AR500 steel plates with spall mitigation would be a good value for shtf situations. A little heavier, a lot cheaper, and provide Level III or III+ protection. Just don't get kit with black tip 30-06
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plate carriers????
- Thread starter pistolpat
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Yep, they are a little heavier, but the cost and durability fit my situation. The MIL-A-46100E Steel plates this guy makes are good. He offers a flat plate and now offers a plate with a slight curve on each side...they fit well. This steel has a military rating for 30-06 AP...of course, that's a test I really don't want to conduct. I also talked to him about spall. Based on what most carriers are made of, thick 1000d cordura or equivalent, they mitigate spall very well, especially if you have Level III in there as well. This guy also offers plates that have a line-x coating (takes them down to the local shop to have them coated). That works well. One of his test plates is coated and all pistol calibers spall remained underneath the line-x. Rifle splatter was minimal. Like I said, I talked to him for a while and looked at his test plates. His looked better than the AR500 plates from a dent perspective shot with pistol rounds, M855 green tip 5.56 and standard M80 ball 7.62. There is a shop on eBay ran by a former Marine that has a great looking, curved, AR500 plate for like $85 shipped. I just decided to buy local for the same price for a slightly higher rated plate.
Spall, that was a great point to bring out that i forgot about; mine are not coated. I'm sure there are a lot of other high speed coating techniques out there for spall mitigation.
Spall, that was a great point to bring out that i forgot about; mine are not coated. I'm sure there are a lot of other high speed coating techniques out there for spall mitigation.
The ways looks at plate carriers and guns and ammo is like fun insurance! You hope you never need it but when your house burns down you will pray you don't have some cheap piece if crap home owners insurance that doesn't pay for everything. Same with life support gear. By the best you can cause if and when you need it and you start taking rounds down range you are going to wish you had the best money can buy. So either don't by anything or get the best you can which is going to cost at least $600 with kevlar and plates etc. not to mention even if you never need it it's cool!!!! By military surplus kevlar body armor and then out in ar500 plates. It will stop almost anything out there. Even without the plates it will stop all handguns and almost all shrapnel. But in my opinion though cool it should be at the bottom of your prep list after food water medical supplies gold and or silver and ammo and a weapon.
I agree with Mountainranger.
In Afghanistan in 04 we dropped our body armor and ran with just plates in carriers. Worked awesome out in the mountains where IEDs weren't really an issue. The next year in fallujah I wouldnt leave the wire without every piece of armor I could find strapped to me. IEDs/shrapnel were the major threat.
My bedside shtf/home invasion/ferguson riots rig is a a condor carrier with steel plates. Not the sexiest, lightest, or most high speed rig but definitely the best bang for the buck.
In Afghanistan in 04 we dropped our body armor and ran with just plates in carriers. Worked awesome out in the mountains where IEDs weren't really an issue. The next year in fallujah I wouldnt leave the wire without every piece of armor I could find strapped to me. IEDs/shrapnel were the major threat.
My bedside shtf/home invasion/ferguson riots rig is a a condor carrier with steel plates. Not the sexiest, lightest, or most high speed rig but definitely the best bang for the buck.
Just bought eagle industries plate carrier. I haven't put it to full use yet but the quality is top notch.
I used an Eagle carrier in Afghanistan. It is definitely quality, but I wouldn't think you'd need one that expensive for casual use or in case of SHTF. Good plates will cost an arm and a leg.
Any place in the metro area that sells them? Where you could try them on for size.
Mindset> gear. You would be better off to take a fighting rifle class instead of paying for a PC and things to stick on it. Buy a quality gear not liabilities
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OK, I just bought a Plate Carrier and Plates from Patriot Plate at the Atlanta Expo Center Gun Show. The good thing about this company is that you can go to You-Tube and look at the Test of the Armor. Plus, you can try on the Plate Carrier's on at the show. My brother-in Law and I are both 2x. Here is there website and number. www.maingun.biz
Number: 706-772-5150, The prices are Incredible.
Number: 706-772-5150, The prices are Incredible.
I see a lot of guys wanting to say drop some serious coin on plates/gear. Im gonna say dont waste your money. Sure it looks cool and sound badass but heres the thing ceramics and kevlar in a carrier sucks ass. In a shtf im not carry that stuff since its dead weight. Ok, if you plan to have a zombie assualt team or red dawn squad i get it.
If the shtf ever happens im surviving, im not gonna be a one man assualt squad. The suggestion of classes and good survial gear is better than spending 600$ on plates. Now if you were to ever become rich and wanted to be cool looking, i gues a expensive plate carrier with lv3 kevlar and esapi plates would be worth wasting money one.
I have a few, dont waste your money
If the shtf ever happens im surviving, im not gonna be a one man assualt squad. The suggestion of classes and good survial gear is better than spending 600$ on plates. Now if you were to ever become rich and wanted to be cool looking, i gues a expensive plate carrier with lv3 kevlar and esapi plates would be worth wasting money one.
I have a few, dont waste your money
