BulletSafe Alpha vest
Anyone have experience/insight?
Thinking about their level III plate
Alternative civilian options?
I already have a full gunsafe but I figure vests are next for restrictions, so why not?
If you're getting plates you might as well get level 4 ceramics. Otherwise concealability and breatheability is important stuff for soft armor.
>>30320141
Correction: IIIa with their ceramic add-on
>>30320153
Yes, thanks
>>30320141
Dunno about said vest itself, but I have few armor carriers of my own, including couple IBAs.
>Thinking about their level III plate
Good enough for intermediate rifle rounds and .308, so you got the basics covered. You could consider a III+ plate though, as it provides slightly better protection (rated for AP variant rounds of the mentioned calibers of Lv III, capable of stopping .30-06), and tends to weight mere half what Lv 4 plates do.
>Alternative civilian options?
surplus military vests + new / surplus plates.
>>30321228
>III+
Is that a NIJ standard? I've never heard of it.
>>30321228
there is no such thing as a III+
Thats some bullshit fairytale threat level that the people shilling AR500 made up to obfuscate the fact that their armor didnt meet NIJ criteria for threat level III or IV
>>30321328
Trying to understand the ratings, so correct me if I'm wrong:
IIIa is a legit rating
III+ is not IIIa
III+ is weaker than III?
>>30322092
III+ is a marketing buzzword to say "it stops something a little more than is required in the NIJ III rating."
This can be interpreted various ways. For example many UHMWPE level III plates will be penetrated by M855, so some companies with UHMWPE plates have hybrid versions independently tested to stop M855, which they market as III+.
A similar situation occurred with AR500 plates when it became obvious that M193 from a 16" barrel could zip right through many NIJ III steel plates. So companies thickened the plates to stop M193 and marketed them as III+.
There are some companies making IV+ plates tested for stuff like 7.62x39 API BZ and 7.62x54 API B32.
>>30322187
Thanks
Makes sense
Any reliable source that compares various manufacturers of commercially/civilian available plates? Or is that the idea behind the ratings that marketing departments decide to tart up with bullshit?
>>30321328
>>30321236
Yes, it exists. Keep up with news.
AR500 makes them, as does many others:
https://www.varusteleka.com/en/product/cpe-light-weight-armour-plate-nij-iii+-stand-alone/16512
>>30322408
NIJ rating is pretty universal, even though there are few other rating systems in other countries (German one goes from 1 to 4 as well, but their requirements are higher, and only 1 and 2 are soft armor).
>>30322092
III+ is like saying IVA
Neither is standardized by the NIJ so you have to read the manufacturers spec sheet.
>>30322187
>There are some companies making IV+ plates tested for stuff like 7.62x39 API BZ and 7.62x54 API B32
Source?