My preps have moved along to the point that I am now considering body armor.
I looked into bulletproofme.com and some on ebay.com too.
Some of the Israeli armor looks pretty good for the price.
I think i want something in the IIIA level.
I dont think I want 'used' or 'lightly worn' armor, most likely new or maybe even old stock.
No I dont want to spend $1200 and yes I do realize you usually get what you pay for.
Any recommendations or which to avoid?

it all depends on where you are going to be and where your going to...if you think youll be running into people no matter what, armor would be great
if your already where you want to be and just want some armor its a good idea to...beyond that i dont think you'd need any

if you ARE going to get some, personally i would go with a lightweight plate carrier and two sapi's not only does this protect you against rifle threats
its easier to remove, and they also last longer than soft armor, providing you dont beat the hell out of them...if thats the case go with a steel plate setup

there are those who will say that sapi's will weigh you down, once again if your going to have to go through a heavily populated area or you need this to
protect your BO home...weight doesnt matter much, I also wear a kevlar vest everyday at work and i also wear a sapi carrier when i do my training at work
the ceramic plates weigh about the same if not LESS than a top of the line kevlar vest...

I agree with the above poster, getting a plate carrier and SAPI plates is ideal.  Myself I have two pointblank kevlar vests with SAPI inserts, its a bit over the top... But, if you live in a city... or you need to defend yourself from people with firearms.  I would rather have something that can protect as much as possible for as long as possible.

I have been in the military for 13 years, I am still active enlisted.  And I deploy roughly every other year.  Each time I have had to wear the same type of vests with SAPI inserts...

When I go out shooting on the weekends I take my vest with me, just to stay familarized with positions and what not for being able to have mobility while firing.

I purchased a Marom Dolphin level IIIA a couple years ago for about $330 shipped off of Ebay. I primarily own it to slip on during range time and it fits comfortably without being too obtrusive and/or heavy. I chose the Marom Dolphin brand over others available for about the same price or less because I know that they are an IDF supplier (private sales) and not just sewn together in some Chinese prison somewhere.

Galls Lite Contour Level IIIA is about the same price and a fair deal as well.

Plates are a matter of preference. I personally don't need that level of protection for what I use it for, and even in a SHTF situation if you are struck by .223 or other larger calibers at near distance you will most likely require medical attention that may not be available anyhow.

During some ballistics testing I saw .223 blow through 1/4" carbon steel sandwiched in 5/8" MDF board @ 20 yards like it wasn't even there, I could have stuck a pencil strait through it. So for me a concealable level IIIA vest may only aid in handgun caliber penetration, but If I'm shot with anything more than that in a SHTF situation I might be out of luck anyhow.

You have to remember with armor, especially with plates, is that you have to square up to the target. I've heard a number of stories where they were shot at high deflection angles and the round snuck past the armor.

We've shot 3/16" steel plate at about 100 yards and had no problems with penetration so there is plenty of punch with the "weenie" .223.

Bulletproofme's stand-alone multi-hit IV plates are awesome.  Youtube them to see what's up.  As Yani says, you do want to make sure you understand what they protect and how, so as to avoid misusing them.

You may also want a concealable soft vest for when things are... dangerous... but when a full plate carrier is unacceptable.

Here's some stuff you need to know:

1. Multihit level 3 or 4 plates are the way to go.
2. Most level 4 plates are not multihit rated and are heavy as hell.
3. A lot of the AR500 steel plates out there will not stop 55 grain fmj m-193 5.56mm ammo.
4. The polyethylene or compressed dyneema level 3 plates will not stop 62 grain m855 5.56mm ammo.
5. Ceramic plates should be x-rayed yearly for cracks.
6. Laminate level 3a soft armor is expensive, light weight, and comfy.
7. Laminate Level 3a soft armor does not stop contact shots from pistol rounds very well.
8. 100% Woven Kevlar or Twaron Level 3a armor is cheap, thicker, heavier, and lasts a long time.
9. 100% Woven Kevlar or Twaron Level 3a armor stops contact shots from pistols very well.
10.  If you are using level 3 or 4 plates get some soft armor plate backers even if the plate is rated as a stand alone.
11.  Steel and polyethylene plates will stop a buttload of rounds and still provide some protection.
12. Ceramic plates will stop a handful of rounds and be totally unserviceable.
13. Steel plates are very heavy but thin.  Ceramic plates are heavy and pretty thin.  Polyethylene plates are so light some of them float but they're usually thick and may not fit in your plate carrier.
14. There are hybrid plates out there that will stop metric shit tons of all kinds of 5.56 and other level 3 rated threats.  They don't sell them to civies.
15.  There are places other than BulletProofMe that will sell high quality name brand armor to civies with proper credentials.
16.  Buying used armor off of Ebay is retarded.
17.  Don't ask me here or via PM's where to buy armor or where to get Level 3 multihit plates for $150 ea.  For all I know you're name is Johnny Jihad and you are up to no good.
18.  When you buy soft armor panels make sure you get ones that are heat sealed inside waterproof carriers.  Water does bad things to soft armor.
19.  budget $1000 for a decent set of BALCS cut Twaron panels, 2 level 3 multihit ceramic plates and a low profile carrier from a industry standard manufacturer like Eagle or Paraclete.  Double that figure if you want the hybrid plates and dyneema soft armor panels.  Add $500 for a Eagle or Paraclete tactical vest like a CIRAS or a RAV.
20.  Your mission (i.e. planned operational use/threat environment) determines your gear selection.
21. Be very careful who you buy your armor from.  There's just as many crooks and snake oil salesmen in the armor industry as the night vision industry.
22. Dragon Skin is shitty, heavy,  expensive, and dangerous "armor".

Note that all prices and figures given here are averages and approximations.  You may spend more or less and get more or less performance out of your personal rig.  YMWMFV For the genius(es) that don't read this or can't understand the concept let me be the first to offer you a bag of dicks.

There is a hell of a difference in steels. I can punch through some 1/2 inch with 9mm.





 

Thanks!!!

These plates are around $250 each, and are sold to normal civilians rather than being restricted to law enforcement or military.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKprcAno1bo

Regarding maintenance, the rules of thumb that I was told by the sales guy, and which are repeated in the documentation that comes with the plates, are these:

1. Try not to get the plates wet.  If you do, get them dry again in a hurry.

2. Try not to train too hard with those particular plates, as all armor plates are somewhat delicate.  If you want to emulate the weight for crash dives or whatever, they sell training plates, or steel plates, or I guess you could just shove some weights in the PC.  Anyway, you can train with the plates you rely on, just understand that they're a little like a fire extinguisher, they're best when they're previously unused.

3. A simple test of their condition is to tap a quarter against them in a number of spots.  The tap should sound about the same at each spot, and feel solid.  As in the video above, if the plate starts coming apart, it's going to spread out and soften, resulting in a more muffled tap.

They are not the only plates BPF sells, nor is BPF the only source for plates.  But those are the ones I trust.

(If you do get those, remember that some plate carriers, like the Eagle, are cut so that you have to use two front plates, rather than a front and back plate.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofQ6i9I1IYY