any opinions on these plates?

[voiceofreason]

0.21" thick and ~4.0 pounds... Level III+

What am I missing here?


http://www.ar500armor.com/ar500-armo...ody-armor.html

[Defaultmp3]

Poor coverage (which is how they got the weight down, it's in a perfectly normal weight range for a steel plate of that size). Single curve. No NIJ rating, no real testing known with M193 (they show defeating M193 in some of their videos, but only at 3000 FPS out of a 14.5" barrel; what about about a 16" or 20" barrel?).

[DevL]

I'm sure a 6x6 plate is the same thickness, also single curved, and even lighter! You could use that for an ultra light set up!

[ggammell]

Good luck finding a plate carrier that will put that in the proper location on you.

Why in 2017 are we still even entertaining the idea of armor that has no certified rating?

[scooter22]

This stuff looks better, but I'm no expert:

https://www.spartanarmorsystems.com/...12-set-of-two/

[voiceofreason]

Is the shooter's cut better than the swimmer's cut? The package prices are tempting, but I don't know about the quality of the carrier.

Is the extra money and weight on the spall guard to up it from .3 to .5 worth it?

[Defaultmp3]

This stuff looks better, but I'm no expert:

https://www.spartanarmorsystems.com/...12-set-of-two/

Doesn't look any better to me. Again, they rate M193 only up to 3000 FPS; it's not like finding M193 that exceeds 3000 FPS is very hard, the standard assumption is that M193 out of a 16" barrel hits 3100 FPS at the muzzle.

Remember, NIJ Level III simply stipulates that a plate can defeat 6 rounds of M80; being able to defeat 7.62×51mm does not translate into adequate protection against 5.56×45mm. Level III+ designations are not an actual standard, but merely an industry term created to label plates that can defeat various 5.56×45mm threats, usually to mean both M193 and M855, but because there is no standard, there is no proper definition, so various steel armor companies will advertise their product as Level III+, despite not providing full protection against M193.

Is the shooter's cut better than the swimmer's cut? The package prices are tempting, but I don't know about the quality of the carrier.

Is the extra money and weight on the spall guard to up it from .3 to .5 worth it?

Coverage limits mobility; you have to make your own decision on the cut you want. That being said, I don't think the swimmer's cut that Spartan Armor System uses has much merit. I'll also note that swimmer's cut/shooter's cut/etc. are not industry standard terms, and can mean different things with different vendors.

As for the spall guard, assuming you're talking about the Spartan Armor Systems, if you really must go with them, then absolutely, given that the they label it "Base Coat Corrosion Protection" versus "Full Coat Frag Mitigation Coating", which suggests the full coat is a true attempt at a spall guard coating.

[scooter22]

Do any ceramic or polyurethane plates defeat M193?


Official Kremlin Transmission

[Defaultmp3]

Do any ceramic or polyurethane plates defeat M193?

General rule of thumb:

• Ceramic will protect against both M193 and M855.
• UHMWPE will protect against M193, but not against M855.
• Steel will protect against M855, but not M193.

It is my understanding that the steel is defeated by the speed of M193, while UHMWPE is defeated by the steel core of M855, which is incompressible, and thus override's the frictive braking mechanism that the UHMWPE relies on. Both technologies are generally considered more durable than ceramic plates (though ceramic plates are generally still quite tough, and do not need to be babied).

[Evel Baldgui]

Where are they manufactured? If China...I would stay away from them or perhaps do a google search on their testing procedures.