Is body armor necessary for a civilian?

[MarinePMI]

Body armor and weapons are just like a seatbelt in a car. It won't keep you from getting in an accident, and it might not even save you in a car accident. But it's just something to stacked the odds in your favor of surviving, should you get in an accident.

Been driving a car for 35+ years now, and never been in an accident. But, I still put my seat belt on whenever I drive my car. It's not about being paranoid, it's about being prepared IMHO.

 

[Jscb1b]

This terrifies me due to the likelihood, personally speaking. View attachment 8172637

Midget?

 

[strikeeagle1]

I would like someone to invent the analog of a automobile airbag body armor suit...although its deployment could not be triggered by the sound of the shot, as that would be too late. If you hear the shot, they missed.

 

[WindstormSCR]

so a friend of mine decided to do the same thing I do and keep a ballistic insert in the back of his daily commute backpack. Just saved him from a serious injury today. not by stopping a bullet but by stopping shrapnel from something in the maintenance shop near where he works exploding. shattered the window and luckily the bag was between him and the window. he dug three pinky sized fragments of metal out of the insert.

still no word on what caused the kaboom, his guess is a mishandled acetylene cylinder (train maintenance yard)

anecdotal, but food for thought all the same

 

[Budrichard]

If I were watching Nascar in Chicago this weekend in person, I would certainly wear Body Armor!
I haven’t been in the City proper for at least three years, first Covid and now the explosion in Crime.
Road America so so much safer, there is no comparison!
-Richard

 

[hlee]

Always put your body armor on before engaging in a gunfight…

 

[person911]

Imo iff you have to ask if you need something, you probably don’t.

 

[30calDeath]

It's probably the last or 2nd to the last thing I'd buy. I can see it as insurance if SHTF but for me it's not worth me dropping $1000+ ATM. Honestly I wish I had everything already and body armor was the last piece to my puzzle.

 

[Bakwa]

I'd get NV and a PEQ before getting body armor. There are a lot of things that are worth getting, and taking the time and money to train on before getting body armor. But I do advocate for body armor.

Cheers

 

[Oldloser]

I think it’s overrated…

Cover/concealment using terrain > armor

Prone > standing

I have been in multiple firefights and I have witnessed 1 person hit in the plate majority are limb abdominal. Face. Hits.

heard/close account of another shot 6 times to plate point blank at Traffic control point AK at close range… he got back up and killed the entire car with his M4 BSM with V recipient.

Now obviously that was mostly undertrained shooters with an iron AK with or without aiming…. Who’s to say.

Most of the combatants I have seen dead were hit center mass( abdominal wounds).

Body armor/soft armor really saved lives with regards to IEDs/explosives…

I would venture tourniquets on limbs and stopping majors bleeds saved far more lives than plates stopped lethal hits.

Close range it’s more intuitive to shoot chest. That’s the only time I would say it’s necessary…. But you should be avoiding those situations to begin With

Come to the big parade situation. 9/10 guys will be running optics…. All of which would/should assume. Everyone else is wearing armor… and thus I am Shooting for pelvic girdle. And I’ll finish it once they are on the ground….

I’m not saying it doesn’t have any place… but. Utilizing cover.. IMTing and being mobile beats immobility and restrictions it can cause.

Additionally I have seen the fitness level of most of the guys pounding their chest about body armor…. Them in their gear. With water and ammo. They won’t make it to the fight…

Well said.

Think about the opposition. Most people will scatter when shooting starts. Very few will stand and fight. Even fewer will use basic tactics. Fewer still will use team tactics. The latter are extremely dangerous if you are on your own.

Taking a basic individual CQB class that covers room clearing - and the use of cover and movement - will go a long way to solving 99% of the things you will run into. At least you will know what NOT to do.

That CQB class is a higher priority than plates.

 

[Milf Dots]

probably get one for the doggo too....

This! Perhaps the first family member that should have it is the dog because of the rate of terrorism against family members being committed by feds/nazis... If you have "kids that don't have democrat views"- then they'd get armor too.

 

[cruiserweight]

I can't argue with that. I suppose I should look into that more. With that said. Is level 4 necessary or would something lighter be good?

Lighter. Lvl 4 is not needed at all. I wear armor for a living overseas and we don’t even wear lvl 4. Lvl 3+ is what you should be looking at, generally gonna be lighter and cheaper. A disclaimer though: stick to well known manufacturers (LTC, Highcom, Tencate, Velocity Systems) and realize that unlike lvl 4 and lvl 3, 3+ is not a standardized criteria and each model of lvl 3+ plates is gonna protect against differing threats. Some lvl 3+ plates might stop 7.62x39 API, some might not. Some might stop M855A1, some won’t. So read the description

Then you’ve gotta consider how much weight and thickness you’re willing to tolerate. The more expensive the plate, the lighter and thinner it typically is. Some plates will also require a soft armor lvl 3a “backer” to achieve their rated performance, so keep that in mind if you decide to go with an “in conjunction with” (ICW) plate instead of the more typical “stand alone” plates that are popular these days. Some plate carriers won’t fit both a plate and a soft armor backer.

Finally, on the subject of terrain and utilization of cover vs the need for plates, it all depends on your environment obviously. But urban/CQB environments pretty much require plates.

(Sorry, I nerd out hard on gear and get made fun of for it all the time.)