Hillbilly body armor test

chopinbloc · February 20, 2013, 12:21 PM

In a thread on another gun forum, a user showed us that floor tiles could be used to stop rifle rounds. I decided to test whether it was possible to make homemade "body armor" that would actually work. I'm pleasantly surprised by the results.

I used three PEI grade V porcelain floor tiles with a coat of Herculiner on the front and between tiles and a thick coat (about a quarter inch) on the back to capture fragments. I placed a paper grocery bag behind (to see if anything came through) and shot it at about twenty feet with .223, 7.62x39mm, and .40 S&W. Unfortunately, I didn't know the close range POI on my AK as well as on my AR so I had to shoot it three times with the AK to get a hit where I wanted. The reason is that the first shot was too close to both edges and caused the whole corner to bend back into the paper. I don't *think* the bullet made it through but I couldn't be sure until the third shot.

Afterward, I shot it with an additional ten rounds of .40 and not a single round made it through.

This stuff did quite a bit better than I expected.

Video of test

Poper · February 20, 2013, 12:47 PM

Looks like it could be a method to harden particular areas of a structure.
Most new home construction in AZ is sticks and stucco. Line the areas beside doors and below windows under the stucco during construction.

For block construction, line the back side of the block before applying interior furring and insulation.

Probably would fail under continued assault, but for an immediate temporary protection it would probably work fine.

Just a thought.

Poper

**Derek Zeanah** · February 20, 2013, 12:50 PM

That's actually really cool. Any chance you shot it with M855 green-tips?

<*(((>< · February 20, 2013, 12:56 PM

What would be cool to see is the use of porcelain mosaic tiles that are 1" square that are attached to a mesh sheet and do the same thing (alternating the grout lines with the other sheets) but allow it to remain slightly flexible (maybe source some type of rubberized compound, in lieu of the herculiner) if one could achieve the same stopping power in something that could be molded into body armor. I would think the added benefit of smaller tiles is that when the bullet hits it would possibly not break the surrounding tiles which would remain intact. It also seems that the smaller tiles would have a slight give that would slow the bullet, rather than all the inertia getting absorbed by what the armor is attached to. These are all just my observations and thoughts. Hmmm....I might have to run to home depot this weekend.

JRH6856 · February 20, 2013, 01:25 PM

I would think the best way to make it flexible would be to use the same design as overlapping plate mail armor. Make up 2"x3" plates, 3 tiles thick with a piece of leather between two of the tiles and extending from the top. Using the leather, sew the plates to a vest in rows so that the rows overlap and you have at least 1 plate thickness everywhere.

The thing would be a bit heavy though.

CoRoMo · February 20, 2013, 01:30 PM

Hillbilly?

ZZZ · February 20, 2013, 01:51 PM

What happens if the stuff does end up getting in your body?

Cosmoline · February 20, 2013, 02:21 PM

Spackle it directly to your body!

**Derek Zeanah** · February 20, 2013, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Spackle it directly to your body!

Yeah, but how can I attach it to my tactical wheelbarrow....

Mayvik · February 20, 2013, 02:38 PM

Weight per unit area?

**bikerdoc** · February 20, 2013, 02:46 PM

weight ?

Risky · February 20, 2013, 02:48 PM

That is outstanding performance. So how much did this project cost to build? And, as asked above, whats the weight??

chopinbloc · February 20, 2013, 02:57 PM

Three tiles weigh about 12 lbs without the bed liner but for the next iteration, I plan to use only two tiles, less bed liner, and cut them to 10"x12" "shooter's cut."

That's an interesting idea with the mosaic tiles. I don't expect that you could get a lot of flexibility but you could form a curved plate pretty easily.

rcmodel · February 20, 2013, 03:01 PM

Seems to me the mosaic tiles would be like hiding from a BB gun behind a chain link fence.

Lots of cracks there for a bullet to slip through at any point there is a crack.

rc

Texan Scott · February 20, 2013, 03:26 PM

Didn't we recently establish that two layers of stainless onieda cookware makes the best body armor? (J/k

)

Let's try a hybrid approach: tile bedlinered to the high-nickle sandwich-steel stainless pot bottom. Encapsulated ceramic plate backed by a metal plate ought to stop a single hit from small rifle rounds.

If it does, cut it 10x12, radius the corners slightly, and put it in a cheap 600 denier paintball plate carrier.

Now... where would you wear it?

bsheets20061 · February 20, 2013, 03:30 PM

I too would love to know the weight overall. Great demonstration by the way

USAF_Vet · February 20, 2013, 03:31 PM

I need someone to duct tape this to my back, I'm headed to the mall.

glennv · February 20, 2013, 03:33 PM

Thanks for the post buddy. Now they're going to require background checks when purchasing more than 4 sheets of bathroom tile.

Sav .250 · February 20, 2013, 03:57 PM

I`d like to see somebody all decked out in that get-up waiting for a 50 cal, Ap round to end there existance. There are times when folks have way to much spare time on their hands.

Fishslayer · February 20, 2013, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAF_Vet

I need someone to duct tape this to my back, I'm headed to the mall.

You'll need more than two layers to defeat multiple hits from a .338 Lapua...

silicosys4 · February 20, 2013, 04:39 PM

^^ That's a world in which floor tiles will not save you.

USAF_Vet · February 20, 2013, 04:40 PM

Should I load up a brief case with these plates too? Use it as a shield while my partner covers me?

Geckgo45 never gets old.

-v- · February 20, 2013, 04:53 PM

Interesting test, I applaud the inquisitive spirit.

Just a thought, but NIJ LVL III steel plates are $100 for a 10"x12" and weigh only 7lb and only 5lb for a 8"x10". Heck, even Amazon and eBay sell them.

chopinbloc · February 20, 2013, 05:46 PM

Sav .250, ESAPI plates won't stop .50 BMG, either. ;^)

That said, I'd be surprised if this would have stopped a 7.62X51mm.

MachIVshooter · February 20, 2013, 05:57 PM

Always fun to test this stuff, but I'll stick to purpose-built armor for my protection. I went with AR500Armor's contoured set up. Carrier, front, back and side contoured plates for $345 shipped, they proved it to stop multiple direct hits of M855.

http://www.ar500armor.com/index.php?...ategory_id=165

It's a little heavier than ceramic, and it's not true level IV (NIJ L IV rated to AP 7.62 NATO); More like L III+. But it's a lot less expensive, and the plates are not compromised after a hit like ceramics are.

Makes sense for those of us who want to have such protection available, but are unlikely to actually need it and thus unwilling to spend $1,000+

February 20, 2013, 12:21 PM	#1
chopinbloc Member Join Date: April 10, 2005 Location: sweet home arizona Posts: 1,162	Hillbilly body armor test In a thread on another gun forum, a user showed us that floor tiles could be used to stop rifle rounds. I decided to test whether it was possible to make homemade "body armor" that would actually work. I'm pleasantly surprised by the results. I used three PEI grade V porcelain floor tiles with a coat of Herculiner on the front and between tiles and a thick coat (about a quarter inch) on the back to capture fragments. I placed a paper grocery bag behind (to see if anything came through) and shot it at about twenty feet with .223, 7.62x39mm, and .40 S&W. Unfortunately, I didn't know the close range POI on my AK as well as on my AR so I had to shoot it three times with the AK to get a hit where I wanted. The reason is that the first shot was too close to both edges and caused the whole corner to bend back into the paper. I don't think the bullet made it through but I couldn't be sure until the third shot. Afterward, I shot it with an additional ten rounds of .40 and not a single round made it through. This stuff did quite a bit better than I expected. Video of test __________________ "Murder is a crime -unless it is done by a policeman or an aristocrat... You have the right to free speech; as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it." - The Clash "Know Your Rights" from Combat Rock Last edited by Derek Zeanah; February 20, 2013 at 12:50 PM. Reason: Inline link added

February 20, 2013, 12:50 PM	#3
Derek Zeanah System Administrator Join Date: December 20, 2002 Location: Statesboro, Georgia Posts: 6,458	That's actually really cool. Any chance you shot it with M855 green-tips? __________________ "We're going to suspend your rights to protest, bear arms, privacy, and trial by jury." "Why?" "To protect you from terrorists." "Why do we need to be protected from terrorists?" "They hate you for your freedom."

February 20, 2013, 12:56 PM	#4
<*(((>< Member Join Date: February 1, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 31	What would be cool to see is the use of porcelain mosaic tiles that are 1" square that are attached to a mesh sheet and do the same thing (alternating the grout lines with the other sheets) but allow it to remain slightly flexible (maybe source some type of rubberized compound, in lieu of the herculiner) if one could achieve the same stopping power in something that could be molded into body armor. I would think the added benefit of smaller tiles is that when the bullet hits it would possibly not break the surrounding tiles which would remain intact. It also seems that the smaller tiles would have a slight give that would slow the bullet, rather than all the inertia getting absorbed by what the armor is attached to. These are all just my observations and thoughts. Hmmm....I might have to run to home depot this weekend. __________________ ~luke~ Last edited by <(((><; February 20, 2013 at 01:02 PM.*

February 20, 2013, 01:25 PM	#5
JRH6856 Member Join Date: December 5, 2011 Location: Flower Mound, TX Posts: 1,797	I would think the best way to make it flexible would be to use the same design as overlapping plate mail armor. Make up 2"x3" plates, 3 tiles thick with a piece of leather between two of the tiles and extending from the top. Using the leather, sew the plates to a vest in rows so that the rows overlap and you have at least 1 plate thickness everywhere. The thing would be a bit heavy though. __________________ NRA Life Member "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" — US Constitution, 2A, 1791 “Rights are not supposed to be open to popularity contests." — Rachel Maddow, 2013

February 20, 2013, 01:30 PM	#6
CoRoMo Member Join Date: September 21, 2007 Location: Colorafornia Posts: 8,465	Hillbilly? __________________ The Second Amendment of our Bill of Rights is my concealed weapons permit, period! Ted Nugent

February 20, 2013, 01:51 PM	#7
ZZZ Member Join Date: May 25, 2010 Posts: 60	What happens if the stuff does end up getting in your body?

February 20, 2013, 02:21 PM	#8
Cosmoline Member Join Date: December 29, 2002 Location: Los Anchorage Posts: 22,899	Spackle it directly to your body! __________________ ad rem mox nox

February 20, 2013, 02:38 PM	#10
Mayvik Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Posts: 96	Weight per unit area?

February 20, 2013, 02:46 PM	#11
bikerdoc Moderator Join Date: January 8, 2008 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 8,753	weight ? __________________ I only have so many heartbeats left. I am not wasting them on things that are not fun. VCDL, member, Curmudgeon A good hit with a marginal bullet is better than a marginal hit with good bullet. – Tom Givens

February 20, 2013, 02:48 PM	#12
Risky Member Join Date: January 9, 2011 Posts: 80	That is outstanding performance. So how much did this project cost to build? And, as asked above, whats the weight??

February 20, 2013, 02:57 PM	#13
chopinbloc Member Join Date: April 10, 2005 Location: sweet home arizona Posts: 1,162	Three tiles weigh about 12 lbs without the bed liner but for the next iteration, I plan to use only two tiles, less bed liner, and cut them to 10"x12" "shooter's cut." That's an interesting idea with the mosaic tiles. I don't expect that you could get a lot of flexibility but you could form a curved plate pretty easily. __________________ "Murder is a crime -unless it is done by a policeman or an aristocrat... You have the right to free speech; as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it." - The Clash "Know Your Rights" from Combat Rock

February 20, 2013, 03:01 PM	#14
rcmodel Member Join Date: September 17, 2007 Location: Eastern KS Posts: 41,224	Seems to me the mosaic tiles would be like hiding from a BB gun behind a chain link fence. Lots of cracks there for a bullet to slip through at any point there is a crack. rc __________________ Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Or all your primers in a glass jar!

February 20, 2013, 03:26 PM	#15
Texan Scott Member Join Date: May 2, 2012 Location: The Texas Hill Country Posts: 2,190	Didn't we recently establish that two layers of stainless onieda cookware makes the best body armor? (J/k ) Let's try a hybrid approach: tile bedlinered to the high-nickle sandwich-steel stainless pot bottom. Encapsulated ceramic plate backed by a metal plate ought to stop a single hit from small rifle rounds. If it does, cut it 10x12, radius the corners slightly, and put it in a cheap 600 denier paintball plate carrier. Now... where would you wear it? __________________ In extraordinary sincerity, T.S. Enough "conversation"... STAND AND FIGHT.

February 20, 2013, 03:30 PM	#16
bsheets20061 Member Join Date: May 19, 2009 Posts: 79	I too would love to know the weight overall. Great demonstration by the way

February 20, 2013, 03:31 PM	#17
USAF_Vet Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: West Michigan Posts: 3,142	I need someone to duct tape this to my back, I'm headed to the mall. __________________ This... is my boomstick! The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

February 20, 2013, 03:33 PM	#18
glennv Member Join Date: August 13, 2006 Posts: 151	Thanks for the post buddy. Now they're going to require background checks when purchasing more than 4 sheets of bathroom tile.

February 20, 2013, 03:57 PM	#19
Sav .250 Member Join Date: June 5, 2007 Location: Central Fla Posts: 2,116	I`d like to see somebody all decked out in that get-up waiting for a 50 cal, Ap round to end there existance. There are times when folks have way to much spare time on their hands.

February 20, 2013, 04:39 PM	#21
silicosys4 Member Join Date: June 29, 2012 Posts: 809	^^ That's a world in which floor tiles will not save you.

February 20, 2013, 04:40 PM	#22
USAF_Vet Member Join Date: January 6, 2011 Location: West Michigan Posts: 3,142	Should I load up a brief case with these plates too? Use it as a shield while my partner covers me? Geckgo45 never gets old. __________________ This... is my boomstick! The twelve-gauge double-barreled Remington. S-Mart's top of the line. You can find this in the sporting goods department. That's right, this sweet baby was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Retails for about a hundred and nine, ninety five. It's got a walnut stock, cobalt blue steel, and a hair trigger. Shop smart. Shop S-Mart.

February 20, 2013, 04:53 PM	#23
-v- Member Join Date: October 22, 2007 Posts: 1,195	Interesting test, I applaud the inquisitive spirit. Just a thought, but NIJ LVL III steel plates are $100 for a 10"x12" and weigh only 7lb and only 5lb for a 8"x10". Heck, even Amazon and eBay sell them.

February 20, 2013, 05:46 PM	#24
chopinbloc Member Join Date: April 10, 2005 Location: sweet home arizona Posts: 1,162	Sav .250, ESAPI plates won't stop .50 BMG, either. ;^) That said, I'd be surprised if this would have stopped a 7.62X51mm. __________________ "Murder is a crime -unless it is done by a policeman or an aristocrat... You have the right to free speech; as long as you're not dumb enough to actually try it." - The Clash "Know Your Rights" from Combat Rock

February 20, 2013, 05:57 PM	#25
MachIVshooter Member Join Date: August 11, 2005 Location: Elbert County, CO Posts: 10,528	Always fun to test this stuff, but I'll stick to purpose-built armor for my protection. I went with AR500Armor's contoured set up. Carrier, front, back and side contoured plates for $345 shipped, they proved it to stop multiple direct hits of M855. http://www.ar500armor.com/index.php?...ategory_id=165 It's a little heavier than ceramic, and it's not true level IV (NIJ L IV rated to AP 7.62 NATO); More like L III+. But it's a lot less expensive, and the plates are not compromised after a hit like ceramics are. Makes sense for those of us who want to have such protection available, but are unlikely to actually need it and thus unwilling to spend $1,000+ __________________ "Life is harder when you're stupid. Sometimes, it's also quite a bit shorter."-1911Tuner