# Bullet Proof Vest



## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Hey Guys,

Hope all is well. I have a question about bulletproof vests. I want to purchase one but there f*cking $$$ lol. I mean 250.---400.00 is nuts. Any where i can get it cheap??


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

First, they are only bullet resistant. Mainly only handgun rounds unless you add rifle plates. You have to pay to play. My armor setup cost almost $1000.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Jesus...ok no worries just asking..wow im looking for a setup


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

I was gonna say that too. There is only armor- like as in no guarantees. I can shoot any armor made with my rifle and it's gonna get defeated. Soldiers with M4's and AR-15's will have trouble getting through a good armor setup but then again even the best helmets made won't stop even that. Helmets stop stuff more like glancing blows and rocks falling and to protect from someone swinging a ball bat at your skull or falling off a vehicle and bashing your head. They don't really stop bullets, SURE as hell don't stop rifle rounds of just about any kind. And you have to keep in mind, too- if you are wearing just a vest and helmet, and the helmet doesn't really stop bullets, WTF happens when a round clips you in the shoulder socket or god forbid takes a kneecap out?  Maybe hits a femoral artery? Now those guys who robbed that bank in LA and challeneged the whole police force, they were wearing some high tech serious balls-out full body armor. Even they were taking rounds in the feet and hands and that's what eventually got them.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea true. Im just looking for something low end


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

Might as well save your money. Buy once, cry once. It's not worth possibly your life relying on cheap or surplus armor.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Thats true. Any suggestions?


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## insatiable ONE (Nov 9, 2012)

You have to think what is your life worth???

Entry level in Galls or Gh might be appealing to you for the price stated.

If you start looking into pointblank or dragonskin, pull out a loan.


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

MikeyPrepper said:


> Thats true. Any suggestions?


Bulletproofme.com


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

insatiable ONE said:


> You have to think what is your life worth???
> 
> Entry level in Galls or Gh might be appealing to you for the price stated.
> 
> If you start looking into pointblank or dragonskin, pull out a loan.


I'd skip the Dragon Skin due to questionable certification processes.


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## Leon (Jan 30, 2012)

Condor said:


> I'd skip the Dragon Skin due to questionable certification processes.


plus after that ceramic takes a round it is worthless.


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

Ebay.
You can get pd retired vests sometimes.
I bought mine from a friend when the local pd was getting new stuff.
Level IIIa for $100, unexpired.


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

You can get a US palm front armored load out vest for $200, front and rear armor $300


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## insatiable ONE (Nov 9, 2012)

Condor said:


> I'd skip the Dragon Skin due to questionable certification processes.





Leon said:


> plus after that ceramic takes a round it is worthless.


so you believe the Gov?

all the vid I have seen I don't know
explain this?


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## Alpha-17 (Nov 16, 2012)

^--- Do you belive everything the Discovery Channel or Nat Geo puts out? If so, you'd have long since decided that all preppers are crazy.

OT: If you're looking at body armor, don't go cheap. That said, the prices aren't that bad. Ebay has a ton of SAPI and ESAPI plates for decent prices, ie, couple hundred for a set. A vest and soft armor will cost more, but honestly body armor is not something you want to go cheap on. Cheap will equal at least one of two things: more weight, or much lower quality. Neither is good.

As for rifle plates being useless after a few rounds, that's not exactly true. I can't find the video they do with .308, but this video shows the testing with 5.56, and it wasn't until two rounds landed on top of each over that they had penetration:


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## countdown (Dec 10, 2012)

Condor said:


> You have to pay to play. My armor setup cost almost $1000.


Ditto that...armor isn't the place to skimp. I have LvlIV stand-alone rifle plates and they certainly weren't cheap...


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

lol....yea right


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## Jae (Dec 20, 2012)

lemme tell you first hand, dragon skin is not the answer. Breaks very easily. sapi plates on the other hand. after about 1 or 2 rounds of 5.56 hitting it turns it into a paper weight .. at least a military version. i got lucky a couple times. but just know as expensive as they are not always a necessity . . theres a lot you can and can't do with a plate carrier.. weight and mobility play a big part. I guess its just important to know if you really need one?

When SHTF its always a good thing to have but will you need it?.. the 1,000 to about 1,600 dollar question.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Make sure you get a good helmet to go along with the fancy ballistic plate. Kind of a game around here to see who can head shoot deer, longest shot. My best so far is 225 yards with the 270. I'm not even in the top ten. Pretty tough neighborhood.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

yzingerr said:


> Ebay.
> You can get pd retired vests sometimes.
> I bought mine from a friend when the local pd was getting new stuff.
> Level IIIa for $100, unexpired.


my buddy from the local pd gives me the retired vests for me and my friends/kids. 
isee you mentioned expire. what does that mean? how long do they last. lapd gets new vests every 2 yrs.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

For low end in the price range your mentioning your likely only to find Threat Level II vest which is I remember correctly are rated up to most non magnum caliber handgun cartridges. A Threat Level III vest is going to cost you about double that on a good day and if I remember correctly is rated up to 44 Mag. The higher grades of body armor that can stop most common rifle cartridges are big stupid dollars, most are heavy and pretty bulky as well.

If you live in a world thats so hazardous you need to wear a vest I wouldnt wear anything less than a Threat Level III. PS...it still hurtls like the dickins when you get shot with a vest on!!! When I got shot in Iraq, after returning fire I was on the ground a couple seconds afterwards gasping for air like a guppy outta water and the proud owner of the ugliest and most painful bruise I have ever had or seen.


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## shotlady (Aug 30, 2012)

im glad you had on quality armour lunatic


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

shotlady said:


> my buddy from the local pd gives me the retired vests for me and my friends/kids.
> isee you mentioned expire. what does that mean? how long do they last. lapd gets new vests every 2 yrs.


The vest expiration is a rudimentary number.
I dont know what DuPont says (the manufacturer of Kevlar), but most manufacturers state a vest expires somewhere between 5-7 years.
This is based on many factors including environmental (temp,humidity), and other things like how heavily it was used, sweated on, etc.
With moderate use, im certain that the vest would be safely used for 5+ years after expiration.
I had one of those retired PD vests(the first one I got was level II), and it easily stopped the level II rounds, bullet after bullet...and actually passed my makeshift level III testing (albeit far from scientific)!
The vest was 3 years past expiration and was used daily by an officer.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Yeah I am glad too, but dang did that sux big time! Could have been worse though, right?

The ultra light versions in each catagory are a good bit more but worth it for the comfort and mobility you get if you have to move around a lot and are not always in the standing position. Plus you wont feel as much like the "Michellin Man" either, ha ha ha. While many will wear it in a tactical situation on their exterior, I prefer to wear mine under my uniform shirt...I dont want to be encouraging someone to start taking head shots at me. When I do wear my vest under my uniform, I also make it a point to wear a cotton T-Shirt. You sweat a lot less, there is something to absorb the moisture you do get, it keeps your vest much cleaner and its a lot more comfortable.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea, im def going to do some more research


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## Alpha-17 (Nov 16, 2012)

shotlady said:


> my buddy from the local pd gives me the retired vests for me and my friends/kids.
> isee you mentioned expire. what does that mean? how long do they last. lapd gets new vests every 2 yrs.


Supposed to be somewhere from 6-12 years if I remember correctly, but as with most expiration dates, it's a very conservative guesstimate. I have an old, 1990 production German flak jacket, the kind that were for sale a few years back for $50 or less. This summer, I got bored and shot it with my Jericho, testing two types of defense loads at about 10 ft. Neither penetrated the front panel. The vest, I believe, was Level II. At the same time, I've heard of Police vests that just expired being taken out and they fail to stop a thing. Guess it's luck of the draw, and how they were treated.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Ok just purchased my first bullet proof vest. So excited :0)


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

MikeyPrepper said:


> Ok just purchased my first bullet proof vest. So excited :0)


ok lets test it on you!

lol, what did you get and how much $$$?


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

GH Armor Systems Gh Delta 5 Vest Lite 3a Tan FREE S&H GHD5L3AVTXLR. GH Armor Systems Bulletproof Vests.

I paid like 1000.00 for 3 vest of this exact one. Went through a friend and his company


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

MikeyPrepper said:


> GH Armor Systems Gh Delta 5 Vest Lite 3a Tan FREE S&H GHD5L3AVTXLR. GH Armor Systems Bulletproof Vests.
> 
> I paid like 1000.00 for 3 vest of this exact one. Went through a friend and his company


You paid $1000 for 3 of these? Curious about the armor-is it Kevlar or Dyneema? I can't find it on their website.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

kevlar.. it was from a buddy of mine


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## Condor (Dec 26, 2012)

Good. I've heard Dyneema had some disadvantages as compared to Kevlar.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

yea i heard that too


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

MikeyPrepper said:


> GH Armor Systems Gh Delta 5 Vest Lite 3a Tan FREE S&H GHD5L3AVTXLR. GH Armor Systems Bulletproof Vests.
> 
> I paid like 1000.00 for 3 vest of this exact one. Went through a friend and his company


Holy hell, are you really planning to hump with that thing on?
No disrespect, but that is probably only good for LEO riot control as it looks cumbersome and bulky.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

yea def cool


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## Alpha-17 (Nov 16, 2012)

The vest here doesn't look too bad, assuming the collar and shoulder crap comes off. Armor does weigh you down, but when you're back to 19th century medicine (like we would be in any long term SHTF situation), a bullet wound to the chest/stomach would likely be fatal, while a shot to the plates wouldn't be. I'll take my body armor.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

yea def


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## stabnshoot (Jan 12, 2013)

You have to weigh your options, both literally and figuratively. The best option is to avoid being shot entirely. Any affordable armor a work a day joe can afford isn't going to survive more then 3 or 4 hits from a rifle without being extremely heavy.

The only cheap option for armor plates is AR500 steel plates which can be had for under 100 bucks a plate

The above plates will SUCK if you take a hit, because just like steel targets, there will be shrapnel created that will hit you in other unprotected areas, or will hit someone you're holding the fort with.

Remember that these plates weigh *7.5lbs* *each* and that's not including side SAPI plates, and a helmet, plus kevlar for frag and pistol rounds, on top of whatever rucksack and other gear you're carrying. There's a good reason for why people are concerned with how many ounces something is when you look at the overall load out.

Surplus ceramic or synthetic plates are going to be lighter, but also weaker. I'm pretty sure no one on this forum is willing to shell out money for Dragon Skin and even if they were, there's skepticism if that stuff even works.

Weight vs. mobility is absolutely critical when you consider even if your armor stops a hit, you could still be down and out of the fight from trauma caused by being hit by rifle rounds.

Ask anyone who's served in the military, and they'll tell you being shot at isn't fun and games.

Say what you will about the towel heads in the middle east, the guerrilla warfare mentality works. They run around with nothing more then chest rigs and maybe light rucksacks.

Shooting and running is the only way you can survive without being able to call in an A-10 to solve your problems.

Not to mention overall, armor doesn't cover 100% of your body. If you get hit in the leg, those plates won't do you a damn bit of good other then slow you down trying to get to cover to bandage yourself, if you even have time to do that before you bleed out.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

wow thanks a lot for the input great information


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## tacman605 (Nov 17, 2012)

A lot of this depends on what you are going to use the armor for. If this is for everyday use wearing with normal clothes the highest level you can get and conceal is Level 3 and it is expensive in a concealable vest. If this is strictly for those uh oh moments you can go a couple of ways.

I personally wear a carrier with soft armor and hard plates some simply wear a carrier with the plates all depends on personal preference. As has been stated a full set of armor is heavy, cumbersome, and is a bitch to wear for long periods of time. It is all up to you as to what level of protection and mobility you are willing to spend your money on.

Shotlady. Kevlar is normally warranted from the manufacture for a period of 5 years. Kevlar will break down over time due to heat and moisture. Will the vest still work after 5 years? Probably but unfortunately there is only one way to test it. When I used to buy new armor for my department we would use some of the old stuff for practice. Two vests purchased from the same lot, same expiration date issued to two different officers. One stopped the rounds one did not.


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

Depending on the situation, id rather go for lighter than better.
If you have to hump it, carrying a ruck and donning armor will wear you out in short order.
Fast and light is (for me) is more beneficial than well-protected and slow.
I overheat easier than most people; knowing that necessitates cooler armor choices.


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## yzingerr (Dec 9, 2012)

BTW, I have a plate carrier with Level IIIa inserts. Wont be good if a rifle is aimed at me, but I anticipate handguns will rule the roost in my urban area in the immediate shtf situation. I may be wrong, but its my @ss if I am.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

Yea same here. Urban with be handguns. When sandy hit us in NJ. There was little looting which i was surprised. But i saw people with guns on them. I was like wft


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

My two cents and I'm sure this has been covered but remember this stuff has a shelf life, usually no more than 5 years. If has ever gotten wet it's junk including sweat. For a lot of police and federal agencies the vest are made in the prison system. Yes there is quality control but it's hard to trust something that is made by a felon to protect law enforcement officers. Most vest companies have experimented with different materials and with varying degrees of success and it seems these vests end up on the public market. Don't buy used because you don't know where it's been. Buy new and buy quality.


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## fedorthedog (Feb 28, 2012)

Leon said:


> I was gonna say that too. There is only armor- like as in no guarantees. I can shoot any armor made with my rifle and it's gonna get defeated. Soldiers with M4's and AR-15's will have trouble getting through a good armor setup but then again even the best helmets made won't stop even that. Helmets stop stuff more like glancing blows and rocks falling and to protect from someone swinging a ball bat at your skull or falling off a vehicle and bashing your head. They don't really stop bullets, SURE as hell don't stop rifle rounds of just about any kind. And you have to keep in mind, too- if you are wearing just a vest and helmet, and the helmet doesn't really stop bullets, WTF happens when a round clips you in the shoulder socket or god forbid takes a kneecap out? Maybe hits a femoral artery? Now those guys who robbed that bank in LA and challeneged the whole police force, they were wearing some high tech serious balls-out full body armor. Even they were taking rounds in the feet and hands and that's what eventually got them.


The bad guys in LA had level 2 body armor that they modified to cover legs and arms
The cops only had 9mm and shotguns which is why the bad guys could stay up.


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## MikeyPrepper (Nov 29, 2012)

that is true


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