Guide to armor

[Wake27]

Those plates are thick AF. A lot of people worry about weight, then threats, then maybe the shape. Rarely do people seem to look at the thickness. Good plates are in the .6” range.

I’ll take an 8lb plate that’s .6” thick over that all day. Literally, all day. You can get stronger and grow accustomed to the additional weight far easier than you’ll grow accustomed to that much extra bulk.

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[El Cid]

Those plates are thick AF. A lot of people worry about weight, then threats, then maybe the shape. Rarely do people seem to look at the thickness. Good plates are in the .6” range.

I’ll take an 8lb plate that’s .6” thick over that all day. Literally, all day. You can get stronger and grow accustomed to the additional weight far easier than you’ll grow accustomed to that much extra bulk.

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Yep. And for LE, try sitting in a car for hours on surveillance with thick plates front and rear.

[Le Français]

Yep. And for LE, try sitting in a car for hours on surveillance with thick plates front and rear.

I know, right? The gap between the bottom of the rear plate and the vehicle seat makes my lower back feel unsupported, and it’s very uncomfortable. When I was on surveillance like that frequently (with a rifle tucked between the seats), I took to rolling up a sweatshirt to fill the gap below the plate. Much better.

[Nocturnalis Discipulo]

Thanks for all the great information. @Default.mp3 That is a very concise summation.

I have been doing some more research and I am not finding any certified plates that are under .9". Does anyone have a link to a set, or other plates they would recommend? I can move my budget around if the plates will be that much better for me.

What are the reliable armor brands and retailers?

Also http://store.atarmor.com/AT_Armor_Sp...at-stop-bz.htm is multi hit rated for M80 but it isn't certified. Am I missing something there that doesn't make much sense to me.

[Default.mp3]

Thanks for all the great information. @Default.mp3 That is a very concise summation.

I have been doing some more research and I am not finding any certified plates that are under .9". Does anyone have a link to a set, or other plates they would recommend? I can move my budget around if the plates will be that much better for me.

What are the reliable armor brands and retailers?

Also http://store.atarmor.com/AT_Armor_Sp...at-stop-bz.htm is multi hit rated for M80 but it isn't certified. Am I missing something there that doesn't make much sense to me.

If by certified, you mean NIJ certified, I wouldn't worry about that. I would be comfortable with special threat tested plates from reputable manufacturers and resellers, such as the STOP-BZ (IP) you linked. I actually have an older iteration, the original STOP-BZ, for my plates, which lack the threat testing against M80, though I suspect it should defeat it okay in a pinch (IIRC, they are rebranded TenCate Cratus 6400SA, while the IPs are the 6450SA).

Just a SWAG here, but I'm assuming that Cratus simply didn't supply that model for NIJ testing, because their customer doesn't care about it, and have their own specs to test to, so why spend the time and money on NIJ certification? After all, ESAPI plates aren't NIJ rated, either, but instead have their own threat assessments; similarly, some of the high speed military helmets, such as the OpsCore FAST and Crye Airframes, are not NIJ rated, but instead meet some other military specs. Whether or not the STOP-BZ(IP) can actually meet NIJ Level III is an unknown, too, given the specific protocol to follow. Maybe it can only defeat 5 shots, or can defeat >6 hits but with a wider spread on the impact than required by NIJ, or maybe there's slightly greater backform deformation (BFD) than NIJ calls for, etc. Essentially, the NIJ Level III not only defeates 6 rounds of M80, but also must do it with a specific amount of BFD or less, with a specific spacing of the hits on the plate, with specific strike angles, with specific backing material, fixtured in a specific manner, etc. (see https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/223054.pdf).

TenCate and Hesco are two manufacturers that seem to be held in high esteem, and have some rebranding going on. AT is definitely a very reputable reseller, as is Velocity System (I'm not sure that VS actually manufacturers any of their plates, rather than rebrand?). Not sure about Armored Mobility's capabilities, but I would be comfortable with their branded plates.

[TGS]

If there's anyone here using this stuff professionally and in a concealed manner, sign up for the ShadoWorks section with VS.

Let me know if you have any questions, as I have many pieces of their kit for this purpose. If you're local you can try it if you want, I don't need it for a couple months.

[Nocturnalis Discipulo]

It seems the NIJ.06 standards require drop testing and that is why the NIJ certified ones are thicker they are padded. That is my SWAG from someone who knows nothing about armor.

On that topic just how tough are ceramic plates? Anything to know as far as care and feeding of Ceramic, poly, or laminate plates?

[vandal]

I like my Hesco U210s. Thin and light and special threat rated. $$$

[Guerrero]

As someone who casually has played with the idea of buying armor for reasons, I am curious myself.

@Nephrology, when I took ECQC, one of my fellow students was a (rather young) Chicago ER doc. He said he wears his armor to work every day.

[Nephrology]

@Nephrology, when I took ECQC, one of my fellow students was a (rather young) Chicago ER doc. He said he wears his armor to work every day.

Huh, interesting. The idea of wearing plates to a 8-12 hour ED shift sounds...sweaty...