Do you have body armor in case of civil conflicts or war?

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Am going to add some armor to our stores…finally. Have meant to before and it always seems not needed. Until now.

These are on sale…like cheap. Wondering if they would protect the wearer?

Included

  • 1 x Veritas™ Lite Modular Plate Carrier
  • 2 x Level III 10"x12" Multi-Curve, Base Coat Plates
  • 2 x Blunt Force Trauma Pads - 10" x 12"
Or should I get the carriers with side panels?

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https://www.ar500armor.com/veritas-lite-bundle-dec.html

Those are a great deal. I'd recommend getting the build-up coat.

The side panels are an option. You have to decide which kind of situations your likely to be in when your wearing your body armor.
 
For active armed conflict, body armor with plates is great. I'm going to try to avoid active armed conflict as best I can.
And another thing, for 5.56, 9mm, etc., armor will work well if it's rated for it.
I wonder how much it will help you if you get hit with a big bore like a 450 Bushmaster or 458 SOCOM. Even if it doesn't penetrate, it will be like getting hit with a sledgehammer. The videos on YouTube I've found about 458 SOCOM vs Body Armor were using 300 grain bullets or lighter. Bullets for the 458 SOCOM go up to 600 grains. The one below is 410 grains, which is what I'm using. If you've ever seen what a 300 grain hollowpoint out of a 45-70 does to a deer, you'll know what I'm talking about.
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I did find a video using a subsonic 600 grain cast bullet that penetrated 12 gallon jugs and kept on going out the back.
 
Some protection is better than NO protection. What the seller claims and what the body armor actually does can and do vary. Do your research carefully. How you plan to use the body armor also depends on what type you may want to purchase. Steel plates protect the best but weigh a lot and you may not want to wear it all day. Do you plan to defend against hand gun rounds or against rifle rounds? Will you be a stationary defender or a mobile defender? Even a stopped impact can break ribs with certain types of body armor. Body armor sitting in the closet, because it is too heavy for daily wear, may not be the best option for your particular situation. Lots to consider when selecting body armor.
 
Those are a great deal. I'd recommend getting the build-up coat.

The side panels are an option. You have to decide which kind of situations your likely to be in when your wearing your body armor.

Yeah they really are at 50% off! After further consideration I’m going to get couple with the side panels and a couple without.
I envision the body armor being used when things get really bad and we have to have some men on watch at all times. They will be in protected spots and will not be walking around a lot. With night vision and a couple of thermal scopes, they should be able to spot anyone coming our way.

If you've ever seen what a 300 grain hollowpoint out of a 45-70 does to a deer, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Funny you brought up a 45-70! My daughter bought her hubby a Henry 45-70 for Christmas. The guy is over the moon! The power of it is shocking to me! It is beautiful too…all that brass and nice wood!

Do you plan to defend against hand gun rounds or against rifle rounds? Will you be a stationary defender or a mobile defender? Even a stopped impact can break ribs with certain types of body armor.

I would imagine anyone with a handgun won’t be getting close enough for it to be useful. Stationary watchers in protected spots…not just hidden, but also protected.

Most would be better off with a broken rib than a round deep in them I think. Do adding those Blunt Force Trauma Pads help?
 
GP, with the idea of needing to defend from a distance, i.e. rifle distance. I would be looking at level 4 body armor and with side panels. The best part of your plan is the protected observation posts, equipped with thermal and night vision. Be like MA BELL, reach out and touch somebody long distance.
 
Every armor is better than none. My armor stopped a .357 from only 6 feet and the slug went thru 3 1/2 layers of kevlar and stopped on the 4th. I took it off and laid it up against a wall that evening and my Tokarev 7.62 went thru all 8 layers of the back and then thru 5 or 6 of the front before it stopped.
Biggest lessons:
Always wear it.
Never let anyone know it.
It is useless against snipers---one shot-one kill--means a head shot.
Always cover it with loose clothing so it looks like you are fat and not wearing.
Do not throw old or damaged ones away, Armor your car doors, hang them over the car seats against bullets coming from the back as you escape, thicken house doors or even a pillow on the bed which you could hold up in front of you if ever surprised while sleeping.
Dismantle them and make Knife-cut-proofed sleeves for your jackets. Prevents cuts to your arms if you ever come up against someone with a knife or even dogbites. A dogbite will still probably break a bone, but not puncture and rip the skin, which it the worser of wounds to treat and heal, plus reducing possible infections. Live free, Gary
 
I really appreciate all the great advice! Thank you for taking your time to instruct me! Will get the Level 4 with side panels. More expensive, but saving lives is worth it.

Along the lines of what Gary was teaching…anyone reading this who can’t afford body armor look into making your own. I remember others posting videos on how to do that a few years back.

Actric, you are in the best location. Can’t see you needing armor.
 
You should have at least one set for extreme times in my humble opinion. Have you ever read anything from the (now prepper) from Argentina who was there for the economic crash? He advises everyone to have at least one set of body armor. He insists that without it he would be dead. I remember him talking about having to go to work and needing the armor in order to not get shot along the way.

I took advantage of the sale at Armored Republic What a sale too! It ends tonight I think. These body armor bundles were 50% off! Level III too!
 
You should have at least one set for extreme times in my humble opinion. Have you ever read anything from the (now prepper) from Argentina who was there for the economic crash? He advises everyone to have at least one set of body armor. He insists that without it he would be dead. I remember him talking about having to go to work and needing the armor in order to not get shot along the way.

I took advantage of the sale at Armored Republic What a sale too! It ends tonight I think. These body armor bundles were 50% off! Level III too!
I haven't. That makes me worry for my husband. I'll try to talk him into it. He keeps saying he wants to but he's always holding back on spending money on himself.
 
You should have at least one set for extreme times in my humble opinion. Have you ever read anything from the (now prepper) from Argentina who was there for the economic crash? He advises everyone to have at least one set of body armor. He insists that without it he would be dead. I remember him talking about having to go to work and needing the armor in order to not get shot along the way.

I took advantage of the sale at Armored Republic What a sale too! It ends tonight I think. These body armor bundles were 50% off! Level III too!

I agree. I purchased 2 of those last night.
 
If and when it comes to me, i will take my prepicked locations.
Find me behind my rocks, behind my tree, good for you. You better be a better shot. I know the terrain.
I may have the 3 or 4th most remote bug in spots here. I will take my chance here. If they are that good in SHTF, so be it. I always figured I couldn’t defend against military.
 
The same way you all need to wear your BOB occasionally to get used to the extra weight, you need to wear any armor also to get used to the weight, get some strength in the neck muscles where it mostly weighs in and find the places where it rubs bad on your body to line with some silk or at least fine material. Women will have a problem with the breasts if they do not have a bit of polstering near the nipple area and both men and women need to get some extra baby powder around the neck area and under your armpits against chafening of the tender skin there.
If you have armor with a collar, line the collar with soft materials also. The WWI/WWII did not wear a silk scarf because it was fashionable, the leather jackets neck collars dried from salty sweat wore the skin off of their necks from constantly scanning the skies for the enemy airplanes.
 
The same way you all need to wear your BOB occasionally to get used to the extra weight, you need to wear any armor also to get used to the weight, get some strength in the neck muscles where it mostly weighs in and find the places where it rubs bad on your body to line with some silk or at least fine material. Women will have a problem with the breasts if they do not have a bit of polstering near the nipple area and both men and women need to get some extra baby powder around the neck area and under your armpits against chafening of the tender skin there.
If you have armor with a collar, line the collar with soft materials also. The WWI/WWII did not wear a silk scarf because it was fashionable, the leather jackets neck collars dried from salty sweat wore the skin off of their necks from constantly scanning the skies for the enemy airplanes.

Very much appreciate this valuable lesson! I am printing this off and going to store your instructions with the armor. Also going to get some silk cloth to put with them.


Jontte, we will definitely be using it prior to need to wear it. What did you get for your wife, if I might ask?
 
It looks to narrow to be all that protective to me. Am I mistaken?
Plates are made to only be put into chest or back plate pockets. Most shots made are "body shots" and are aimed at "center mass" at longer ranges or close range. Plates should catch the "best placed" shots and not your whole body. Shots from the side cannot be stopped by most armor since the sides are only the velcro closures.
The vest I hand made is 360° protection up to 9mm and knives from all directions. It would also stop all pistol shots in .22/.25/.32/.38/.45 or 10 mm. But, the impact would still break ribs or shock organs from anything larger than the 9mm. It will stop any birdshot and most normal slugs but nothing of the "special ammo" being marketed nowadays for shotguns.
 
My answer is no, I am not getting body armor for CW2. I do not think CW2 is going to be a stand up conflict like CW1. I think it is going to be a war of civilians fighting civilians. Or, put another way, rural vs. urban. In that conflict, we are going to need arms to protect us while attacking electric infrastructure of the big blue cities. Secondarily, we should be attacking the roads (freeways) leading into those cities, their railroads, and sources of water. This would mostly be done at night or even by drone. Weapons would be needed for blockades and checkpoints but only a few people would man these where they intersected the road. The real force would be in areas around those blockades, hills, woods, etc., where snipers could enforce them.
 
Very much appreciate this valuable lesson! I am printing this off and going to store your instructions with the armor. Also going to get some silk cloth to put with them.


Jontte, we will definitely be using it prior to need to wear it. What did you get for your wife, if I might ask?
it's soft armor, with a strike plate in front, sioen ballistic, is the manufacturer, it will cover the upper torso for her, very adjustable , made a separate cover for it with loops for pouches, in case she wants to have some, on the back she'ĺl be able to carry a water pouch,
I'll go with the traditional plate carrier, the same I use when doing my reserve trainings ( major proof, as we say here ) added some pouches on the side straps for soft armor,
if I had the money, I ´d get the winter camo too from my fav surplus store, they came out with it this season.
 
I'ĺl do whatever I can to protect her, she keeps me level headed, the only unknown for now are our new neighbors, how would they react and so on, have to assume the worst as I don ´t know them

the vest is very like this one, original blue in color, but now in M05 camo cover, light,easy use

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I've put these together . The coyote tan is a combat set with pouches for mags , kabar knife , handgun , flashlight , radio , first aid kit and a dump pouch . It has rifle rated ar500 plates . The black vest . I have 2 set up . One with rifle rated the other pistol rated plates . The woodland camo one is a Italian surplus vest it has rifle rated plates .
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