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Who has body armor for HD?

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I made a similiar comment the other day: Why do I have $XX,000 in things that send bullets forward but nothing to keep them from hitting my important bits?
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Agreed. It's strange why so many obsess about what type/grain/caliber of ammunition to use for home DEFENSE, but don't consider body armor to be worthwhile. I've read firsthand stories about troops in Iraq who sleep with their armor next to them, and if a mortar hits or the alarm sounds they are out of bed and wearing that armor in less than 5 seconds, and that's much bulkier stuff than the average homeowner would need. If you practice a bit, the added delay of putting the armor on is minimal and the benefit could very easily save your life. If nothing else, have one available for your spouse or other loved ones so they can have some protection.
 
You would have to keep it right under your bed. I would still place your priority on securing your firearm and getting your berrings the vest would be simply supplementry. Personaly id rather spend it on a mean german sheperd who will detect an intruder long before I do.
 
And where exactly are we going to find youth sized body armor? And who's going to pay for a new vest every couple years when the kid grows out of it?


These body armor threads have a tendancy to drift off into the land of fantasy. If we're going to make it part of our plan, that plan by design is going to make life inconvenient.


Seat belts were mentioned previously. Seat belts are convenient. But seat belts provide probably the lowest level of protection in a car crash. They work on frontal and rear impacts well, but not very well on side or angle collisions. They also have a nasty tendency to break bones, and cause serious bruising to the abdomen on high velocity impacts. They've even been known to lacerate internal organs.

A much more effective, and safer, restraint is a racing harness. But, those are damn incovenient to wear. So, we have the compromise. Seat belts. Has anyone here had the family sedan or minivan altered to use racing harnesses? Probably not. Far more people die and are injured in car accidents than experience home invasions. That's a serious, identifiable risk that would justify an upgrade in personal protection.


This all comes down to a personal decision, and its unique to each individual's lifestyle. I don't chastize a person who decides body armor is not going to work for him and his plan, and doesn't spend the money to buy it. Nor would I ridicule someone who decides to make it part of his plan.

Now, the thought that we would go through life continually prepared for some incredibly low threat probability is silly. Its inconvenient, and inconvenient measures eventually become ignored. Some of the hallmarks of a good system are simplicity and convenience. Keeping our doors locked all the time is convenient for most. But anyone who has small children can tell you even that measure becomes inconvenient.

A good plan contains actions we can take that everyone in the house will do, actions we can make a habit. If your teenage son comes home from his part time job after you are in bed, and has a habit or not re-arming the house's alarm system, guess what? Your alarm system is no longer part of your plan. It can't be relied upon. So you must assume whatever your plan is now doesn't involve that early warning system.

Dogs are a good system. But if your dog alerts to everything, you'll get into the habit of ignoring the dog. Every time my dog alerts I don't go into "hostile response/home lockdown mode".


Your plan has to be realistic to your lifestyle and sensible.
 
well what I did is sew ballistic panels cut from a lvlii bomb blanket into strips and i sewed them into the inside of my bathrobe.

on a more serious note, i think that having a bulletproof shield (not those huge door kicker ones, like a little torso sized one) would not be such a bad idea. would be real easy to pick up.
 
Why is it so inconvenient to have a vest laying flat under the bed that you throw on in 3-4 seconds after you've woken up and secured your firearm? I mean, if things happen so quick you can't get it on...so what? You have bigger problems anyway. It seems common to expect to be able to wake up, orient, get gun, get flashlight, call police, etc...etc... but throwing a vest over your head (perhaps with most of the other items attached already) and velcro-ing one strap (the other one can be secured already) is a bridge too far?

As far as how long it will last....with only occasional use and storage under a bed it will last for many, many years. Little to zero UV, heat, and moisture exposure which are what breaks vests down. A patrol cop gets his vest hot and sweaty 4-5 days a week, 50 weeks per year, that's why the service life is shorter.

Is it worth $350-$600 to purchase one if you don't have one already? Only an individual can answer that. Convenience is a poor reason not to get one, we're talking seconds. If you don't have those seconds, no loss over not having it. If you do have those seconds...it may be worth it's weight in gold.

It seems like with some people: Hunkering down with 870 and attached light=smart. Hunkering down with 870 with light and vest=internet commando fantasy.:confused:
 
While we are at it, we might as well have a belt and carry holster we can slide into as well as thre vest before we venture out of the bedroom to investigate that bump in the night.

Hell ya, we may need that extra mag holder of ammo as well. We may need to secure the gun during a search, so the belt and holster should be in the plan.

Lets see, I need to put on the vest, throw a belt with holster and extra mag on it [ even though it will likely be falling down as there are no belt loops on my nakedness when I awake, secure the light to search, dial 911, and then I'm ready to investigate the problem/noise/whatever?

I don't think so. What I NEED to do right away is wake up enough out of the fog of sleep to grab the gun and light, then listen and start determining whats it is I'm hearing, how many may be in what locations [ Is it one, two, more people? ].

Most will not be able to get totally cognitive of what may be happening for some seconds, or longer. I want that gun trained on the entrance to the bedroom while I'm determining what and where things are may be or are happening outside the bedroom.

I don't think I want to be trying to put on a vest, pull up my socks [ in this case slipping into my slippers in the event I need to move outside the house before it's over ], whiole I get the gun and light into an immediate harries shooting mode.

You could go for the vest and then get the gunbelt on so you have spare ammo onboard before leaving the bedroom to check it out, and the perp/s could be on you and in the room while you DON"T have the gun in hand and the light positioned properly.

I wake up to noise thats needing immediate attention, maybe enough attention to have to defend the homestead and the wife right now as I don't know where I am in the scenario unfolding from the fog of sleep till I can determine the who, what, where's???==

The first thing is the gun and light in the hands and into "good to go" mode. Now with that gun and light in hands, it's about time to be very attentive to those who what where questions and start developing a plan of action.

That action may be to stay in the room [ if they don't have kids and need to secure them in another part of the house ], dial 911, put the vest on, and hunker down with the cell phone and stay on the line till the boys in blue get there.

That action may be to venture, through need of securing other family members or any other reason, out of the sleeping area. How long does it take to put a vest on? Not long at all, but I want that gun and flashlight in hand the second I wake to potential intruders actions and I'm determining in 5-10 seconds where I need to go, and what, and how many may be lurking outside the bedroom.

The vest would be nice to have on when doing this, but for me personally, I'll be venturing forth to investigate and secure my home [ "on my way" ] before I could retrieve it and get it on. Same goes for a gunbelt, not enough time.

The house gun has 18 rds in it, the light on it's rail and when I have that in my hands, I'm watching the entrance to the room I'm in and listening to determine causal issues which brought me to this point, then move out.

The vest as well as a gunbelt would be really nice. There won't be time to think about that, and when you are likely to have to defend from an intruder. I don't want to be putting either on when the door gets opened/kicked. I want the gun in hand and pointed accordingly and stay that way till the who, what, where's can be determined.

As Strambo mentions, if you have the time for whatever reason, it would be nice to have that option. If you don't have the time for whatever reason, no loss to have it available.

If I have the time, both are in the bedroom closet, and I can get to them in the dark. I don't see it happening that I'd be going for either of them myself as I'm not into hunkering down and waiting for 911 to get the dep sheriff out to my place with a run time of 30-40 minutes. It will be over by then, win lose or draw.

Brownie
 
Honestly, who would have time?
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Well, you buy some now and then keep it bedside or in a place of convenience.

Springmom asked a similar question about hearing protection. We keep electronic muffs and vests close by. The fact is, not every time you hear a bump in the night and grab a firearm is a crisis of immediacy.

Hell I have personally seen a Soldier's plate work against a 12 gauge slug at point blank range.
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Stopping a 12 ga. is nice, but not all that impressive. The slugs have a large cross section and so have trouble with kevlar.

Just curious, by point blank do you mean at the muzzle or within a few feet (TV definition) or do you mean the point(s) where the POA = POI which is in two zones for most rifles and some shotguns?
 
while i do not own body armor, i did do some thinking based on the replies ive read so far. Some say it takes awhile to put on, others say a few seconds. Some say instead of looking for the threat, find a safe place and barricade (sp?) yourself there while calling 911.

Nobody can be fully prepared for a break-in because nobody fully knows what to expect or what will happen. If it was possible that i was going to be shot at, i would want body armor if i could get it on in time. So if you are going to make a defensive plan to keep yourself safe, why do anything that would put you in danger if you do not have to? Why go looking for the threat? Taking a little advice from all the above posts, you could incorporate just about all defensive tactics.

You could set up your bed room (or a centrally located room) that could be your "safe" place that you would stay barricaded and go to it or stay in it depending on where you are when it happens. Lock/barracade the door, secure your weapon(s), call 911, and throw on the vest while you stay locked away waiting for police. That way, you alerted the police, you have your weapons for defense if the intruder(s) find you, and maybe you will have ample time to put on the vest for that added measure of protection should the intruders come looking for you.

I am not saying that i would always lock myself away and would never go investigate if i ever heard a "bump" in the night, because i probably would, im just giving a suggestion to incorporate the body armor in a more realistic situation where you might not actually have time to put it on AND go investigate. Sorry for rambling on, just my thoughts. Hope this helps.
 
So if you are going to make a defensive plan to keep yourself safe, why do anything that would put you in danger if you do not have to? Why go looking for the threat?

I believe the term most appropriate here would be "pro-active" in response the the bolded quote.

Sometimes you may have to hole up, other times, you'll have to investigate, circumstances will dictate. I don't plan to hole up and choose to check things out myself.. Others may have no choice but to hole up, that being the best option based on their own circumstances.

Brownie
 
Brownie:

When i said, "Why go looking for the threat?" it wasn't meant so much as an actual question, but just to get the OP thinking of a possibly different way to incorporate the body armor if time is not on his side.

Yeah, I also would be very likely to arm myself and investigate, rather than go into lockdown. :)
 
I have body armor, but it's for novelty more than anything.

In my neck of the woods I am just as likely to be shot at by some hopped up meth head with a hunting rifle, as I am by a gang banger with a 9mm. Seems to me there is no point in making the doctor dig out little kevlar bits along with the bullet.
 
Agreed,

It depends on where you live. What kind of threats you face, etc.

I actually bought it more for times of social unrest, but then realized it's not really going to do me much good in the area where I live. Perhaps wearing it long enough to get me out of town, that's about it.
 
I've got an interceptor, with plates. It only takes a few seconds to put on and it defintely improves your survivability. I don't understand why everyone seems to think it takes forever to put body armor on. It would take you longer to put on a pair of shoes to go look outside.

What's more, with the interceptor's molle system, you can attach mag, holster, and pistol right to the vest. So, there is no need to grab the firearm and the vest seperately. All goes on in one smooth motion...
 
Buy the little Blackhawk plate vest, some plates to go in it, and throw your BUG on there. That way in the dark you just have to throw one thing over your head and your armored and armed with a backup at the same time :D

They make the vests so easy where you just have one opening that your head goes through. You dont need to secure anything because plates are not the same as the kevlar material. And plates stop pretty much everything up to and including a .30-06/12 gauge slug :D
 
It depends on where you live. What kind of threats you face, etc.
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And there is the rub, isn't it? You don't know what threats you face until you face them. Until you do, all you have is a bump in the night or some such noise, but not necessarily any idea on what, who, how many, how armed, etc.

And plates stop pretty much everything up to and including a .30-06/12 gauge slug
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Um, well, the 30.06 is impressive, but IIIa soft armor will stop 12 ga. slugs. Here is an exhibit called the Ballistic Wheel.

1 .22 Magnum 40 gr. JHP (1209 FPS / 369 MPS)
2 .32 ACP 60 gr. Silvertip JHP (936 FPS / 285 MPS)
3 .380 ACP 95 gr. FMC (902 FPS / 275 MPS)
4 .38 Special 125 gr. Nyclad SWHP (1009 FPS / 308 MPS)
5 .38 Special +P 110 gr. JHP (1049 FPS / 320 MPS)
6 .38 Special +P 140 gr. JHP (869 FPS / 265 MPS)
7 9mm 124 gr. FMC (1173 FPS / 358 MPS)*
8 9mm 125 gr. JSP (1121 FPS / 342 MPS)
9 9mm 147 gr. Black Talon (1010 FPS / 308 MPS)
10 9mm 147 gr. Golden Saber (1083 FPS / 330 MPS)
11 9mm 147 gr. Hydra Shok (1011 FPS / 308 MPS)
12 .357 Magnum 158 gr. JSP (1308 FPS / 399 MPS)*
13 .357 Magnum 110 gr. JHP (1292 FPS / 394 MPS)
14 .357 Magnum 125 gr. JHP (1335 FPS / 407 MPS)
15 .40 Caliber 180 gr. FMJTC (992 FPS / 302 MPS)
16 .40 Caliber 170 gr. FMJTC (1095 FPS / 334 MPS)
17 10mm 155 gr. FMJTC (1024 FPS / 312 MPS)
18 10mm 170 gr. JHP (1137 FPS / 347 MPS)
19 .41 Magnum 210 gr. LSWC (1141 FPS / 348 MPS)
20 .44 Magnum 240 gr. LFP (1017 FPS / 310 MPS)
21 .45 Long Colt 250 gr. LRN (778 FPS / 237 MPS)
22 .45 ACP 230 gr. FMJ (826 FPS / 252 MPS)
23 12 ga. 00 Buck (9 pellet) (1063 FPS / 324 MPS)
24 9mm 124 gr. FMJ (1215 FPS / 370 MPS)*
25 9mm 115 gr. Silvertip JHP (1252 FPS / 382 MPS)
26 9mm 124 gr. Starfire JHP (1174 FPS / 358 MPS)
27 .357 Magnum 158 gr. JSP (1453 FPS / 443 MPS)*
28 .357 Magnum 145 gr. Silvertip JHP (1371 FPS / 418 MPS)
29 .357 Magnum 125 gr. JHP (1428 FPS / 435 MPS)
30 10 mm 175 gr. Silvertip JHP (1246 FPS / 380 MPS)
31 .41 Magnum 210 gr. JSP (1322 FPS / 403 MPS)
32 .44 Magnum 240 gr. SJHP (1270 FPS / 387 MPS)
33 9mm 124 gr. FMJ (1440 FPS / 439 MPS)*
34 9mm 115 gr. FMJ Israeli (1499 FPS / 457 MPS)
35 9mm 123 gr. FMJ Geco (1372 FPS / 418 MPS)
36 9mm 124 gr. FMJ Cavim (1259 FPS / 384 MPS)
37 .44 Magnum 240 gr. LSWC (1448 FPS / 441 MPS)*
38 .44 Magnum 240 gr. HSP (1320 FPS / 402 MPS)
39 12 ga. 1 oz. Rifled Slug (1290 FPS / 393 MPS)
40 12 ga. 1 oz. Rifle Slug (1254 FPS / 382 MPS)
* NIJ certification round when used in concert with the NFCAS sternum plate
 

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  • Ballistic Protection Wheel.JPG
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I will move part of my my vest collection to my room. I have flak vests and a IIa with titanium plate. I know the flack vest won't stop much more then a 22LR form a rifle but they would be perfect for say bullets comming through the wall. Better to have it than to not have it.
I use to deal flack vests and kevlar hemets when I was in Japan so I have a few left overs. I could buy them off ebay and get them shipped to me for less then $70 for vests and $50 for helmets most of the time and I would resell them to guys leaving and trying to out process. They had to turn in a flack vest or pay $350 or $360 the helmet was about $300. Idiots would pawn them, sell them lose them, trade them for beer what ever. I don't ask don't tell.
They could come to me and buy one for $150, or $100 if I knew them or as little as $70 if they traded me money plus an "unservicable" vest. Because I wanted kevlar to test when I went back to the states and got my guns.

Side note: 22WMR form a rifle will go straight through a IIa vest.
 
The only time I have ever put mine on (not a drill) was once when I was 100% sure I heard my door being kicked in. I had the shotgun on the bed next to me while I slipped my 3A on. Turned out to be a painting that fell off the wall.
 
I noticed that many of the posters here said there was not enough time to don a vest. For a noise in the night I would never get in a hurry. I know my house and since it is not too large I can pick an ambush point that will allow me to shoot from cover if need be. If I had a vest I would take the time to put it on assuming that the bad guys were not already upon me.

This thread is a good arguement to buy one.
 
I've got one but when I've heard bumps in the night, it hasn't even crossed my mind to get it, dispite it being next to my wardrobe. If I were to grab it I'd more likely put it over my arm and use it as an expedient shield, I know it won't work as well but at least I could smack someone in the head with it:)
 
I have my shotgun bandoleer strung around(not perm. attached) the magazine tube on my 870, which is in the corner of my room.

If there was a home invasion I would worry more about procuring the gun and ammo and then loading the gun much less have time to worry about strappin' on armor.
 
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