Post: #1

My father has become a prepper of sorts. In his old age he has really taken to the alt-right lifestyle stocking up non-perishables, ammo, and a small collection of cool guns while gaming milfs and divorcees. Son of a gun has more notches than I do!

He hasn't though about it yet, but I would like to get him a bullet proof vest for Christmas for his prepper collection.

I have no idea what's a good model, what to look for, and the like. Does any one have any suggestions for what to buy or look for?

Post: #2

Try Security Pro USA. They have some way over the top equipment but you'll be able to find a kevlar vest. This site has some pretty crazy stuff if you don't like the vests they have.

Post: #3

I prefer rifle rated multi hit plates over soft body armor. Soft body armor has it's uses, but in a pinch a plate carrier is a lot better

Here

Plate Carrier

Post: #4

I have ordered from here before. Good quality and customer service.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/

You can also buy stuff on Ebay. It's said though that most "soft armor" deteriorates after 5 years.

I have a couple vests and my favorite is a plate carrier with Polyethylene plates. Also the most practical option for someone that wants to be mobile.

Post: #5

AR500 Armor is great. They sell steel plates, ceramic, and kevlar, and carriers to put them in. But their products usually have a backlog of several weeks, so you probably couldn't get it in time for Christmas.

Post: #6

(12-09-2015 10:49 PM)CamelToe Wrote:  I have ordered from here before. Good quality and customer service.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/

You can also buy stuff on Ebay. It's said though that most "soft armor" deteriorates after 5 years.

I have a couple vests and my favorite is a plate carrier with Polyethylene plates. Also the most practical option for someone that wants to be mobile.

Noob here: Are the poly plates only good for knives or do they do anything for bullets?

Post: #7

(12-10-2015 02:18 PM)Engineer Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:49 PM)CamelToe Wrote:  I have ordered from here before. Good quality and customer service.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/

You can also buy stuff on Ebay. It's said though that most "soft armor" deteriorates after 5 years.

I have a couple vests and my favorite is a plate carrier with Polyethylene plates. Also the most practical option for someone that wants to be mobile.

Noob here: Are the poly plates only good for knives or do they do anything for bullets?

These are hard plates for bullets (level III) this link explains the levels of protection.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/Ballistic_P...vels.shtml

Also have full vest and ceramic plates but it's very heavy and affects your mobility.

Post: #8

(12-10-2015 11:01 PM)CamelToe Wrote:  

(12-10-2015 02:18 PM)Engineer Wrote:  

(12-09-2015 10:49 PM)CamelToe Wrote:  I have ordered from here before. Good quality and customer service.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/

You can also buy stuff on Ebay. It's said though that most "soft armor" deteriorates after 5 years.

I have a couple vests and my favorite is a plate carrier with Polyethylene plates. Also the most practical option for someone that wants to be mobile.

Noob here: Are the poly plates only good for knives or do they do anything for bullets?

These are hard plates for bullets (level III) this link explains the levels of protection.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/Ballistic_P...vels.shtml

Also have full vest and ceramic plates but it's very heavy and affects your mobility.

I've got multiple vest. A few in soft body armor, and 2 plate carriers. One has plates in AR500 steel, and the other is ceramic. The ceramic plates are much, much, lighter.

Post: #9

^^^I'm not sure what your point is. Of course ceramic is lighter than steel but polyethylene is lighter than ceramic.

Post: #10

(12-08-2015 09:05 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  My father has become a prepper of sorts. In his old age he has really taken to the alt-right lifestyle stocking up non-perishables, ammo, and a small collection of cool guns while gaming milfs and divorcees. Son of a gun has more notches than I do!

He hasn't though about it yet, but I would like to get him a bullet proof vest for Christmas for his prepper collection.

I have no idea what's a good model, what to look for, and the like. Does any one have any suggestions for what to buy or look for?

Do you think he'll want to roll low-profile with concealed armor or will he be more interested in a overt plate carrier that he can use to run mag pouches or other kit?

Post: #11

He will probably want to roll with comfort and some discreet style first - really much more likely to be mugged with a knife or gun than a sniper rifle...

I personally like this one a waistcoat on Amazon no one can tell its bulletproof very discreet:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O07GQW0

NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Waistcoat
by Body Armor Pro
3.1 out of 5 stars 9 customer reviews
Available from these sellers.
Size: XX-Large
NIJ IIIA certification. This material will resist up to a .44 mag, or 9mm submachine gun.
Lightweight 4.5 - 5.9 lbs (dependent on size)
Vital organ coverage, front and back.
Removable waterproof cover, easy clean.
Available in 5 sizes. Fully adjustable.

.44 Mag or 9MM submachine guns multiple shots is a pretty good rating for vital organs front or back still skull is - would need a kevlar balaclava and helmet - not so discreet in the workplace etc

A lot of different bullet proof vests to compare note you get what you pay for...:

http://www.bodyarmoroutlet.com/body-armor.html

Good to know about vest ratings:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_armor

While many standards exist, a few standards are widely used as models. The US National Institute of Justice ballistic and stab documents are examples of broadly-accepted standards. Since the time that NIJ started testing, the lives of more than 3,000 officers were saved.[16] In addition to the NIJ, the United Kingdom's Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB—formerly the Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB)) standards are also used by a number of other countries and organizations. These "model" standards are usually adapted by other countries by following the same basic test methodologies, while changing the specific ammunition tested. NIJ Standard-0101.06 has specific performance standards for bullet resistant vests used by law enforcement. This rates vests on the following scale against penetration and also blunt trauma protection (deformation):[17]

In January 2012, the NIJ introduced BA 9000, body armor quality management system requirements as a quality standard not unlike ISO 9001 (and much of the standards were based on ISO 9001).

Armor Level (Higher is better) Protection
Type I
(.22 LR; .380 ACP) This armor would protect against:
2.6 g (40 gr) .22 Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LR LRN) bullets at a velocity of 329 m/s (1080 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
6.2 g (95 gr) .380 ACP Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets at a velocity of 322 m/s (1055 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It is no longer part of the standard.

Type IIA
(9 mm; .40 S&W; .45 ACP) New armor protects against:
8 g (124 gr) 9×19mm Parabellum Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets at a velocity of 373 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1225 ft/s ± 30 ft/s);
11.7 g (180 gr) .40 S&W Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 352 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1155 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
14.9 g (230 gr) .45 ACP Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 275 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (900 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
Conditioned armor protects against:

8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 355 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1165 ft/s ± 30 ft/s);
11.7 g (180 gr) .40 S&W FMJ bullets at a velocity of 325 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1065 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
14.9 g (230 gr) .45 ACP Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 259 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (850 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Type I].

Type II
(9 mm; .357 Magnum) New armor protects against:
8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 398 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1305 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
Conditioned armor protects against:

8 g (124 gr) 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 379 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1245 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
10.2 g (158 gr) .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ±9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I and IIA].

Type IIIA
(.357 SIG; .44 Magnum) New armor protects against:
8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 448 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1470 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s (1430 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
Conditioned armor protects against:

8.1 g (125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 430 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1410 ft/s ± 30 ft/s); and
15.6 g (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 408 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (1340 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, and II].

Type III
(Rifles) Conditioned armor protects against:
9.6 g (148 gr) 7.62×51mm NATO M80 ball bullets at a velocity of 847 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2780 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, and IIIA].

Type IV
(Armor Piercing Rifle) Conditioned armor protects against:
10.8 g (166 gr) .30-06 Springfield M2 armor-piercing (AP) bullets at a velocity of 878 m/s ± 9.1 m/s (2880 ft/s ± 30 ft/s).
It also provides at least single hit protection against the threats mentioned in [Types I, IIA, II, IIIA, and III].

In addition to the NIJ and HOSDB standards, other important standards include: the German Police's Technische Richtlinie (TR) Ballistische Schutzwesten,[18] Draft ISO prEN ISO 14876,[19][20][21] and Underwriters Laboratories (UL Standard 752).[22]

Textile armor is tested for both penetration resistance by bullets and for the impact energy transmitted to the wearer. The "backface signature" or transmitted impact energy is measured by shooting armor mounted in front of a backing material, typically oil-based modelling clay. The clay is used at a controlled temperature and verified for impact flow before testing. After the armor is impacted with the test bullet the vest is removed from the clay and the depth of the indentation in the clay is measured.[17]

Post: #12

(12-12-2015 01:00 AM)CamelToe Wrote:  ^^^I'm not sure what your point is. Of course ceramic is lighter than steel but polyethylene is lighter than ceramic.

My apologies. You are correct. I'm old school. I just stopped calling plate carriers "flacks" (short for flack jacket), and I refer to the poly plates as ceramic for the same reason. I have steel and multi hit poly plates.

Post: #13

@Vinman, No worries

Post: #14

(12-10-2015 01:48 PM)SirTimothy Wrote:  AR500 Armor is great. They sell steel plates, ceramic, and kevlar, and carriers to put them in. But their products usually have a backlog of several weeks, so you probably couldn't get it in time for Christmas.

I also have the AR500 Level III armor. It's heavy and pretty expensive but with the plate carrier it's pretty badass. As Sir Timothy said, long wait.

If you are looking for other things he might like for prepping check out cheaperthandirt.com

Post: #15

Thanks gents, I ultimately went with the low profile stuff. The difference between the 3A and 3 rated stuff is astronomical. No need to look like someone who just finished a tour in the sandbox.

To the shrew and moocher reading this thread: way to spoil the surprise on an otherwise excellent Christmas present. If you want to know what's going on in my life, why don't you reach out to me instead of spoiling great gift ideas. Are your lives that boring in that hick town that you feel the need to follow me silently on a forum where I post my opinions?

Post: #16

I predict threads like this will some become more necessary as the global decline continues, cities become more dangerous, and people need to protect themselves on a daily basis as they go about their business.