Plate carrier, plate,ballistic helmet suggestions

[Farmboy20]

I’ve been looking to get into armor and carriers for many years now and i been trying to do my homework before i make any purchases. And now with the riots and everything i feel it’s time to bite the bullet. What plates would the forum recommend for handgun and common rifle rounds and plate carriers do you find work well I have been looking at the travis hailey carrier with the flat pack on the back as a carrier but I’m open to other options as well. Also have been looking at a team wendy ballistic helmet too, i have one of their bump helmet that I really like but if better mouse trap out there lmk.

 

[Default.mp3]

Budget, use case, and timeline will play very heavy influences in recommendations.

For reference, I have a decent amount of disposable income, and have accumulated all my gear over a long period of time; main use case is LARPing on foot (overt stuff for me is 99.5% for fun, 0.5% for the off chance of societal collapse). I use a Blue Force Gear PLATEminus V2 with AT Armor STOP-BZs and an Ops Core FAST SF. I also have a couple PLATEminus V1s for true low profile use.

I chose the PLATEminus V2 because it is lightweight, streamlined, low profile, on sale, came in size small, and from a great manufacturer. The AT Armor STOP-BZs I chose because they were lightweight, thin, and covered most threats besides larger hunting calibers (the BZIs did not exist when I purchased these). The Ops Core FAST SF I chose over the MTEK, Crye Precision, and TW choices because of their market penetration and supposedly superior suspension system for use with NODs.

That being said, the armor choices I made are quite expensive and wholly overkill for most normal folks, and the wait times in the current market would be measured in months.

 

[HighTower]

On a normal day, Id entirely agree with Default.MP3 about the overkill aspect of his protection, but with NGSW being in 6.8, all DOD 5.56 is going to some day get sold to the civilian market, so the already semi common m855 will become common, and its EPR cousin, the M855A1 will come onto the market. (what will the ATF do, assuming it still exists, I dont know, they are a unilateral body)

That being said, I operate under the idea that common criminals don't use expensive ammo, my local community of "law-enforcement-involved people" use Tula/Wolf, so a decent poly plate would be fine... BUT do you want to find your self concerned with future proofing your armor? It does not sound like a big deal, but right now alot of armor providers are weeks and months behind on orders... Unless you know esoteric brands that have alternate supply chains and have the certificates to order from them (AMI comes to mind) you might find your self rocking a Hesco 34/36 full poly plate (not the 3611) and be aware that who is most likely to be in conflict with you can zip you like a knife is a milk jug. Long story short, a m855a1 proof plate will be future proof for longer than an m855 proof plate.

The flip side to this concern is plate bag size, my Scarab 10 Medium is Aprox. 1 inch, which is not as big as one thinks... 3611C, E Sapis (ICW)(Unless you have a super thin plate backer, like an SB117), 3400 and a slew of other plates are a no go.

I wear a Scarab 10 due to the need for webbing, as the DOD likes to throw random equipment for me to wear, so a slick PC sadly is not for me. The Scarab line also has hinged shoulder straps, which their awesomeness is slightly lost on me due to being small, but its still the most comfortable thing I have worn (which for reference is everything the Marines had from the PSAGT vest to the PC gen 2, which Id almost be tempted to wear in the Guard if I had one in MultiCam) Id kill for the Scarab to have a bigger plate bag, but the Scarab is in the whole "slim thick" PC idea. its comfortable to load up, but at the cost of the plate bag being thin.

Hope that helps!

 

[Farmboy20]

Thanks for all the info! My plans were far as budget and time line were to find what fits my need the best and save up and buy it over whatever the time line may be. My neck of the woods it’s very very rual and so I’m willing to bet if something is to happen I’ll be getting shot at with rifle calibers and perhaps some pistol rounds if I’m in a city as I travel for work.This set main purpose is for me to keep with me in case something goes down wherever I’m at.

 

[Farmboy20]

I found two plate carriers the hailey strategic thorax carrier or the at armor bc19. I would prefer the thorax however the major selling point for the AT armor is the qd cummerbund. So before i buy is there any reputable and quality qd aftermarket cummerbund i can mix with the thorax?

 

[Royroy]

First spear makes a retro fit cummerbund that I think will meet your needs. I’m sure there are others. Arbor arms would be another place to look.

 

[ToughLuckFAST]

I found two plate carriers the hailey strategic thorax carrier or the at armor bc19. I would prefer the thorax however the major selling point for the AT armor is the qd cummerbund. So before i buy is there any reputable and quality qd aftermarket cummerbund i can mix with the thorax?

The thorax is a velcro based cummerbund, which are almost always harder to convert to QD.
The Spiritus LV119 or the Shaw Concepts Arc are considerably more QD friendly.