Affordable Armor?

[XD45 7,124]

I've been doing some reading about the available AR500 armors and I'm noticing a lot of people talking about spall when they really mean splash.

 

 

I use them interchangeable. I know spall means fragmentation from the plate itself, but eh... sue me.

It is one of my peeves. Too many years around tanks and tankers.

 

If you're inside a tank, spall kills you. Splash just kills your infantry.

[Sdustin 579]

I really want to get some ar500 plates and a cheap plate carrier as a kind of bug out vest loaded up with a few mag carriers and maybe some sideplates. Couldn't you just rinoline one of the plain plates. Them maybe even tape some foam rubber around it to give it a softer feel?

[storm6490 2,768]

A defensive position!

Edited March 14, 2013 by Stryker0946

[HappYBallZ 31]

I remember reading that dragon skin had major problems with coming apart after repeated use, especially in high temperature. So...plates of special ceramics or metal are still more tried tech for now.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Skin#U.S._Army_bans_privately_purchased_body_armor

 

There was also that experimental liquid armor stuff that would get hard when you apply fast pressure to it. Actually someone might have posted it on this forum if I am not mistaking.

[Jpanzer 1,265]

Chile, I encourage you to look around . I picked up a set of Level III, Tactical Armor Products Gamma Plus ceramic plates off Ebay last year. Altogether I think I have about $250 invested in the plates, another $35 in some anti-trauma panels to catch any spall, and then of course some extra change in a decent plate carrier. Pretty confident they will do the job if need be,

 

Nice eval of those plates and others in this thread:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32839

[dolomite_supafly 56]

Chile, I encourage you to look around . I picked up a set of Level III, Tactical Armor Products Gamma Plus ceramic plates off Ebay last year. Altogether I think I have about $250 invested in the plates, another $35 in some anti-trauma panels to catch any spall, and then of course some extra change in a decent plate carrier. Pretty confident they will do the job if need be,

 

Nice eval of those plates and others in this thread:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32839

Where they new? If not have you had them xrayed?

 

I have been told some of them can be very brittle and can be cracked without any outward appearance as to it is broken.

 

Dolomite

Edited March 14, 2013 by dolomite_supafly

[theorangeplanet 968]

Chile, I encourage you to look around . I picked up a set of Level III, Tactical Armor Products Gamma Plus ceramic plates off Ebay last year. Altogether I think I have about $250 invested in the plates, another $35 in some anti-trauma panels to catch any spall, and then of course some extra change in a decent plate carrier. Pretty confident they will do the job if need be,

 

Nice eval of those plates and others in this thread:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32839

Where they new? If not have you had them xrayed?

 

I have been told some of them can be very brittle and can be cracked without any outward appearance as to it is broken.

 

Dolomite

 

I think worries about the fragility of the ceramic plates is mostly overblown. If a cracked plate couldn't still stop a round, then none of those plates would be considered multi-hit. In the sandbox we took an old raggedy SAPI that we found lying around in the motor pool and took it to the range. It soaked up at least a dozen 5.56 before it was defeated.

[Jpanzer 1,265]

Chile, I encourage you to look around . I picked up a set of Level III, Tactical Armor Products Gamma Plus ceramic plates off Ebay last year. Altogether I think I have about $250 invested in the plates, another $35 in some anti-trauma panels to catch any spall, and then of course some extra change in a decent plate carrier. Pretty confident they will do the job if need be,

 

Nice eval of those plates and others in this thread:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32839

Where they new? If not have you had them xrayed?

 

I have been told some of them can be very brittle and can be cracked without any outward appearance as to it is broken.

 

Dolomite

Yep, mine were new with the manufacturing sticker and date still inside. The seller I bought them from isn't on Ebay anymore, and back when I bought them thats all that they sold and they had good reviews. After checking them I see later on they started selling plates they apparently didn't have,and the reviews cratered, so i guess got my set at the right time...

[RoughRider666 47]

Dragon Skin or nothing.

 

 

considering pinnicle wont sell to civis and the outlandish prices on top of that....yeah its out of reach...

[MT Predator 2,294]

Chile, I encourage you to look around . I picked up a set of Level III, Tactical Armor Products Gamma Plus ceramic plates off Ebay last year. Altogether I think I have about $250 invested in the plates, another $35 in some anti-trauma panels to catch any spall, and then of course some extra change in a decent plate carrier. Pretty confident they will do the job if need be,

 

Nice eval of those plates and others in this thread:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32839

Where they new? If not have you had them xrayed?

 

I have been told some of them can be very brittle and can be cracked without any outward appearance as to it is broken.

 

Dolomite

 

I think worries about the fragility of the ceramic plates is mostly overblown. If a cracked plate couldn't still stop a round, then none of those plates would be considered multi-hit. In the sandbox we took an old raggedy SAPI that we found lying around in the motor pool and took it to the range. It soaked up at least a dozen 5.56 before it was defeated.

I've done the same with SAPIs that had been dropped and beat up to the point the were unservicable that were being thrown out. We used them for private "testing" with everything from 5.56 to 7.62x54mm. They did take multiple hits before being defeated.

[dolomite_supafly 56]

I still prefer steel because of the thinner profile. When you have two plates and your magazines it makes for a very thick person.

 

Dolomite

[XD45 7,124]

Botach has LIII+ "Dyneema" HDPE plates for $250/set with free carrier and free shipping.  (The "+" they say means "Special Rifle Threat validated", whatever that means)

 

At that price I snagged a set.

 

Pros:  Stops rifle rounds up to 308.  Weighs less than half of steel rifle plates.  Price is great.

 

Cons:  Very thick.  Can't be left in the car/truck in the summer time (high heat degrades it).

Edited April 25, 2015 by Darth Saigus

[Dad2142Dad 6,559]

Thanks ordered a set

[Capt Nemo 883]

I've got 3/4" OD green UHMW in a 4'x10' sheet.  Haven't checked it for balistics, but it does make a good Tesla coil material.

 

 

I also have a sheet of 3/4" and 1/2" black conductive UHMW that could probably stop and kill a Taser.  6" equals about 4 Ohms.

Edited April 25, 2015 by Capt Nemo