Body armor Q

[gnappi]

I've owned my armor for awhile, and as bought it was sold as a IIIA level, but curiously the "plate" or "panel" it came with is not marked per NIJ standards. Also the label in the vest says it offers no protection WITHOUT a plate inserted, a bit of a surprise there as it's front and rear are rather thick and dense.

Anyway, I'm looking to buy a level III or IIIa plate and just consider the installed plate a pad.

One I'm looking at is STAB rated and constructed of "laminated UHMWPE polyethylene"

Are there any other materials I should be looking at? Or as long as its rating is IIIa they're all basically the same.?

 

[herrwalther]

If a plate isn't NIJ certified, it really isn't worth whatever price it is if you plan on putting it in a vest. Some vests come with soft shell Kevlar or other armor to work with plates. Some do not. Sounds like yours is the does not category. You can fold up cardboard to be thick and dense, but that doesn't make it reliable at stopping bullets.

Stab protection and ballistic protection are two different specialties. A vest that will excel at stab protection will not be as good at ballistic protection compared to a dedicated vest. Unless you have a specific reason to need stab and spike protection (like as a corrections guard) then ballistic protection is what you want. Here is an article to break it down more.

https://www.safeguardclothing.com/articles/difference-between-a-stab-and-bullet-proof-vest/

 

[Hugger-4641]

Take a look at Falcon 6 armor, looks interesting and very lite.

 

[DustyGmt]

I've heard that Hesco is one of the better ones out there and not to bother with AR500 and the like. I have Ceradyne ceramic plates (very light) in a PB interceptor vest that are .30cal AP rated. I think they run like $2000 for a set of front and back mediums. The Hesco's are a lil cheaper but am told they are very good quality. You don't want to skimp on armor because when and if you ever need it, you're going to want it to work.

 

[Riomouse911]

Remember Kevlar has a shelf-life, almost every vest maker states it’s 5 years from the date of manufacture. The amount of time will also be affected by how it’s stored (hung in a climate controlled closet vs riding in your car trunk) the amount of use (daily or weekly sweat/dirt/rainwater soaking), etc.

The more you beat it up the faster it goes. In my area temps go from three months of lows in the 30’s to 115+ for months on end in the summer and fall. My duty vests were cooked after three to four years until I became ever more desk-bound with rank.

It’ll probably still offer a great deal of protection beyond that 5-year date... maybe for decades, who knows. Just keep in mind there is the potential for fiber deterioration to the point of uselessness, so plan on replacing components at some future interval.

Stay safe.

 

[DustyGmt]

Remember Kevlar has a shelf-life, almost every vest maker states it’s 5 years from the date of manufacture. The amount of time will also be affected by how it’s stored (hung in a climate controlled closet vs riding in your car trunk) the amount of use (daily or weekly sweat/dirt/rainwater soaking), etc.

The more you beat it up the faster it goes. In my area temps go from three months of lows in the 30’s to 115+ for months on end in the summer and fall. My duty vests were cooked after three to four years until I became ever more desk-bound with rank.

It’ll probably still offer a great deal of protection beyond that 5-year date... maybe for decades, who knows. Just keep in mind there is the potential for fiber deterioration to the point of uselessness, so plan on replacing components at some future interval.

Stay safe.

I have a PASGT Kevlar vest that's probably 30 years old. It looks like it's in OK condition. I'd rather have it than not. I modified it a lil and put the shoulder protectors in the two front pockets for supplemental protection of the vitals. I've thought about shooting one of the shoulder portions to see how it would hold up but idk.

I have a newer PB Interceptor with the front/back plate inserts too, that one I have extreme confidence in. I am not Mil/LEO but I like to have the stuff anyways. If you're a prepper or collector and just like to be prepared it's neat stuff to have for just in case.

I've considered pulling the old gulf War era PASGT apart and making a protective ballistic backpack for my daughter's school pack.

 

[Riomouse911]

If it’s stored well and wasn’t abused early it’ll probably be ok looooong past the expiration date. Kevlar is one bad-ass fiber, like spectra and several others it’s amazingly strong and durable stuff.

But much like tires get affected by ozone, smog and airborne pollution, water, sweat, heat etc. does accelerate wear on the fibers and ultimately deteriorates them below their rated strength.

This is the results of an extreme test, but it shows the potential is there: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/i300006a006

Personally I wouldn’t trust a 30 year old Kevlar panel with my life, but it is probably (I hope!) going to work pretty well if it wasn’t worn much on desert patrols, used a lot day in-day out, or stored poorly in the past. But I agree with you that even if old, wearing something protective is much more likely better than having nothing at all.

YMMV.

Stay safe.

 

[CapnMac]

will also be affected by how it’s stored

And how often you pitch it in the freezer to cure the stank, too. Sigh.

 

[CapnMac]

PASGT Kevlar vest

Those were only ever meant to stop fragments in Service use.

 

[Riomouse911]

I washed my carriers two to three times a week on occasion, wiped the panels down at the same time. They can get awfully funky awfully fast

Stay safe.