quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:
I have an additional question while we are are on the subject.

Does anyone know where I can get some of the black ripstop nylon that is used to make vest carriers? When I was on patrol the last time, I had a vest altered to hold rifle plates. Don't have that carrier anymore, and don't have access to what I had back then.

Just need some heavy duty black nylon or whatever it takes to take to my seamstress.

Not sure where you are located now but I would drop by HSGI in Swansboro, NC see what they could do for you. They make carriers and the like, great customer service the times that I have stopped in there.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I have level iii rifle steel plates in a carrier and it's way too heavy. If I had time to get it on, I will but it's not something I keep around. It's next to the bed.

My old level II vest is what I keep in my trunk. It's older and heavier than my newer level IIIA issued vest (Point Blank Alpha Elite).

The thinner and more comfortable body armor will cost way more.

If it's for everyday wear then a IIA or II should be good enough for most handgun rounds you'd expect to encounter. You just have to find a local retailer that will sell to non LE. A fitted one is definitely better than an off the shelf one.

IIA will be thinnest and most comfortable. I'd still wear mine if it was allowed by policy but it's not rated to stop our duty round.

This is what I am talking about. I looked into armor but I decided I'd be better off being light on my feet + my knees didn't like rucking so I'm sure I wouldn't be able to tote Level 3 armor around for too long.

I have a Level IIIA Point Blank vest in a PACA carrier as well as a spare tan carrier.






But I also have a plate carrier with AR500 spall coated plates.... Kinda on the heavy side.
The metal plates are 2 lbs heavier (each front/back) than the ceramic Mil.

There is some kind of recall on AR500 steel plates, so everyone who has them needs to check that out. I am also interested in some soft armor to stop handgun calibers. I have some lvl 4 ceramic plates but you can't really conceal those to well.

Soooo... first thing ya got's to do is get cha one them sack jackets that the hildabeast wears..ya know cause nobody would think she was wearing armor.

Okay... So I have been thinking about picking up armor for a while now as well, but with return limitations and sizing concerns, I have been reluctant to buy. I have read about sizing, but would appreciate your input.

So, for you that work in or own body armor, I would appreciate if you could answer these questions:

Personal Info: 5'9", former college athlete, but have gotten round as I have gotten older (working on that now, but it will take a little while). Knees are so, so (I can sprint from cover to cover and can walk forever, but long runs are not doable).

If I place a piece of regular copy paper up to my chest, with the top of the paper just where my collar bones meet in the middle, the side of the paper is just inside my nipples and the bottom covers my xiphoid process by almost 2". Based on this, I assume a 10'X12" plate would be my size?

Also, it looks like a Banshee Carrier is adjustable enough to allow me to wear it now and after I shed a few pounds. Can any of you attest to its adjust-ability and quality?

Spartan Armor offers a "triple curve plate" that in both AR650 ARMAPLY™ (III+) and AR500 (III). Does anyone have experience with these. Apparently the AR650 are lighter/thinner than AR500 and are not much more expensive ($115 more for a set). Link to the Spartan Armor: AR650 Triple Curve

With lead times starting to creep up on all of the armor provider sites, I may want to jump in sooner than later.

Thanks...

PS - Para, don't mean to hijack, but I thought others may have similar questions...

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bozman,

Boz, yes get the 10x12 plates, it is the right size for you. I just got the exact plate you are talking about in the "swimmers cut" for the front of my wife's carrier (US Palm level IIIa in the rear). For a steel plate it is fairly light, great plates at a really good price.

I would stick with the shooters cut myself, the swimmers cut shaves a bit more material than I like (for my smaller wife it's fine and she will be more weight conscious).

The first step is always to ID the most likely threat level and the "mission" for the gear. Soft armor won't do much good in public unless you always wear it and won't stop rifle rounds. Hard armor can't be always worn, but will stop rifle rounds.

For me, the armor mission is HD and a distant second civil unrest. The likely threat is handgun or shotgun. Mine is soft armor with a front rifle plate to help dissipate impact forces and a just in case level of extra protection. If I'm at a carbine shoot house, I'd throw a plate in the rear as well to protect against the training weapons being used.

Get the trauma pads also to help with blackface deformation, a broken rib would be no fun.

Banshee carrier is adjustable on the shoulders as well as the waist.

Strambo...

Thanks.

The mission is HD and neighborhood unrest. Since the market collapse, my once nice, middle class neighborhood has been taken over by rental companies that cater to low income families (HUD qualified). Many of my neighbors are shady and I am convinced the guy behind me is bad news (never works, has a new Corvette and Truck, visitors all hours of the night, etc.). All of the neighbors are BLM sympathizers and I have seen them showing off there handguns and rifles on various occasions.

I am going to go plate in front and rear for this reason. Also, during rifle classes, I would like a plate carrier for the very reason you stated (safety against inexperienced shooters).

So, the AR650 triple curve is good to go. Any experience with the Banshee and sizing / size flexibility?

Thanks again...

Thanks entropy...

No experience with that carrier, but they all adjust in the shoulder and sides, I'm sure it would be fine. Yeah, in your shoes I'd get the level III+ AR650 triple curves front and rear with trauma pads.

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:
AR650 triple curves front and rear with trauma pads.

Triple curves??? Bah! Humbug!

When they can shape it like a muscle cuirass then I will be impressed.

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
I have level iii rifle steel plates in a carrier and it's way too heavy. If I had time to get it on, I will but it's not something I keep around. It's next to the bed.

My old level II vest is what I keep in my trunk. It's older and heavier than my newer level IIIA issued vest (Point Blank Alpha Elite).

The thinner and more comfortable body armor will cost way more.

If it's for everyday wear then a IIA or II should be good enough for most handgun rounds you'd expect to encounter. You just have to find a local retailer that will sell to non LE. A fitted one is definitely better than an off the shelf one.

IIA will be thinnest and most comfortable. I'd still wear mine if it was allowed by policy but it's not rated to stop our duty round.

Curious what round your using that a IIA won't stop, were using .40 s & w Winchester hp.

Para, i am on a tablet, but google "bullet proof me" or a derivation of it.

Its a website that sells used/old panels but also has tons of useful info.

Their panels are fun to shoot, i try to bring on to every sigforum colorado shoot that sweden does.

James in denver

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
What are my options? Looking for a vest, something that can be concealed under clothing, if need be.

What kind of clothing are planning to wear? Nothing is going to dissappear under a white dress shirt, but there are numerous IIIA rated vests that won't be noticed under a loose fitting pu, lover. Pretty much everyone went into body armor mode, and none of that is really concealable.

quote:

Originally posted by jac1304:

Curious what round your using that a IIA won't stop, were using .40 s & w Winchester hp.

When we were a .40 agency we had a choice of level iia or level ii. In 2008 I switched our department over to 357SIG (Ranger-T and Bonded, can't get Bonded anymore so it's just T-series now) and we get partial grants to cover body armor and they have a requirement that it must be rated for our duty round. Sadly the level II was not rated even though we shot several different brands of level II and all stopped it. So we were forced to go to IIIA.

My current IIIA is much more comfortable than my old level II from 1998. Body armor has come a long way.

quote:

Originally posted by bozman:

Spartan Armor offers a "triple curve plate" that in both AR650 ARMAPLY™ (III+) and AR500 (III). Does anyone have experience with these. Apparently the AR650 are lighter/thinner than AR500 and are not much more expensive ($115 more for a set). Link to the Spartan Armor: AR650 Triple Curve

Thanks Boz for posting this link. That Spartan AR650 looks like a great solution for steel armor that is lighter.

For anybody who has used them is the triple curve really worth the extra expense? Does triple curve fit one body type better, and single curve fit another one better?

I see you are in central Ohio Boz. I'm on the NW side of Columbus out past the city limits. I have also noticed several once nice neighborhoods getting much worse, including the one we recently moved out of. If your neighborhood really goes to shit with riots etc. you are welcome to head our direction.

Brett,

The triple curve is definitely worth it for the front plate, it really fits around the chest well. Not important for the rear as much...but the best price is usually on a matching pair.

If it would save $, you could go triple curve with full spall protection coating in front, single curve base coat only in rear and be fine.

I've been considering something similar for home defense. A plate carrier like the grey ghost minimalist that buckles with a couple mags and a holster mounted pistol. I figure this I could have adjusted already and throw on quickly over pj's if necessary. The reason for plates is "Gunners Mates". As I was about to retire from service we received new flotation vests with 10x12 ceramic armor plates(lvl 3).

They didn't just get them for the VBSS team, they got them for the crew served teams. And then they proceeded to throw over the side all of the almost 3yr old vests with ceramic plates because "We have new ones". So I snagged a couple sets out and brought them home with this in mind and promptly forgot they were there.

Til this thread.

Brett B...

I am in Canal Winchester, South of where Gender turns into Brice Road. I knew the "hood" would creep into my location eventually, but the housing crash sped that up substantially. I figured I would be in my last home (the one I will die in) by the time this happened. I am semi-retiring in 10 years (55 is the plan) and want to be in the "last home" in 3-5 years.

I have a large family farm (wife's family) up near Bowling Green that would be our first choice to bugout to. 2 story structure surrounded by A LOT of flat land for miles (very easily defensible) with a lot, but widely dispersed, take-no-shit neighbors around with similar morals and beliefs. Between the main house, "old" house, metal barns, grain silos, full machine shop (with crane) and generation capabilities (with fuel reserves), it would be a paradise if things went real bad. Throw in the wife's nephew who is Toledo Swat with his toys, and we could put together a formidable little army.

I think I am going to place the order for the AR650 plates tonight and start looking for the plate carrier in stock somewhere (going with the Banshee).

Then next question is, should I get side plates or not. I am leaning towards "No". I mean, I am not shipping out to the middle east or anything. I may get 1 side plate just to blast and see how it holds-up.