Is Army issue BA legal to own?

Most likely still property of the Army.

Oooookk I won't be buying that sucker then!!!

By the time you pull it out of the closet and pull it around you, will you be in a situation where you care if it's .gov property?

YES!!!! Law and order every time!! That's me.

Plus it doesn't come with sapis.

Save some money and buy something newer/better.  IBA is outdated, still works mind you, but still old.  .Mil has learned alot from the GWOT concerning body armor, look at the IOTV and that lightweight body armor they are using in Afghanistan.

Don't tell me that.  I'm still wearing an interceptor!

Actually, I remember the video of the medic getting tagged with a SVD, who bounced right back up, took cover and vectored in the boys with the .50.  IBV is a pretty hard shell to crack.  Esp if you have the side plates in.  You just don't wanna lug the whole goddamned thing around with you.

With any luck the weight on this stuff will be coming down pretty damn fast in the near future. DARPA has been spending a lot of cheddar on bio-mimetic materials, and some other interesting stuff like shear force thickening gels that should help not just with weight, but flexibillity.

Eventually we'll probobly see a combo system where a troop will wear something that feels more flexible than the soft body armor cops wear nowadays as an undergarment to protect the gaps and against spalling, with a lightweight hardshell carapace over top to break up rifle rounds and penetrators. Outer shell will likely be some kind of boron-carbide spin off.

They are sold on bulletproofme.com


I got a complete soft set with a single SAPI for $250 off craigslist. It has no "US government property" or any such markings anywhere on it. It's not terribly restricting or uncomfortable, almost reminds me of the lead smock they put on you in the dentists office while taking xrays. I wish it had more MOLLE webbing on it though, and it's insanely awkward to get on, I look like a retard putting on a t-shirt trying to get this beast on. But it's not supposed to be comfortable, it's comfortING.

Also, hot as hell.

I spent 2 hours sitting in a deadlined C130 in my IBV and K-pot this weekend.  To say it was hot and  less than comfortable is an understatement.  Need evaporating smiley.....

I do not miss flying on those. Your either frying or freezing with very breif moments of comfort during the transition. However, I will say that probobly the best sleep I ever got on an airplane was onboard one of those sleeping on top of a pallet of sea-bags.