[blindshooter]

I'm looking to buy some kevlar incase of an shtf event but don't know of any good sites to use. Not to mention I hear they are trying to make it illegal for anyone who isn't military or leo to own one so I figuer it's best to buy it now. Does anyone know where I might be able to buy a vest that won't break the bank?

 

[samcolt87]

Don;t get kevlar. Get AR500. It will stop more rounds (up to .308 non armor piercing) and is much, much cheaper and will last forever. The only seeming downside to it is that it is heavy. But if it offers you that level of protection, forever, and for that price, does it really matter that it weighs 16 pounds?

ar500.com

Enter promo code "LABOR14" to receive 10% off this weekend. Good luck.

 

[99redgtp]

bulletproofme.com

 

[mythstorm]

I second bullettproofme; they are kind, courteous and really helped me getting exactly what I wanted.

 

[Marine]

Other :: Body Armor -

 

[Jackalope]

What kind of firearm do you wish to protect against? Are you more concerned about protection from a handgun, rifle or shotgun? Kevlar vests by themselves will protect against some handgun, depending upon the protection level. To protect against rifles you'll probably need an insert, whether steel or ceramic. www.Bulletproofme.com has a decent reputation.

 

[FinalWinchester]

Mine is from galls

 

[truebeliever2013]

Your choice should be based on how do you think SHTF is going to be. Will you still have to go to work in a slow spiral SHTF and it is the common street shooting or is going to be a fast overnight thing where people can carry rifles without the regular police coming around . If it's the first, soft body armor is the type you can wear everyday . It gets hot and if you get a thin type ( less protection) and you have the right body type and clothes over it, no one will know. The level 2 ( can't do roman numberals) this phone, you can hide it. My level 3a is noticeable if you are close enough. ( there are types that are blended with the actual clothes and aren't noticeable but expensive)
hard plates are hard to hide and wear without standing out like a sore thumb. Better for that total SHTF where you no longer care that they notice.
If I had the money to spare I would consider the hard plates for the car and behind my kids's seats for a little more rear protection . But I don't have the money to spare. Old vests of mine will have to do for now

 

[Jackalope]

I have two different sets for different situations. I have a Kevlar vest for situations where I'm in public, and it's more discreet. I also have a plate carrier with ballistic steel non-splatter plates that would be used for total SHTF situations. For the plate carrier and plates, I can recommend Main Gun Military Surplus at https://www.maingun.biz/Patriot_Plate_s/2003.htm I have nothing to do with their business except being a satisfied customer. I'll note that for those going the plates and carrier route that the vests with plates are quite heavy and it takes time to get accustomed to using them. There are multiple configurations, including front and back plates, as well as side plates. If you wanted to save weight you can go with ceramic plates, but they cost significantly more money and they've had a reputation for fragility. Folks may be concerned about the cost, but it's up to you to decide how likely that you're going to need them, and also how much your life's worth.

 

[MasterSHake]

I would not recommend steel, if you can afford it go with Poly. They will stop multiple hits, half the weight of steel. The reason why the military is using Ceramics and Poly plates is because the round literally explodes when it hits steel, you can get shrapnel in your face. I know allot fo steel fans will say they have a anti-spalling layer but poly is still the best option (if you can afford) and the impact is felt much more with steel. Poly is what everyone I know uses on the AZ boarder. The round is stopped in the center of the plate and not at the surface so no shrapnel, and the round is slowed not sopped dead so while it still feels like getting hit by a truck, it still less impact than steel.

Icon Tactical Industries

My Steel plated rig weighs 16lbs, my poly one wights 7.5lbs

Oh an Kevlar degrades over time and has an expiration date.

UPDATE: After going out and having a smoke I started thinking about what is the best option for SHTF scenario. While Poly is the best light weight option its meant for active use. When used in military and LE if they got hit in the plate, they could just replace it. In a SHTF scenario you probably won't be able to go online and order a new plate, so for SHTF scenario steel with an anti spalling layer is probably the best option or, a set of each if you can afford it.

 

[Tintalieau]

I picked up some ar500 plates with anti-spal from here: The Target Man, LLC | Top Quality AR500 Targets and Omega Body Armor at UNBEATABLE Pricing!, i use a Condor MOPC its a good SHTF set up, not something you want to put under a dress shirt and jhacket to go out on the town. Again its meant for a total breakdown of society scenario. Cheap & long lasting, hopefully it'll collect dust til i die but with how things are going down the tubes around the world i'd rather have it and hope it never has to get used. For $300 for a set up that you may never use isn;'t bad, I personally have a had time justifying $600-$1000 fior a ceramic or poly set up that will break down over time and may never see any use. It appears that TTM has the condor carrier as an option for purchase directly.

 

[blindshooter]

I was at a gun shop today and was talking to one of the staff members there about body armor and according to him it's against the law for those in NYC to own body armor. anyone know if this is true?

 

[truebeliever2013]

I was at a gun shop today and was talking to one of the staff members there about body armor and according to him it's against the law for those in NYC to own body armor. anyone know if this is true?

Under NYS state law, No, it is not. Use body armor in a crime, yes but it is additional charge. It is against federal law for a convinced felon. Check local law however.

 

[Norm DeGuerre]

personally, I would strive to be far enough away from conflict, that there would be no need for that
besides, it weighs you down
be smart, be nimble, do not engage if you are exposed

 

[willjr75]

In a SHTF scenario when you are on the run, your mission is to lay low and evade. Your job is very much like a Recon Operator. You avoid contact unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. If you do encounter something, you need to put as much distance between you and the threat. A heavy vest will only slow you down. It would do more bad than good in that scenario which is why many specops on recon missions ditch the vest entirely.

Try running with a vest, pack, water, and ammo. You won't get very far. The most I was able to do with all that weight was a few hundred yards before I felt like collapsing. Mind you that was when I was fit while serving.

Now with my deliberately stockpiled extra layer of energy I store around the gut for SHTF energy, I am even slower.

However, if your plan is to stay put and defend your homestead, Samcolt87's suggestion is the best. You want the heaviest you can get.

 

[tirwin1]

Now with my deliberately stockpiled extra layer of energy I store around the gut for SHTF energy, I am even slower.

OK, that is the best description I have read in a while. Thanks for the laugh. I am with you regarding the deliberate part LOL.

 

[blindshooter]

I ended up getting the spartan level 3a from a company called armour-wear. It's able to stop all pistol calibers up to a .44mag and has the ability to let you add more plates for greater protection.

For those who said that a vest would only slow you down in a shtf event that may be true. but if you train with it daily wouldn't it you get use to it after a while?

 

[samcolt87]

I ended up getting the spartan level 3a from a company called armour-wear. It's able to stop all pistol calibers up to a .44mag and has the ability to let you add more plates for greater protection.

For those who said that a vest would only slow you down in a shtf event that may be true. but if you train with it daily wouldn't it you get use to it after a while?

The most important thing in a gunfight is not getting shot, if you can stop the BG, great, but if you can evade the BG without getting shot you're in a pretty good position. If you get shot, especially without medical facilities, you're totally, 100% done. The GSW will get infected and/or you will bleed out.

Even if body armor does slow you down, it's not like you had the ability to dodge bullets without it. I'd say the answer here is pretty clear: body armor will protect you from torso penetrating gun shot wounds. Act on that fact accordingly.

My rig is AR500, and is level III which will stop any non-AP rifle/pistol/shotgun round up to .308. If you aren't on too much of a budget you can now go all the way up to IV which WILL stop armor piercing rounds, if that's a concern of yours. AP ammo isn't very readily available these days, so I think I'd be alright with just level III, but its a personal decision

AR500 Armor® Level IV Composite Body Armor - 10"x12"

 

[samcolt87]

In a SHTF scenario when you are on the run, your mission is to lay low and evade. Your job is very much like a Recon Operator. You avoid contact unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. If you do encounter something, you need to put as much distance between you and the threat. A heavy vest will only slow you down. It would do more bad than good in that scenario which is why many specops on recon missions ditch the vest entirely.

Try running with a vest, pack, water, and ammo. You won't get very far. The most I was able to do with all that weight was a few hundred yards before I felt like collapsing. Mind you that was when I was fit while serving.

Now with my deliberately stockpiled extra layer of energy I store around the gut for SHTF energy, I am even slower.

However, if your plan is to stay put and defend your homestead, Samcolt87's suggestion is the best. You want the heaviest you can get.

Good assessment. I think it really depends on your environment too. If you are well versed in evasion and are out in the country, you can probably ditch the vest. But from the looks of things, blindshooter, you're in NYC which is obviously very densely populated. If the event of a catastrophe, I'd say having the armor is a very good option at least until you can get out of the city. You're likely to encounter threats there without the ability to put too much distance between you and the threat, and limited places to hide for an extended period of time.

 

[Hardrada]

I would not recommend steel, if you can afford it go with Poly. They will stop multiple hits, half the weight of steel. The reason why the military is using Ceramics and Poly plates is because the round literally explodes when it hits steel, you can get shrapnel in your face. I know allot fo steel fans will say they have a anti-spalling layer but poly is still the best option (if you can afford) and the impact is felt much more with steel. Poly is what everyone I know uses on the AZ boarder. The round is stopped in the center of the plate and not at the surface so no shrapnel, and the round is slowed not sopped dead so while it still feels like getting hit by a truck, it still less impact than steel.

Icon Tactical Industries

My Steel plated rig weighs 16lbs, my poly one wights 7.5lbs

Oh an Kevlar degrades over time and has an expiration date.

UPDATE: After going out and having a smoke I started thinking about what is the best option for SHTF scenario. While Poly is the best light weight option its meant for active use. When used in military and LE if they got hit in the plate, they could just replace it. In a SHTF scenario you probably won't be able to go online and order a new plate, so for SHTF scenario steel with an anti spalling layer is probably the best option or, a set of each if you can afford it.

I was selling these things for pete at the gun show. When we went out to train we compared them my LVL4 multi hits. I gotta tell you .. his plates are super light. Mine weigh just shy of 8lbs and after a day of training.. they start to feel really heavy. My rig carries them pretty well though so It doesn't feel too bad when it's balanced out with a back plate. If I could afford his, I would buy some.. but the ar500's for 90 bucks? ****.. that's a deal.

I could do about 300 yds in a moderate run before I had to stop.. probably less if I was carrying ALL my stuff .. and maybe about the same if I was in better shape at the time. Dropping 5-6lbs off that would be nice.