Questions on Body Armor Materials

G

Goliath

New member
Well, I've done a bit of snooping and I can't seem to find one on the forums. I am looking basically for a primer on the different materials available for body armor.

The vast majority of folks on these forums are familiar with the different levels of protection body armor provides, I, IIA, II, IIIA...etc. But I am a bit befuddled on the selection of ballistic fabrics available for body armor. Thanks to SWAT Magazine, I know Xylon armor is crap and thankfully no longer made, but is Kevlar the same as Aramid? What's Spectra? Goldflex? And what maufacturers are out there and have a proven track record? Also, what laws are out there restricting the civillian ownership of body armor if any?

Answers to any and all of the above questions would be great immensly appreciated. Thank you.
 
Spectra, Goldflex, etc. are blends of kevlar, mostly dealing with flexibility. THe more expensive, the more flexible/lighter it is ;) There are no federal laws restricting ownership on armor.
 
Commission of a crime while wearing body armor will result in extra charges in LA and probably other places as well. As long as you are not involved in sneaky activity, it should not be a problem.

Good luck finding a company that will sell one to you, though. I was considering picking up a IIIa vest but could not find one for a reasonable price. The only companies that seem to sell to civilians tend to overcharge and specialize in "gangsta" stuff like bulletproof baseball caps and the like.

If you find a company that seems normal, please let me know. I spent all the cash I was saving on a submachinegun, but the future looks promising for armor.

Spectra is a different product from Kevlar. It's not just a different manufacturer's brand name, it's a different fiber. It's a little lighter than Kevlar, as I remember, but also stretches and flexes differently. I beleive that Spectra is the material that resulted from research on spider silk (webs).

Most of the other terms are just trade-names for products made by different manufacturers.

Good luck on your hunt, I hope it is more fruitfull than my mine was.
 
I've been looking at a Safariland level III-a silver vest. The distributor up here has the contract with the local agencies to provide this vest at 50% of the retail ($1,350). I'll get mine for about $600.
 
Good to see another Calvin and Hobbes fan ;-) I never realised how philosophical they were until I was in college and went back and read my old comics :-)

Back on topic, US Cavalry carries vests from PACA and Armorshield as well as a few other manufacturers, for reasonable prices (from $500 to $2000). But I am looking for other sources, my brother has a vest from American Body Armor's Xtreme range. Browsing US Cav's catalog what's what got me browsing armor again. I placed myself on a voluntary budget freeze to save up money for a trip but I should more than likely come out with a fair bit extra and I felt that it might be about time for some protective equipment.
 
I bought a vest from Gall's while working as a paramedic in the not so nice areas of the state. As far as I know they still sell to civilians.
 
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