With the way things change and you wish you had known beforehand...do you think a person should go ahead and purchase a vest before some legislation pops up and says, "you mus be LE or military to purchase or own". Similar to the assualt rifle fiasco?

And--Any negatives regarding Second Chance body armor? Or, any others as good or better?
Thanks

I'd look for some sign that they were thinking about legislating them before using that as an excuse. Like if Cali or NY or something started passing laws against them. Ayoob wrote an article a few months ago in one of those mags about body armor saying that it's currently perfectly legal for "good guys" in all 50 states to purchase, own, and wear anywhere. Some states have legislation that you can't have one if you're a convicted felon, or stiffer penalties if you wear one while committing a crime.

Then again, you could always get one just because you want it.

I doubt there would ever be any legislation to ban it. Too many non LEO professions are using it, including armored car staff, EMTs (in some areas), some security guards, executive protection details, etc.

I won't wear anything BUT Second Chance. I've had four or five vests from them - two of which I am still using; a concealable vest when in uniform, and an External Assualt Shell when I'm working the range.

Richard Davis (president of Second Chance) goes out of his way to dispell some of the myths with body armor to better educate the users. And you can't argue against someone who will shoot himself POINT BLANK with a .44 magnum, in the chest, while wearing his product. That is someone who stands behind his product. LITERALLY.

Legislation is always a possibility.  In my view a greater concern is that - if the balloon goes up - the military and LEO types will get priority for available armor (as they should) and it simply won’t be available to others.

Frankly, body armor from reputable manufacturers is all high quality stuff.  Within equivalent price ranges, it’s all pretty close to the same.  Keep in mind these manufacturers all buy the ballistic materials from the same sources.  

Also the NIJ standards keep the playing field rather level.

In the past, body armor manufacturers were simply tailors.  Nowadays they are spinning off into all sorts of strange hybrids and laminates of questionable value.  Questionable not because they don’t work – they do, but because they really don’t seem to work appreciably better than vests made of one material.  (The clear exception to this being vests that are both bullet and knife resistant.)

Each manufacturer will try to convince they have discovered some new material, combination of materials, process, etc. which allows them make the best, lightest, coolest, most comfortable, yada, yada … vest on the market.  You should simply ignore such claims.

Second Chance is an excellent, highly reputable vendor.  However, they are perhaps a little pricey compared to some of the other vendors.  IMHO they charge a bit more since they go the full distance to try to insure your vest fits you.  

Also, their non-ballistic materials and workmanship seems a little better than some.  In some of their more expensive vests, you can actually get a Gore-Tex carrier.

Incidentally, just a personal opinion, but I’d avoid anything with Spectra in it since it doesn’t seem to handle high velocity rounds too well (though it definitely can meet NIJ standards).

While quite expensive, my first choice would be a vest made of Zyloflex (Second Chance’s trademark for this is Ultima).

This is probably one of those situations where it is: “better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it”.

TxDoc. You aren't Barry Liberoni by any chance?

I don't know who that is. Sounds like Liberace?

I was surprised when looking at the Second Chance website at how much has changed in just say, 10 years! Got some reading to do to compare different terms involved. I got reinterested in this after seeing that we had several soldiers who were shot and did not realize it at the time, of course adrenaline rushes can do that to you. But, several commented the Viet Nam era vests would not have stopped the same rounds. I don't know if that is true, though. And, with things changing like they are, you kinda have to really think and depend upon yourself.