Our friend and colleague Eric Lamberson has an excellent blog. His newest entry is about rehearsing a response to a home invasion. I suggest you read it, and I recommend subscribing to his outstanding information source.
https://www.sensibleselfdefenseblog....elf+Defense%29
Great article! In some circles the idea of body armor is ridiculed which strikes me as odd. After all, if there's a gunfight then it means the other guy(s) brought guns, too! So while you're sending it you can reasonably expect to be taking it as well. Sure, you may not be able to get to it in time but the same is true of your handgun/nitro-pills/fire extinguisher/cell phone/etc but that doesn't mean you don't have it as an option. I keep a pistol by the bed, a carbine on the dresser (loaded mag, empty chamber) and a carrier loaded with Level IV ceramic/PE plates by the doorway. And of course, a fire extinguisher on the computer. The carrier I keep ready is just front & back, no cummberbun for the same reason the article cites, too slow to don in a hurry.
I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned. - Richard Feynman
When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.- Archbishop Helder Câmara
Wife and I both have an armor vests. Ours have a 4x4 area w/ velcro on each side and there are also two plastic webbing buckles per side. We leave the left side permanently attached and put them on by sticking left arm and head through their respective openings. When I was trying to get mine on, the velcro would always grab too soon when the overlapping pieces were not lined up and then the buckles couldn't be fastened. I solved that by taping over the velcro. Now I can just snap the buckles together. We may not have time, but, if we do, we have what we need. One thing I note every time I practice w/ it is the weight. 4 AR mags, 3 pistol mags, crotch protection panel, drop leg holster and Ifak sure ad up. I hope I never need to run anywhere.
Anyone have a recommendation for appropriate, quick donning body armor.
Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.
While not necessarily specific, I’m a big fan of anything that uses the First Spear “Tubes” attachment method; just nice to not always have a front flap and acres of Velcro to manipulate. Blue Force Gear also makes a nimble one.Originally Posted by GJM
The First Spear “First On” would be my starting point. Also helps the price is pretty fair.
Agreed. I also like a plate carrier because I can slap a 3”x5” reflective flag on both sides for an IFF mitigator. Also I can stage two dog leashes and muzzles on it for post-incident management.
Edit to add: I use the same BFG carrier that @Flamingo posted and really like it.
Last edited by PNWTO; 11-01-2021 at 11:37 PM.
When I worked overseas I kept a BFG plate carrier with SAPIs in my room and work area. It is pretty fast to put on and is pretty minimal.
I've got a very premium carrier with soft armor and plates (Mayflower carrier/Velocity systems steel). Original investment was for someone's Mil use but now I have it and have figured to put it to use. I use it a bit to add training load to some workouts. And I thought using it in this context of defense was obvious but holy crap it's not easy to shoot in.
An armor nimrod like me found it changed my pistol index dramatically as well as speed and performance and not in a good way.
YMMV. I've heard from a few with more experience it's not that big a deal.
“Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais
My carriers all use tubes and I leave one cummerbund attached and practice putting it on like that. It's pretty quick.
How many people have donning armor as a part of their plan? My top priority is getting to family members. Armor is put on if there is time. Also multiple belt-feds...
Gotta say all this talk of FS tubes etc. has reminded me to get my gen 1 JPC to a modder for the tubes addition, thx fellas.
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