Body Armor

Do you keep body armor as part of your "emergency gear"?

  • Yes

    Votes: 22 20.8%

  • No - but it's a good idea

    Votes: 47 44.3%

  • No - there's no point.

    Votes: 37 34.9%
  • Total voters
    106
  • Poll closed .
I do keep body armor in my home. I have a lvl 3a soft vest, and then lvl 3 hard plates in my shotgun plate carrier. As for the expiration date on soft armor; yes it has one, but that's more for the manufacture's benefit than anything. Anecdotally speaking; at the SO I worked at, we shot a bunch of old vests. Most were more than five years past their dates. They stopped everything they were supposed to.
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When I retired I gave my 2 heavy Vests to a friend who is a Deputy Sheriff to find a home for. I kept my Deep Cover Vest however. I do need to pick up another Carrier for the soft plates.

Bob
 
It depends

It can be useful, but only once you have the necessary amount of firearms and ammunition. Assuming you do, not very useful except for shtf and actual battle. I disagree though about too heavy. A light weight carrier and a helmet-properly fitted they can be helpful even without being shot or catching shrapnel. I once had this whole wall, complete with sea wire, fall on me. The Armour was helpful. Granted, you could get the same effect with a hard hat, but still.
 
"body armor", Dragon Skin, 5.11 vest(s)....

I've worked as a armed professional & served in the US armed forces for approx 24 years.
I never owned my own vest or body armor but I'm not against the idea or plan. In Kyle's non fiction book; American Sniper, former SEAL Chris Kyle writes that his in-laws got him a set of Dragon Skin armor to use on deployments in SW Asia. Kyle stated he used it often on spec ops missions.
I researched Dragon Skin & read a few T&Es/reports that said it was over-rated and not up to milspec/US law enforcement requirements.
I heard Dragon Skin & other US body armor designs had major problems in bad weather(rain) & extreme heat(110 degrees +).
Second Chance is highly rated, but the original owner had big problems with law enforcement in the late 2000s. :(
In closing, vests & body armor have practical uses for armed professionals but be leery of the ads & claims. I'd spend the $$$ to get decent kit.
5.11 used to market a slick jungle vest that has body armor inserts. It was meant for EP(exec protection/personal security) PMCs & plainclothes LE officers in SW Asia.
I'm not sure why 5.11 ended this product line. It was on www.uscav.com .

Clyde
 
I think the bad guy doing his evil stuff would be wearing some body armor/ kevlar/vest/stab resistant vest/ armored hard plate carrying vest etc, while "Criming Around" Much more likely that someone would have their own armored vest at home. Remember they most likely KO'ed a security guard or stole his keys or scammed someone then cleaned out all the equiptment where ever it was located.:p
 
Speaking of body armor, it seems that more criminals and home invaders are using body armor. The shooter in Colorado wore body armor. Is there any modern pistol caliber that handle this threat without being subject to the armor piercing bullet ban?
 
I have 2 that I wear regularly while on duty. They're in my room next to the safe. If SHTF, I'd throw it on I suppose, though I never gave it any thought. However, if I hear something go bump in the night, I grab a pistol and go check it out. I do not vest up to walk downstairs. Oh the irony if I'm killed by a burglar that shoots me in the chest!
 
I have the stuff, and it's HEAVY as all get out.I took this photo before I really had it set right. It's a promo piece, and it's steel plates, not Kevlar. Very heavy, but will stop most common rifle rounds. The carrier and coating will absorb spall and the MOLLE vest makes it easy to keep the two mag pouches that came with it.

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Now what do i do with this interesting 14 pound monster? It sits waiting for a TRULY bad day. It's quick to get on, but it does take time. I would have to say the day I need this thing will be the worst day of my life, and very, very unlikely, but because I was able to get it, I'm happy to have it.
 
The SS109 green tip will go through lots of body armor. I would be sorry to not be aware that they most certainly should have some stock 9mm penetrator type ammo since 9mm has so much overpenetration anyhow. And yes you can buy armor piercing rifle ammo that I am aware of. And no teflon does not make a 9mm ball go through body armor unless its teflon and steel core combined or steel core only. Teflon 9mm ball without a precision intergral shifting steel core would only help it go through a piece of glass a little smoother not likely any body armor. I think you can't "fashion" armor piercing pistol ammo like 9mm with only a Teflon type composition spray coating unless you could simulate charachteristic materials like the tip material of a hornady mach 2 on the tip of a 9mm bullet which sounds possible might look sorta like a glaser safety cartride though. Strange anyhow that would only work on soft type armor so the professional manufactured kind is definately better. Mabey a Barnes solid copper bullet with a nail impressioned deep in it will penetrate vests especially if its a high powered rifle cartridge or 9mm fmj bullet. :)
 
FNH 5.7mm?...

A point to consider are a few of the newer, ultra fast rounds like the 5.7mm from FNH-USA.
A 5.7mm pistol was used by the US Army major in the tragic Fort Hood TX spree shooting a few years ago. To my limited knowledge, the US Secret Service also packs the compact 5.7 P90 SMG to deal with any threats that wear body armor. The standard sidearm remains the SIG Sauer P229R DAK pistol in .357sig. The USSS has used the .357sig since the mid 1990s.

Clyde
 
The 5.7 is a good round, but doesn't FN restrict their sale to average people?

How does a hardened 10mm penetrate?
 
A couple points from someone who has worn body armor pretty much every work day for the last 28 years.

Chances are, if you are not wearing it when things go down, you won't have time to put it on.

All the hard armor I have ever worn was when I was on SWAT for ten years, and, generally, it was on our time table. WE decided to run the warrant. WE decided to make entry. We had to respond to a barricaded person. The minute or so to throw on hard armor is trivial when it takes you 10 minutes to get there.

There is noting wrong with good folks having some armor around. But, buy good stuff if you are going to do it. If you think there may be an actual armed threat, it better be the FIRST thing you put on, because after the window shatters, or the front door is kicked, I'll bet you forget about it.

Hard armor is miserable to wear. Its heavy and, its hard to move, much less move quietly without banging into every corner.

For years, we did not wear helmets. The thoery was that is slowed down you movements and it was hard to "quick peek" around corners and windows. Helmet technology has come a long way. I would always wear a helmet now.

I was on SWAT for ten years, not anymore, but, I still have a set of plates in a carrier for an active shooter secenario. I always wear it through our two day active shooter schools just to remind myself how awkard it is to move around in it.

Most body armor has an experiation date. If it didn't, pencil pushers would keep cops in the same armor for a 25 year carreer. We too have shot old vests, they work fine. But, I would only be fairly sure about that with Kevlar. Some of the new materials can delaminate through heat and moisture. Two things my vest is constantly exposed to. I know there have been days in August here in Texas that every drop of cologne and deoderant I started with has soaked into my socks at the end of the day. That vest felt like I had jumped into a pool.
 
Shelf Life on Body Armor

There is a "shelf life" on body armor but it is mostly a formality invented by lawyers wanting to repeat-sell on existing users. Body armor lasts a long time, especially vests using kevlar (yellow woven fabric). Spectra or Dyneema (white shiny fabric) also lasts long but I am not sure if it lasts longer than Kevlar. Zylon on the other hand is a no-go for me (good thing they are no longer being built).

Me and my friend got an old Second Chance Kevlar vest (PASGT vest-style with woodland camo and front overlap) made in 1987 (from really faded markings on the interior). We shot it with Magtech 45 ACP FMJ from a FNP-45. The rounds did not go though, not even 1 layer and it had 30 layers (we opened it up). So from my experience, ballistic vests are a good investment. :D
 
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I havent worn body armor since i was in Afghanistan... Dont get me wrong though, i would like some for the house but the only time i ever see any for sale is on the used market and i dont trust them... "NIB" claim is not what i want to trust when theres a bullet flying at my chest that needs stopping...
 
No im a joe blow guy and I own a fn five-seven if u got the cash u got the gun I.paid 1800 pre panic for mine. It came with two 20rnd mags. Now finding ammo for it right now suck but anyone can buy an fn five-seven
 
Is there a move in civilian armor from Kevlar and similar materials to plate carriers and hard plates? Doing a shopping-oriented search for "body armor" seems to pull up more carriers/plates than it used to, and fewer of the "traditional" soft-armor vests.
 
Used Body Armor

I currently have body armor with me sporting a Second Chance T-15 plate. I got it used and love it. This was built many years ago. It's light, cool and fits me nicely.
It's always okay to support the body armor industry by buying factory new armor but if you are on a tight budget, or not in the law enforcement or military, quality-proven used body armor will do you just fine 98% of the time. Just be very discerning when buying one and make sure the panels are genuine and free of compromising damage. Especially for concealable armor users because your primary protection is really not having the attacker know you are wearing body armor. If your attacker knows you are wearing armor, you will lose a lot of your advantage. So wear it always and keep it low. You never know when you will be glad you did.
Before I forget, I should also mention that body armor with hard trauma plates will provide excellent protection from blunt force trauma in car accidents and collisions (prevents internal injuries). Lots of lives have been saved because of this. I think this is another plus to consider if you like any excuse just to wear one. :o
 
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