Guys,
been wanting to get one of those nifty PASAGT vests made of kevlar.  I guess its cheaper than others, and still works agaist pistol rounds. I wear Xl Tees, so I need a big one.
Any sites or such?
c-rock

I'd say try eBay.  XL's are hard to come by though...you'll pay a decent amount of money for one.  I got a real nice (unused looking) XL Kevlar PASGT vest and helmet there about 6 months ago.

Don’t know about vests specifically, but remember that the military’s idea of extra-large can be a bit different than the civilian version of extra-large. Something about being lean and mean.

Just saw one in the For Sale-misc. Section.

I've heard the current issue PASGT stops rounds(9MM) but not the previous version. It only stops fragments and shrapnel. I'm in a reserve unit and we still have the older issue vests that definately do not stop rounds. Lean and mean? How about lean and mean with polypros, BDU shirt, buffalo kacket, and Gortex. XL is pretty big on me with all that ubder it.

Sherm

This works just as well....

[img]http://www.degraeve.com/images/trooperspee.jpg[/img]

sherm8404 - The pre-Kevlar flak vests were made of ballistic nylon and probably wouldn't stop a higher velocity 9mm FMJ.  The current Kevlar PASGT vests will stop a 9mm FMJ.  They are made of 13 plies of Kevlar 29 (similar to a IIA police-style vest).

c-rock - The XL vests are fairly big as they're made to be worn over other garments.  The chest measurement size range is 45-49" and I'd say that's pretty accurate.  I'd say it could fit somebody even a little bigger than that.

Do you work at a "large retail center" aka. Mall? Do you know any martial arts. Give us a little background please.[;D]

R35

Is there any tag in the garment to tell which it is?  I figure the kevlar would be heavier, or more stiff.
c-rock

you got mail.
c-rock

I have the one listed in the equipment exchange in xtra large for about half of the price they are going for on ebay right now also have a large but thinking about keeping it. if it does not seel by sat. night it will go up on ebay. have always tried to pass on some items here first before going there. [email protected]

Ummmm.....  No they weren't.  They were made of a material called aramid.  Ballistic nylon was used on much earlier vests that are circa Vietnam.

Just so everybody knows this, flak vests (even current issue Kevlar vests) are not designed to stop high velocity projectiles, that is why they are called [i]flak[/i] jackets.  I wore flak vests in Vietnam and can attest to their value (along with the steel pot), but they just aren't something I would want to wear if I had much better choices available to me for not much more money.  I had no choice, you do.  Buy some real NIJ level IIa Kevlar.  Police trade-ins are available from [url]www.bulletproofme.com[/url]  


The military vests aren't NIJ rated and are made by the lowest bidder.  They will provide protection, but not even close to the same level provided by even the most inexpensive civilian vests.  Another advantage to civilian hardware is that you can get far better size, color, protection level, and style selection.



"Do what you will,
just don't expect surplus vests to be all that great."  

let me send in my 2 cents

i got ahold of a bunch of them at one point and did some testing

22lr - would not stop it about 80% of the time
380 - wouldnt about 95%
9mm - NEVER
obviously anything bigger had no chance

i shot one with a 3 inch magnum slug fer shits and giggles, it tore out half the kevlar from the back of the vest after it went through both sides

im convinced the purpose of these vests is for burial.  they may keep you in basically one piece

c-rock - You'll know the Kevlar PASGT vest because it is camo, not usually OD green.  Actually, the kevlar vests seem lighter and more flexible than the older vests.

rg00red - I stand corrected.  I was under the impression that the Vietnam-era flak jackets were made of ballistic nylon.  What type of aramid were they made of then?  An aramid is only a broad category of man-made fibers, Kevlar is actually duPont's trademark name for the type of aramid fiber they developed.  I do however completely agree that anyone who seriously feels the need to buy protective body armor should purchase police-style, NIJ rated soft body armor.  It is lighter, more concealable, often less expensive (for used armor), and you can buy more protection with levels II or IIIA.  www.bulletproofme.com is an excellent source for both armor and information about armor.  

When buying used Kevlar armor, keep in mind that the fiber does break down somewhat if exposed to UV rays, sweat, dirt, etc.  If cared for, Kevlar 29/129 lasts a very long time.  Spectra and some of the other newer ballistic-resistant fibers are unaffected by moisture or UV rays but have a much lower melting point (if that's important), can be less flexible, and are more expensive.  A trade off I guess.

SkaerE - I know this has been discussed millions of time before, but maybe these PASGT vests are inconsistent in quality?  I swear I took a beat up looking one and shot it multiple times with a 9mm and a .40 cal....not a single round penetrated more than halfway through a panel!  Kind of leaves you with a less than confident feeling about the quality control for armor our soldiers wear.

Go figure???

These folks have large woodland-camo ones in their new catalog, here's their site:
[url]http://www.shomer-tec.com/[/url] Go to index and look under BDUs these are USGI PASAGT vests.

Just got the new catalog yesterday.

Mike

That is exactly what I said.  Ballistic nylon was used on vests circa Vietnam.  I own several different vests, a Vietnam-type nylon vest, and 2 vests that seem to be near identical.  Both are PASGT, but one says the filler is aramid and the other says that the filler is Kevlar.  The military is not one to change it's labels around and the fillers (inspecting through the grommets) appear to be different in both density and weave thickness.  I could be mistaken but it appears that there was an in-between vest.  One that has a generic filler and one that specifically says "Kevlar."

Oh, OK.  I guess I should read posts more carefully!  I do have a question for you then: where on the label does the vest say whether it is made of "aramid", or Kevlar 29?  I don't see any description of material on the label of my PASGT vest.  I didn't know there was an "in between" vest.  I was told the US military went right from the nylon Vietnam-era vests to the Kevlar PASGT vest in the early 80's.  I think they've always been Kevlar (maybe varying weaves) since the transition from the heavy nylon vest.

Well, in any case I stand by the position of recommending NIJ rated soft armor.  If c-rock still wants a US military issue armor vest that is NIJ rated, there is the US Army RBA vest or the Interceptor armor system.  Both of these are genuine US military and are NIJ IIIA rated.  A bonus is that these two armor systems can accept level III or IV hard armor plates that will stop multiple 7.62 NATO rounds (and IV will stop a .30-06 AP round).

Anyway, I digress.....but good luck c-rock. [:)]

The label doesn't say it, the little booklet behind the label says it.  They have different print dates.  I could be wrong, but the materials in the vests are most definetly different.



"Do what you will,
just don't buy surplus armor."

C-Rock,  I will sell you my brand new XL Woodland Camo PASGT vest for $175.00 plus actual shipping costs.....this is what I have in it.

The little book in the inside back pocket of the vest said it wasn't designed to stop bullets, so I believed it. It also has a "Record of hits" in the back of the booklet, so you can record the shrapnel type and location of the hit on the vest and send it back to Natick Labs for their perusal.

I've heard from so many different sources that it won't stop any roundsat all but I've never heard it solidly sourced.