Thinking about getting a new and improved vest or plate carrier and plates.

Thinking at least Level III

Don't know what your budget is? After way too many hours researching, I am happy with Crye JPC and Spartan Armor multi-curve (Steel)

plate/]https://www.spartanarmorsystems.com/ar550-body-armor-single-plate/[/URL]

Notes:
- Got a great deal on a v1 JPC so that's why I was able to swing the Crye... BUT, unlike my old Army issue IOTV it has limited straps inside the plate "Sleeve" meaning for a large PC you need large plates or they will just slide to the bottom. (In the Army it was VERY common to pair say a large IOTV with medium plates to reduce weight/bulk and increase mobility and comfort.) I have no idea about the Current generation of the Crye JPC

- USGI ceramic plates are bulky AF. My days of humping for miles and/or 8hrs+ in full battle rattle are over, so I'm ok with a little extra weight for the steel. (I also wear it as a fitness thing).

- Light and stretchy cumber bun is AWESOME, sooo much more comfortable vs USGI

- I still miss my old [Aimpoint?] IBA it was way more comfortable than current IOTV stuff and on/off was easier. The surplus ones I could find were really ragged and/or seriously overpriced. I would rather have an excellent condition IBA than what I have now

I've been happy with my ceramic plates and carrier from Shellback

Plates by Brad Benzing, on Flickr

Plates are about what you can afford. Top of the line is Angel Armor. But they are expensive.

But, you wind up with special purpose rated plates that weight around 5 pounds front and back.

After several decades of combat and non combat environments, I would suggest nearly no civilian needs plates.

I've lived and worked in some of the most austere regions, and plates have only hindered me.

In the US, unless you are clearing very confined spaces for a living, they are pretty useless.

The best ballistic plates is cover, understand true cover, and getting to cover is far more valuable than a plate that really only covers your upper thoracic at very specific angles.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
Plates are about what you can afford. Top of the line is Angel Armor. But they are expensive.

But, you wind up with special purpose rated plates that weight around 5 pounds front and back.

It appears from their website that they are first responder and private security only. From the FAQ at the bottom of the rifle plates page:

“Who can purchase your rifle plates?
At this time, we serve our First Responder and Military heroes, including Public Safety, Law Enforcement, EMS, Fire and Private Security clientele. If you have a unique need or specific business opportunity that warrants consideration, please contact us at sales@angelarmor.com.“

I was poking around trying to find pricing to see how expensive expensive is (idle curiosity, not looking for plates) and never did find prices. Perhaps my website searching sucks, and perhaps if you have to ask you can’t afford it.

Don't bother with steel plates. Frag/spalling is real, and will kill you, even with a coating or bag intended to help minimize it. It does you no good to stop a bullet with your steel plate if you then bleed out from spalling splattering out into your jugular/femoral/brachial arteries.

You can get decent but heavy/bulky ceramic, polyethelene, or hybrid ceramic/PE plates for around the same price as steel, without those spalling issues.

But if you're serious about wearing and using your plates, pay the extra money to go with a fancier but thinner and lighter plate. The weight difference is often dramatic, for just a few hundred bucks more. Nobody wants to wear 15-20 pounds worth of plates for any length of time, just to try to save a few hundred bucks.

Multi curve plates are much more comfortable than single curve plates. Worth the extra money there too.

Look for a NIJ certified plate. Not every manufacturer who claims their plates are Level 3 or 4 are actually certified as Level 3 or 4. You can cross reference the manufacturers claims against the NIJ model list.

Level 3 is the minimum for hard rifle plates, but Level 3 won't stop many of the most common rounds like many .223/5.56 loadings. Level 4 will, but will either be much thicker/heavier or more expensive than Level 3. Many/most armor manufacturers offer some flavor of unofficial "3+" rated plates, often referred to as "Special Threat" plates. These are rated to stop everything a Level 3 will, plus many/most of these common .223/5.56 loads too. Sort of an in-between/compromise option if you don't want to go all the way to Level 4.

The NIJ is in the process of rolling out an updated testing/rating/certification system to better cover these common rifle rounds and have an official "3.5" style step in between, but I don't think it's in use yet.

Also look for standalone plates, not "ICW" plates- In Conjunction With. ICW plates only have their rating when worn with an additional soft armor (Kevlar) backer. Standalone plates are rated on just the plates themselves. ICW plates are less common these days.


Read up on properly sizing and wearing plates. Hard plates are not intended to cover your entire torso, and it's entirely possible to have plates that are too big, which affects your mobility, flexibility, and shooting ability. They're just intended to cover the vital structures at the center of your torso, roughly nipple to nipple and from the sternum notch at the top to an inch or so above the bottom of your ribcage. Most folks will fall into the 10x12 plate territory, or SAPI Medium to Large. Very, very few folks will need 8x10, 11x14, or SAPI Small or XL. You can find measurement guides and even printable templates online to help you decide which plate size is right for you.

And plate carriers are sized based on the size of your plates, not the size of the wearer. Don't go ordering an XL carrier just because you wear XL shirts... Rather, Medium carriers are for Medium/10x12 plates, not folks who wear Medium shirts. Most carriers' cummerbunds and shoulder straps will then be able to adjust to fit just about anyone, within reason.