Special forces wear very little plates and sometimes no side plates. I think they value speed and lightweight and being able to just run for cover over most else
It only stopped 40% of the hits, but it stopped 80% of the most likely fatal hits (4 of 5). So it doesn't make you Iron Man, but it does significantly increase your odds of survival.
@@uwesca6263 I think of this test not in terms of "how many would get through if you were hit 10 times," but rather "what are the odds that a given hit would get through." Thinking of it that way, the armor seems very much worth it.
Excellent point. That brings up the question of "where did the first round hit?" Because if it was a plate hit and Bob hit the deck and/or took cover we are at a much higher survival chance due to Bob wearing BA. If the first hit was off plate then the story has a much more tragic ending.
In combat body armor has also frequently prevented deaths from shrapnel and left soldiers seriously wounded and messed up but alive when in any other war the injuries would have been fatal.
In my experience adequate training (let alone advanced) is often not a priority, especially for budgets. My dept wouldn’t cover medical so I need to provide my own. At the VERY least it’s easier to toss on a tq than dick around with the chest cavity.
Since the enemies aim isn't perfect it's just a game of probability and statistics really. If your main threat is enemy rifle fire, plates may be great. Let's say your total body surface is 2 square meters. Plates cover only 0.075sqm, not even 5% of your skin. But since arm, leg and even gut shots may not instantly kill you but can be treated in a hospital (if you have one, it's designed for military use after all) the plates cover almost 50% of your instant death areas. If you were in a trench, worried about artillery shrapnel, a big helmet and flak jacket level 3A armor might be better.
3A is always a good idea, it's *almost* always good practice too. Don't go full turtle, but if it's not making you super hot or unable to move and shoot, add some soft panels.... new 3A stops even 5.7 easily so why not.
_"But since arm, leg and even gut shots may not instantly kill you but can be treated in a hospital (if you have one, it's designed for military use after all)..."_ And that's the contextual consideration. This video and others like it are all, without explicitly stating it, referencing _civilian_ use of body armor in a SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, WWROL situation. The average guerilla rebel freedom fighter resisting a government gone tyrannical will not have a literal army's worth of logistics, emergency evac, MASH units, and combat medics at the ready to save their life if they're hit by a shot going around a plate. Instead, they'll probably have a couple tourniquets, chest patches, and gauze in their IFAK; not enough to treat the kind of trauma Ballistic Bob suffered in this video. That being the case, one then has to weigh the advantages of body armor's protection against its disadvantages of added weight, mobility restriction, and the fact that there's an insufficient or even non-existent emergency trauma infrastructure to treat injuries that hit outside the plate area (as seen in the video). It's not just about the plate; it's about all the follow through _after_ getting hit. If the latter doesn't exist or is inadequate, then the former's disadvantages outweigh its advantages. Plates are great if you have an army backing you up. If not, then light, lean, fast, and quick to cover may be the better option as seen historically with just about every guerilla/partisan/rebel group that's ever taken the field.
When I wore my IBA with 7.62×39 rated plates I personally felt it was a near equal tradeoff for the protection it offered against how much it limited my movement. Though I have been impressed with the sheer stopping capabilities of modern armor, even if the armor catches the bullet you body is still gonna feel the force of that sucker. Deep tissue bruising, breaking ribs, knocking the wind out of you, ect. The best ballistic advice: Dont Get Shot.😜
"Deep tissue bruising, breaking ribs, knocking the wind out of you, ect." I doubt that would happen if you got shot with 7.62x39 wearing a rated plate.
That kind of bruising is more of a soft armor thing. Plates will spread out the energy of the impact across their area, that's a big part of how they work.
After watching myth busters employ force meters that read the levels of energy near explosions and where the "safe" distance would be, showed this would be perfect for other areas. I have yet to see anyone use these force meters between armor and analog medium. Back face deformation and blunt force will definitely do unseen damage at the right levels.
@@Vanalos It knocks the piss out of you. Ive been lucky enough not to catch one but have first hand seen results within minutes of impact. This was 09 maybe 10 with interceptor armor and chest plate. I guess the new ceramic is better but energy is energy and rifle rounds pack a lot of it. I surprised no one on here has caught an AK round.
I really appreciate your humor and showing that having the best armor is not a guarantee. One still needs situational awareness. Then again any time lead is heading your way is not a good day.
One thing you didn’t account for is that the target would be moving, especially after the first round or two. With the first round, presume it is a center mass hit as you have hat time to aim, it hits the plate and a trained soldier would then hit the ground, preventing you from engaging with those follow up shots. And they would presumably be returning fire. So I call this interesting, but far from the whole story.
Exactly. I thought more people would be writing stuff like this. This target doesn’t move or shot back. You also would have a better chance if you are in a squad with them shooting back at the person. This test isn’t even a test.
No, it’s still a good test. Shows the odds aren’t all that great at 200 yds when you’re crossing farmer joes land, moving or not, that you’ll be hit in the armor. If he can shoot, which he probably can, there is no firing back, because you’ve likely already sustained a potentially fatal wound that you need to address immediately. If you’re in a squad, fine, one of your team members is down, two others are combat ineffective, trying to get the shot team member patched up, and maybe now farmer Joe is dead. But possibly so is the one who got shot, in the aftermath. But if this was against a modern military force or anyone with access to automatic weapons… doesn’t matter if you shoot back, you’re in an open field taking automatic fire from likely 7.62 NATO rounds up to 50 cal. If anyone is hit ANYWHERE, they will be combat ineffective. You can go prone, which will reduce your profile and possibly offer some concealment, but in a field, you’re likely obstructing your own line of sight, and the Enemy already has your general position. If a 6ft male has roughly an 1153 sq inch profile, only 120 sq inches is covered by armor with a typical 10x12 plate. That leaves fractions of a percentage under 90% of your body uncovered. Chances are high, you won’t be hit in the armor from far away. As MAC stated, in a CQB situation, chances are higher your armor will stop a round, even though the coverage hasn’t changed, mainly because it takes a higher degree of change at your muzzle to hit somewhere that isn’t armor than it does when you’re at 200 yds and there’s a natural tendency for people who do shoot, to aim center mass high - first. Lessons to be learned: 1. don’t get caught out in a field with a medium to far range line of sight where an unknown, static combatant can put you in their crosshairs, because armor isn’t going to help much. You may be better off not having armor limit your mobility when trying to get off the X. 2. Armor still has a purpose, mainly in CQB situations, but also, if you can find COVER that is high enough to protect from your abdomen on down and still allow you to counter engage. A concrete wall, the other side of a vehicles’s engine block, a berm, etc. From a far distance, your exposure percentage goes from 90% to roughly 50%. I’d take 10% chance to stop a round over 100% chance I’m gonna get a hole in me ANYDAY. But this certainly shows the limits of armor at distance against any semi-competent person behind that rifle sight.
This is why I'm a fan of lightweight/minimalist armor. It's gonna give me some level of protection without limiting my mobility too much. I don't expect it to be a magical ward of protection, but it gives me a slightly better chance of surviving a gunfight.
@John My broader point is that I'm not bothering with level 4+ plates. The plates I've got are light weight and will stop a few rounds of green tip. If I take more than that to the chest, im already losing that fight.
@@Kuhchuk1rethink that after seeing what’s been happening in Ukraine? Them boys were as armored up as they can be no if ands or buts about it. The lightweight Lucas Botkin running around shit is gonna get you smoked real fast lmao
My thoughts on armor and kit is that if you’re planning on wearing it during (insert whatever SHTF fantasy) you better be in good shape. I see a lot of dudes online talking about armor that would probably die from walking up a flight of stairs in full kit.
Thanks for your thoughts and advice on this. I thought I was turning a bit paranoid going on multiple 6 Mile hikes a week in my armor. It seems like I had the right idea after all. Any thoughts on if I should switch to running or keep it a speedy hiking pace?
@@bakionigeri6414 I’ve been a workout junky for almost 20 years and it really depends on you. I’m 41 now and for me, I run once a week 3-6 miles just to maintain the capability should I need it. I want to save my knees from that constant pounding of hours of jogging. I spend more of my time doing a mix of functional strength training (not bodybuilding), kettlebells, and longer medium intensity cardio (rucking, elliptical, stair master, hiking, etc…).
I'm going to sue you for trade name infringement. My hit polka rock band is called Ballistic Bob and the Shooting Shack, and I'll see you on court...🎶🎷
Having conducted a threat assessment regarding the asset I'm currently protecting, I don't think I have to worry about a threat sporting a 6.5 PRC rifle from a distance away. Most likely I'll have 5 or 6 young hulligans, 2 or 3 of them sporting Glock pistols with a switch and drum magazines and maybe an AK pistol. Most of them can't hit a cow at 15 yards holding those pistols sideways. I could be wrong but. I still rather wear my armor. Thanks.
Bonus comment, and I'm sure MAC don't mind that because a like and comment helps him, anyways. When I was deployed to the desert, they learned how to get around our armor and that was the "DICK SHOT." Yes, shooting people in the dick isn't cool or noble, but it happened. That's why we eventually added the "love triangle" to our battle rattle. There will always be a weakness in your armor, but "trained" people tend to shoot center mass and THAT is your saving grace.
Police officers are also trained to use their basic duty pistol , shotgun or UPR ( urban police rifle aka AR-15 or Mini-14) to take those “ crotch shots” on suspects with body armor. Out a round in the hip area and it will shut down an aggressor…
I don’t understand the purpose of these types of videos…. It’s like when Yeager said the biggest problem with malfunctioning weapons is over lubrication (in his experience). So Vickers dips a whole gun in lube and it functions fine……and says Yeager was wrong 🤦♂️ Anyone who can critically think and is objective can see the fault in Vickers response (weather Yeager was right or not). Armour only covers a certain area, no more….of course you can hit the body elsewhere…..this is not rocket science. Thanks for the video Vickers…..I mean Mac 😊 And before anyone freaks out, I am a Patron of MAC, he’s awesome, but this topic/vid was a bit adolescent in its validity.
I don't understand this video, if you were trying to demonstrate how to defeat someone with body armor it would be good. Body armor is obviously not 100% protection. But if I had to take one to the chest I pray I'm wearing body armor.
If you're spending the money on armor, get the best protection you can afford (that hasn't changed since before the Romans). Modern Composite rifle plates don't really weigh all that much more than IIIA soft, and they really aren't anymore more uncomfortable. Poorly fitted armor limits your flexibility, doesn't matter what it is, or what it's made out of. Something is better than nothing (provided it fits properly), but accept that there's still a whole lot of you that isn't covered, so armor isn't a free ticket to be tactically dumb.
If we're somehow stating that plates are basically useless, then any gear/kit is basically useless because none of it is 100% effective at all times. The reality is that gear only supplements training and experience of the user, but then the training and experience of the people around the main user of gear is also very much a consideration. Going into combat w/ non trained people can also get you killed in a New York second.
Armor is valuable when doing vehicle ops or any time assaulting or defending a position. The "Red Dawn" civilian militia type scenario would be far more advantageous to have high mobility and low weight. Remember folks that getting fixed into a static position against a superior force is a death sentence. Shoot, Move and Communicate and you may just get lucky enough to survive.
I think if combat is 100% certain and close combat is likely than plates are almost necessary. If thats not the case and you are more patroling etc than it is dead weight. I also know quite a few guys who always talk about what gear for shtf to wear but few of them wore them in any extendet period of time. Especially with heavy exercises in dificult terrain. Most people think just because they look like a soldier they have the stamina and the strength to carry al that gear and still be usefull.
I carry lvl 3 PE soft plates in a slimline carrier. 5lbs total. Good for some protection while keeping me comfortable, flexible and lighter. I won't sacrifice mobility for gear.
Just a normal battle belt with dump bag and tourniquet is enough for me. I always thought about making some sort of jock cup out of kevlar just to protect from random jacket fragments etc shooting steel close range
@aperfectcircle007 i have no combat experience only paintball: it comes mostly down on how your target stands (and how long it is visible for the shooter) and how your situational intelligence is. We had it often that a lot of shots are either random/no good aiming or since stress hit people just shoot center of mass in order to increase capabillity to hit anything at all. I know professionals in a combat situation will behave nothing alike people who play paintball for fun it is just my experience since it is the closest thing i know.
What the hell is going on in the 2A community? Two weeks ago, people were saying LPVO’s are crap and should be thrown away and now plates are worthless? WTF!?
Fedboi infiltrators run psyops. Never seen these type of comment trying to dissuade people from purchasing quality kit. The regime government doesn't want civilians to own enhancements.
Yes, finally addressing the "stayed squared up plates to the front theory" I hear to nausea, that many think will save them. Assumes enemy will always be squared up with you. Plates increase one's ability to survive a shot, they do not guarantee one will not get hit.
As people get up in the years, regardless of muscle strength, worn out spines and arthritis will make the extra weight from steel plates a no-go. Just the weight from weapons and ammo will make any older person less agile and a slower moving target with a greater risk of getting hit by enemy fire.
People tend to look at body armour as something analogue to vehicle armour. That would allow you to take hit's but keep on with the mission Body armour is more like part of the IFAK. Intended to save you from "medically non-treatable wounds" But it comes with a cost. Unlike vehicles, people can't have improved suspension and stronger engines. Biology sets limits Cover is still the best form of protection and getting to one fast is best improving your chances. That being said, armour is for sure useful, but not the magic wand. On a parallel road, still the ability to fire lots of aimed enough shots remains the best solution to countering fleeting human targets. Being able to shoot less "armour piercing killier" bullets is not what the Infantry needs
"Unlike vehicles, people can't have improved suspension and stronger engines. Biology sets limits." That's where you're wrong, they can and they _must_ if "dismounted" infantry is going to be a thing at all in the 21st century and beyond. Right now the state-of-the-art of PPE for combat is laughably inadequate and is an indicator that we live in a world that places very little value on human life.
As somebody with.. shall we say... ample frontal mass, the plates seemed like they would not protect quite enough [and that's of course ignoring headshots]. Better than nothing obviously, but not like you are invincible.
Location of vitals dont expand with a person's size. You'd be surprised how much it covers. Vitals in this regard are organs that needs to stay operating like your lungs and heart, not necessarily your liver, stomach etc. where you can still survive a hit.
If you look at x-rays of morbidly obese people, their ribcage still has the size of a fit person's. The tactical bib look is awful, but getting shot in fat is preferable than the heart/rib/lung.
Really? I see almost none. Not like you’re going to have it on at the mall/driving somewhere. Only thing I’d want it for is in case the world falls off or maybe to have close by the bed to investigate bumps in the night.
Here's a thought: Most *Level III+* plates are lighter than Level IV. At 100+yds *projectile's energy decreases* and one can use some *"Level III+"* plates, even if it's not Lvl. IV it will hopefully still work (*would love to see it tested!*) For a *Ukraine war/Red Dawn* type war, maybe lightweight "Level III+" is better than Lvl.IV since what mostly causes most KIAs is: 1. Artillery fire - frags usually stopped by Level IIIa (According to NATO standartd for frag protection, I think) 2. Distant (100yds+), intermediate cartridge (5,45 or 5,56), AP core rifle fire aimed at you (Which even only a "III+" plate *hopefully* stops, if it's from a distance?) Then armor becomes a lot more enticing, since III+ can be light *and* affordable at the same time. This whole comment is a thought, I don't know how much of this is true - but I'm hoping you do (or that you want to test it :)
@@andershilmo1866 True, but III+ is often rated for most intermediate and mild-steel core FMJs. It's only the really Spicy stuff that you need Lvl.4 for...
@@DasGoodSoup I was talking about a war - most war's are fought with artillery and intermediate callibers - however if you can take the wight of Lvl IV then *you are better prepared* for sure :)
Does plate armor protect everything? No. Does it protect the majority of your major organs from damage? Yes. It's not designed to protect you from everything. It's not Spartan armor. But the stuff it does cover is notoriously hard to treat in the field. Most chest and gut wounds are going to require surgery to stop the bleeding. Head and neck wounds are likely to be lethal but its almost impossible to effectively armor those places. That's just the tough luck of reality. Arms and legs can also still be lethal, but treatment in the field has been shown to be effective ie tourniquets and compression bandages that keep you from bleeding out until you receive more in depth treatment. Like others have said, I'll take something over nothing even if it is heavy.
good 3A armor will wrap around your sides and go slightly higher and lower than regular plate armor. Its possible to have lighter level 3 Polyethylene armor but not ceramic being heavy.
Good food for thought. We can sometimes get spun-up thinking we need "all the things" for when things get dicy. Maybe not. I am though interested in the conversation about lethal hits on target with and without plates. I don't want holes anywhere, but some are much less critical.
The point is to protect vitals. If you get caught by a burst of machine gun fire you are probably going down but the hits that took you down probably won't be fatal and given medical treatment you will get through it.
There is more to Armor than just having it. Knowing it's capabilities and the capabilities of what your facing is important also. Take Level 3+. It's an individual ammunition rating above Level 3. Knowing what that extra ammunition it's rated for is, and what velocity, is important. Example, Level 3+, with the additional being M193 at 3000 fps. (AR500) M193 out of an M4 14.5 barrel pushes about 2950 average. So in reality, figure a 50/50 shot of stopping it a point blank range, with much better chances the farther away you get. Now, civilian AR-15 16 inch barrel M193 is above 3000 fps. Your body armor vs that gun isn't useful unless you stay outside of 100 meters at least. Comes down to who you think you will face, goverment boys, or your fellow citizens.
What can be learned from this is body armor should not be relied upon movement, cover, suppressing fire, and concealment are what keep you from getting shot. Body armor is there to give you a second chance in case you mess up. It’s also easier on medical staff if your lungs and heart are intact getting shot in your extremities minus your major arteries or head, are much easier to treat than a heart with a bullet hole in it or a lung that is full of blood and punctured.
NEW QUAL STANDARD: Anywhere but center-mass! 😎 Why Mozambique has become my pistol training mainstay. Otherwise, keep shooting until they go down! This brings to mind the body armor crisis in Iraq, when soldiers were loaded with armor shoulder pieces, groin pieces and even throat protectors. They were bulletproof, but they couldn't pursue the enemy AND there are now a ton of chronic back and joint injuries to care for. While dodging bullets is silly, being able to quickly sprint to cover isn't.
It's useless from the perspective that its not ever going to be part of my edc, I have a vest sitting next to the gun safe that will never get used unless we are invaded. Unless you are law enforcement or private security there's probably not a real reason to buy armor.
Battle belt should be enough for sure, I have a chest rig I hardly trained with but with my battle belt always take it to the range unless I’m training from conceal.
I partially agree. If you want to be prepared for the unlikely invasion scenario, it'd be way better to have years of experience moving in that kit. Plus if you wait to get it, you might not be able get it.
If you live in or near area that has gang violence problems and home invasion problems, dealing with threats armed with AR15 and AKs isn't uncommon. I mean, I guess you never lived in or near any "chocolate" city or state whose demographics is quite melanated. Take a look at the FBI violent crime statistics from 2021, melanated lumpenproles accounted for 60% of the homicide perps. Sure, you can say "just move". But that's not always possible. And while shootings with rifles are less common than with pistols, again AR and AK "pistols" are a thing and the thugs do use them.
It's always easier to see the lives that armor saves than the lives it costs. In the military, whenever someone gets shot in the sapi plate, everyone points to that and goes 'that armor saved his life, that's why we wear it'. Plate armor weighs people down, reducing mobility and taking a toll on our stamina. It's much harder to see all the instances where someone got shot because they couldn't move as quickly or get to cover in time. Really, it's impossible to say if armor is actually saving more lives.
By all means don’t wear armor so you can run and ninja dive out of the way of incoming rounds. Or maybe a tactical combat backflip or roll is your go to move. I’ll wear the extra weight.
Even a moderate increase in casualties sustained due to fatigue would be massively offset by the fact that heart/lung/spine shots are being mitigated at the same time we got better at controlling the bleed from limb and gut shots. Also if you ditched the plates the army would just make you carry that weight in added equipment lol
Its only that way if you dont train with it on, my unit did 5 mile runs in full kit to get us in shape and fit to deploy and fight with our gear on. Being a solider is about being fit and to a standred higher than civi's and is not for everyone. My advice if you feel that you can not operate with the gear you need to keep you alive than being a solider is not for you.
@@chrishiggins1934 I don't know what statistics you're looking at, but the ones I've seen don't offer any meaningful conclusions. If you look at casualty rates between, say, the Vietnam war and the more recent middle eastern wars, ignoring all other variables, it would look like armor is saving thousands of lives. Of course armor saves lives, it's really obvious when it does. But, the instances of people getting shot in plate armor and nowhere else on their body are actually quite rare.
Best way to the other side of an impenetrable wall is around it. Love to see this with matching camo shirt and plate carrier run with a very good zeroed red dot. This could be an awesome series. Maybe safelife could send you a flexible rifle vest to compare against plates
The pelvis shot is being taught more in some schools as even a good primary shot in a CQB situation. I lived thru a shattered pelvis in 1978. At the time it was so bad the doctors chose not to even try to surgically fix it and pronounced me to be dead soon. I believe the logic behind teaching it as at least an alternative shot is that the pelvis is the center support of the body and a person can bleed to death internally just from serious pelvis injury. I can testify that a severe hit to the pelvis region will remove all thots of more violence to any evil doer. Hearing my pelvis bones grinding together and that squishy noise was it for me. I had about 15 or more other fractures but didn't really feel or factor those in compared to the pelvis. With more criminals, or just the person trying to kill you,, wearing body armor taking out their pelvis will definitely put them down physically and mentally. You can take more shots, of course, if needed, but without quick medical response, they will probably not make it. Many miracles came into play in my case. I lay on the side of an 85' embankment for over 2hrs before i was rescued then another hour or more before i reached a Level 1 trauma center bleeding internally and externally from 10 other places and the medical folks never had to give me blood. Fluids, of course, but no blood. So neway, just store that away in your mental arsenal and keep in mind that no human can function without a stable pelvis. So that should end any return fire or rude language. Good video, as always. rick in Tennessee. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". Edmund Burke Well, and for the AFT to have more law making power than Congress.
Torso is also most likely to be in cover. I played paintball all day today and realized that the place i got shot the least was the chest. That was always behind cover. My hands, ass, legs and arms got tore up but i dont think i ever got hit in the torso. Made me think! Plus "target" sports are so exhausting, i can see why people want to have less weight.
True, but paintballs don’t go through most barriers, whereas bullets can/do. Also I agree with other posts that CQB/urban/mounted (vehicles) combat is where armor makes the most sense.
Plates are certainly going to be more effective at cqb range imo where most adversaries are going to have less time to aim and center mass hits are more likely. In the open like this, concealment and mobility is going to increase your chances far more than your plates will. Still would rather be wearing plates in either scenario.
This is a great video! Armor isnt a magic bullet catcher that makes you invulnerable but does increase your odds of surviving and for me a 40% stop rate is better than 0%
Most targets are not static, if you have been hit or are being shot at you are likely either going to move to cover or concealment or start shooting back. There are no guarantees but since most people aim center mass the chances that any one round are going to be stopped are fairly good but the main purpose of the armor is to protect your heart and lungs so if you get emergency medical help fast enough you can be saved if these are covered and your neck and head are not hit. Yes an artery can be hit far from your plate and kill you but the deadliest placed shots are where the armor covers aside from the head which is more difficult to protect. It's all about reducing the odds of being killed that's all.
Quick tip: If you pick up a stink bug from the sides you'll get stinky crap on your fingers... but if you pick up the stink bug from the top and bottom you won't get any stinky crap on your fingers (because they release it from the sides only). As far as I know, they can't bite you... and with them being so rigid, they couldn't bite you if they wanted (which I don't think they can anyways, not even if you put your finger right in their face).
@@Allen338LM lol. We get them in our house. Even get them all winter long. Will be 3 feet of snow outside and -10F and somehow there will be a stink bug walking around on my ceiling. November, January, they don't seem to care. Just pure randomness.
@@Enjoyer.762 lol. For real. I just remembered last year we had more than usual... and then I noticed that a potted plant that my mother put outside was the focal point. Every other year though we had no plants like that. (Wish they were useful. I'd put them to work.)
15% is what the military said they help prevent casualties. ill take that, also the morale boost is invaluable, thats why teddy rosevelt wanted to keep bayonets on rifles lol for the morale boost
In a real situation, most bullets miss. Only the few need to be dealt with and so having a high chance of stopping those few is beneficial. The biggest point to armor is to prevent instant/quick death from gunshot to vital organ.
Never miss your videos. Alway good. Is there any chance of doing a video on the Diamondback DBX 57. I am very interested in it as a car gun. 5.7x28 is really coming down in price. And this look promising.
It's like everything else. Heavily dependent on use case scenarios. If I'm out in the woods doing recon-ish stuff, I'm probably not gonna want a vest. If I'm in my house, or having to kick in the door to some other building, and I'm expecting a fight? Yes. I want plates. And a helmet. And any additional protection I can get. As well as a team, with the same kit.
@@Enjoyer.762 on a day to day basis? I don't plan on doing anything like that. Even in a SHTF scenario, I'd actively avoid it. CQB is what gets most people killed. Still nice to have them, especially in a SHTF scenario. It's a small price to pay for something that may end up catching that bullet that has your name on it. There just aren't many use cases where it's practical for the average person doing minute man type things.
@@BuckFoeJiden I don't know if you figured it out yet, but the greatest enemy of Americans is our own tyrannical liberal globalist regime government attacking our rights on a daily basis.
Couple guys in my platoon died by sniper fire, both bled out. Armor most of the time can help, but its when you dont know whose watching that turns your chances into a 50/50. Reality sucks sometimes.
I love MAC. Understood that stationary shooting position vs stationary target is going to result in kill putty dah. sniper scenario. But for a moving situation while being shot at the BA plates may buy you an extra life. Maybe not :}.
It will be if you are using handloads for a sig spear. Also new armour is supposed to be revealed at shot show 23. Hopefully there is some innovation that can counter the new ngsw more effectively.
"Run of the mill Grandpa's deer rifle a 6.5 Browning A bolt". Right. My Grandfather used either a 30/30 or an '03A3 from CMP. Oh and don't stand in the middle of a field naked as the day is long Bob.
You also need to consider that was at 200 yards. Of course the group spread will be more and there will be less hits on the plate. Another test at 50 or even 25 yards, more probable ranges, would be good.
I’ve got a few setups…12lbs plate unloaded (tack on another 10lbs loaded), an AK chest rig, and my favorite is my slick plate with mags in my pockets near my hips for maneuverability but not sure how practical it is cause it 2-3” short of my ribs when I present my rifle
thats why i double my side plates with soft armor on all the inside of my Cummerbunds... it also is good protection from fragging and shrapnel. There is almost zero situations where not having armor in a gun fight is a positive so just get the armor because youre never going to regret it if the time ever came where it was needed. Also for anyone who says anything about weight, its not the armors fault you arent in shape enough to be able to carry it. You cant grow the ability to be bulletproof but you absolutely can work out more and grow your ability to carry plates and more weight. I rock steel plates with soft armor pouches to contain fragging from the plates... the shit isnt the lightest thing but it will take some serious abuse before ever failing.
Nice video & test, but all of this is BTW independent from distance. Any hit off the plate can turn into a terrible wound. The whole point of the armor plate is not overall protection, but covering the obvious factor of protecting the central body mass, which is a natural target.
I've always wanted to see someone do this, and you're the first. In a future conflict, it is highly likely we will face an enemy with body armor-equipped infantry. I am curious whether it would be useful to train our troops to aim at the intersection of the neck and shoulder, or perhaps at the beltline, instead of the traditional torso shots. If that isn't realistic to expect, I wonder how many "mag dump" center-of-mass shots it would take, statistically speaking, before at least one round hits an unprotected area.
Tim, I’ll be honest. You’ve really only just demonstrated what happens to a single stationary target when set up and firing from ambush. If this was an enemy combatant that was looking to clear the area or in a defensive position his posture would be vastly different. He would either be crouched down and scanning tree lines as well as your log pile for potential threats. He would also have additional friendlies scanning with him. The plates aren’t designed to be a magnet for all incoming fire but to cover your vitals that WILL lead to death, not eventually. This really doesn’t prove anything but just that you can hit a stationary target from ambush at range.
So not considering the fact that a person would be moving after the first shot , not considering that wounds from explosions can be stopped by armor, not considering that 50% of the time snipers are not present, not considering that armor has saved countless lives in vehicle explosions and accidents .. to even suggest that armor may not be needed is pure ignorance. We have gotten to a point in the military between the armor and medics highly equipped for treatment on site that our causality rate is extremely low. The only thing this video proves to me is that the maker of the video ran out of ideas for videos
Several years ago a SC state trooper got into a fight with a drunk man. The suspect took 6 shots center mass with a 357 mag and the suspect shot a 22lr. The suspect survived his injuries, the trooper sadly passed away when one of the 22 rounds went through his side missing his vest and penetrating the troopers heart killing him.
wow thats really interesting, not that I don’t believe it, but can you provide a link for that? I couldn’t find anything on it. The report would be interesting.
@@nickrockz97 also the video of the incident is on TH-cam. I do have to correct a record. He had 5 center mass shots and one in the butt cheek. The bullet didn’t pierce his heart it pierced the aorta.
The use case on the civilian side has always been somewhat limited IMHO. Doesn't mean you shouldn't have it or be able to have it. It's still nice to have options. Plus, I've had a great time larping with it in my mom's basement. That is, until she burned my pizza rolls.
It's the first time that I ever heard peripheral hits called "defeating the armor". The armor clearly is not intended to stop misses or peripheral hits. It stopped everything that hit it, and that's all it can do. If I was unfortunate enough to be hit, I'd rather have a flesh wound than a hit in the boiler room.
Hesco L210s can weigh as little as 3.5lbs each, and cost about $400 a plate. They do not stop everything but they stop common calibers. Armor is not right for every situation, but it should be a tool in your kit if you can afford it.
For what it's worth, I have experimented with realistic armor simulation in ArmA III and concluded that even if your first shot hits the armor, an enemy who drops into prone position no longer has armor protection; the head becomes an extremely likely target to hit, even if you are not aiming for it.
@@andynonimuss6298 My understanding is that ballistic helmets only offer the equivalent of "soft armor" protection, meaning that rifle rounds can still penetrate them from several hundred yards (or otherwise leave a significant concussion that requires immediate medical attention).
@@cjr4286 actually you do get anything from partial to fully level 3 helmets, I own some helmet plates myself(but do know you won't find that stuff on soldiers)
I fundamentally disagree. Covering areas of your body reduces over-all target size. If Bob has a plate and Bill doesn't, and they're both equally skilled shooters, Bill has to work harder just to be on Bob's level. It's like having a shooting competition where one person has a 2 foot target and another person has a 1 foot target. Additionally, body armor coveres the parts of the body that _don't_ recover. You can get your leg blown clean off and if you survive, you can have a beautiful life. A pea sized hole in the right organs can turn you into a medication-dependent zombie for life. Like the title says though, this is "stuff to consider" and for that, it's valuable information!
A tutorial on how to defeat armor disguised as a video on why you don't need armor followed by an ad for armor. You Sir have hacked the algorithm. 👍
I'll still take using plates over nothing anyday regardless. Being a reduced target in any manner is never a negative.
Using plates for what? Who is this channel even really for, anyway?
@@kirk2767 the channel is for people who want to stay alive and protect themselves.
Special forces wear very little plates and sometimes no side plates. I think they value speed and lightweight and being able to just run for cover over most else
@@user-oy9zy4ds9m side plates plus groin bag,some used deltoid as well and always a ballistic helmet not a bump.
@@kirk2767 obviously not for you, so why are you here
It's not an invincibility cloak. It's a minimum insurance policy.
I'm not packing any of that extra weight anymore.
@@sog4646 ok
@@sog4646 LOL, how often are you fully kitted out taking fire?
@@BurnTheNuance i'm married. I'm under fire every day.
Mobility has a time and place. 😁
@@sog4646 If you hate being married just get divorced. I swear tou boomers are weird
"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it"
Words to live by
It only stopped 40% of the hits, but it stopped 80% of the most likely fatal hits (4 of 5). So it doesn't make you Iron Man, but it does significantly increase your odds of survival.
The question is how many hits do really occur in combat? Like the moment someone is hit once he will drop down no matter what to be an harder target
@@uwesca6263 I think of this test not in terms of "how many would get through if you were hit 10 times," but rather "what are the odds that a given hit would get through." Thinking of it that way, the armor seems very much worth it.
The long-range distances were highly unlikely. 85% of self-defense shootings take place at distances 21 feet or less.
Excellent point. That brings up the question of "where did the first round hit?"
Because if it was a plate hit and Bob hit the deck and/or took cover we are at a much higher survival chance due to Bob wearing BA.
If the first hit was off plate then the story has a much more tragic ending.
But you need only one shot to knock you down...
In combat body armor has also frequently prevented deaths from shrapnel and left soldiers seriously wounded and messed up but alive when in any other war the injuries would have been fatal.
Exactly, Kyle Carpenter for example probably wouldn't have survived diving on a grenade without his body armor.
In my experience adequate training (let alone advanced) is often not a priority, especially for budgets.
My dept wouldn’t cover medical so I need to provide my own. At the VERY least it’s easier to toss on a tq than dick around with the chest cavity.
Since the enemies aim isn't perfect it's just a game of probability and statistics really.
If your main threat is enemy rifle fire, plates may be great. Let's say your total body surface is 2 square meters. Plates cover only 0.075sqm, not even 5% of your skin.
But since arm, leg and even gut shots may not instantly kill you but can be treated in a hospital (if you have one, it's designed for military use after all) the plates cover almost 50% of your instant death areas. If you were in a trench, worried about artillery shrapnel, a big helmet and flak jacket level 3A armor might be better.
3A is always a good idea, it's *almost* always good practice too. Don't go full turtle, but if it's not making you super hot or unable to move and shoot, add some soft panels.... new 3A stops even 5.7 easily so why not.
_"But since arm, leg and even gut shots may not instantly kill you but can be treated in a hospital (if you have one, it's designed for military use after all)..."_
And that's the contextual consideration. This video and others like it are all, without explicitly stating it, referencing _civilian_ use of body armor in a SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, WWROL situation.
The average guerilla rebel freedom fighter resisting a government gone tyrannical will not have a literal army's worth of logistics, emergency evac, MASH units, and combat medics at the ready to save their life if they're hit by a shot going around a plate. Instead, they'll probably have a couple tourniquets, chest patches, and gauze in their IFAK; not enough to treat the kind of trauma Ballistic Bob suffered in this video.
That being the case, one then has to weigh the advantages of body armor's protection against its disadvantages of added weight, mobility restriction, and the fact that there's an insufficient or even non-existent emergency trauma infrastructure to treat injuries that hit outside the plate area (as seen in the video). It's not just about the plate; it's about all the follow through _after_ getting hit. If the latter doesn't exist or is inadequate, then the former's disadvantages outweigh its advantages.
Plates are great if you have an army backing you up. If not, then light, lean, fast, and quick to cover may be the better option as seen historically with just about every guerilla/partisan/rebel group that's ever taken the field.
When I wore my IBA with 7.62×39 rated plates I personally felt it was a near equal tradeoff for the protection it offered against how much it limited my movement. Though I have been impressed with the sheer stopping capabilities of modern armor, even if the armor catches the bullet you body is still gonna feel the force of that sucker. Deep tissue bruising, breaking ribs, knocking the wind out of you, ect. The best ballistic advice: Dont Get Shot.😜
"Deep tissue bruising, breaking ribs, knocking the wind out of you, ect."
I doubt that would happen if you got shot with 7.62x39 wearing a rated plate.
That kind of bruising is more of a soft armor thing. Plates will spread out the energy of the impact across their area, that's a big part of how they work.
After watching myth busters employ force meters that read the levels of energy near explosions and where the "safe" distance would be, showed this would be perfect for other areas. I have yet to see anyone use these force meters between armor and analog medium. Back face deformation and blunt force will definitely do unseen damage at the right levels.
@@chemistryofquestionablequa6252 With just one round your dispersing 1300-1500 ft/lbs of energy over a roughly 3'×2' area. Guaranteed you'll feel it..
@@Vanalos It knocks the piss out of you. Ive been lucky enough not to catch one but have first hand seen results within minutes of impact. This was 09 maybe 10 with interceptor armor and chest plate. I guess the new ceramic is better but energy is energy and rifle rounds pack a lot of it. I surprised no one on here has caught an AK round.
"Is plate body armor useless?"
No.
Sincerely, a Marine combat veteran.
Right?! That time a 7.62x39 hits the armor instead of your face. I call it a win. Also, Happy Birthday Brother. 0311 Semper FI
@@RichTinker Happy birthday! RAH!
@@RichTinker 90% casualties inflicted by artillery. How plate carrier is helping with it?
@@AshRaskin for the time when it’s not artillery that you are fighting … also shrapnel
@@AshRaskin same way a helmet vastly reduces casualties from artillery, coverage against shrapnel.
60% hit rate for a upright standing target, now imagine a moving bent forward smaller target
I'd assume 100% of those hits would be lethal because leaning forwards makes the plates useless
@@Kataquan no they wouldn't be
Have a less chance of being hit if your moving. Or being hit bad..
He has a scope.. on a standing Still target..
I really appreciate your humor and showing that having the best armor is not a guarantee. One still needs situational awareness. Then again any time lead is heading your way is not a good day.
Yup. Don't relax.
As my special forces buddy always says "eventually you're going to catch a bullet wrong"
One thing you didn’t account for is that the target would be moving, especially after the first round or two. With the first round, presume it is a center mass hit as you have hat time to aim, it hits the plate and a trained soldier would then hit the ground, preventing you from engaging with those follow up shots. And they would presumably be returning fire. So I call this interesting, but far from the whole story.
Exactly. I thought more people would be writing stuff like this. This target doesn’t move or shot back. You also would have a better chance if you are in a squad with them shooting back at the person. This test isn’t even a test.
No, it’s still a good test. Shows the odds aren’t all that great at 200 yds when you’re crossing farmer joes land, moving or not, that you’ll be hit in the armor. If he can shoot, which he probably can, there is no firing back, because you’ve likely already sustained a potentially fatal wound that you need to address immediately. If you’re in a squad, fine, one of your team members is down, two others are combat ineffective, trying to get the shot team member patched up, and maybe now farmer Joe is dead. But possibly so is the one who got shot, in the aftermath.
But if this was against a modern military force or anyone with access to automatic weapons… doesn’t matter if you shoot back, you’re in an open field taking automatic fire from likely 7.62 NATO rounds up to 50 cal. If anyone is hit ANYWHERE, they will be combat ineffective. You can go prone, which will reduce your profile and possibly offer some concealment, but in a field, you’re likely obstructing your own line of sight, and the Enemy already has your general position.
If a 6ft male has roughly an 1153 sq inch profile, only 120 sq inches is covered by armor with a typical 10x12 plate. That leaves fractions of a percentage under 90% of your body uncovered. Chances are high, you won’t be hit in the armor from far away.
As MAC stated, in a CQB situation, chances are higher your armor will stop a round, even though the coverage hasn’t changed, mainly because it takes a higher degree of change at your muzzle to hit somewhere that isn’t armor than it does when you’re at 200 yds and there’s a natural tendency for people who do shoot, to aim center mass high - first.
Lessons to be learned:
1. don’t get caught out in a field with a medium to far range line of sight where an unknown, static combatant can put you in their crosshairs, because armor isn’t going to help much. You may be better off not having armor limit your mobility when trying to get off the X.
2. Armor still has a purpose, mainly in CQB situations, but also, if you can find COVER that is high enough to protect from your abdomen on down and still allow you to counter engage. A concrete wall, the other side of a vehicles’s engine block, a berm, etc. From a far distance, your exposure percentage goes from 90% to roughly 50%.
I’d take 10% chance to stop a round over 100% chance I’m gonna get a hole in me ANYDAY. But this certainly shows the limits of armor at distance against any semi-competent person behind that rifle sight.
Armor is a last line of defense. You should be doing everything possible to avoid getting shot in the first place lol
The longer Tim talked about what was going to happen to Bob the less enthusiastic Bob's expression was.
😅🤣😂
So don't stand in a field completely still while someone who already knows you are there mag dumps 10 rounds at you... Gotcha
This is why I'm a fan of lightweight/minimalist armor. It's gonna give me some level of protection without limiting my mobility too much. I don't expect it to be a magical ward of protection, but it gives me a slightly better chance of surviving a gunfight.
@John My broader point is that I'm not bothering with level 4+ plates.
The plates I've got are light weight and will stop a few rounds of green tip. If I take more than that to the chest, im already losing that fight.
@@Kuhchuk1 Cucked way of thinking tbh.
@@Kuhchuk1rethink that after seeing what’s been happening in Ukraine? Them boys were as armored up as they can be no if ands or buts about it. The lightweight Lucas Botkin running around shit is gonna get you smoked real fast lmao
My thoughts on armor and kit is that if you’re planning on wearing it during (insert whatever SHTF fantasy) you better be in good shape. I see a lot of dudes online talking about armor that would probably die from walking up a flight of stairs in full kit.
“Do I use lvl 3 or lvl 4?”
My brother in Christ, how about rucking 3 or 4 miles so you can improve cardio beyond couch potato levels.
@@cliccclacc6561 Can I get an AMEN??
* "AMEN" *
Thanks for your thoughts and advice on this. I thought I was turning a bit paranoid going on multiple 6 Mile hikes a week in my armor. It seems like I had the right idea after all. Any thoughts on if I should switch to running or keep it a speedy hiking pace?
@@bakionigeri6414 I’ve been a workout junky for almost 20 years and it really depends on you. I’m 41 now and for me, I run once a week 3-6 miles just to maintain the capability should I need it. I want to save my knees from that constant pounding of hours of jogging. I spend more of my time doing a mix of functional strength training (not bodybuilding), kettlebells, and longer medium intensity cardio (rucking, elliptical, stair master, hiking, etc…).
I'm going to sue you for trade name infringement. My hit polka rock band is called Ballistic Bob and the Shooting Shack, and I'll see you on court...🎶🎷
A polka rock band is too different from a ballistic dummy for trade name infringement. Case dismissed 😉
Having conducted a threat assessment regarding the asset I'm currently protecting, I don't think I have to worry about a threat sporting a 6.5 PRC rifle from a distance away. Most likely I'll have 5 or 6 young hulligans, 2 or 3 of them sporting Glock pistols with a switch and drum magazines and maybe an AK pistol. Most of them can't hit a cow at 15 yards holding those pistols sideways. I could be wrong but. I still rather wear my armor. Thanks.
Bonus comment, and I'm sure MAC don't mind that because a like and comment helps him, anyways. When I was deployed to the desert, they learned how to get around our armor and that was the "DICK SHOT." Yes, shooting people in the dick isn't cool or noble, but it happened. That's why we eventually added the "love triangle" to our battle rattle. There will always be a weakness in your armor, but "trained" people tend to shoot center mass and THAT is your saving grace.
Police officers are also trained to use their basic duty pistol , shotgun or UPR ( urban police rifle aka AR-15 or Mini-14) to take those “ crotch shots” on suspects with body armor. Out a round in the hip area and it will shut down an aggressor…
I don’t understand the purpose of these types of videos….
It’s like when Yeager said the biggest problem with malfunctioning weapons is over lubrication (in his experience). So Vickers dips a whole gun in lube and it functions fine……and says Yeager was wrong 🤦♂️
Anyone who can critically think and is objective can see the fault in Vickers response (weather Yeager was right or not).
Armour only covers a certain area, no more….of course you can hit the body elsewhere…..this is not rocket science.
Thanks for the video Vickers…..I mean Mac 😊
And before anyone freaks out, I am a Patron of MAC, he’s awesome, but this topic/vid was a bit adolescent in its validity.
I was doing research on this yesterday! Thank you, you really helped me out!
I don't understand this video, if you were trying to demonstrate how to defeat someone with body armor it would be good. Body armor is obviously not 100% protection. But if I had to take one to the chest I pray I'm wearing body armor.
Right? Getting shot in the chest (where the armor covers) you will certainly be dead vs getting shot in an extremity you “might” be dead.
If you're spending the money on armor, get the best protection you can afford (that hasn't changed since before the Romans). Modern Composite rifle plates don't really weigh all that much more than IIIA soft, and they really aren't anymore more uncomfortable. Poorly fitted armor limits your flexibility, doesn't matter what it is, or what it's made out of. Something is better than nothing (provided it fits properly), but accept that there's still a whole lot of you that isn't covered, so armor isn't a free ticket to be tactically dumb.
If we're somehow stating that plates are basically useless, then any gear/kit is basically useless because none of it is 100% effective at all times. The reality is that gear only supplements training and experience of the user, but then the training and experience of the people around the main user of gear is also very much a consideration. Going into combat w/ non trained people can also get you killed in a New York second.
Armor is valuable when doing vehicle ops or any time assaulting or defending a position. The "Red Dawn" civilian militia type scenario would be far more advantageous to have high mobility and low weight. Remember folks that getting fixed into a static position against a superior force is a death sentence. Shoot, Move and Communicate and you may just get lucky enough to survive.
so, what happens if you can't run away from the bullets?
I think if combat is 100% certain and close combat is likely than plates are almost necessary. If thats not the case and you are more patroling etc than it is dead weight.
I also know quite a few guys who always talk about what gear for shtf to wear but few of them wore them in any extendet period of time. Especially with heavy exercises in dificult terrain. Most people think just because they look like a soldier they have the stamina and the strength to carry al that gear and still be usefull.
I carry lvl 3 PE soft plates in a slimline carrier. 5lbs total. Good for some protection while keeping me comfortable, flexible and lighter. I won't sacrifice mobility for gear.
Excellently informative video. I genuinely appreciate your efforts to educate and entertain. Thank you.
Just a normal battle belt with dump bag and tourniquet is enough for me. I always thought about making some sort of jock cup out of kevlar just to protect from random jacket fragments etc shooting steel close range
Call it the scrote-tote
@@MrRolloBaggins or ball sack
@@MrRolloBaggins perfect!
For intelligent people the proliferation of armor has changed tactics, both for rifle and in my opinion even more so for handgun.
@aperfectcircle007 i have no combat experience only paintball: it comes mostly down on how your target stands (and how long it is visible for the shooter) and how your situational intelligence is. We had it often that a lot of shots are either random/no good aiming or since stress hit people just shoot center of mass in order to increase capabillity to hit anything at all. I know professionals in a combat situation will behave nothing alike people who play paintball for fun it is just my experience since it is the closest thing i know.
What the hell is going on in the 2A community? Two weeks ago, people were saying LPVO’s are crap and should be thrown away and now plates are worthless? WTF!?
Fedboi infiltrators run psyops. Never seen these type of comment trying to dissuade people from purchasing quality kit. The regime government doesn't want civilians to own enhancements.
Yes, finally addressing the "stayed squared up plates to the front theory" I hear to nausea, that many think will save them. Assumes enemy will always be squared up with you. Plates increase one's ability to survive a shot, they do not guarantee one will not get hit.
To say nothing of a head shot. If you have a both action like that, you might as well put it between his eyes.
Thanks, Captain Obvious lol
As people get up in the years, regardless of muscle strength, worn out spines and arthritis will make the extra weight from steel plates a no-go. Just the weight from weapons and ammo will make any older person less agile and a slower moving target with a greater risk of getting hit by enemy fire.
6/10 getting shot is pretty good vs 10/10 getting shot 😂
People tend to look at body armour as something analogue to vehicle armour. That would allow you to take hit's but keep on with the mission
Body armour is more like part of the IFAK. Intended to save you from "medically non-treatable wounds"
But it comes with a cost. Unlike vehicles, people can't have improved suspension and stronger engines. Biology sets limits
Cover is still the best form of protection and getting to one fast is best improving your chances.
That being said, armour is for sure useful, but not the magic wand.
On a parallel road, still the ability to fire lots of aimed enough shots remains the best solution to countering fleeting human targets.
Being able to shoot less "armour piercing killier" bullets is not what the Infantry needs
"Unlike vehicles, people can't have improved suspension and stronger engines. Biology sets limits."
That's where you're wrong, they can and they _must_ if "dismounted" infantry is going to be a thing at all in the 21st century and beyond. Right now the state-of-the-art of PPE for combat is laughably inadequate and is an indicator that we live in a world that places very little value on human life.
@@Sin526 clearly you didn't understood the "biology sets limits" part....
As somebody with.. shall we say... ample frontal mass, the plates seemed like they would not protect quite enough [and that's of course ignoring headshots].
Better than nothing obviously, but not like you are invincible.
Location of vitals dont expand with a person's size. You'd be surprised how much it covers. Vitals in this regard are organs that needs to stay operating like your lungs and heart, not necessarily your liver, stomach etc. where you can still survive a hit.
If you look at x-rays of morbidly obese people, their ribcage still has the size of a fit person's. The tactical bib look is awful, but getting shot in fat is preferable than the heart/rib/lung.
@@ChucksSEADnDEAD Back this all up a step. If a guy is 400 or 500 pounds, he should probably work on that before taking on combat roles.🤣
@@kenofken9458 I'm not *THAT* bad!
Excellent information here. I can see many instances that this could come in handy.
Really? I see almost none. Not like you’re going to have it on at the mall/driving somewhere. Only thing I’d want it for is in case the world falls off or maybe to have close by the bed to investigate bumps in the night.
Here's a thought: Most *Level III+* plates are lighter than Level IV.
At 100+yds *projectile's energy decreases* and one can use some *"Level III+"* plates, even if it's not Lvl. IV it will hopefully still work (*would love to see it tested!*)
For a *Ukraine war/Red Dawn* type war, maybe lightweight "Level III+" is better than Lvl.IV since what mostly causes most KIAs is:
1. Artillery fire - frags usually stopped by Level IIIa (According to NATO standartd for frag protection, I think)
2. Distant (100yds+), intermediate cartridge (5,45 or 5,56), AP core rifle fire aimed at you (Which even only a "III+" plate *hopefully* stops, if it's from a distance?)
Then armor becomes a lot more enticing, since III+ can be light *and* affordable at the same time.
This whole comment is a thought, I don't know how much of this is true - but I'm hoping you do (or that you want to test it :)
Russia > Ukraine 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 😆🤡
The one thing that comes to mind for me is what about street fighting. The enemy potentially is going to be engaging from close range.
@@andershilmo1866 True, but III+ is often rated for most intermediate and mild-steel core FMJs. It's only the really Spicy stuff that you need Lvl.4 for...
@@foxtrotunit1269 when every other dude has a 308 bolt rifle i dont want lvl 3 armor
@@DasGoodSoup I was talking about a war - most war's are fought with artillery and intermediate callibers - however if you can take the wight of Lvl IV then *you are better prepared* for sure :)
Does plate armor protect everything? No. Does it protect the majority of your major organs from damage? Yes. It's not designed to protect you from everything. It's not Spartan armor. But the stuff it does cover is notoriously hard to treat in the field. Most chest and gut wounds are going to require surgery to stop the bleeding. Head and neck wounds are likely to be lethal but its almost impossible to effectively armor those places. That's just the tough luck of reality. Arms and legs can also still be lethal, but treatment in the field has been shown to be effective ie tourniquets and compression bandages that keep you from bleeding out until you receive more in depth treatment. Like others have said, I'll take something over nothing even if it is heavy.
good 3A armor will wrap around your sides and go slightly higher and lower than regular plate armor. Its possible to have lighter level 3 Polyethylene armor but not ceramic being heavy.
Good food for thought. We can sometimes get spun-up thinking we need "all the things" for when things get dicy. Maybe not. I am though interested in the conversation about lethal hits on target with and without plates. I don't want holes anywhere, but some are much less critical.
The point is to protect vitals. If you get caught by a burst of machine gun fire you are probably going down but the hits that took you down probably won't be fatal and given medical treatment you will get through it.
This is less about body armor, and more about how good a shot you are.
the second test he did 10 quick shots on general torso and landed 6 off the armor
There is more to Armor than just having it. Knowing it's capabilities and the capabilities of what your facing is important also. Take Level 3+. It's an individual ammunition rating above Level 3. Knowing what that extra ammunition it's rated for is, and what velocity, is important. Example, Level 3+, with the additional being M193 at 3000 fps. (AR500) M193 out of an M4 14.5 barrel pushes about 2950 average. So in reality, figure a 50/50 shot of stopping it a point blank range, with much better chances the farther away you get. Now, civilian AR-15 16 inch barrel M193 is above 3000 fps. Your body armor vs that gun isn't useful unless you stay outside of 100 meters at least. Comes down to who you think you will face, goverment boys, or your fellow citizens.
I believe the 3+ is for the SS109 & M855 green tip. Level 4 is for 7.62x51 AP. Both with soft plate behind the hard plate
Didn’t know grandpas had a 6.5 PRC.mine had a 30-30.
What can be learned from this is body armor should not be relied upon movement, cover, suppressing fire, and concealment are what keep you from getting shot. Body armor is there to give you a second chance in case you mess up. It’s also easier on medical staff if your lungs and heart are intact getting shot in your extremities minus your major arteries or head, are much easier to treat than a heart with a bullet hole in it or a lung that is full of blood and punctured.
NEW QUAL STANDARD: Anywhere but center-mass! 😎
Why Mozambique has become my pistol training mainstay. Otherwise, keep shooting until they go down!
This brings to mind the body armor crisis in Iraq, when soldiers were loaded with armor shoulder pieces, groin pieces and even throat protectors. They were bulletproof, but they couldn't pursue the enemy AND there are now a ton of chronic back and joint injuries to care for. While dodging bullets is silly, being able to quickly sprint to cover isn't.
Lots of soldiers ditch everything except front and back armor
@@peterv1318 Even then, it's a bit scary to see how little the plates actually cover--especially on big, muscular men.
It's useless from the perspective that its not ever going to be part of my edc, I have a vest sitting next to the gun safe that will never get used unless we are invaded. Unless you are law enforcement or private security there's probably not a real reason to buy armor.
Battle belt should be enough for sure, I have a chest rig I hardly trained with but with my battle belt always take it to the range unless I’m training from conceal.
7/71. 1371. Engr s up. Only flake jackets in my time. I have plates now heavy but also have Kevlar easier for a older Marine. Semper fi. Brother
I partially agree. If you want to be prepared for the unlikely invasion scenario, it'd be way better to have years of experience moving in that kit. Plus if you wait to get it, you might not be able get it.
If you live in or near area that has gang violence problems and home invasion problems, dealing with threats armed with AR15 and AKs isn't uncommon. I mean, I guess you never lived in or near any "chocolate" city or state whose demographics is quite melanated. Take a look at the FBI violent crime statistics from 2021, melanated lumpenproles accounted for 60% of the homicide perps. Sure, you can say "just move". But that's not always possible. And while shootings with rifles are less common than with pistols, again AR and AK "pistols" are a thing and the thugs do use them.
It's always easier to see the lives that armor saves than the lives it costs. In the military, whenever someone gets shot in the sapi plate, everyone points to that and goes 'that armor saved his life, that's why we wear it'. Plate armor weighs people down, reducing mobility and taking a toll on our stamina. It's much harder to see all the instances where someone got shot because they couldn't move as quickly or get to cover in time. Really, it's impossible to say if armor is actually saving more lives.
Not really impossible, you can easily look at statistics for casualty rates prior to and after armor implementation. It saves lives
By all means don’t wear armor so you can run and ninja dive out of the way of incoming rounds. Or maybe a tactical combat backflip or roll is your go to move. I’ll wear the extra weight.
Even a moderate increase in casualties sustained due to fatigue would be massively offset by the fact that heart/lung/spine shots are being mitigated at the same time we got better at controlling the bleed from limb and gut shots. Also if you ditched the plates the army would just make you carry that weight in added equipment lol
Its only that way if you dont train with it on, my unit did 5 mile runs in full kit to get us in shape and fit to deploy and fight with our gear on. Being a solider is about being fit and to a standred higher than civi's and is not for everyone. My advice if you feel that you can not operate with the gear you need to keep you alive than being a solider is not for you.
@@chrishiggins1934 I don't know what statistics you're looking at, but the ones I've seen don't offer any meaningful conclusions. If you look at casualty rates between, say, the Vietnam war and the more recent middle eastern wars, ignoring all other variables, it would look like armor is saving thousands of lives.
Of course armor saves lives, it's really obvious when it does. But, the instances of people getting shot in plate armor and nowhere else on their body are actually quite rare.
Don't see the link for the armor at Primary Arms?
Best way to the other side of an impenetrable wall is around it. Love to see this with matching camo shirt and plate carrier run with a very good zeroed red dot. This could be an awesome series. Maybe safelife could send you a flexible rifle vest to compare against plates
The pelvis shot is being taught more in some schools as even a good primary shot in a CQB situation. I lived thru a shattered pelvis in 1978. At the time it was so bad the doctors chose not to even try to surgically fix it and pronounced me to be dead soon. I believe the logic behind teaching it as at least an alternative shot is that the pelvis is the center support of the body and a person can bleed to death internally just from serious pelvis injury. I can testify that a severe hit to the pelvis region will remove all thots of more violence to any evil doer. Hearing my pelvis bones grinding together and that squishy noise was it for me. I had about 15 or more other fractures but didn't really feel or factor those in compared to the pelvis.
With more criminals, or just the person trying to kill you,, wearing body armor taking out their pelvis will definitely put them down physically and mentally. You can take more shots, of course, if needed, but without quick medical response, they will probably not make it. Many miracles came into play in my case. I lay on the side of an 85' embankment for over 2hrs before i was rescued then another hour or more before i reached a Level 1 trauma center bleeding internally and externally from 10 other places and the medical folks never had to give me blood. Fluids, of course, but no blood.
So neway, just store that away in your mental arsenal and keep in mind that no human can function without a stable pelvis. So that should end any return fire or rude language. Good video, as always. rick in Tennessee.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". Edmund Burke
Well, and for the AFT to have more law making power than Congress.
Why i have a dickflap with a side plate in it.
Torso is also most likely to be in cover. I played paintball all day today and realized that the place i got shot the least was the chest. That was always behind cover. My hands, ass, legs and arms got tore up but i dont think i ever got hit in the torso. Made me think! Plus "target" sports are so exhausting, i can see why people want to have less weight.
True, but paintballs don’t go through most barriers, whereas bullets can/do. Also I agree with other posts that CQB/urban/mounted (vehicles) combat is where armor makes the most sense.
@@yzhou05 agree
Plates are certainly going to be more effective at cqb range imo where most adversaries are going to have less time to aim and center mass hits are more likely. In the open like this, concealment and mobility is going to increase your chances far more than your plates will. Still would rather be wearing plates in either scenario.
War has disproven this, Larpers have proven this. Ironic.
Awesome video! Love your channel!
well done , enough info and comical to be informative and enjoyable
This is a great video! Armor isnt a magic bullet catcher that makes you invulnerable but does increase your odds of surviving and for me a 40% stop rate is better than 0%
Moral of the story: if you fasten your Seatbelt and a bridge falls onto your roof…you are fckd 🤷🏻♂️
Most targets are not static, if you have been hit or are being shot at you are likely either going to move to cover or concealment or start shooting back. There are no guarantees but since most people aim center mass the chances that any one round are going to be stopped are fairly good but the main purpose of the armor is to protect your heart and lungs so if you get emergency medical help fast enough you can be saved if these are covered and your neck and head are not hit. Yes an artery can be hit far from your plate and kill you but the deadliest placed shots are where the armor covers aside from the head which is more difficult to protect. It's all about reducing the odds of being killed that's all.
Quick tip: If you pick up a stink bug from the sides you'll get stinky crap on your fingers... but if you pick up the stink bug from the top and bottom you won't get any stinky crap on your fingers (because they release it from the sides only). As far as I know, they can't bite you... and with them being so rigid, they couldn't bite you if they wanted (which I don't think they can anyways, not even if you put your finger right in their face).
Thx man
Stink bug ide have pulled my side arm and wasted him I hate them damn things
@@Allen338LM lol. We get them in our house. Even get them all winter long. Will be 3 feet of snow outside and -10F and somehow there will be a stink bug walking around on my ceiling. November, January, they don't seem to care. Just pure randomness.
@@deucedeuce1572 You might as well name your new house pets lol
@@Enjoyer.762 lol. For real. I just remembered last year we had more than usual... and then I noticed that a potted plant that my mother put outside was the focal point. Every other year though we had no plants like that. (Wish they were useful. I'd put them to work.)
12:56 what percentage would you hit if bob was moving and shooting back ?
15% is what the military said they help prevent casualties. ill take that, also the morale boost is invaluable, thats why teddy rosevelt wanted to keep bayonets on rifles lol for the morale boost
BOB NEEDS AN ARMOURED CUP
The clickbait never stops
So if I’m gonna be wearing soft armor, or even harder armor, I’m supposed to add a trauma plate behind it? Can someone explain what it does please
In a real situation, most bullets miss. Only the few need to be dealt with and so having a high chance of stopping those few is beneficial. The biggest point to armor is to prevent instant/quick death from gunshot to vital organ.
Never miss your videos. Alway good. Is there any chance of doing a video on the Diamondback DBX 57. I am very interested in it as a car gun. 5.7x28 is really coming down in price. And this look promising.
You have that awesome private range setup, that we are all jealous of, and not one single sharpie to mark shots. 🤣
Great vid Mac, you’re the man.🍻
It's like everything else. Heavily dependent on use case scenarios.
If I'm out in the woods doing recon-ish stuff, I'm probably not gonna want a vest. If I'm in my house, or having to kick in the door to some other building, and I'm expecting a fight? Yes. I want plates. And a helmet. And any additional protection I can get. As well as a team, with the same kit.
And exactly whose doors do you think that you will be kicking in?
@@Enjoyer.762 on a day to day basis? I don't plan on doing anything like that. Even in a SHTF scenario, I'd actively avoid it. CQB is what gets most people killed.
Still nice to have them, especially in a SHTF scenario. It's a small price to pay for something that may end up catching that bullet that has your name on it. There just aren't many use cases where it's practical for the average person doing minute man type things.
@@BuckFoeJiden I don't know if you figured it out yet, but the greatest enemy of Americans is our own tyrannical liberal globalist regime government attacking our rights on a daily basis.
@@Enjoyer.762 your comment was shadow banned, but yes. Yes it is.
Hi Tim, just passing by to say hello and wish the best to your mom. Greetings from Chile!!
Couple guys in my platoon died by sniper fire, both bled out. Armor most of the time can help, but its when you dont know whose watching that turns your chances into a 50/50. Reality sucks sometimes.
I love MAC. Understood that stationary shooting position vs stationary target is going to result in kill putty dah. sniper scenario. But for a moving situation while being shot at the BA plates may buy you an extra life. Maybe not :}.
It will be if you are using handloads for a sig spear. Also new armour is supposed to be revealed at shot show 23. Hopefully there is some innovation that can counter the new ngsw more effectively.
I would not expect the government to be happy about citizens being able to defeat their new toy. They have big plans coming up.
"Run of the mill Grandpa's deer rifle a 6.5 Browning A bolt". Right. My Grandfather used either a 30/30 or an '03A3 from CMP.
Oh and don't stand in the middle of a field naked as the day is long Bob.
You also need to consider that was at 200 yards. Of course the group spread will be more and there will be less hits on the plate. Another test at 50 or even 25 yards, more probable ranges, would be good.
Buy body armor because you have zero plans on getting shot. Not because you plan on getting shot. Lol
I’ve got a few setups…12lbs plate unloaded (tack on another 10lbs loaded), an AK chest rig, and my favorite is my slick plate with mags in my pockets near my hips for maneuverability but not sure how practical it is cause it 2-3” short of my ribs when I present my rifle
Are these level 4 plates ?
Ever try using a 3d pen or a "plastic solder" technique to repair the holes in the dummy? (or are they worth or not worth fixing?)
I assume they get the dummies for free. They end up in the dumpsters at malls all the time.
Video assessment; plates protect the area they cover; and are about as effective as I figured they'd be in a "scoped" and "direct shootup" situation
After Action Report: Never, never, ever let Tim catch you standing in his field wearing nothing but a plate carrier.
thats why i double my side plates with soft armor on all the inside of my Cummerbunds... it also is good protection from fragging and shrapnel. There is almost zero situations where not having armor in a gun fight is a positive so just get the armor because youre never going to regret it if the time ever came where it was needed. Also for anyone who says anything about weight, its not the armors fault you arent in shape enough to be able to carry it. You cant grow the ability to be bulletproof but you absolutely can work out more and grow your ability to carry plates and more weight. I rock steel plates with soft armor pouches to contain fragging from the plates... the shit isnt the lightest thing but it will take some serious abuse before ever failing.
20 inch 556 vibe checking yo steel plates homie
Nice video & test, but all of this is BTW independent from distance. Any hit off the plate can turn into a terrible wound. The whole point of the armor plate is not overall protection, but covering the obvious factor of protecting the central body mass, which is a natural target.
I've always wanted to see someone do this, and you're the first. In a future conflict, it is highly likely we will face an enemy with body armor-equipped infantry.
I am curious whether it would be useful to train our troops to aim at the intersection of the neck and shoulder, or perhaps at the beltline, instead of the traditional torso shots. If that isn't realistic to expect, I wonder how many "mag dump" center-of-mass shots it would take, statistically speaking, before at least one round hits an unprotected area.
I’d like to see if spall is an issue on a non coated plate when it’s in a carrier. Was that plate coated?
Tim, I’ll be honest.
You’ve really only just demonstrated what happens to a single stationary target when set up and firing from ambush. If this was an enemy combatant that was looking to clear the area or in a defensive position his posture would be vastly different. He would either be crouched down and scanning tree lines as well as your log pile for potential threats. He would also have additional friendlies scanning with him. The plates aren’t designed to be a magnet for all incoming fire but to cover your vitals that WILL lead to death, not eventually. This really doesn’t prove anything but just that you can hit a stationary target from ambush at range.
Should of named him Fred from the movie I AM LEGEND. Good video...
Thank you!
What plate carrier is that?
So not considering the fact that a person would be moving after the first shot , not considering that wounds from explosions can be stopped by armor, not considering that 50% of the time snipers are not present, not considering that armor has saved countless lives in vehicle explosions and accidents ..
to even suggest that armor may not be needed is pure ignorance.
We have gotten to a point in the military between the armor and medics highly equipped for treatment on site that our causality rate is extremely low.
The only thing this video proves to me is that the maker of the video ran out of ideas for videos
Several years ago a SC state trooper got into a fight with a drunk man. The suspect took 6 shots center mass with a 357 mag and the suspect shot a 22lr. The suspect survived his injuries, the trooper sadly passed away when one of the 22 rounds went through his side missing his vest and penetrating the troopers heart killing him.
wow thats really interesting, not that I don’t believe it, but can you provide a link for that? I couldn’t find anything on it. The report would be interesting.
@@nickrockz97 Troopers name was Mark Coates.
@@nickrockz97 I just linked it.
@@nickrockz97 also the video of the incident is on TH-cam. I do have to correct a record. He had 5 center mass shots and one in the butt cheek. The bullet didn’t pierce his heart it pierced the aorta.
Lucky shot
The use case on the civilian side has always been somewhat limited IMHO. Doesn't mean you shouldn't have it or be able to have it. It's still nice to have options. Plus, I've had a great time larping with it in my mom's basement. That is, until she burned my pizza rolls.
I hate when mom burns them
It's the first time that I ever heard peripheral hits called "defeating the armor". The armor clearly is not intended to stop misses or peripheral hits. It stopped everything that hit it, and that's all it can do. If I was unfortunate enough to be hit, I'd rather have a flesh wound than a hit in the boiler room.
What’s the dummy wearing level 2 because my level 3 which only ways 8 pounds with 2 plates and my set up will stop what your shooting
That's a nice piece of property you got there. Thanks for the video, I've often debated that myself.
Hesco L210s can weigh as little as 3.5lbs each, and cost about $400 a plate. They do not stop everything but they stop common calibers. Armor is not right for every situation, but it should be a tool in your kit if you can afford it.
For what it's worth, I have experimented with realistic armor simulation in ArmA III and concluded that even if your first shot hits the armor, an enemy who drops into prone position no longer has armor protection; the head becomes an extremely likely target to hit, even if you are not aiming for it.
What about the Team Wendy Ballistic helmet the enemy is wearing?
@@andynonimuss6298 My understanding is that ballistic helmets only offer the equivalent of "soft armor" protection, meaning that rifle rounds can still penetrate them from several hundred yards (or otherwise leave a significant concussion that requires immediate medical attention).
@@cjr4286 Ahh, understood.
@@cjr4286 actually you do get anything from partial to fully level 3 helmets, I own some helmet plates myself(but do know you won't find that stuff on soldiers)
@@c03_psychie20 That seems like it would be ridiculously heavy. How does it weigh?
I fundamentally disagree.
Covering areas of your body reduces over-all target size.
If Bob has a plate and Bill doesn't, and they're both equally skilled shooters, Bill has to work harder just to be on Bob's level.
It's like having a shooting competition where one person has a 2 foot target and another person has a 1 foot target.
Additionally, body armor coveres the parts of the body that _don't_ recover. You can get your leg blown clean off and if you survive, you can have a beautiful life.
A pea sized hole in the right organs can turn you into a medication-dependent zombie for life.
Like the title says though, this is "stuff to consider" and for that, it's valuable information!
The thing about armor: you gotta fight someone competent enough to hit it. - Clint Smith