Spartan body armor

[chef1231]

So I have decided I should get some armor because well why not. I am pretty sure from some quick research that I will go with the Spartan brand. Just going with cheaper steel vs ceramic, unless someone could talk me out of it. Seems like the weight savings is not great and this will most likely ( hopefully) never really need to be used. My question is they offer different cuts and options and I was just curious if anyone here has worked with them and if there is a better place to buy it from vs their website.

 

[DadSmith]

Get Ceramic because steel won't absorb shrapnel from the bullets properly. That shrapnel may end up in your neck and that would be a bad deal.
Ceramic can be shot multiple times and still work effectively I've seen several tests that show that.
Yes steel will keep stopping bullets within what it's rated for many times more.
But hopefully you aren't standing there taking a pounding so long that Ceramic armor fails.

SRT+ (Special Rifle Threat) 4.1 lbs Multi-curve Armor Plate (TASRT+)

Tacticons' SRT+ is a lightweight Special Threat Plate tailored to defeating more common rifle rounds like the 5.56 M193/M855 (AR-15) and the 7.62x39 (AK-47).

tacticon.com

Check these guys out. They also have lvl 4 if you want it.

They have a 24% off code on site right now also.

 

[NyleRN]

So I have decided I should get some armor because well why not. I am pretty sure from some quick research that I will go with the Spartan brand. Just going with cheaper steel vs ceramic, unless someone could talk me out of it. Seems like the weight savings is not great and this will most likely ( hopefully) never really need to be used. My question is they offer different cuts and options and I was just curious if anyone here has worked with them and if there is a better place to buy it from vs their website.

If I were you I'd opt for the ceramic if you can swing it. The weight savings doesn't seem like much......till you throw it on yourself and have to wear it for some time. Then you'll notice it. And if you're asking about different cuts then it sounds like you may have a rifle on your person as well while wearing armor? If so then that's added weight to your shoulders. Go with a shooters or swimmers cut. My Hesco 4401s and carrier weight 17lbs without 3 loaded PMAGS in tacos. Slinging a rifle adds more. The younger you are, the less it'd bother you. But if you're older and not in real good fit shape, that extra weight will not play nice with you

 

[joe138]

I would also look at LVL 3 icw. The In Conjunction With means that if you are wearing soft armor, the rifle plates are LVL 3. The benefit of ICW plates is that they are thinner and lighter. As age creeps up, thinner and lighter matter. The benefit of stand alone is that you don't have to have soft armor. And before choosing a level, decide what the most common threat is and go from there.

And go with ceramic plates.

 

[keeph8n]

Steel plates and shrapnel damaging you are a risk factor I would not recommend.

I have ceramic in my edc bag and my carrier has ceramics in it.

 

[chef1231]

I’m not in a line of work that requires me to wear a vest and I’m more less looking for a option of worst case , civil unrest, etc… can’t say the weight of the plates would be of grave concern. The cost is not really either except if I’m planning worst case scenario it’s kind of a ( Richard ) move to not provide vests and plates to the whole family. Which is where the cost of steel and shelve life would play more of a role. Spartan offers a steel plate with some kind of coating that’s supposed to protect against shrapnel. Has anybody had any experience with that? They also offer a ceramic that is hexagon or what appears to be 2 inch squares, but what would happen if a round went in between? I’m guessing that’s not good