rig)

Okay then...
When forced to wear armor...
We would wear the Flak Vest...then put the Web Gear on over the vest....

But with that said....
Even though it was against the "rules"...we in LRRP / LRSD teams would often ditch and cache helmets and flak vests during the course of our missions....And retrieve them later.
Andy

 

[sobo]

Oooooooooooooooo, Andy, you're in trouble now...

 

[EPS]

Problem solved just buy one of these.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Oooooooooooooooo, Andy, you're in trouble now...

Yep...
Well its been a few days since I was in the Army....what are they going to do ...
Bust me down from Sergeant and take away my awards and medals...

In LRRP / LRSD Units "free thinking" was encouraged...to a point...
Andy

 

[CamoDeafie]

The reason I'm asking... is mainly..

I'm seeing more people running the carriers slick/low profile with most gear on the belt kit...

And seeing that some still run gear on the plate carriers; they run the load bearing suspenders underneath the armor;

Whereas the old and current standard is basically have a 360 coverage soft armor vest and hard plates with gear directly attached to the carrier, or in a chest rig/vest format; and even applicable for those running 2-plate carriers (front to back, no sides)


My main reasoning is that I figure if I am gonna be wearing a LBE more often than armor, then the armor should be unpadded in the shoulder areas; while the LBE uses wide, padded H harness system.

Edit. I would have the armor stashed in a ruck, ready to go on with the ruck being dropped; if I need. Or in my main vehicle go bag, or on a hook in the apartment

 

[ddayle]

I weighed the threat level and decided to go IIIA, soft armor. F&R in a Tee shirt holder. . Weight was a major factor to me. Most the plate systems weigh in over 20 # F&R. mine weighs 4#. ceramic plates are easy to wear over the top if I need that level. Like the weapon I chose, I prefer something light and comfortable enough so I am Likely to use it all the time. A full on vest like LEO use weighs up to 40#. The tee shirt soft armor holder is easy to wear for general use. A bit warm, I call it the 'sweater'. I can wear it to go grocery shopping & errands, I try to use it anytime I leave the house, except to go to work. I am pleased with my IIIA armor , I have had it a few months now. . I don't know how it will be in summer.

 

[Tony617]

Problem solved just buy one of these.View attachment 686708

Make sure you get a lot of depleted uranium shells with your Abrams tank.

 

[EPS]

Make sure you get a lot of depleted uranium shells with your Abrams tank.

Yep just in case someone else had the same idea.

 

[CamoDeafie]

So according to my own personal measurements with a tailors tape; I find that I should fit an X-L SPEAR/BALCS soft armor set according to Beez Combat Systems' BALCS size chart with actual measurements (by the by, I didn't know that XXL BALCS inserts ever existed! ) ; but according to Safeline Defense's "sizing chart"; if one is between 5 ft 6, and 5 ft 8, and weights around 300lbs, thats the "6XL-short" insert size???? No measurements of actual soft armor size?
That bothers me a bit.

Edit. If I'm shopping around for 360 degree soft 3a armor inserts that I can sew a custom carrier around...

As opposed to simply front/back 3a plates to go behind the hard ICW plates I have.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Ordered this April.16th. Got it today. Was called "Level III +" on Ebay, is apparently NIJ 0101.04 certified Level IV Standalone... DOM is 4/2020 so its pretty much brand new. I didn't order 2x because of the shape. It'll go as a back plate to pair with a front shooters cut plate... just curious that its certified to an older spec but not to the newer NIJ 0101.06 specs, even though its brand new? Edit. Its quite a bit heavier than the older Level 3 ICW plates.

 

[sobo]

Just out of curiosity, cuz I see this a lot with Level IV armor and it was also stated with the Level IV armor I just bought...
Without sounding too stupid, what exactly does "standalone" mean? Does it mean exactly what it says?
That is, this level of armor can just be (essentially) duct-taped to your chest?
Does "standalone" imply that there is other armor that is NOT standalone? What kind/level of armor would that be?

 

[gunnoob75]

Just out of curiosity, cuz I see this a lot with Level IV armor and it was also stated with the Level IV armor I just bought...
Without sounding too stupid, what exactly does "standalone" mean? Does it mean exactly what it says?
That is, this level of armor can just be (essentially) duct-taped to your chest?
Does "standalone" imply that there is other armor that is NOT standalone? What kind/level of armor would that be?

Simply that you do not need a soft armor backing to achieve the ballistic rating.

 

[sobo]

Thanks. I was wondering if it was something along that line.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Yup.
Standalone= no need for soft armor vests
ICW "In Conjunction With"= needs soft armor, either backers or whole vest, usually Level IIIA, although some plates will say works with level II vests

Edit. Most ICW plates are Level III; but there are some Level IV ICW plates, but these usually are also Level III Standalone plates, and gets Level IV rating with Level 3A soft vests behind.

 

[sobo]

Thanks, Camo and Joe!

 

[CamoDeafie]

The Standalone plates are usually the heaviest options, since they are required to stop all the threat levels alone with no soft armor backing. The ICW plates are usually lighter in weight. However it depends on the materials used and size.

 

[sobo]

@CamoDeafie I will state that I like your idea of the "square" plate for the back. Hadn't thought of that before.
It seems to me that all of the pairs I saw for sale on various sites always matched up two shooter's cut plates.
Kinda hard to see what value a shooter's cut would have on one's back when a square plate would offer a little more coverage at the shoulderblades...