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Light weight body armor

Rougharms

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 18, 2013
13
0
Ok guys I blew my knee and ankle out in the Stan and need light weight body armor. I was looking at the DKX level III body armor. Anyone know about these and where can I get a set on a budget?
 
Level IIIA stops everything up to .44mag and beyond

He is looking for level III meaning certain rifle rated threats and below, not IIIa which is pistol & shotgun threats EXCLUDING ALL RIFLE CALIBERS.

So your statement .44mag & beyond, well really level IIIa is only shotgun and BELOW is more accurate.

~Will
 
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When I say budget I just mean don't want to spend 2000 on a set.
 
He is looking for level III meaning certain rifle rated threats and below, not IIIa which is pistol & shotgun threats EXCLUDING ALL RIFLE CALIBERS.

So your statement .44mag & beyond, well really level IIIa is only shotgun and BELOW is more accurate.

~Will
Thanks for the correction my post was poorly worded, I knew what I meant in my head :)
 
I get the same way Smith! ;)

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RoughArms - Are you looking for specifically that brand, or will any high molecular weight Polyethylene plates work?

HMWPE is nice, but, it depends on your mission & threat level. The bonus to HMWPE is that they can be rougher handled, don't have to worry about cracking (unless its REALLY COLD) but not so good for stopping M855 (green tip) or for storing in the trunk of your car when its hot for days at a time.

~Will
 
A friend told me that he saw them at the shot show and I needed to get them that they were the best thing he had ever seen. Just wondering if they will live up to the hype or should I go a different route.
 
TYR site said 4.5 lbs a piece and I think the DKX are 2.9 lbs a piece. TYR are thinner though but more expensive… Brain Cramp!
 
I played with the DKX plates at SHOT and have been in contact a few times with them since. Here's my thoughts FWIW:

Pros:

LIGHT
Buoyant
Stops most threats
based in my home state
durable and very multi-hit capable


Cons:

WILL NOT STOP M855!!
kinda pricey in comparison to other available options
very thick. I'm talking limited carriers available kinda thick
did I mention it doesn't stop M855?


In case you didn't notice, not stopping M855 is a big turnoff for me. They are developing a plate that will (I'm hoping they'll have it at SHOT this year). In the end, there are always tradeoffs. You just have to decide which ones are more important to YOU.
 
Look at the Midwest mass 3 best lightweight rifle plate I've found. 3.5lbs a plate and they say you can hit them with a hammer and it will not damage them. In fact someone on YouTube hit it with a hammer a few times then tested them. They will not stop m855 but stopped multiple 308 and a 30 round mag of 55gr 556. They have a + plate that I think is half pound heavier but stops m855. The mass 3 comes with 10 year warrenty and the + is 5 year warrenty.

Use Mac code and takes each plate down to $320 so $640 plus shipping for the mass 3. Worth a look, that's what I'm looking at getting when I get the money. Plus their standard sapi thinkness I believe.
 
Sorry the tyr plates I linked are 4.5 lbs, the normal thickness tyr plates are 3.6 lbs for mediums and are multihit for pretty much all esapi cals. They are also a lot cheaper. They are $495 each only draw back is that they are not stand alone plates, but I don't know of any light stand alone plates.