Body armor recommendations...

I’d say keep it simple and get a JPC. What are they like $130 now? That’s cheap and good stuff. For the soft armor, look around online, im sure there is plenty of old stuff out there. It’s not that the stuff won’t necessarily work after a said date, even tho it does have a shelf life and many variables contribute to that, it’s just that legally they won’t warranty it or cover anything past that point. Make sense? I’ll be glad to help any way I can.
 
There are two different cuts to the plates that I know of, so feel free to correct me. One cut allows easier shouldering of a rifle butt, but exposes a little more of the shoulder area. The other might make it tougher to shoulder a weapon due to thickness/curvature of the plate.
 
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Does that matter? What exactly is "special threat?"
It defeats AP 5.56, but not AP or point blank .30 cal (again, IIRC). Level IV defeats AP up to .30-06, Level III doesn't. L210's fit somewhere in the middle and are also not rated/tested for multi-hit suvivability (again, IIRC).

@TheGerman tends to be our armor guru here lately...
 
Search on "Body armor" and "TheGerman". He's had a couple of pretty thorough (and lengthy) write ups about the pros and cons of each level (and special threat plates), so that each person can weigh the options and buy what makes sense for their threat environment and budget.

If it were me...I'd want something that at minimum stops one of the most prolific types of ammunition in circulation ("green tip" 5.56 light AP). But that's just me, living in a fairly sub urban environment, in a state that has a metric shit ton load of people hoarding mil-surp ammo...not that they know how to properly use it; but there you go.
 
Search on "Body armor" and "TheGerman". He's had a couple of pretty thorough (and lengthy) write ups about the pros and cons of each level (and special threat plates), so that each person can weigh the options and buy what makes sense for their threat environment and budget.

If it were me...I'd want something that at minimum stops one of the most prolific types of ammunition in circulation ("green tip" 5.56 light AP). But that's just me, living in a fairly sub urban environment, in a state that has a metric shit ton load of people hoarding mil-surp ammo...not that they know how to properly use it; but there you go.
Makes perfect sense. I live in AL and Im sure there are a ton of green tips out there along with every hunting round imaginable. I just bought a Crye Precision JPC 2.0.
 
L210’s stop 5.56 Green Tip minimum 6x. They are in between level 3 and 4. But as mentioned they aren’t rated for .30 point blank AP. They are rated to stop 7.62x39. Pretty sure there are plenty of videos out there testing this stuff. If you want anything better than L210’s you are looking at north of $850 per plate. Just FYI. And I’m thinking with level III behind them it might stop a .30 AP even tho I’m not going to try it lol. Everything is a give and take.
 
I ordered Hesco plates on Sept 4th. They are hopefully arriving today.(3810s)

I ordered the 4401 a few weeks before that and saw them in about 6 weeks.

A JPC 2.0 direct took from October until mid November.

Better order today or be willing to pay extra for sooner.
 
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Anyone know if DFNDR does a military discount? Edit: they do...found it on their web site. Now to see if it applies to us ORFs.

Edit: I have some milsurp level 3 plates in an old “one step up from a flak jacket” carrier, and some really light polyethylene level 3 plates from ‘Bulletproofme’ in a slickster carrier I built up for my son... They’re good folks who provide great service and I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again.
 
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Bulletproofme.com has NIJ rated Lvl 4 stand alone plates for about the same price as those Hesco plates. Used to be a video online of one getting just trashed and it held up to an amazing amount of lead, more than an issue ESAPI. The lightweight Lvl4 plates are hard to beat for performance vs. price.

The Crye JPC 2.0 is the standard IMO, the quality of construction and attention to detail make it a killer deal actually. But by the time you add in a couple front panels, the wider cummerbund and the side plate carriers, the cost is closer to $400 IIRC.

I'd consider maybe some kind of padding between you and the plate. Some plates come with that built in, some asses also have it built in so it's up to you really.
 
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Yeah I’m not spending $800 so these should work fine. It’s only for home defense (hopefully.) Is there anything special I should get with these like SAPI or non SAPI? Cut? I just bought a Crye JPC 2.0.
Crye sizes their carriers for SAPI plates. so if you bought a medium carrier it will fit medium SAPI plates, and so forth. A medium carrier may fit a 10x12 plate, a large will fit a 10x12.
 
Lets say you have the level IV and take a 308 round, does the plate absorb most of the energy or will you still have a bad day from the shock?
 
You did it backwards and probably want to cancel your order. 10x12’s should be used in a Medium carrier. You might email Crye and ask if they have any Medium Swimmer’s Cut carriers in stock, I bought mine at the worst time and they had them in stock. Swimmer’s cut aren’t as high demand and that’s what the L210 plates are.

Body armor sizing:
1. Size the plates to fit your vitals zone (collarbone down to diaphragm, and width of lungs)
2. Pick plate carrier size that matched your plates (medium carriers fit medium plates; large carriers fit large plates)
3. Size Cummerbund to fit *you*. The standard cummerbund on any plate carrier generally fits almost all modestly healthy people. If you’re a giant or very overweight you may need larger.

I measured my chest and it's 47. The Crye JPC 2.0 XL is between 46 and 49.
 
You did it backwards and probably want to cancel your order. 10x12’s should be used in a Medium carrier. You might email Crye and ask if they have any Medium Swimmer’s Cut carriers in stock, I bought mine at the worst time and they had them in stock. Swimmer’s cut aren’t as high demand and that’s what the L210 plates are.

I wear XL shirts, and I have a Medium plate carrier with 10x12’s. I’m going to switch to a more full featured carrier with Large SAPI’s just for the sake of my two setups needing to be more diverse than they are.

Body armor sizing:
1. Size the plates to fit your vitals zone (collarbone down to diaphragm, and width of lungs)
2. Pick plate carrier size that matched your plates (medium carriers fit medium plates; large carriers fit large plates)
3. Size Cummerbund to fit *you*. The standard cummerbund on any plate carrier generally fits almost all modestly healthy people. If you’re a giant or very overweight you may need larger.

Actually the L210 says this, so it's not a swimmers cut: Enter the Hesco L210, a lightweight, single curve, multi-hit, standalone Special Threat Plate in Shooters Cut.
 
Shooter’s Cut is Swimmer’s Cut, just two different terms used by different companies - all plates that aren’t SAPI have slightly different cuts so it describes the style more than exacting dimensions. The L210 is a perfect fit in the Swimmer’s Cut JPC 2.0.
Ha ha man this stuff is confusing for newbs. I need to call Crye and ask them what size they think I need. Because I don't understand their sizing since my chest fits an XL.
 
Shooter’s Cut is Swimmer’s Cut, just two different terms used by different companies - all plates that aren’t SAPI have slightly different cuts so it describes the style more than exacting dimensions. The L210 is a perfect fit in the Swimmer’s Cut JPC 2.0.
No disrespect toward you, but the cummerbund is usually fitted for the waist. and goes outside the plate carrier. Here's a good site for equipment and visuals:
The videos he has are a good intro for armor......................
The cummerbund is what adjusts the size to fit your chest. The plate bags are sized only to fit the plates.
 
No disrespect toward you, but the cummerbund is usually fitted for the waist. and goes outside the plate carrier. Here's a good site for equipment and visuals:
The videos he has are a good intro for armor......................
No disrespect taken. You're being a great help and I really appreciate it! Oh and I canceled my Crye order.
 
No disrespect taken. You're being a great help and I really appreciate it! Oh and I canceled my Crye order.
You're welcome. John's videos really help a lot and I strongly recommend that anyone who is considering purchasing armor should view before they buy. You don't want to have buyer's remorse due to not being well informed. It ain't cheap.
 
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Imo- the tactical scorpion PE level 3+ plates are the way to go. They do really well against rifle rounds and are a lot lighter than other plates. Best all around IMO. Lapg offers a level 4 hybrid type plate but they are a little heavier than the scorpion plates, a few pounds per plate. JMHO, but I'm pretty familiar with what's out there.
 
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The L210 is a perfect fit in the Swimmer’s Cut JPC 2.0.
They sure are. If memory serves me right these are closer to 10x12 plates.

No disrespect toward you, but the cummerbund is usually fitted for the waist. and goes outside the plate carrier. Here's a good site for equipment and visuals:
The videos he has are a good intro for armor......................
Indeed. Cummerbund doesn’t have anything to do with the chest. However, the cummerbund does control how tight it is around your body. Another tidbit for you guys us that I see most people out there wearing them too loose! You want it just tight enough to feel pressure on your diaphragm. Not so much where you can’t breathe but just a little bit of pressure. You’ll just have to play with it to get it right. Also to note, if you have bad kythosis you might want to spend the money for multicurved plates. If you go single curve and have bad kythosis you might see that it pushes the back plate out at the bottom. You can cinch the cummerbund and adjust the carrier to minimize it as much as possible but this is something to be aware of as not everyone has perfect backs.
 
My understanding is that John has been a Special Forces operator. If you look at youtube, and enter Warrior poet society, You'll see a lot of his vids. On his website shop, under Products, there are some videos of how to install and use the equipment.
His prices are reasonable. He had some great guests on his vids also. He and Ryan Cleckner are a hoot to watch as well as educational.
 
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Ok so I'm pretty set on this: The L210 is a perfect fit in the Swimmer’s Cut JPC 2.0.
Now I need to figure out what size carrier I need. And yes, they are 10x12 per the website "5.4 lb (per plate) weight in a 10×12 single curve."

Ha ha man you're right. I'm definitely an over thinker. I just don't want to order this stuff and it not be right.
the JPC 2.0 XL will be perfect. measure your chest and if it’s close to their sizing guide go up one. This will allow for layers under to fit. Don’t get the swimmers cut version in my opinion, the. You can only use swimmer or shooter cut plates. Get the regular 2.0, it can use any of the plates. If you don’t like it, someone here will buy it I guarantee it
 
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the JPC 2.0 XL will be perfect. measure your chest and if it’s close to their sizing guide go up one. This will allow for layers under to fit. Don’t get the swimmers cut version in my opinion, the. You can only use swimmer or shooter cut plates. Get the regular 2.0, it can use any of the plates. If you don’t like it, someone here will buy it I guarantee it
That's all the L210 comes in per their site: "Enter the Hesco L210, a lightweight, single curve, multi-hit, standalone Special Threat Plate in Shooters Cut."
 
The XL size is made for XL plates, not XL people.
That is not how crye does it. If you look at their sizing guide, they base it off chest size.

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My experience as a noob thus far. (I've been very lucky)
I'm 5'8" and 152 lbs. Not fat but not super fit either.

JPC 2.0 standard in Medium. Fits great. I could see someone larger also using it for a smaller rig. My wife who is 5' 5" and not fat, is a bit large on but usable. I would definitely put her in a small. I would not want a small for me.

I initially used Hesco 4401 level IV shooters cut large 10x12 fit great. You could tell at the top corners where there was room for a SAPI plate. Very heavy. I wore it around several times. Doable but I wanted less weight.

I ordered the 3810 level III+ Multi curve. 4.1 lbs. vs. 7.5 lbs. /plate. The difference is huge. Single curve didn't bother me but the multi curve is very nice.

I'd recommend the lowest weight plates you can afford. Advice was given and I heeded the movement > protection. Give up a little protection for a lot of movement. Otherwise you just might ditch your plates. Bigger guys have more options due to obvious reasons. Especially if you're in good shape.
 
That is not how crye does it. If you look at their sizing guide, they base it off chest size.

View attachment 7526643
You need to size the Crye PC for whatever Plate size you are buying. I know they have the sizing guide with chest measurements for some reason, but like was stated before, if you order an XL and put medium or 10x12 plates in them, there will be a lot of extra room in the plate bag as the plate bag will be sized for an XL SAPI plate.

We use Crye Carriers at work and they are sized based on the size of our SAPI plates.

Most companies size their carriers on SAPI Plate sizing, so a medium carrier will fit a medium SAPI plate and so forth. It gets more complicated because you have SAPI plate sizing, and then you have the civilian plates which are usually 10x12 with different cuts ie square, Shooter, Swimmer. Most Plate Carrier manufacturers make their medium carriers be able to accommodate a 10x12 plate also, since they are so common in the civilian realm.
 
the JPC 2.0 XL will be perfect. measure your chest and if it’s close to their sizing guide go up one. This will allow for layers under to fit. Don’t get the swimmers cut version in my opinion, the. You can only use swimmer or shooter cut plates. Get the regular 2.0, it can use any of the plates. If you don’t like it, someone here will buy it I guarantee it

Agreed. Swimmers cut will fit fine and snug in most carriers, especially if they are 10x12’s.

That's all the L210 comes in per their site: "Enter the Hesco L210, a lightweight, single curve, multi-hit, standalone Special Threat Plate in Shooters Cut."

He isn’t saying don’t get the swimmers cut plates, he is saying not to get the swimmer cut carrier. Better to have a carrier that does both. That way you have options.

I understand that. Shooter cut will work in any plate carrier but a shooter cut carrier can only use shooter cut

Exactly.

I would choose 4401’s

Why? Just out of curiosity? They will stop 7.62x51 ball but they are also 2lbs. Per plate heavier. That’s a lot of xtra

Hesco U210s, or 4800s if you have the money.
Velocity systems special threat ceramic is g2g as well.
This is not a comprehensive list, there's other good options, but Hesco is close to (if not) the best.

Way outside the OPs budget im afraid.
 
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