I purchased these ex-GIGN plates from a french chap a while back and I am still trying to find a 3A carrier that will fit these big'uns without needing to be customized or modified by the MFG. The chest/back plate measures 37cm at the tallest point by 34.5cm at the widest point, the groin plate is 30cm tall and 32cm wide, and the side plates are standard 6x8's. All of these plates are 0.7 inches thick and all of them are ICW, so they all require 3A backing to achieve full protection. Does anyone know of a carrier that has full 3A coverage(including groin flap) and plate pockets that will fit these monsters?

Either source the original carrier they used, or you're going to need an entirely custom carrier. There are people who can do it, but you're looking at a couple months and a lot of money, especially if you want something set up like a Velocity OAV.

Also, why on God's green earth would you want to use those? If the AD is near ESAPI those are like 35lb for the set, which more than what my full on overt carrier weighs with front/back/sides, full wrap soft armor, four mags, 3L of water, and some other stuff. Your knees/hips/ankles are going to die.

Well I could pick up the original carrier for it but it's gonna be about 1100 euro + international shipping. As for why, I like the amount of coverage it provides for an HD armor setup. It's definitely too heavy to larper8te in and I was picking up some standard form factor plates and a light weight carrier for that purpose.

Using armor in a home defense situation is stupid. Time how long it takes to run from the exterior door to your house/apartment to your bedroom, and that's how long you have if you're lucky. If you have enough time to maybe get armor on, that time is probably better used calling the cops or doing literally anything other than putting armor on. Plus, any ADA looking at your case is going to have a lot more opportunities to nail you to the wall over it.

Police response times out here are way too long fpr that to be a viable option. Also not worried about DA's in a deep red county in a deep red state. About how long does it usually take to throw on a PC with first spear tubes? (because that is the custom option I am looking at currently). I feel like I can harden my entryways enough with basic upgrades to give me like 30 seconds of heads-up between first noises from attempted beaking in and actually coming face to face with a perpetrator. I really doubt I'll ever need it considering where I live, but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I'd rather have a gun up and in the fight sooner than be fucking around with armor. Take that 30 seconds to turn lights on, get your rifle ready to rock, et cetera instead of putting armor on.

Yeah but If I get shot I'd be up shit creek since I live so far from a trauma center.

So shoot them first.

Well fair enough, but that ain't a guarantee they won't be able to shoot back.

You're both right, depending on how much forewarning you have.

If your first signal of imminent danger is the sound of someone entering your front door, then putting on a plate carrier is definitely a dangerous waste of precious time. If the threat is already inside, you need to just grab your gun and engage the threat rather than create an opportunity for the threat to get the drop on you while you're in the middle of putting a carrier over your head and velcroing a cumberbund.

It's like waiting until after a boxing round has already started to change into your boxing shorts and put your gloves on. Your opponent is going to rock you while you're in the middle of fumbling with your gear.

The only way a HD PC makes sense is if you already know a threat may be on its way and you have time to put on gear before they actually arrive.

This might be one of those situations where you drop a bunch of money just to shine a turd. Sell it and get a more modern plate set and carrier.

Do you think all home defense scenarios start at the front with the perp running straight to the master bedroom?

No, but if I know there's a meth head at the property line, that's a very different scenario than if there's someone already inside my house. Either way, I don't think wearing the sort of massive LE entry armor that the thread-starter is talking about is sane or reasonable. The only situation it makes any sort of sense is if you're like the first guy through the door on an LE entry team, and we have NIJ Listed flexible rifle armor for that job at much lower areal density, in the form of Stealth Armor Systems Hexar and Verco Materials MotilityMH.