Armor Ban
As I mentioned last week, the NY State Legislature passed a bushel basket of new anti-gun laws, one of which, bans the sale/purchase of body armor to civilians. Governor Hochul signed the bills into law yesterday (Monday). We may assume that other Democrat states will follow New York's example as good PR leading up to the mid-terms. www.mynbc5.com/article/new-york-gun-control-legislation-june-2022-hochul-semiautomatic-rifles/40208503#
The new law bans the sale/purchase or transfer of a 'body vest' to anyone not engaged in an 'eligible activity'. This is vaguely defined to include: law enforcement, military, security and other professions as may be designated by the State. As with so-called 'assault weapon bans' I suspect that members of the State government will be exempt from the laws they pass on the rest of us.
As I mentioned last week, the NY State Legislature passed a bushel basket of new anti-gun laws, one of which, bans the sale/purchase of body armor to civilians. Governor Hochul signed the bills into law yesterday (Monday). We may assume that other Democrat states will follow New York's example as good PR leading up to the mid-terms. www.mynbc5.com/article/new-york-gun-control-legislation-june-2022-hochul-semiautomatic-rifles/40208503#
The new law bans the sale/purchase or transfer of a 'body vest' to anyone not engaged in an 'eligible activity'. This is vaguely defined to include: law enforcement, military, security and other professions as may be designated by the State. As with so-called 'assault weapon bans' I suspect that members of the State government will be exempt from the laws they pass on the rest of us.
Armor Basics
First, NO armor is bullet-proof. Armor is bullet-resistant and provides a degree of protection from specific threats.
Second, (and I suppose this should be obvious) armor only protects the areas actually covered. Your arms, legs, hips and head are still exposed. Wearing armor does NOT make you super-man-woman-person. (But it does improve your odds of survival)
Body armor is rated/tested by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The different levels of protection are illustrated in the following diagram, with Level IIA being the lowest and Level IV being the highest. Levels IIA, II and IIIA can be provided with soft, concealable armor (such as Kevlar).
Levels III and IV require rigid armor plates.
First, NO armor is bullet-proof. Armor is bullet-resistant and provides a degree of protection from specific threats.
Second, (and I suppose this should be obvious) armor only protects the areas actually covered. Your arms, legs, hips and head are still exposed. Wearing armor does NOT make you super-man-woman-person. (But it does improve your odds of survival)
Body armor is rated/tested by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The different levels of protection are illustrated in the following diagram, with Level IIA being the lowest and Level IV being the highest. Levels IIA, II and IIIA can be provided with soft, concealable armor (such as Kevlar).
Levels III and IV require rigid armor plates.
Soft vs Hard
I suggest level IIIA soft armor but everyone's needs are different. Here is a primer on hard vs soft armor.
Soft Armor
Soft armor, as the name implies, is relatively thin, lightweight and designed to be (fairly) comfortable for everyday use for extended periods of time. It typically weighs under 5 or 6 pounds and is generally thin enough that it can be worn discretely underneath regular clothing. This is the type of armor worn by police throughout America.
Soft armor is constructed from flexible, strong fabrics such as Kevlar. The fabric stops the projectile and spreads the impact over a large area. Note that the impact may still cause serious bruising or broken ribs.
Soft armor typically wraps around the body and provides some protection to the sides, as well as extended coverage of the chest and back.
The main disadvantage is that soft armor is only rated for handgun threats and provides no protection against rifles. Quality soft armor is also substantially more expensive than steel plates.
I suggest level IIIA soft armor but everyone's needs are different. Here is a primer on hard vs soft armor.
Soft Armor
Soft armor, as the name implies, is relatively thin, lightweight and designed to be (fairly) comfortable for everyday use for extended periods of time. It typically weighs under 5 or 6 pounds and is generally thin enough that it can be worn discretely underneath regular clothing. This is the type of armor worn by police throughout America.
Soft armor is constructed from flexible, strong fabrics such as Kevlar. The fabric stops the projectile and spreads the impact over a large area. Note that the impact may still cause serious bruising or broken ribs.
Soft armor typically wraps around the body and provides some protection to the sides, as well as extended coverage of the chest and back.
The main disadvantage is that soft armor is only rated for handgun threats and provides no protection against rifles. Quality soft armor is also substantially more expensive than steel plates.
Hard Armor
As the name implies, hard armor is composed of steel, ceramic, or polymer plates. Generally, steel plates are the heaviest (weighing in at 16+ lbs for front and back), fairly thin and the least expensive.
Polymer plates are much thicker than steel but they are also lighter, weighing in at only 6-7 pounds for two plates (front and back).
The primary advantage to hard plates is protection against rifle rounds. Level III plates can defeat common AK-47 rounds, while level IV plates can provide protection against more powerful 'battle rifle' rounds. The military and SWAT use level IV plates.
Hard plates provide less coverage than soft armor and are often worn with soft armor underneath.
Hard armor is worn over clothing and is not concealable. The plates come in a bewildering variety of sizes, shapes and curvatures, as illustrated below. However, comfort is NOT a primary concern and there are no hard plates designed specifically for women. (click the pic for Pew-Pew's full armor review)
Female Armor
If you're a man (i.e. a non-birthing person) then you have virtually unlimited choices in armor. There are far fewer options for women.
This isn't really sexist... it's mostly a matter of simple practicality... hard armor, purchased in vast quantities by the military, isn't comfortable for anyone. There's no discrimination against women.... it is heavy, it's bulky, and it sucks... just get over it.
Law Enforcement, on the other hand, uses soft armor almost exclusively (except for SWAT). There are now a few companies making soft armor specifically designed for women. There are two examples in the pics below.
For the ladies who are 'more average', I like the product on the left because it is composed of an advanced Kevlar + Graphene composite that is thin and breathable. However, it is only available in generic sizes. The product on the right is available in tailored sizes and can be ordered with cup sizes up to DD. Click the pics for links.
If you're a man (i.e. a non-birthing person) then you have virtually unlimited choices in armor. There are far fewer options for women.
This isn't really sexist... it's mostly a matter of simple practicality... hard armor, purchased in vast quantities by the military, isn't comfortable for anyone. There's no discrimination against women.... it is heavy, it's bulky, and it sucks... just get over it.
Law Enforcement, on the other hand, uses soft armor almost exclusively (except for SWAT). There are now a few companies making soft armor specifically designed for women. There are two examples in the pics below.
For the ladies who are 'more average', I like the product on the left because it is composed of an advanced Kevlar + Graphene composite that is thin and breathable. However, it is only available in generic sizes. The product on the right is available in tailored sizes and can be ordered with cup sizes up to DD. Click the pics for links.
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 | You may think I'm being overly dramatic.... but I'm not. Here's a pic of the Ukrainian parliament during the Crimea incursion years ago. (Sorry, I don't recall who this is) She isn't wearing the armor correctly... it should be pulled up higher... above the sternum to protect the heart and lungs. But it illustrates where the world is headed. Armor for the government... armor for elites... but not for YOU. BTW, I assume the pic is mirror-reversed... the wedding ring and phone are reversed. |
Conclusion
Though soft armor will not stop rifle rounds, I believe Level IIIA is the most practical option for civilians (like us). It is lightweight, concealable and can be worn all day (honest).
Mass shootings with 'assault rifles' make sensational headlines in the media and provide powerful Distractions for Dishonest Democrats (I love alliteration). However, FBI statistics over many. many years show that rifles (of any type) are used in less than 3% of homicides, while handguns are used in the VAST majority of crimes (knives are in second place and beating or kicking someone to death is in third).
In FACT, more peple have been murdered with hands, feet or hammers than rifles every year for as long as there have been records. I'm not making this up. ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-8.xls
In my opinion, armor that you can wear comfortably and discreetly, ... that provides reasonable protection from 90% of random violent crime (might not protect you from hammers or baseball bats) is a much better investment than heavy armor that you will never wear.
If you live in a RED state... DON'T PANIC you have plenty of time to consider your options. If you live in a Blue state.... sorry, elections have consequences.
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