Plate carriers?

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  • shadow116

    2nd Class Citizen
    Feb 28, 2008
    1,542
    Emmitsburg
    Nope.. Prior enlisted Air Force SERE specialist - turned Air Force Officer

    Correct, He is now a TACP Officer.

    Great podcast interviewed him "Free Range American: Ep 016 Garand Thumb - USAF TACP"

    Jarred Taylor hosts @Garand Thumb , a United States Air Force TACP and Youtube personality to discuss everything from how Garand chose his name to playing jokes on the U.S. ARMY
     

    niftyvt

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 21, 2010
    1,891
    Virginia
    Dont know where you read that... This is info from multiple sites:

    5.56x45mm-M193: 3150 ft/s (6 hits)
    7.62x39mm-M67: 2390 ft/s (6 hits)
    5.56x45mm-M855/SS109: 3150 ft/s (6 hits)
    7.62x39mm-M43 (Mild Steel Core): 2390 ft/s (3 hits)
    7.62x39mm-API: 2390 ft/s (1 hit)

    Yes that is a very narrow field of projectiles, all are AR or AK related.

    If you are going for hard plates level III+ or better is the only way to go in my opinion. Need to have some sort of 308 stopping capability. How many 308 hunting rifles or 3030's are out there? Again, just my opinion.
     

    shadow116

    2nd Class Citizen
    Feb 28, 2008
    1,542
    Emmitsburg
    Yes that is a very narrow field of projectiles, all are AR or AK related.

    If you are going for hard plates level III+ or better is the only way to go in my opinion. Need to have some sort of 308 stopping capability. How many 308 hunting rifles or 3030's are out there? Again, just my opinion.

    I am sure a ballistician will show up and refute this...

    Here lately, I have been researching newer available hard armor. I never saw "special threat" armor that could stop 5.56 M855, but would not stop 7.62 M80 Ball.

    Also, a stated purpose was low visibility. Yes a thinner plate is not going to stop what a plate with twice the thickness will, but that is a trade off. And yes you can get thin Level III and IV armor, but then you are paying 2-4 times the cost.

    Everything is a trade off. Protection level (what is the most likely threat I will face), thickness and weight, and per plate cost.
     

    kstone803

    Official Meat Getter
    Feb 25, 2009
    3,924
    Ltown in the SMC
    I am looking at level III, not el cheapo but dont want to spend 1k$ either..lol

    III+ multi curve (more comfortable IMO)

    https://rmadefense.com/product/leve...a-large-nij-07-tested/?attribute_model=Medium

    Level IV for cheaper but heavier
    https://www.kotaoutfitters.com/product-page/labor-day-special-hesco-4400-level-iv-stand-alone-plates

    I'm planning to pick up a set of both whenever I stop being broke . If I could only have one it would be the RMA III+, I've worn heavy plates all day, it's not fun.
     

    erwos

    The Hebrew Hammer
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 25, 2009
    13,866
    Rockville, MD
    If you are going for hard plates level III+ or better is the only way to go in my opinion. Need to have some sort of 308 stopping capability. How many 308 hunting rifles or 3030's are out there? Again, just my opinion.
    Level III plates will stop 308 rounds just fine. What you need III+/ST for is M855, which tends to punch right through LIII stuff due to the hardened penetrator.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,678
    Level III plates will stop 308 rounds just fine. What you need III+/ST for is M855, which tends to punch right through LIII stuff due to the hardened penetrator.

    Depends on the armor. UHMWPE is generally vulnerable to

    Steel Level III generally protects against it.

    UHMWPE level III generally stops M193. Steel often doesn’t.

    In both cases this is at close range and longer barrels. A 14.5” AR at 50yds is probably low enough velocity for level III of either type to stop M193 and M855.

    The steel tip on M855 won’t be disrupted and will tunnel through UHMWPE fairly easily. Steel will break the tip. It’s not nearly as hard as the armor. M193 will also be disrupted, but it has enough velocity to disrupt the armor (exceeds the brittleness). But UHMWPE will soak up and spread the bullets energy.

    Of course if you haul out a 20”, that effective range against most level III armors goes up a lot.

    Special threat steel generally is just a hair thicker and/or higher hardness. UHMWPE Special threat generally has a thin layer of ceramic added which disrupts the M855 and then the UHMWPE catches it.

    Special threat Level III will pretty much not stop AP though. Your only options there are very thick steel or ceramic. A thin layer of ceramic or regular AR500 or 600 steel won’t disrupt the hardened steel core in AP. Let alone a WC core.
     

    randyho

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 21, 2009
    1,544
    Not His Happy Place
    Correct, He is now a TACP Officer.

    Great podcast interviewed him "Free Range American: Ep 016 Garand Thumb - USAF TACP"

    Jarred Taylor hosts @Garand Thumb , a United States Air Force TACP and Youtube personality to discuss everything from how Garand chose his name to playing jokes on the U.S. ARMY
    I'd go with episode 027 where flannel daddy actually got to speak. Jarred shit the bed on the first one. But good on him for admitting he'd totally f'd it up and called a do-over.
     

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,856
    The other discussion about local availability of plates prompted me to do some poking around again for a carrier and see what the status is of different places. So many places are totally swamped right now.

    Chase Tactical had this in stock and ready to ship.

    https://www.chasetactical.com/produ...a_size=xlarge&attribute_pa_color=ranger-green

    $121.00 delivered with the 15% off code.

    Probably made overseas, but it's here and available rather than 12-16 weeks out like others are quoting. Probably not the tier 1 gear others have, but I don't need it. I'm hoping it will stay in the closet for the next 20 years.
     

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