Some years ago, I bought some ar300 plates. I have worn them precisely twice.

It makes my back hurt just thinking about it.

Concealed carrier and some OLD Safariland Kevlar from my Armored Car days. Used daily for less than two years. Keep a soft and rigid trauma plate in the front pocket. Occasionally worn over the past few years but I have lost enough weight since it was fitted I should really get a new properly fitted set. But I will soon have little reason to wear it, will have a new job in less than two weeks.

I keep thinking I should get a couple sets for teaching new shooters/RO’ing new shooters at their first match…

But it’s hot, heavy, and I don’t know if it would make new shooters even more nervous.

I have plates and soft armor. Bought most of it when I was a police officer. Occasionally I train with it but mostly it sits there waiting for the purge...

Don't wear outside of work. Always carry concealed and figure, if the SHTF, I'd be able to get my wife and myself out of harm's way!

Yes, I’ve got a PC with ceramic plates and three AR mags. I’ve got a battle belt with more gear on it. Occasionally train with it but realistically it’s for a time I hope we never see.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
I don't own any. It isn't completely off the table, for a true "SHTF" situation like, for example, the 2020 riots, but is extremely unlikely. Under no circumstances will I wear it just going about my daily activities. Carrying a gun is being prepared. This crosses the line into being paranoid.

Speaking from experience I presume. Your world must be as traveled and experienced as everyone else's in this forum. Last time I checked it's a big place and many of us who think we know what's really going on don't actually know much about jack, myself being a good example. I haven't been personally shot at that I know of, or served in uniform, except for a supposedly random pistol bullet that broke my back window on a local highway driving to work one morning, and a pellet gun shot that missed my head and hit a steel telephone pole walking around the block in my old neighborhood. I've had my parked cars windows shot out twice parked in my home driveway, tires slashed, but so far my flesh hasn't been targeted. My friend is a retired Marine Master Sergeant who had three tours of combat in the Middle East, and his job was the shooting and killing variety including door to door work and lots of time switching out hot barrels on a Ma Deuce. I don't know his world but I guarantee you it's not mine. My world is comparatively safe compared to other locations, professions, and experiences, but I would not be eager to tell others how to interpret their world nor how to live in it.

I have a AR500 Veritas carrier with level IV ceramic plates. I've worn it around to test comfort and loadout but see no purpose to use it in day to day activities. Right now I have 3 AR mags, 2 pistol mags, and an IFAK on the carrier.

Yes and while I do wear it around while cleaning the house / dry fire practice I normally wear a weight vest to work out in.

If you own body armor you owe it to yourself to wear and practice in it, one if you are not used to the weight it will suck a great deal if you are not used to it and nothing shakes out your set up like mopping and vacuuming in it

Luckily my lovely wife is used to it....kinda threw my Ukrainian SIL off the first time...might have been the kilt

I have not got to the point to wear it during lawn work (see weight vest mentioned above).

Yes.

At one volunteer gig, I'm often required to wear it in a uniformed carrier. Currently that's about 2 times a year.

At my full-time gig, we occasionally have to go to some shady places where we might be targeted. We (my wife and I) wear soft armor concealed under our work clothes in those cases. That's about once, every other year or so. Probably more frequently soon with the foreclosures picking up.

Then I have my SHTF gear. Thats the most high speed stuff I can afford, and some of it is better than I had in the military. If I am traveling outside of my immediate local area, or overnighting anywhere, it goes with. Like a our trauma kit/med bag, and get home gear.

I practice with it about every other range trip, but I'm not new to doing activities in gear. My wife does not practice much, and is not experienced. I'm not to worried about that. I don't expect her to be stacking up with me.

Other than my soft stuff for concealment, I use Spartan armor Ares plates. My soft stuff is Point Blank.