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Thread: Should I have body armor?

  1. #1
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    Should I have body armor?

    Irony: I considered body armor decades ago, and never bought any. The talk of restricting sales has made me think of it again.


    Context: I'm a low-speed, high-drag weekend warrior. I teach History for a living. I'm in my mid-40s, married, with a teenaged daughter. I live in a good (boring) suburban neighborhood.

    I usually finish in the middle third at my local USPSA matches. When things go well, I finish just inside the top third. I'll probably never break into the top quarter.


    Body armor would be for TEOTWAWKI. I live in the middle of nowhere (seen "Murder Mountain"?). I can easily imagine that if there's a big earthquake or if the power goes out for over a week (it happens) then it'll look like The Road around here. I was a good Boy Scout: I have 40gal of water, a generator, 20gal of gas, a month's supply of food, a wood-burning stove, enough ammo to last me the rest of my life, etc., etc., etc.


    I keep a pistol in a Mini-Vault under my bed for anything that goes bump in the night. Long guns are all in a cabinet in my home office, downstairs. (NB: This arrangement is not going to change. Keep your marital or bedroom-decorating advice to yourself.)

    If I bought body armor, then it would live with the long guns. If things were bad enough (and I have enough time) that I'm going for the long guns, then I would put on the body armor, too.


    Questions:

    1. Should I bother?

    2. If yes, then what's the best option for ≤$750 or so? Realistically, I'd be content with something that would defeat a pistol round or a blast of buckshot.

  2. #2
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    To take a stab at #2:

    This carrier:

    https://www.entrygear.com/product.asp?id=EI-LAND-CIRAS

    With this IIIA armor:

    https://www.entrygear.com/product.asp?id=VTG-BA-54X


    I don't need concealability, and it would be handy to have stuff stuck on the front of the vest (spare mags, flashlight, etc.).

  3. #3
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    The perceived need for body armor is entirely related to your level of belief that the collapse of society, even briefly, will happen, that it will affect the security of you and your family, and that having body armor will somehow enhance that security. Personally, I just don't see it. But that's me.

  4. #4
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    Better to have it and NOT need it, than need it and NOT have it. That's why I have it.
    - Either you're part of the problem or you're part of the solution or you're just part of the landscape - Sam (Robert DeNiro) in, "Ronin" -

  5. #5
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    If you have the coin and the want, go for it. That's my usual advice and is what is great about this country. And you can't go wrong if it turns out one day you need it.
    Philippians 2:10-11

    To argue with a person who renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead. ~ Thomas Paine

    “The greatest conspiracy theory is the notion that your government cares about you”- unknown.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hmac View Post
    The perceived need for body armor is entirely related to your level of belief that the collapse of society, even briefly, will happen, that it will affect the security of you and your family, and that having body armor will somehow enhance that security. Personally, I just don't see it.
    I appreciate that... I'm a Midwestern boy (WI, MN, SD), and if I were still there, then I don't think I would worry about this kind of thing.

    The whole Left Coast feels to me more like New Orleans before Katrina or L.A. before the Rodney King riots... I have close friends/relatives who lived through both of those, and those are the kind of moments in which I would wear body armor.


    Quote Originally Posted by The_War_Wagon View Post
    Better to have it and NOT need it, than need it and NOT have it.
    Quote Originally Posted by flenna View Post
    If you have the coin and the want, go for it... And you can't go wrong if it turns out one day you need it.
    This is the way that I'm leaning.

    Did I mention that I own 8-10 fire extinguishers and have several of those automatic fire suppressant cans in the kitchen and garage? I'm a bit of a worrier...

    Honestly, it looks like I can get a carrier and IIIA soft armor for $750-800ish, which is about what I might spend on a range toy (I'm jonesing for a S&W 610) or a new bicycle. (No, I don't think of body armor as "toy," but it would be that kind of "non-essential" purchase.)

    Also, since body armor would wind up hanging in my climate-controlled home office closet 99% of the time, I expect it would last forever.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    I appreciate that... I'm a Midwestern boy (WI, MN, SD), and if I were still there, then I don't think I would worry about this kind of thing.

    The whole Left Coast feels to me more like New Orleans before Katrina or L.A. before the Rodney King riots... I have close friends/relatives who lived through both of those, and those are the kind of moments in which I would wear body armor.
    We all make such choices based on our threat perceptions. For me...way too many leaps from here to there to bother. I do have a few fire extinguishers around the house, but fire extinguishers are cheap and IMHO my house burning down around me is far more likely than EOTWAWKI leading to anarchy around here, leading to a need for body armor. YMMV, and it's your money. Sounds to me like you should do it, and do it soon before sales are restricted.

  8. #8
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    I've gotten to take a lot of 3 day classes. At one of them a local LEO let me try on his vest. He bought panels for the front and back and took the issued soft material and put it on the sides. I would guess it weighed about 30 lbs.
    It would take a lot of time to learn to fight with that on. It's not something I would dedicate myself to mastering.
    But, if you feel it is insurance you want then get it before it becomes a banned or NFA item.

  9. #9
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    If it's for emergencies most likely it's going to see a long time between wearing it. I'd recommend AR 500 so you don't have to worry about cracks.

    Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmer View Post
    To take a stab at #2:

    This carrier:

    https://www.entrygear.com/product.asp?id=EI-LAND-CIRAS

    With this IIIA armor:

    https://www.entrygear.com/product.asp?id=VTG-BA-54X


    I don't need concealability, and it would be handy to have stuff stuck on the front of the vest (spare mags, flashlight, etc.).
    If that’s what you are interested in here’s a better deal
    https://www.skdtac.com/product-p/amr.316.htm



    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    "The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win and cheat if necessary." ~ Clint Smith

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