$99 Battle Steel Level IV Composite Armor Plate Test!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 ม.ค. 2025
- The Battle Steel plates combine ceramic and polyethylene armor but will they actually meet Level IV standards? Let's find out!
Link to the plates: bit.ly/3usHenh
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Disclaimer: These videos are strictly for educational and entertainment purposes only. Imitation or the use of anything demonstrated in my videos is done AT YOUR OWN RISK. All work on firearms should be carried out by a licensed individual and all state and federal rules apply to such. We (including TH-cam) will not be held liable for any injury to yourself or damage to your firearms resulting from attempting anything shown in any our videos. I do not endorse any specific product and this video is not an attempt to sell you a good or service. I am not a gun shop and DO NOT sell or deal in Firearms. Such a practice is heavily regulated and subject to applicable laws. I DO NOT sell parts, magazines, or firearms. These videos are free to watch and if anyone attempts to charge for this video notify us immediately. By viewing or flagging this video you are acknowledging the above.
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This is why you're my favorite channel. One day you could review a $4000 rifle and the next it's a $99 armor plate. Something for everyone's budget
Oy vey naughtzee frog shut it down!
Something flannel daddy rarely does for us
@@kirilbellic3602 nazi frog?
Stopped a black tip 30.06 for $99. Wow. Good deal. Thanks for the video Mike.
You're welcome 👍🏽
I scrolled too early 😑
black tip means armor piercing?
@@kalashnishop1662 Yes! That round is still leathal through 4" or reinforced concrete.
From 15 feet none the less ha ha
Daaaaammmmnnnn…..$99 plates at 5.5lb....with that performance...
No padding tho. Rma 1155s are much better for not much more.
I have a set of trauma pads with them, but will check out the RMA's.
@@CS-xm3be ok
I run these with trauma pads
@@quantum_chezburger2279 those weigh over 3 pounds more too...
Gosh... After I purchased these plates (BTW, they are $89 apiece now, but no more free delivery), my tactical vest got twice as lighter as it was before! And, for the peace in mind, I've tested their 6x6 Level IV plate from a distance of 30 meters with M855A1 EPR ammo. It held 4 hits just fine, was penetrated by the fifth one. This result, as you can imagine, is way above the standards applied to this type of plates...
Семён Семёныч when you order do you need to order 2 for a full set ?
@@mikez6289
Well, there's no such thing as a set. If you need to cover your front only, one plate would be enough. For both, front and back, you'll need two plates. If you want to cover your sides, you can purchase a pair of 6"x6" plates to insert them into the cummerbund's pockets
Same I bought a pair of 10x12, how was the back face deformation with that 6x6 you tested out?
@@scoobarsteve7948
I didn't check the plate after each shot, but when I checked it after the fifth one, the back face looked pretty much like the one form the video at 10:08 . Which is quite normal for this type of armor. I guess a set of trauma pads would come handy.
@UCDkm12eoBwFPsWd1r7Whmfw
He mentioned the company's name as Botach. Just google it. www.google.com
I cannot believe it survived the .3006 with black tip, let alone everything that you threw at it afterwards. Truly impressive. And the price and weight along with the comfort curving? Sign me up any day of the week! Liked and subbed
Thank you for starting with the stuff that matters. I always hate when people shoot a ton of small stuff and weaken the armor before using what it may have stopped initially had it not been compromised.
Mrgunsngear is Demolition Ranch for adults.
Adultish
No
I hate demolition ranch!
Mr.guns and gear is an actual real american patriot that gets stuff done unlike demo ranch salad dressing.
What do you mean? Demo ranch is fine
That is the most impressive $99.00 armor I have ever seen!...KEEP ON ROCKIN IT!......Mrgunsngear.........
I bought a pair of these because of your video!... Thank you for the reviews it helps us regular guys out a lot
These are sweet plates! light and seem well made. I hope I never get shot!. -- Buffman also tests these and they do very well. Botach shipped them immediately,too. I got my order in 4 days.
You should test out expired, armor.
This is a great idea!
I've wondered about that. Plus wondered about the safety of buying it if it's a year or 2 old
This is a great idea. After tedious research I've come to the conclusion that the 20 year shelf life of the Spartan AR550 armor is a more attractive price point...
@@christopherrodriguez6545 maybe but thats 6 lbs heavier if you get no spall coating, and that price is only if you get the most basic 550 they have. if not youll have to add money, then worry about spall mitigation. I had ar550 and it was a little too heavy for me and also ive noticed even with the coating that the spall can come free or the layer blow off. With these ceramics it will catch the spall and is much lighter. It can last for 200 years, if its too heavy to wear then it doesnt matter.
Armor doesn't necessarily lose integrity as fast as it "expires" it just gets replaced as a precaution after a length of time
Just ran a pair of these in a shotgun course today. Though not light, they are lighter than the AR500 armor I was running before. Nice to know your evaluation also showed it's effectiveness as others I've seen.
very cool
Not light??? 5.5 lbs n level 4 at that... Pretty light imo.. Prolly the lightest I've ever seen reviewed, especially for the price point
Level IIIA is all u need for buckshot. It's 4X lighter and cheaper.
@@Code_Made Not soft-armor light, but not AR500 heavy. A nice in between weight. For the protection, it's an outstanding value.
@@hambone7777777 Was running plates in an 8 hour shotgun course to test out my load. Got level IV plates not to deal just with shotgun rounds, but for anything that I may encounter at home.
Judging from the reviews on their website the best thing that company ever did was send you a plate to shoot. I'm sold. And a lot of other people are too.
link was already taken down. Suppression is real.
99$ to save a life?
Sold!
kris guntner this wouldn’t save your life lmfao look at the back face deformation. Get better plates.
@@Zzero409 So it STOP the bullet....yet it "wouldn't" save your life?
Deformation happens on MOST types of armor depending on it's rating and the caliber used against it.
The only person who doesn't know that is somebody who has never USED it.
kris guntner yes it stopped a bullet. But now you have a bulge burying itself into your chest that can cause problems. Deformation to that extent shown in the video happens to cheap armor. Dont cheap out on a product that is literally designed to stop a bullet🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@Zzero409 MOST armor BULGES from impact,once again,DEPENDING on type and caliber used against it.
You can hit ar500 plate with a big enough round and it will bulge but are you going to be WEARING hard armor all the time or are you going to be wearing soft which is USELESS against anything from a .22 hornet and higher?
So your point is moot.
@@krisguntner4805 yeah i agree all plates bugles on impact depending on the caliber however that cheap armor will bulge worse then solid top brand armor. AR500 armor and cheap armor are both garbo steel frags and the coating can wear. Again no reason for cheaping out on life saving equipment. watch trex arms live video they posted about armor if you want
Demolition ranch is cool to watch but to get a real review on new products Definitely watch you all the way brother
Him and anybody other than Matt's goofy gun channel lol
Demolition Ranch is so cringe. I can't watch him anymore, especially since you can tell he is trying hard to play the TH-cam game with his thumbnail style and video ideas... It just feels so gross.
@@ghostuscoyote I feel like you shouldn't really blame Matt for targeting a different group of audience. Mrgunsngear channel is great for people seeking detailed and tehnical reviews while Demolition ranch is for people wanting to get a quick entertainment.
@@ghostuscoyote I get it you're not into his style. He is a bit goofy. But don't knock it. It's his style and Goofy non-intimidating manor that brings people who normally wouldn't be into guns into the gun community. He displays the fun side of it. I don't know if you realize it but we could really use that right now. So all the power to him.
@@DanGoodShotHD I would love more goofy gun TH-camrs, I just don't like his style of humor that is cringe. The main reason I don't like him is that it is obvious he is making a lot of money through multiple different businesses of his and it shows. I liked watching him way back when he was younger and messing around and having fun, not making videos like it's his job. A shift in tone.
So happy you tested the big caliber off rip unlike most other videos that work their way up to it and degrade the crap out of the plate first. Very impressive!
I never would have believed it if I had not seen it. And at 15 feet! :-o
That IS impressive.
Thanks for doing this vid. Very helpful.
Damn im impressed. Im sold. Getting some of those plates. Thanks.
Did you ever order these plates? And if so how long did it take for you to receive your order?
Don't be so hard on yourself, Mike. Matt's like a little kid with a big budget and an even bigger imagination. He's the best older brother his kids could ever ask for. Toss in a hot wife, adorable kids and some wonderful motorized toys, some of which he destroys, and a high goof factor coupled with sincerity, it's no wonder he's where he's at.
You do awesome work and you're sincere. You're just not goofy with an unlimited budget. I must say, this was a real fun and informative test.
Thanks for all you do.
Mikes wife brings in close to a mil a year man..
Love the fact i was wondering how ceramic stopped the bullet and a minute later you explain it! THANK YOU!
Last time I went down the body armor rabbit hole I lost 15 lbs and didn't see the sun for seven days.
...and I still don't have a set.
You are one of the very Best and Honest GunTuber's out there. Always Appreciated! Thank You
To minimize that big bump at the back of the plate,add a 3mm abrasive resistant 250 BHN at the back. It also increase the penetration resistance capability and soften that bump.
Is that a steel plate?
From 15 feet:
1 black tip 30-06
1 steel case 7.62
6 Double OO Buck 12ga.
25 5.56 and failed with 5 penetrations.
Liked, Subbed, and bought the product.
Me too
I’m running these plates in my carrier, thank you for the review! I know they work now! 🙏🏿
Can’t argue with that testing. Picked up two today!
The thing with the scattergun is that the plate might catch 8 of the pellets from a blast, but then that flier could end up over the top in the throat.
Nice. I looked for vids when I bought mine, but that was before you posted this one. and didn't really see a whole lot. I'm surprised I missed yours when you posted it. Thank you.
The lack of recoil on that 556, visibly, is amazing.
Just ordered 2 because of this review. Awesome work. Thank you for putting up with TH-cam and getting these reviews out to us.
That's pretty amazing. And light weight. Wanted to invest in some for boogaloo. So when I'm in my house shitting my pants, I'll have something to cuddle.
They are even cheaper now. Picked a couple up over memorial day for $81 each ro replace some soft armor panels I've been using. The soft armor can now be relegated to backpacks and loaner carriers. But I was pretty happy with the cheap lvl3a soft panels they sell as well.
Hey Mr. Lead Farmer, the crops are going to be good this year!
I was thinking that too
Nope the ammo shortage is real. The lead crops never came in this year. We have a serious lead famine.
30.06 didnt penetrate, color me impressed. Thats a pretty serious round..
Now, I need to look for a carrier.
Quality content as always, thanks for looking out for those on a budget!
Dude this is awesome. I will be picking some of these up very soon. Thanks for the review. I just can’t justify what is wanted for NIJ tested ceramic plates. Thanks.
Thought I would share this info. I ordered 2 of these plates a couple of weeks ago and received them in 5 days. Botach did good by me. Thanks for the video, MrGnG.
Well thats good to know. I just ordered a set, but they say they are backed up several days to weeks, so I dont even know what to believe anymore. Theyve been out of stock for over a week until today so I do not see things changing much since your purchase. Wish me luck! God bless you brother.
@@aholegunner They shipped mine 4 days after i ordered. I received my plates about 7 days after i placed my order. hope this helps
@@aholegunner Did you ever order these plates? And if so how long did it take for you to receive your order?
Thank China
Thank you. What I always want to see is a black tip .308 bullet.
Even 338 Lapua might get stopped but the tungsten core 308 might pass through.
Lol you legit had a drum mag for 1 round on your m&p10
I would actually call that a box mag. Because it is most likely a belt fed system rather than a cylindrical spring fed spiral.
@@kakytoo69 .... That's..... That's not a box mag bub.
I’m quite annoyed. I was sent a less expensive set of plates than the ones I ordered, and was told they were the same plate. After proving that they weren’t the same plate they said they were going to issue a return label, which didn’t show up until I inquired again about it. Now I’m told that I will be issued store credit once they receive the wrong plates back. Then I can reorder the correct plates again and just pray that the right plates get shipped out I guess. My brother ordered the same plates as me a couple days later and received the less expensive plate also. My theory, which I hope is wrong, is that this is an intentional choice on Battle Steel’s part to profit more from customers who don’t realize it’s a cheaper plate. Then when someone does confront them about it, instead of just sending out the correct plates, they keep your money and issue store credit. Now my money is tied up and I risk the correct plates being out of stock by the time they get the wrong plates back. I’m also concerned that the wrong plates will show up again.
Amazing results for a 99 dollar, 89 as I type this, plate and they are 5.5 lbs apiece. Yessir
I've recommended these plates to countless people. They're great plates at a great value. I have a set in my lighter armor rig. One thing people don't get with NIJ tested vs. NIJ certified: NIJ certification is so expensive that certified plates tend to lag behind technologically by quite a bit. This is why tested plates are usually so much lighter. Compared to a well-known certified armor manufacturer, these plates are a full 2.5 pounds lighter. That's 5 pounds less weight on your shoulders, just from front and rear. That's no small amount with an armor rig that, if you include a full 3-liter hydration bladder, is pushing 50 pounds.
Do you know anyone that has purchased recently, are they still multi curve? Description states single.
Gotta ove the Ulra high molecular weight/density polyethylene (UHMWP)
As an engineering student, this stuff is interesting sounds like a capstone project in the making
J Corbo I used it in my capstone project last year for that exact reason ;)
@@mkay0502 How did it go? Which school did you study?
Great video. Request (if possible): re-test the botch level 3 (not 3+) and level 4 using hunting rounds for 30-06, 300 win mag and 338 win mag. Some people wear these for protection while hunting. curious how they would handle a 300 and 338 win mag hunting round. Thanks
As legal gun owners, we're all part of the Demolita whether we like it or not. Good review Mike. I now know where my next armor platea are coming from.
Semi long term subscriber, amazing content. Thank you.
good data to have for a future investment. would have liked to see how it stands up to 7 mag and 300 mag.
Shouldn’t be an issue. You’d need AP ammunition. Even .50 BMG will just splatter if it’s lead.
Level IV plate is rated for .30-06 Springfield M2 AP.
Thank you for doing good work. You’re not Demolition Ranch. But you are Needed and Appreciated. We thank you. Job. Well. Done:
What carrier would you recommend for these plates
I would also like to know a good carrier for these plates.
primary use and budget?
@@Mrgunsngear Sheriff's dept use, budget up to $300 thanks so much.
I put these with level 3a behind in an ar500 veritas carrier...great fit and quality, also can customize the hell outta the veritas to fit your needs
@Henry N Hear, hear. I got a pair of these plates in my Slickster and it honestly feels like a life jacket than a plate carrier.
Wow sweet results for the price ! Thank you sir for the review !
Great demo/vid and even greater value for us to know about! Thanks!
Thanks for the Great video Pretty impressive! I imagine that is vastly improved from the 07 Esapi concept in ceramics plates...
MrGNG "color me impressed"
Me "where's the crayons?"
The Marines ate them all!
@@RumblestripDotNet I like the brown ones
Mackenzie Owens white ones = vanilla
@@mackenzieowens161 are the purple ones grape?
@@bmstylee green ones are Mtn Dew flavored.
That's impressive. And you're not annoying. Good channel.
That's the same plates I use in my kit for work. They are also light enough to float I believe.
Weight =/= buoyancy
After this video ended I ordered two, great review! 👍🏻👍🏻
I am impressed for $99 and if you can handle the 11lbs on you body then it is definitely worth it if unfortunately you get tagged.
You should add M193 out of a 20" barrel to these tests. That's an epic torture test.
The "Red Army" ammo is steel case (the casing/shell), not jacket (the outer layer of the bullet). The jacket is still copper. And, I can't believe you didn't try M855 5.56 green tip.
Green tip probably wouldn't have done much. I tried it on level 3a and it only made a small divot in the steel.
Nico P. Interesting, because real m855 (green tips) have a hardened steel armor penetrating core that's approximately .177cal that is designed to pierce light armor, including body armor under IVA (simply because IIIA is all that existed when the M855 was designed).
Gryphon Arms USA it isn’t a steel core, just a steel tip. It is not considered armor piercing. The tip actually ends up helping initiate expansion when hitting soft targets at velocities that it would otherwise just punch a pencil hole through.
Wrong, its a steel jacket thats copper washed
@@GryphonArmorer green tips are not designed to be armor penetrating. they're meant to penetrate soft obstacles stuff like car windows and tree branches
One of my favorite video done by you. Great job as always bro
I think the 4lb 3+ plates look better for me. Can we get a discount link for those?
What I'm talking about! Why waste time, you know it already stops pistol rounds. Love the thinking, totally thought you was going to go smaller first. Cheers!
I'm assuming this would need trauma plates to go with it and if so which do you recommend?
Pavlos Pavlakos stand alone plates
This is a plate genius. Quit repeating shit that you hear and dont understand. It does not make you look 'operator', just shows your complete lack of knowledge.
73Corbin I’m asking a question? Most plates I have seen recommend traumas plates/pads to wear underneath the armor. Calm down dude.
73Corbin wrong.
.......Dude, just landed here by chance but glad I did. You just saved me having to shoot the same plate I got from Botach. Uniform Warehouse was selling a level III bout same time at similar price. I'll check ur channel to see if you tested the super thin level IIIa plate. Even wife suggested I shoot it before depending on it. Haven't done so at this time. BTW, that hit and back deformation could definitely be a heart stopper but still better chance than massive wound channel. 11"x14" is lot better coverage. I just added it to my soft kevlar militery open in front vest which should absorbe some of the shock trauma, I hope. Haven't seen any tests set up that way. Hint, hint. L8r. Gd vid.
Nothing says ‘Prepared’ like doing a single round test with a Magpul D60!
.........also this plate makes good backpack armor. Well, haven't been shot usin it but doesn't add that much felt weight to backpack with Sig MPX, couple mags and Quikclot/CAT tourniquet trauma kit. With various man purse items.....flashlight, phone charger, police radio, etc.
15' is bad breath distance lmao!
Well I guess for a rifle round 15' is very close. I'm assuming that most of the time a armor piercing 30-06 round isn't shot at 15'.
Dudes, Don’t want None dat Dawg BREFF 😝 💩 coming my way! 🙅🏾♂️
Just got mine, and it seems to be a "winner". I will not be testing it, and hope I never have to find out how well it works. Thanks Mike, for doing the legwork for me. Being on the anti-gun cretin's radar now, it just makes it more "enticing".
Is level III+ rated for m193? I don't plan on ever being shot at with AP rounds except maybe green tip 556 in a shtf scenario.
Yes. I believe 3+ can stop m855a1 as well. M193 for sure.
@@asdfghjk2933 M855A1 Goes right through 3+. th-cam.com/video/jET4I6oySsw/w-d-xo.html
Wow, BCM makes an excellent quality box. Can't say I'm surprised.
Has a drum magazine and shoots one round. Then dumps a stick magazine logic at its finest!
That is a box mag
Great video! Impressive value for a level IV plate
Wow. The armor is more dense than flat earthers 😂
Looks like I finally found some effective and inexpensive lightweight level IV plates. After I get my upper to go with my new PSA SBA3 MOE EPT lower you made me buy, I'll be getting a pair of these plates.
Forget the armor I want what came in that big BCM box! 😂
I want to say, I know you’re only 15 feet away, but your shot placement was perfect 😂
I'd like to see you try 270 Winchester accubond
Does it have a metal jacket?
@@kirilbellic3602 no but I have some ar500 level four and it will go right straight through it about 25 yards that's why I was like to see what it will do to the armor he had
@@treeguy4009
Cool, interesting.
Do you load that bullet yourself into a hot load or is that factory?
.270 can be underrepresented with factory loads.
@@kirilbellic3602 no it's a factory load
@@kirilbellic3602 me personally I would not have thought it would have went through it but it did I was surprised🤷♂️
I'm having a tough time deciding which cheap body armor I'm going to buy, their are so many choices, thank you for the review!
Will 55gr m193 5.56 from a 20" barrel defeat level 4 ?
Never mind, I didn't watch far enuff
😁
I wanted to stay with level 3 or level 3+ plates but I have seen too many get hole punched by M193 out of 20” barrels.
@@Miso_Hornie we were just shooting some steel targets with m193 and various handguns and we started to notice some pretty good divots in them and we weren't sure which gun was doing it. Turned out to be the 20" AR. The 16's weren't damaging the plates at all.
@@JerradAdams M193 is weird. It likes 20" and kinda likes 14.5" but definitely doesn't like anything else.
Just bought some of these! Awesome vid man!
So I assume it’ll stop m80a1 and m855a1 as well
Minarchist1973 I wouldn’t assume that one man
@@douglasmilburn3875 If it can stop 30-06 black tip, it can sure as hell stop either of those rounds.
That 100mph tape was the star of the show. Really held it together.
Hell yeah $99 level 4 I'm game! Live test on my body!
@@6236003 Florida man 😂😂😂
@@DMF716 I hope I never have to experience it but it least I'll be breathing haha
You should start adding common hunting calibers to the mix. 30-30, .243, .270, 7mm-08, 22-250, etc.
CausticCarbine i mean that seems cool and all but if it stops 5.56 and 308 nato spec rounds then it will stop all those rounds you mentioned.
Would liked to have seen some m855 A1 out that 20” barrel
Xm193 has more velocity and out of a 20 in will do more
No one rocks 55 grain with a 20in though, it's literally a made up scenario. If you're rocking a 20in, you're probably running 73-77 grain because let's face it, you're not doing CQB with a 20in lol
M193 and m855a1 is the ones I like to see shot at level 4 plates
They won’t go through lol
@xsleezerx2083 m193 is a smoking fast round out of a 20 inc upper it plays h.ll on body armor
@xsleezerx2083 m855a1 is a bad mf out of a 20 inc upper it's bad a.. out of a 16 inc upper it's just a bad a.. round
Well, I'm impressed. I had no idea it could take such a barrage and only let a few rounds through. Great test, very well done!
Thanks man! Just bought 2 or more each at & $89.95 even better deal!!
@2:55 Extractor Abuse! The 03 Springfield isn't a push feed!
Mike, great video man. Tremendous value overall...
I will watch your videos long before Matt's. He isn't the same as when he was smaller. Guess I think he let his head get in the way of his videos. His father is a very humble man so it's kind of surprising. In the end your videos give information and like Plinkster said in depth good videos,
Thanks so much for doing this test! This is exactly what I have been looking for!
I'm impressed and sure Is lighter than the vests I wore in the Marines.
99 plus 20 bucks shipping to florida as of right now. Total for two plates is 220.08
I’ve seen these before, and thought it’s all fake shit, but apparently not. Damn that’s a pretty good competitor to other body armor companies that charge a lot more for their plates.
Too early to tell if they are legit. Obviously the plate in the video was good, but we cant be sure the plates they sell on their website are the same. They aren't NIJ certified so you just have to take their word for it. I will wait for more reviews, especially reviews where the plate was bought and not sent.
How about putting a watermelon behind the plate , or something similar to see kinetic energy and results. It better than a bullet hole but the smaller thinner armor does to energy displacement?? Great video as always. I just bought the lv 3A 2 pack w carrier for 118 $ shipped to my front door.
i dont think it survives the shotgun
correction: it SURVIVED......!?
Most of us have polyethylene(hdpe) in our refrigerator or garage. It's your common plastic milk carton or oil/antifreeze container. It's a bunch of layers glued together. Stuff works good against boolets. Oh, It also has kinda self-healing properties. Yeah, I'm a tactinerd. 😉
When i looked at their website all i said was "that is so cool"
I like how you get right to the action. This one was suprising!
Duly noted