Specific recommendation for ar 500 armored vest?

[CamoDeafie]

Thats a real problem isnt it... weight and coverage.

 

[CamoDeafie]

As for carriers.... check sizing. Surplus MOLLE carriers can be had for decent prices, if you're willing to get the plates sized to the carrier. Eagle Industries, Blackhawk Industries, Allied Industries, Tactical Tailor all have good carriers that fit a range of plates.

 

[American123]

All of this information, but it doesn't do diddly for your head/throat/neck lol.

When I was doing "tactical two gun" competitions, sometimes they would incorporate "armored targets" so if you struck their torso the hit wouldn't count. It had to be head shot. I personally found it easier to just shoot the whole course doing only head shots, never had to worry about armor or not. Just hold the red dot at the hairline or top of the forehead and the 50 yard zero at close range would place the hits just about perfectly in the T-zone. With how prevalent armor has become, it made me rethink strategies on potentially engaging hostiles defending the home.

 

[CamoDeafie]

level 3A helmet and face mask still gonna be OW if shot in the face, not to mention the amount of shrapnel/fibers when penetrated by rifle ammo edit. The Israelis have clear ballistic faceplates, I think Level 2 or shrapnel rated?

 

[kukusya]

How someone will be able to use any sights on rifle.

 

[CamoDeafie]

How someone will be able to use any sights on rifle.

Gangsta

 

[UnionMillsNW]

level 3A helmet and face mask still gonna be OW if shot in the face, not to mention the amount of shrapnel/fibers when penetrated by rifle ammo edit. The Israelis have clear ballistic faceplates, I think Level 2 or shrapnel rated?View attachment 713188

The Marine Corps tried to field something similar for turret gunners when I was a young boot. It was a great way to restrict your hearing, give a pretty good neck ache, and be hot as hell.

I, along with several other Marines in my section, ran as slick as possible without much excess gear. It all sounds great until you're running in 100 degree heat. Some people forget that gunfights are won by "fire and maneuver"...that second part is hard to do when loaded down with nonsense.

 

[tkdguy]

So the best would be to purchase a level 4 Ceramic ?

 

[kukusya]

Yes

 

[CamoDeafie]

Yes, if you want to have the most protection in the fewest plates possible ; 2 to 4 plates.

For the weight; Level III+ Special Threat Rated standalones, or Level IV ICW with IIIA backers or vest. They're about $10-40 more per plate than the IV standalones from RMA or Hesco. These hard plates weight about the same with or without 3A backers, and the 3A backers can be as light as just under 1lb to 2lbs depending on size and format, while the soft vests are always going to be heavier and hotter due to covering more of the torso. On the other hand; having more protection overall with 3A, and say, 4 level 4 plates can be of benefit if you're expecting ambushes and not planning to have quick extraction/escape routes

 

[Geardo]

Don't buy steel. Get 3+ or 4 ceramic.

Kota and Trex are restocking frequently.

 

[DB is Here]

but what I like about steel is that in 20 years it will perform the same as it did when it was new.

Excellent point, many non steel only have a 5 year shelf life.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Excellent point, many non steel only have a 5 year shelf life.

Actually, looking at the NIJ certified list, the hard Level 3 and 4 plates tend to have 10 year shelf life, while the soft armor (Levels 2A-3A) do indeed have 5 year shelf life.

Edit. 5-10 year warranty is what the NIJ certified list shows for the majority of the models. A few seem to have particularly odd lengths like 8 years

 

[American123]

Actually, looking at the NIJ certified list, the hard Level 3 and 4 plates tend to have 10 year shelf life, while the soft armor (Levels 2A-3A) do indeed have 5 year shelf life.

Not to get into a "yeah but" situation, but the "20 year shelf life" on steel is probably entirely BS - if the steel in completely enclosed and not in contact with moisture, it would have an indefinite shelf life. From a business standpoint they probably cut it off at 20 because they don't want to be dealing with warranty claims indefinitely for every plate they sell.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Not to get into a "yeah but" situation, but the "20 year shelf life" on steel is probably entirely BS - if the steel in completely enclosed and not in contact with moisture, it would have an indefinite shelf life. From a business standpoint they probably cut it off at 20 because they don't want to be dealing with warranty claims indefinitely for every plate they sell.

I'm browsing the NIJ list, and so far, not one has a 20 year warranty. One model so far thats sold by two companies have a 15 year warranty and its a Level 3 ICW plate.

Edit. Mind you, this is for the NIJ0101.06 Certified models only. Theres a bunch that comes from Mexico, China, and some European countries (France and UK)

 

[American123]

I'm browsing the NIJ list, and so far, not one has a 20 year warranty. One model so far thats sold by two companies have a 15 year warranty and its a Level 3 ICW plate.

Edit. Mind you, this is for the NIJ0101.06 Certified models only. Theres a bunch that comes from Mexico, China, and some European countries (France and UK)

I was just going off of AR500 - plates say 20 years - granted - not certified, but there are more videos of them getting shot than any others. Simply put - their credibility is tested every time a youtuber shoots their armor, if it failed within the claimed threshold, it would devastate them so there is some accountability in that.

Here's a video showing ceramic causing fragmentation that could have injured the wearer. The steel with anti-spall coating completely contained the round and spall. Granted, for steel to not spall and not be dangerous, all of this is dependent on the anti-spall coating. Once that is no longer working spalling would very easily injure the wearer, possibly fatally.

Ceramic is great, and I think there is something to be said that the military doesn't use steel body armor, but steel definitely serves a role. One thing that has been great about AR500 is that they are like the palmetto of the armor industry. The offer a product that works, and is relatively low cost. I don't have data on this, but I would assume the armor market has all done a better job of bringing a good product to market at a lower price point in response to wanting to remain competitive.

 

[2A2Dend]

on 4/4, I placed an order from Botach for the LvL4 plates, MrGunsnGear reviewed.
Still have not received them.
Cancellation may be happening very soon

 

[Stomper]

Here's some decent plates in the classifieds...

Ultralight III+ Armor Plate set

One level III+ special threat ceramic/PE, and one level III PE plate made by Ace Link Armor. They weigh 4.4lb and 3.5lb respectively and are single curve. Both are rated for rifle rounds, while the III+ is rated up to M855. Retails for about $420. Great plates, I'm just want to upgrade to a...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[titsonritz]

Specific recommendation for ar 500 armored vest?

None.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/comments/er513n

 

[American123]

Specific recommendation for ar 500 armored vest?

None.

https://www.reddit.com/r/tacticalgear/comments/er513n

That's a good amount of information. There are a lot of good pieces of reference information out there. People just have to understand what the armor is capable of and what it isn't, everything has its drawbacks. Here's another decent right up just describing some of the misconceptions of different armor materials:

Is steel armor worth your money?

Let's start by dispelling a few common myths

www.policeone.com