patriot_man
Regular Member
As a HESCO dealer I was surprised when a customer emailed me asking about a 3611C plate. I had never heard of it before but HESCO informed me that it is a new plate model hitting the market and not officially released. I managed to get one ordered but there was a slight mix-up getting the proper size for the customer. This resulted in a size medium SAPI 3611C in my hands to share details and pics.
Naturally, one would compare this with the 3610 Level III+ plates that have been on the market for some while now. Both the 3610 and 3611C stop M855 and M193 but there are a differences.
Composition: Ceramic and Spectra with a foam backing.
Exterior: The 3611C is a polyurea coated plate - a departure from the usual Cordura nylon covering found on HESCO plates currently on the market. The only other coated plate I know of, from HESCO, is the 3800C issued by CBP.
Thickness: The 3611C is 1.05". Compare this to the 1.14" of the 3610 (2mm difference).
Threats: Like mentioned above, both threats do stop M193 and M855 making it a great choice for CONUS use. Only difference is that the 3611C is not rated for .30-06 JSP. It is multi-hit rated for all threats listed.
Cuts: After reading the spec sheet I saw that this is probably going to be HESCO's plate aimed at the Law Enforcement market. Unlike other plates in the HESCO line-up, there is no shooter cut option but rather "whole inch sizing" you see on the market (8" x 10" / 10" x 12" ) - HESCO refers to this as LE cut. Standard SAPI sizing and cuts are also available from small to X-large. All plates in the 3611C series are multi-curve.
Weight: Polyurea is a heavier coating but in the end, the 3611C is slightly lighter than the 3610. Weight savings vary from 4 oz on the bigger plates (XL) to 1 oz on the smaller plates. The weight savings really shine in the LE cuts. A 10" x 12" plate is only 3.9 lbs while an 8" x 10" plate is a scant 2.5 lbs!!
Price: Comparable to the 3610 series of plates but needs to be special ordered at the moment as full pricing has not been released.
Attached are some pics of the plate.
Naturally, one would compare this with the 3610 Level III+ plates that have been on the market for some while now. Both the 3610 and 3611C stop M855 and M193 but there are a differences.
Composition: Ceramic and Spectra with a foam backing.
Exterior: The 3611C is a polyurea coated plate - a departure from the usual Cordura nylon covering found on HESCO plates currently on the market. The only other coated plate I know of, from HESCO, is the 3800C issued by CBP.
Thickness: The 3611C is 1.05". Compare this to the 1.14" of the 3610 (2mm difference).
Threats: Like mentioned above, both threats do stop M193 and M855 making it a great choice for CONUS use. Only difference is that the 3611C is not rated for .30-06 JSP. It is multi-hit rated for all threats listed.
Cuts: After reading the spec sheet I saw that this is probably going to be HESCO's plate aimed at the Law Enforcement market. Unlike other plates in the HESCO line-up, there is no shooter cut option but rather "whole inch sizing" you see on the market (8" x 10" / 10" x 12" ) - HESCO refers to this as LE cut. Standard SAPI sizing and cuts are also available from small to X-large. All plates in the 3611C series are multi-curve.
Weight: Polyurea is a heavier coating but in the end, the 3611C is slightly lighter than the 3610. Weight savings vary from 4 oz on the bigger plates (XL) to 1 oz on the smaller plates. The weight savings really shine in the LE cuts. A 10" x 12" plate is only 3.9 lbs while an 8" x 10" plate is a scant 2.5 lbs!!
Price: Comparable to the 3610 series of plates but needs to be special ordered at the moment as full pricing has not been released.
Attached are some pics of the plate.
