My department was planning on purchasing rifle plates for patrol officers, but the Assistant Chief who was spearheading the program is not in that position any longer.
Several of us are looking at buying our own. Obviously cost will be a consideration, so any heads up for good quality plates would be appreciated.
Check out American blast systems. They have some pretty awesome offerings and their in conjunction with plates are awesome and will save you some weight.
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AMI Tac3s
One of the better plates for common LE threats. Laminate/steel construction is more durable than ceramic and doesn’t need x ray inspections.
Downside is weight and upfront cost
Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right.
What are your thoughts on ICW plates like http://www.safariland.com/products/b....html#start=10?
I'm not a huge fan of ICW. The soft armor will provide a little padding if your carrier doesn't have any, but its a little more difficult to get a really snug adjustment inside of the carrier. Its not a huge deal, but one of the few differences. I prefer Velocity armor, but Hesco has some cheaper options. Usually I buy through OPTactical.
My Dept requires that we wear soft armor... even if we have stand alone armor. I will probably windup wearing a carrier with the stand alone plates over my soft armor.
That could work. Don't get me wrong, soft armor and ICW plates are a very feasible option and my only gripe is pretty nit-picky. But if you're already wearing a vest with soft armor on, then yeah I'd assume it'd be easiest to throw a plate carrier with stand alone plates on over top of that. Luckily there's a lot of good ones out there. Personally I love the VS Scarab, but the padding on it may not be ideal with stacked vests.Originally Posted by Flamingo
I would reach out to @DocGKR for his take on current offerings.
ICW plates that have been certified are only certified with the plate / soft armor combination tested. Doesn't mean they won't work if different, however take the issues under consideration.
AMI makes a solid product per DocGKR. I've used a set of theirs for ten years. Hesco stand alones seem to be solid.
Both Velocity Systems / Mayflower and Angel Armor are doing plates that attach to magnets in your soft armor - have not seen any test data or longer term performance reviews.
Botach has level IV hybrid plates for $100 each or $90 each for 2+. They are 5.5 pounds per plate and have nice padding around the edges for drop protection. This is the best deal I have found for hybrid plates. They also have level III+ (m855 tested) plates at 4 pounds each for $130 each. I know of a department that uses these plates and they have had no complaints. They are shooters cut and single curve. Botach has free shipping on all orders and next day shipping/processing. I have no relation to their company (or the company that makes the plates) but have had good experiences with them over the years.
https://www.botach.com/battle-steel-...-lbs-80-thick/
https://www.botach.com/battle-steel-...ap-protection/
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