Posted: 12/23/2016 11:56:10 AM EDT
Last weekend I was at the gunshow (I know, I know) and the guy at the body armor table was trying hard to sell me a plate carrier. Well, I told him that I had just bought a plate carrier and plates from Highcom. He asked if I had gotten a kevlar plate carrier, to which I answered no. So then he says that without a kevlar plate carrier the plates don't do you any good and tried to sell me a kevlar plate carrier.
I did not buy the carrier from him and I don't think that I believe this guy, but, I am no expert on body armor, so I wanted to run it by you all. Is there any truth at all to this, or was it bullshit? I do want to upgrade my plate carrier eventually, but I need to finish some other projects first. |
|
Help me out here....Was his carrier kevlar lined (Front of plates? Rear of plates? Just in general?)? I'm not seeing a benefit to a kevlar carrier when you already have level IV plates inside of it.
Your (and mine  ) Highcom plates can take multiple, multiple 5.56, .308 and 30-06 AP hits. What in the blue fuck is kevlar gonna do besides cost more, add additional bulk and get torn the hell up?!?
Now, generally speaking about AR500 (or something similar) plates, then yeah, you'd need some type of backer/spall protection. Edit Spelling |
|
You can wear kevlar for wider area protection but it applies only to most pistol rounds. Your hard plates do what they do on their own. The soft armor (kevlar) behind them can reduce blunt force trauma but they don't change what the hard plate will stop.
There are ICW (in-conjunction with) plates that require kevlar to meet their full rating but again, that's an issue of backface deformation and not stopping a bullet. |
|
Quoted:
The one he was trying to sell me was Kevlar lined, on the inside, behind the plates. Absolutely not needed with standalone ceramic plates. The guy was just trying to part you from your money. I doubt his kevlar PC is rated for anything by itself, not even pistol rounds. |
|
Quoted:
Absolutely not needed with standalone ceramic plates. The guy was just trying to part you from your money. I doubt his kevlar PC is rated for anything by itself, not even pistol rounds. Quoted:
Quoted:
The one he was trying to sell me was Kevlar lined, on the inside, behind the plates. Absolutely not needed with standalone ceramic plates. The guy was just trying to part you from your money. I doubt his kevlar PC is rated for anything by itself, not even pistol rounds. It didn't feel thick at all. You're probably 100% right. |
|
Quoted:
You can wear kevlar for wider area protection but it applies only to most pistol rounds. Your hard plates do what they do on their own. The soft armor (kevlar) behind them can reduce blunt force trauma but they don't change what the hard plate will stop. There are ICW (in-conjunction with) plates that require kevlar to meet their full rating but again, that's an issue of backface deformation and not stopping a bullet. This is the best overall answer OP, let me add to it- A Kevlar IIIA or IIA vest is shrapnel/pistol caliber protection. The Level IV hard plates protect your vitals. When worn together in a system like the Army issued Interceptor Vest, they are hot, uncomfortable and with a combat loadout, fucking heavy. A plate carrier that is designed as a Rhodesian Rack is just the minimalist approach, balancing out the weight Vs. mobility/overall endurance of the two schools of thought. As mentioned, be aware that there are plates that have a Level IV rating ONLY when used with a II or IIIA vest. |
|
Quoted:
It didn't feel thick at all. You're probably 100% right. Everybody else has pretty much laid this one to rest, but I wanted to address this. Really good modern soft body armor is thin as hell and very flexible. The first stuff I wore in the early 90's was like a pizza box an a telephone book had a love child. The new stuff is nothing like the old stuff. Also, I am disappointed at the new arf for not telling you for two pages that you missed the deal of the century and to go back post haste.... lol |