Bleg: Ballistic Vest
A reader has asked what I know about ballistic vests and the answer is not much. He needs to purchase one. Enlighten he and I.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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January 23rd, 2012 at 12:04 pm
There is some good info here: http://www.bulletproofbodyarmorhq.com/index.php?main_page=page_2 Their prices are not to bad ether
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:18 pm
I tape a trauma plate to my back. Its good for multiple hits of .338.
LOL
I don’t know much either, I just had to be a wise ass.
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Somebody who needs to purchase a ballistic vest is obviously about to do something interesting, perhaps even unwise and dangerous. Could make an interesting blog post….
I recall my Organic Chemistry professor in the late 1970’s showing the class a piece of lovely yellow fabric made of this new polymer called “Kevlar” and then describing its structure and properties, including showing us a .357 Magnum bullet that had been stopped and deformed by a few layers of the fabric. Incredible then, and still incredible now.
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:29 pm
The rating system is fairly easy to understand, but most producers will identify the caliber of bullets that the vest is rated to stop. Plates must be added to stop rifle caliber bullets.
That covers the ballistic part.
The vest part is wear improvements have been made. Getting in and out of the damn thing is not as easy as would be appreciated. Especially if plates are used. Also, the damn things get hot. You are wearing a very heavy outer garment.
The US Army started issuing two different but compatible “vests” in 2010. One is the standard IOTV (Improved Outer Tactial Vest). In goes on like a set of football shoulder pads but has an internal cumberbund that snugs up. The other is a plate carrier. The plate carrier has only shoulder straps and much less coverage on the edges. It is much more breathable (at a cost of reduced coverage).
January 23rd, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Give the guys at bulletproofme.com a call. Talk with them about what you are looking for and they will hook you up.
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:00 pm
I second bulletproofme.com that is where I got my armor. I had a job working security carrying large quantities of cash so it was necessary. It is best to get your armor fitted to you instead of buying off the rack. You get more coverage and it is more comfortable. Also, think reasonably about the armor that you need. Yes, it would be nice to be as bulletproof as Ironman but rifle plates on top of level IIIA kevlar is heavy. Since I was mostly worried about robbery, I went with a level IIIA vest and a single trauma plate over my sternum to protect my heart from blunt impact (which can kill you). It weighs about 15 lbs and feels like you are wearing three or four leather vests on top of one another. Preapre to spend $1000 on a vest (it it makes you feel better, the cost of getting shot is about 100x more assuming you survive). And always store your vest laying flat in the dark and cool to keep the kevlar in as good condition as possible (I use a space bag and put it under the bed).
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:03 pm
That question is a lot like “what gun should I carry” or “what car should I drive.” The answer depends on what you’re going to do with it.
In 1997, a serial killer was going around Nashville murdering fast food workers. I was a 16 year old fast food worker, and the guy killed two people I knew. I took the money I saved for Spring Break and bought a IIA concealable vest. My use case was “Cashier at fast food joint,” so I needed something concealable. I think I paid $250 for it but it had no side protection. Just front and back.
Obviously, if I were an operator operating in operations, I would care less about “ZOMG are the customers gonna freak that I’m bullet proof” and more about “ZOMG that dude has an AK! Hope my vest stops that!”
The one thing I will say, though, is that they trap heat REALLY well.
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:36 pm
+1 for bulletproofme.com, always great to work with
They’re good people.
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:41 pm
Civilian Body Armor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j83k78uNVNA
Also Nutnfancy has some vids on plate carriers.
January 23rd, 2012 at 1:58 pm
Just as an FYI, if you buy surplus british police vests (you can find them easily enough) they are stab-proof as well as IIIA bullet proof. All the normal concerns apply.
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:06 pm
What does he need a vest for?
A vest meant for all=day concealed comfort is going to be priced radically different than a plate carrier rig used for rifle protection or a “things that go bump in the night” quick-donning, front-panel only vest like the U.S Palm defender.
I’m hardly an expert, but it seems to me that knowing the expected use case should help drive the decision.
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:38 pm
For personal SHTF use, I would go with one of the new ones PALM is putting out.
http://www.shootingillustrated.com/index.php/17540/u-s-palm-defender-body-armor
For everyday wear (cops and such) I’m still a believer in Second Chance. It’s more expensive but designed for that sort of duty cycle.
http://secondchance.com/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
This is all for soft body armor. If you are looking to stop rifles, it’s ceramic plates, and all you need for that is a generic plate carrier and the plate. Stay away from gimmicks like dragon skin and all that.
January 23rd, 2012 at 2:45 pm
US Palm makes a good home defense armor that lets you integrate a pistol, flashlight. and spare mags.
https://www.uspalm.com/component/magebridge/us-palm-defender-handgun.html?Itemid=102
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:10 pm
I picked up the PASGT frag vest, helmet, and a couple of SAPI plates, which need a separate carrier. I wind up with the plates on the outside, since the biggest vest I could snag barely fits (50 chest). I can get various camo pattern covers, to blend in with my local… um… guys that wear that kind of stuff. I tell you what, I had to use a wooden hanger for it; the plastic one bent and broke. I need it for, um… squirrel hunting, you know, those things are getting sneaky.
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:22 pm
One good piece of advice I heard on the matter. Buy a vest that is, at a minimum, rated to stop the handgun round THAT YOU CARRY.
There’s always at least one handgun in the fight. The one you brought.
Mr Fixit
January 23rd, 2012 at 6:39 pm
First: What caliber is he?
January 23rd, 2012 at 8:01 pm
I also endorse BulletProofMe.
We were living in a rough neighborhood with high crime violent rates for awhile (not by choice — needed to live there for work). We picked up a pair of IIIA police surplus vests for a fair price with steel trauma plates (slashing, not ballistic protection). The front pouch pocket could fit a SAPI shoulder plate.
I don’t see why people who won’t bat an eye at having a $200 tactical light, $600 handgun, and $500-1000 long gun for a “bump in the night” don’t pony up the <$300 for a used 3A vest. My primary goal in a home invasion is to not die. Armor is a very good way to achieve that goal.
I figure 3A is a good place to start for this application. Most rifle plates function better with 3A underneath anyways so you can always add plates later. The US Palm rig is neat but I think you get more coverage for your money with BulletProofMe's surplus stuff.
If I had to wear the stuff every day and I wasn't in a war zone I'd consider level II for comfort's sake.
January 24th, 2012 at 4:43 am
I’d be leery of buying used, especially .gov used, body armor. Poor storage or cleaning can seriously deteriorate the materials, leaving you with a heavy, hot, ineffective dorksuit.
January 24th, 2012 at 11:59 am
One.
The number of Baltimore City police officers I met in my five years of trying to reform a Baltimore City neighborhood who thought the Level II Galls.com (another good place to buy it) vest was some sort of Federal offense for me to have. Man was she stupid. Fortunately it was just a conversation and not a stop.
One word of advice: mine is too short. I used the measuring rubric Galls.com suggests, but they openly admit it’s for guys who sit in cruisers all day, an important detail I for some reason ignored before I laid down my $300. When I stand up, too much of my lower abdomen is unprotected. On the list of things to replace before the SHTF, but for now something is better than nothing to have hanging in the closet.
January 24th, 2012 at 7:16 pm
Level IIIA offers the best certified soft protection for a bullet proof vest for additional protection plates are needed. Budget wise you get what you pay for to a certain extent, but should decide on if you want a lightweight vest, which will reduce fatigue.