Should I have body armor?

**Bimmer** · 09-01-19, 16:54

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.

**Bimmer** · 09-01-19, 17:13

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.).

**Hmac** · 09-01-19, 17:31

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.

**The_War_Wagon** · 09-01-19, 17:37

Better to have it and NOT need it, than need it and NOT have it. That's why I have it.

**flenna** · 09-01-19, 17:42

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.

**Bimmer** · 09-01-19, 18:20

Originally Posted by Hmac

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.

Originally Posted by The_War_Wagon

Better to have it and NOT need it, than need it and NOT have it.

Originally Posted by flenna

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.

**HKGuns** · 09-14-20, 07:17

Originally Posted by The_War_Wagon

Better to have it and NOT need it, than need it and NOT have it. That's why I have it.

^This^ is exactly why I own a set of L4 ceramic plates capable of stopping several 762 hits.

If you can afford it, there is no good reason not to own a set.

http://www.bulletproofme.com/RP-Leve...ml#Lightweight

**Don't Tread On Me** · 09-14-20, 12:54

While not the latest and greatest, anyone who purchased the old TAP Gamma plates via DRMO still using them or has everyone upgraded to the latest and greatest? I ask because I personally feel that a set of these with plate backers are leaps and bounds ahead of steel plates, both in weight and protection. If my line of thought is wrong, please chime in.

**WillBrink** · 09-19-19, 07:40

Originally Posted by Hmac

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.

That sums it up for me. It's not out of the question I may get some at some point, but it's low priority per above.