If you're staring into people's windows, maybe heavy body armor is the way to go...never know what an angry husband or father will shoot at you with

Haha .. I missed that guess I should turn auto correct back on lol.....IF I were purchasing for a "shtf" scenario I would go plate...and the best I could afford...probably more than I felt I could really afford...reasoning that it would be "buy once cry (or die) once" ...if I was of the mindset that I felt it was a necessary purchase I wouldn't be skimping ...... If it was just an addition to range day tacticool attire then fill the plate pockets with black foam sheet insulation from Home Depot and save yourself about 15 lbs chances of the zombie targets shooting back are slim lol

I would pick Ceramic Rifle plates over AR500 steel.  Steel will splatter and send fragments who knows where...

With the popularity/buying frenzy of ar's I wouldn't think twice about the likelihood of looters/criminals having ar's/aks....stolen/looted from homes

ya know? that's an excellent point.......

I would pick Ceramic Rifle plates over AR500 steel.  Steel will splatter and send fragments who knows where...

Thats the whole point of the rhino lining, apparently it works pretty well (see the video linked earlier)

Or combine steel plate and Kevlar?

Thats the whole point of the rhino lining, apparently it works pretty well (see the video linked earlier)

 

True - but some stuff I've seen online are just the bare plates themselves with no anti-spalling lining/etc.

So how much weight is a full load out?

 

Just curious, because every little things added up.  The challenging hikes I've been on are Virginia Narrow (2 days in knee to waist high water) in Utah, Machu Picchu (4 days) and Kilimanjiro (7 days).  I've carried my own gears and without guns and ammo I'm already at 35lbs+ and man.... so it's pretty heavy already.  

 

I can't imagine wearing body armor and hauling gears.  LOL

apropos:

 

http://www.slickguns.com/product/15-all-ar500-armor-level-iii-body-armor-plate-carrier-packages-5525

So how much weight is a full load out?

 

Just curious, because every little things added up.  The challenging hikes I've been on are Virginia Narrow (2 days in knee to waist high water) in Utah, Machu Picchu (4 days) and Kilimanjiro (7 days).  I've carried my own gears and without guns and ammo I'm already at 35lbs+ and man.... so it's pretty heavy already.  

 

I can't imagine wearing body armor and hauling gears.  LOL

 

I'm no expert on this stuff, I don't own any body armor, but I've hiked with heavy and medium packs and I understand what you speak of. As you well know a pack that distributes weight well feel a lot better then a lighter load distributed poorly. One of the nice things about plate carriers seems to be that they really distribute the weight evenly front and back and around your torso so while adding 20+lb to your body is never fun, it might not be as taxing as a 20lb backpack.

 

People are saying 20+ year old vests hold up as well.

 

With proper storage (out of sunlight and moisture) I feel fine with leaving them sitting.

 

I wouldn't trust my life to a 20+ year old vest unless it was stored properly.

 

Do not bend them, put them in the dresser, etc,. they should always be stored flat and as you pointed out, away from sunlight and moisture. The reason most are taken out of service every 3-5 years is from people who wear them everyday and sweat, expose them to rain, sunlight, etc. I remember KeepShooting had a bunch of vests that were from a tropical climate and even though they were not too old they had started to break down and were only good as props/targets.

 

I've purchased surplus LE vests and shot them, yes they still offered protection and many were 10+ years out of date but if body armor is on your list consider a good brand/rep. company and think of it this way...what will people be shooting at you with? handguns? AR's/AK's? If you are looking for rifle cal. protection the price goes up along with the weight of the vest/plates since the only option is hard armor...

 

What if someone had a few live M67's and decided to use them? or a few 40mm HEDP rounds w/ a M203 or M79? People do have these it's no secret, lot's of stuff made it's way back from Vietnam and it makes you wonder in a real meltdown how much of this stuff would surface and be used. If things get that bad, GTFO and never look back.

 

Ideal would be sell the wifes crap and buy a used APC (can be had for under $25,000) but the wife will have you living in the APC

LOL.  I like the idea of APC.  Just checked on eBay but none to be found.

 

So where can one acquire such APC you speak of? LOL

Received the IIIA soft armor plates yesterday - I'm quite impressed.  They also fit inside my soft carrier as well - so I have the option of going concealed.

Nice!!! are you going to try it?

Received the IIIA soft armor plates yesterday - I'm quite impressed.  They also fit inside my soft carrier as well - so I have the option of going conc

whose?

i think the ONLY thing that'd keep me from ceramic, uis that i'm clumsy sometimes. it'd be my luck that i'd be trying to get into the armor, and drop it....breaking the plate, lol

whose?

US P.A.L.M. 

https://www.primaryarms.com/US-Palm-IIIA-Armor-Insert-LARGE-p/usp00400023.htm

LOL.  I like the idea of APC.  Just checked on eBay but none to be found.

 

So where can one acquire such APC you speak of? LOL

 

http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/

 

A bud of mine purchased one who lives out in Idaho, shipping via sea freight isn't too costly

 

This is the one: http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products/armoured-vehicles-4/brdm-2-76#currency=USD

To have it demilled (weapons/weapons systems removed) expect to spend $1-$2K and a few $K on shipping, for a running one with shipping and the whole nine yards you can have it here in your driveway for under $20K

 

Crew of 3-4, get a FFL with a dealer sample letter for a half dozen selective-fire AK's and you have a persons worst nightmare on wheels

 

They handle the export docs and are easy to deal with, if you have the extra cash you can buy a Soviet tank from them

 

 

 

Wonder what NJSP would think about this on the road if the SHTF? Prob. run like hell from it!

Wonder what NJSP would think about this on the road if the SHTF? Prob. run like hell from it!

I chuckled just thinking about it.

id love a nice setup, but its a lot of money for something i'd never use.  

http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/

 

A bud of mine purchased one who lives out in Idaho, shipping via sea freight isn't too costly

 

This is the one: http://www.mortarinvestments.eu/products/armoured-vehicles-4/brdm-2-76#currency=USD

To have it demilled (weapons/weapons systems removed) expect to spend $1-$2K and a few $K on shipping, for a running one with shipping and the whole nine yards you can have it here in your driveway for under $20K

 

Crew of 3-4, get a FFL with a dealer sample letter for a half dozen selective-fire AK's and you have a persons worst nightmare on wheels

 

They handle the export docs and are easy to deal with, if you have the extra cash you can buy a Soviet tank from them

 

 

 

Wonder what NJSP would think about this on the road if the SHTF? Prob. run like hell from it!

The problem with spending $20-30000 or more on a surplus military vehicle is what do you do for spare parts? You will need some eventually. Autozone does not stock spares for a BDRM. Your $20000 can become an expensive piece of stationary cover with what normally would be a minor breakdown with your F150.

Iraqi security forces used steel plates inside kevlar and non-kevlar carriers and the results were mixed. Sometimes what "would" have been a glancing hit against your body (bad) was a simple deflection against the steel (very good). Sometimes bullets would bounce off the steel plates and into other things; Potentially your buddies around you. Sometimes the steel would deform or break apart becoming shrapnel itself or shear, creating a greater wound than the bullet by itself. More than once a bullet would hit the hull-shaped chest plate and deflect straight up into the jaw/head of the wearer.

 

US forces wore ceramic ESAPI plate and a mix of kevlar IBA and IOTV carriers. I had an IBA. Never did I witness a puncture or terrible deflection. I've got a 7.62 round I can take a picture of that still has tan paint from when it hit a vehicle and deflected into a soldier. It was stopped outside of the plate and he was not injured at all.

 

Learn from a distance. Ceramic plates with a kevlar carrier is the winning combination. Steel can deform, break apart and/or cause bullets to bounce off. Personally, and my opinion is biased because of my experience, I would forego plates before I wore steel.

Good info, Spike, Thanks.  I'll stay away from the AR500 steel plates.  I got the Level IIIA US Palm plates.  Fit great in my plate carrier and concealable vest.

Iraqi security forces used steel plates inside kevlar and non-kevlar carriers and the results were mixed. Sometimes what "would" have been a glancing hit against your body (bad) was a simple deflection against the steel (very good). Sometimes bullets would bounce off the steel plates and into other things; Potentially your buddies around you. Sometimes the steel would deform or break apart becoming shrapnel itself or shear, creating a greater wound than the bullet by itself. More than once a bullet would hit the hull-shaped chest plate and deflect straight up into the jaw/head of the wearer.

 

US forces wore ceramic ESAPI plate and a mix of kevlar IBA and IOTV carriers. I had an IBA. Never did I witness a puncture or terrible deflection. I've got a 7.62 round I can take a picture of that still has tan paint from when it hit a vehicle and deflected into a soldier. It was stopped outside of the plate and he was not injured at all.

 

Learn from a distance. Ceramic plates with a kevlar carrier is the winning combination. Steel can deform, break apart and/or cause bullets to bounce off. Personally, and my opinion is biased because of my experience, I would forego plates before I wore steel.

Were these bare steel, or rhino style Coated? What are your thoughts on those?

All the steel lates I ever saw were bare steel, no spray lining or similar. They were inside of carriers that ranged from good, purpose-built kevlar vests to shabby looking, home made cloth pockets sewn behind magazine pouches on a standard canvas AK chest rig.

I have 2 rigs that include level IV ESAPI ceramic plates backed by IIIA soft backers in a TAG Banshee carrier.  With all pouches and whatnot unloaded I'm at around 20lbs.  The weight is distributed very well IMO.  I am not in the best shape in the world but when I did a 1 mile run with a hoodie over it, I didn't die of exhaustion lol. 

 

After much research I went with the ceramic/soft backer combo.  I also recently picked up 2 curved ar500 plates with rhino lining in a trade that I am going to use as test subjects at the range.  

 

BTW - For the money TAG Banshee carriers are AWESOME.  Got both for $130 each and they are american made and built like a tank.  

I have 2 rigs that include level IV ESAPI ceramic plates backed by IIIA soft backers in a TAG Banshee carrier. With all pouches and whatnot unloaded I'm at around 20lbs. The weight is distributed very well IMO. I am not in the best shape in the world but when I did a 1 mile run with a hoodie over it, I didn't die of exhaustion lol.

 

After much research I went with the ceramic/soft backer combo. I also recently picked up 2 curved ar500 plates with rhino lining in a trade that I am going to use as test subjects at the range.

 

BTW - For the money TAG Banshee carriers are AWESOME. Got both for $130 each and they are american made and built like a tank.

Let me know what you find about the rhino plates. I'm very conflicted at the moment.

Let me know what you find about the rhino plates. I'm very conflicted at the moment.

 

Will do.  Waiting for a warmer day that isn't raining so I can try one in the pits and one on the rifle range.  

Make sure you train in it even lightweight plates limit mobility to a degree and also try and get a plate carrier that strings together as opposed to Velcro my vest is 2 years old and daily wear I've got through 4 sets of Velcro straps