Posted: 7/24/2006 2:12:22 PM EDT
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Was thinking about it for a while. Sold off some junk I had laying around on eBay, which financed $200 of the $320 purchase. Got a concealable IIIA vest made by Marom-Dolphin. It's been on my wish list for a while and I finally splurged. You just never know when you're gonna need one. |
It's an important household tool, like a hammer, or an alligator. That's what i said when my kids told the cops they tried on my armor when we were taking a police station tour....then i told them it was just an ammo vest from my Army days  No reaaon for the local po-po to worry..........
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What size is it? I have one small SAPE plate that I might be wiling to sell. I need to get a vest but I'm saving up for the dragon skin www.pinnaclearmor.com/body-armor/sov.php |
I haven't kept up with Dragon Skin in a while, but last I heard the results of military tests of Dragon Skin [and all other modern body armor types] were not made known to the public. Then someone made a stink about the fact the DOD was ignoring Dragon Skin as a product and only buying the armor made in-house, after which some dumbass general made claims that dragon skin was unable to stop rifle rounds. That's bullshit, it stops them, that was never the question, the question is does it stop them better than current GI vests. The whole thing struck me as a case of Not Invented Here Syndrome™. But as I said I haven't kept up with the more recent developments... Anyone who can fill me in on what has happened? |
It evidently didn't fail the ballistic testing, but failed to "make weight" compared to the ESAPI system from what I gather. Politics are causing Pinnacle problems. There's a good thread on the subject on Lightfighter. |
This lack of testing is the reason it was banned from use by the U.S. Army. Maybe it works like they say, maybe it doesn't. I don't know. I do know that Pinnacle was acting awfully shady about providing samples, which has led many to believe that their armor doesn't do what they say it will. |
Which? THe Marom Dolphin stuff is 100% Spectra (Kevlar) there are vests that are 20 years old or more that still perform as marketed, those are 100% Kevlar the Twaron/goldflex/whatever stuff... which is a blend and mostly lighter than kevlar some of the blend stuff has failed after just a couple years.... The Dragon skin uses Kevlar and Ceramic discs... and works well enough that USAF OSI is issuing it. I know their videos are impressive. and from what I have heard and read it has passed every test thrown at it but failed to meet certain specs perhaps weight or something along that line... Murray has posted a bit of info on another forum. the official results of the testing have not been released yet. |
I have never spent the money on body armor but I think even to just stick it in the closet might be worthwhile. Training might be a problem in a lot of areas anyways, unless you go to somewhere like Blackwater. Hell you can't show up at tactical carbine competition with camouflage around here, if you showed up with a weesatch and plates they'd probably shit their knickers. |
What are they afraid of? Bullets are going to fly out of your vest and kill someone? |
"The image presented to the public" I guess a lot of the action shooting guys got scared during the clinton administration of being associated with "militias" so they put the nix on wearing camo, I think a vest carrier with plates would be a big no no, even though some shooting schools are requiring students to have body armor for some more advanced classes that involve shoot houses. |
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check out First Choice Armor. www.firstchoicearmor.com/ I witnessed a demo shoot not too long ago and they fired 40 rounds of defensive ammo (.38, .357, 9mm, .40, 44mag, .45acp) into this thing at once and IT DID NOT FAIL!! (it was a lightweight LVL II Vest BTW!!) I would TRUST my life to this company now. -J |
When was the last time you went hunting in D.C.? I plan on grabbing myself some IIIa body armor and a kevlar helmet with some ballistic-rated goggles at some point in the future. And those kevlar-reinforced leather gloves with the steel shot sewn in the knuckles. At least those are affordable. I doubt I'll ever need the armor, but hey. Hillary just might win. |
I agree and what I meant by train, was real training. Standing on the line and shooting is not training, it's target shooting. I just finished up a two day comabt course in the FL heat, I wore soft body armor for both days. I think I lost 5lbs. 
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I get to haul an Army-issued RBA with me all day, every day. Yes, I would like something a bit lighter, if they would allow me to use it. Unfortunately, my company says YOU WILL HAVE THE ARMY-ISSUED EQUIPMENT WITH YOU WHILE ON DUTY. At any rate, I am still looking for gigs in the Sandbox, so I might be interested in something that would be light and cool enough to be worn, so it would protect me on my body, rather than sit in a pack or in the hooch. I've heard of guys just wearing plate carriers, but don't know if that is the best thing to do. Anyone currently over there in the private sector, please IM... |
