Body Armor or Not?

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Most people that own guns in America own several of them, and many of us have dozens.
Yet, aside from people who are current or former law enforcement officers, not many people have body armor.

Why is that?

Certainly the answer isn't that it's not comfortable enough to wear every day, and you can't predict when you'll be attacked, so why bother?

If that were a good way of thinking, you wouldn't have that combat shotgun or AR or AK pattern rifle at home in your gun safe or in the corner of your bedroom. We all have guns, combat-oriented guns, that we keep in a fairly ready and quickly-accessible location "just in case" we need them. We don't just have one handgun, small and concealable, for daily carry and nothing else.

If you think your .38 . 357 revolver or 9mm or .40 or .45 pistol is good enough for most purposes, but "IF YOU SEE TROUBLE COMING" you'll get out the long gun, why wouldn't you also want to slip a vest over your torso (with or without any cover garment, but let's say it goes OVER whatever shirt you'd been wearing, and then you cover it with some other shirt, if for no other reason than to not show the bad guys that you're wearing a vest)?

It should only take an additional 10 seconds to put on body armor in a hurry, and another 10 seconds to toss an oversize shirt or light jacket over that. Nothing with buttons-- just zippers or a straight pull-over design. Or if your shirt or jacket has buttons, buy it big enough that you don't need to use them. Keep it buttoned except up at the neck, and pull it over your head like it were a knit sweater when the time comes.

MY OPINION is that any one of us would be safer investing $200-$500 in body armor instead of the "next defensive gun" on our shopping list. A fellow with a $300 pistol and wearing a $300 vest is safer, and more likely to prevail in a gunfight, than the guy who has a $600 pistol and nothing that stops incoming rounds.

What do y'all think?

 

[WC1911guy]

Agree 100%. Body armor can make a huge difference in surviving/winning in an armed confrontation.

 

[Smoothie]

Would you keep it in your car with the varying temps or just for home use?

 

[WC1911guy]

Would you keep it in your car with the varying temps or just for home use?

I wouldn't bother with soft armor myself. I'd just go with a minimalist carrier that can be thrown over anything you're wearing and Velcro strapped into place with some AR500 steel plates so temperature makes no difference.

Cheap, easy to store and would stop almost anything.

 

[Lazarus]

MY OPINION is that any one of us would be safer investing $200-$500 in body armor instead of the "next defensive gun" on our shopping list. A fellow with a $300 pistol and wearing a $300 vest is safer, and more likely to prevail in a gunfight, than the guy who has a $600 pistol and nothing that stops incoming rounds.

What do y'all think?

My opinion is that too often people buy a gun, a box of ammo and an uncle Mikes holster and call themselves protected. I think the person more likely to prevail in a gunfight is the guy that has trained to use his weapon effectively and has a keen sense of awareness. Instead of buying armor buy some training or at the very least some ammo and some range time.

Are you specifically referring to just having armor in your vehicle and donning it 10 seconds? I just dont see the practicality of it. I agree with your statement that someone with body armor is better off than a person without but I just dont see the practical use of it. Although I also dont keep in a shotgun or rifle in my car and my primary HD weapon is a suppressed Glock.

I've seen some plate carrier and plate sets on sale recently that I'm thinking of picking up, not so much because I'd keep it in my car because I think I'd need it but I wouldnt mind doing training in one.

 

[Heat01]

I totally agree with you, one in the truck one at the house. Ar500 in one and ceramics in the other. I hope I don’t ever need it but I have it if I do!

 

[Necrosis]

My opinion is that too often people buy a gun, a box of ammo and an uncle Mikes holster and call themselves protected. I think the person more likely to prevail in a gunfight is the guy that has trained to use his weapon effectively and has a keen sense of awareness. Instead of buying armor buy some training or at the very least some ammo and some range time.

Are you specifically referring to just having armor in your vehicle and donning it 10 seconds? I just dont see the practicality of it. I agree with your statement that someone with body armor is better off than a person without but I just dont see the practical use of it. Although I also dont keep in a shotgun or rifle in my car and my primary HD weapon is a suppressed Glock.

I've seen some plate carrier and plate sets on sale recently that I'm thinking of picking up, not so much because I'd keep it in my car because I think I'd need it but I wouldnt mind doing training in one.

Another aspect of body armor is that you need a plan to defeat it, if the bad guys are wearing it. Your suppressed Glock is going to get shutdown by dirt cheap lvl 3 steel plates and likely soft armor too.

A plate carrier also provides you a place to attach a first aid kit and magazines. If you know a fight is coming (say LA riots or Katrina looters, etc) and you can't avoid it, you would be a fool NOT to wear body armor. Training is also important and often neglected, but keep in mind there is a wealth of knowledge in gunfighting tactics, combat first aid, etc available online for free. Use it!

 

[WC1911guy]

Another aspect of body armor is that you need a plan to defeat it, if the bad guys are wearing it. Your suppressed Glock is going to get shutdown by dirt cheap lvl 3 steel plates and likely soft armor too.

A plate carrier also provides you a place to attach a first aid kit and magazines. If you know a fight is coming (say LA riots or Katrina looters, etc) and you can't avoid it, you would be a fool NOT to wear body armor. Training is also important and often neglected, but keep in mind there is a wealth of knowledge in gunfighting tactics, combat first aid, etc available online for free. Use it!

All excellent points. I'd rather have a plated carrier available to strap on quickly if the time is there than not have one.

Body armor is just another tool to assist in a dangerous situation. All the tactical training in the world is worthless if the other guy gets off a lucky shot and drops you or you take a hit that kills you later that could have been easily avoided by wearing a plated carrier.

 

[Smoothie]

How much could one get into a carrier and armor for, about $300?

 

[Lazarus]

Another aspect of body armor is that you need a plan to defeat it, if the bad guys are wearing it. Your suppressed Glock is going to get shutdown by dirt cheap lvl 3 steel plates and likely soft armor too.

A plate carrier also provides you a place to attach a first aid kit and magazines. If you know a fight is coming (say LA riots or Katrina looters, etc) and you can't avoid it, you would be a fool NOT to wear body armor. Training is also important and often neglected, but keep in mind there is a wealth of knowledge in gunfighting tactics, combat first aid, etc available online for free. Use it!

Question for the OP. Are you talking about wearing a vest as EDC or you talking about just having one in the car like you would a carbine?

Yes I agree but a end of the world or without rule of law scenario is drastically different from EDC. We might have ARs, AKs and thousands of rounds of ammo at home but how many people carry all that in their trunk? EDC is about compromise and balance. Most people carry a compact, concealable firearm with 15 rounds or less when they have far superior firepower at home. Why? Different reasons, maybe they dont feel as though they will encounter the need to have it. Most people don't live there lives preparing for every single what if. Oh I'm going around the corner to Kroger let me bring my 1911, 2 mags, and I'll load up the AR, the Mossberg and the plate carrier in the trunk, just in case. You might grab the subcompact, you might not grab anything.

I'm not saying don't ride around with a plate carrier or body armor in the trunk but I question what good is it really going to do for you. If you aren't wearing it 100% of the time theres always that chance you're going to be too far from your car for it to matter. In which case that $300-$500 would probably have been better off going to training. And if you are wearing it 100% of the time you need to be either LEO or confined to a bunker with tinfoil on your head.

How many instances have you heard of where a person would have any a chance to don body armor after a gunfight has commenced? I haven't heard of one. In fact if you have time to get armor out the trunk and put it on you likely have time to get in the car and leave.

Btw have you ever been shot wearing soft armor? Vest or not it hurts. I've never been but I've shot a vest and seen what happens beneath it.