Looking for information on body armor.

I have a several soft armor from working law enforcement and have a set of plats and a carrier. Now the plates are old school heavy plates. Yet they will stop a bullet!

I'm looking for something maybe a little lighter weight I'm not as young as I was when I was enlisted over 20 years ago. So with the plates comfort and weight is the most important to me.

Now yes MONEY or cost is also important but I'm willing to spend more for a product that I'm interested in. I'm looking at RMA not set in stone but I can get a carrier and plates for $600+ from them mostly depending on the vest you buy.

So looking for any advice or information I might have missed! I'm in Southwest Texas so lighter weight is better and I'm willing to pay more. Thanks

 

@Blackgrub0331 Good post! I also would like to hear some recommendations, comments and ideas concerning body armor. Thanks!

 

From my experience using it in the military and law enforcement.

I would suggest none concealed vest everyone is going to know you have something one anyway might as well be more comfortable.

I say this but still want plates! I saw a 22 years old gorilla Marine guy who can do one arm Marines pull ups type of guy. He took a 7.62x54R I watched him drop like a sack of bricks tried to pick his weapon up and just laid there.

He was a live took the round to the chest his plates saved his life. Yet he told us that he could not move because of how much it hurt just to breath and if we did not get him he said he was not going to get up any day soon.

Soft armor is not that bad also. If your going to go plates I would do stand alone plates less weight you can always throw it on top of soft armor of need be.

The stand alone plates cost a lot less then most soft armor set ups. The plates does cover as much of the body as the soft armor does.

I'm looking at RMA when I worked LEO we used these guys and they are a great company believe the owner is a military and LEO so like to give a Veteran business. Looking for a helmet? Pains me to say look at HHV there overseas made helmet is awesome ones made in America suck from them.

I guess are you looking for soft or hard armor? What threat level are you looking for? Need holder of you picked hard armor? You looking for side protection? Home

Both are going to suck when it's hot outside side the hard not as much some it does not cover your whole chest and back. Then the soft is nice in the winter time.

Also if you find old military or law enforcement ballistic vest and your able to check them out I would buy them depending on price and shape.

In 2012 we took a vest from 1990's to the range just to have some fun with it. The vest held up to 22lr, 9mm, 40, 357 sig, 38 spl, 357 mag, 45 ACP, 44 mag also 12 ga 00 buck.

Again there are a lot of people out there if SHTF would use pistol depending on the area you are in.

 

there was an old VHS I saw in my youth called "Deadly Weapons" or "Dangerous Weapons" that went through a great many firearms-related topics, one of them was body armor. One guy wore a big vest (I think they described it as the WWI Trench model) and the other guy shot him in the chest with a FN-FAL .308 rifle. Practically no effect.
They explained that for a bullet to knock you over, Newton says it would have to knock over the shooter as well.
I bought the video but I don't know where it is at the moment, and I can't find anything to link online for you, sorry.

What makes me mention this here is wondering at the story of the Marine above. I had thought I understood that using hard plates would not have much effect on you, assuming the plate was hit well centered. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

First, I do not know enough of about them. I had to wear IBA in Afghanistan but that's my only knowledge of it and I only wore it when I had to or was forced to wear it. I was a contractor, engineer type. I think I would want something that gives good protection without plates, so you have better mobility, but also has the option to accept plates when needed. I really need to get off my ass and learn more about it.

As far as a helmet, I brought home my old Kevlar helmet, still have it. LOL! I also wish that I would have brought home my old flak vest that I was issued when Afghanistan first kicked off. It was so crazy, and they wanted me in country so fast that they could even wait to get me geared up correctly, so I was given an old flak vest instead of IBA, a pair of desert boots 2 sizes too big (later made a really good trade with those) among other stuff that didn't fit or was totally dated. Got issued it in Mannheim GE from the depot which was supposed to have all this stuff but - nope. I also wish I would have brought home my old gas mask too...oh well.

 

well son of a gun, I did find it.
This is the full video, should start at the bullet-proof vest section.
No, I guess the time didn't stick. It's at the 1:11 point if you zoom ahead.


note that this is from around 1985, technology has certainly improved (though physics ought to be pretty static)

 

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