What are used of body armor. Is it a good idea. What are affordable options. Is it just an expensive item that will sit in the closet? (Seeing the violence of 2020 it seems like a more reasonable idea 
).
Just playing with the idea and want to hear opinions. Itās easy to spend money on guns, because they are also a hobby. Body armor does not have that appeal.
This is gonna catch some flak but thatās ok. Body Armor has itās place based on what your precieved threats are. People where extremist groups are active it would be worth really asking yourself if its worth the investment.
I have two different active shooter ākitsā. One is based on a surprise scenario where I am caught off guard but was prepared for the worst day of my life. It consists of a battle belt for lack of better terms which has extra mags, bleed out kit, extra tourniquets some hunter orange gear to help be identified buy first responders. I carry it in my car but not on my person. I figure Iām either gonna fight my way to it or have time to get it. Not a perfect plan but no plan is perfect.
The second kit is still based on a surprise but one I have more time to address. For example the last vacation I went on I took my plate carrier, battle belt, and carbine with me. It stayed in a bag that no one was aware I brought. But current events at the time I wanted to be ready for the worst day of my life. Obviously nothing happened but in that scenario I was prepared for extended periods of engagement without support.
With all of that what Iām saying is layer your gear working from EDC to self reliance or ācombatā.
I think at the end of the day 99.9% of civilians will never need body armor. So itās up to you and your precieved threats on whether the investment is worth it.
Side note: If you plan on getting it. Wear it, train with it, beat it up. Better to fail in training than when it counts.
This is my view of it, but Iāve also discovered there are some options that are more affordable. So to me it comes down to cost, and for that cost is it worth what I get.
Itās easy with guns. Guns, though chances are Iāll never need them (higher than body armor though) at the very least are a hobby.
What options are you looking at. My personal opinion is if it wonāt stop a rifle round (level 3) at a minimum it really wouldnāt be worth it.
Again thatās my opinion. I have level 3+ plates. It certainly is not an EDC set up but it does have a place in my personal security plan.
I really havenāt looked at specifics yet tbh. Iām really toying with the idea. Iāve seen options between $200 and $300 though.
I have the same debate but, I stepped off the wagon and bought one IIIA but no plate carrier. I also bought a helmet but I did not get a Kevlar helmet. I got like a bicycle tactical helmet 
Is it worth it? You got me cause as I figured, it is a pain to put on but, it does fit under my jacket well. I always figured it for actual combat and I never liked it when I was in either but, if it saves my life than I will really like it then. If you are wanting a, Yeah, go get one! It will not come from me, it is all on you. Like Sheepdog said, If you get it, wear it, train in it, and beat it up. It will make it more comfortable too.
There are lots of sales going on at the moment. James Yeager has lots of videos on body armor and a no BS approach about. Well worth the time to watch. If itās in your budget I say go for it. If you get it and hate it you can always sell it, probably make money on it the way things are going. Most lead times are 4-8 weeks depending on what you go with
Not advocating for, or against, just letting you know itās out there. They have plates for $75 as well.
Do you live in an area near riots/ churches/ major city centers? Are you regularly asking if you need body armor? If you had armor, do you see yourself more likely to be facing pistol rounds or rifle rounds? And if you had armor, how heavy are you expecting it to be? Do you want to conceal your armor? Finally, do you need a tactical vest and a plate carrier, or just a vest?
These were all questions I asked myself. And due to my job, and living area, I have a level 3 armor package, with level 4 plates, and a tactical plate carrier for all of my gear. The weight, is lightweight compared to my army loadout, but still provides anything i need. I can go without the plate carrier, and be able to conceal my armor. Or I can wear a really big jacket, when Iāve got all my gear on.
To conclude, what type of gear would you need with you anyway? I ask because on my plate carrier I have goggles, ear protection, knives, flashlight, 3 extra mags for each weapon, IFAK, handcuffs with keys, and a paper local map. I have my gear set up for conflict, not the range.
I recommend bulletsafe or ar500 for body armor, as they also offer payment plans!
Like always, its about the risk assessment and what is appropriate for the scenario. Itās like the firepower vs mobility question, lightweight concealable IIIA vs IV in a tactical plate carrier with all your molle filled out and everything in between. And I suspect, kinda like firearmsā¦ you will end up buying more than one to fit different uses as there is no ābest armor for all situationsā.
If you live around riot areas, what is the risk there? I have not heard of rifle usage, but some handguns. Mostly they just beat/stab you or throw bricks. So if you felt that was a concern, some IIIA armor which protects you from the most common threat in that scenario which is pistols and its very concealable so you avoid being noticed in the first place. Some (all?) IIIA is also stab resistant. If you need to get through a crowd to get to safety, blending in is a way better option than shooting your way through. The armor just protects you in the small chance of being shot in the middle of the riots. This is IMO the most likely use case for armor right now is rioting and/or getting home past a riot area.
If a mass shooter incident is the primary concern, you have a 50/50 chance that the shooter has a rifle (from FBI stats), and about a 10-20% (IIRC) chance that the shooter is also wearing body armor. In that case, if you can make it to your active response kit, a rifle caliber firearm and III, III+, or IV armor is more appropriate than what is likely in your EDC loadout. Probably a large trauma kit too for when the shooting stops. Itās OK if its heavy because you wonāt be wearing it for too long (although maybe some sprinting here and there 
)
If its for home defense, Iād say the most armor you can get. III, III+, or IV armor, weight doesnāt matter much since you arenāt traveling far. Home invaders have been shown to have everything from bare hands to AR15s and shotguns and sometimes also body armor.
Cost and shelf-life matters, IMO. As you mentioned this is stuff that will probably go unused for a long time (or maybe not depending on how you feel about current state of the nation). The other armor threads have a good run-down on pros/cons of each armor material type.
I donāt think body armor should be the first thing anyone gets. But if you already have firearms, you have ammo, you have accessories like lights and optics, you have some trainingā¦ why not? After body armor, the next thing to complete the set is night vision, which is thousands of dollars
So true!! This rabbit hole just gets more and more expensive. But the fun factor goes up to(as far as training is concerned)
@Scoutbob Donāt waste your money buying body armor. Just another item that will be confiscated when the New Order knocks on your door because your neighbor doesnāt like you. Itās like aiding and abetting because you are donating equipment to the folks that will eventually ship you and me off for āreeducationā. Now if you are too old for reeducation, you might want body armor to help even the odds.
Iām going to side with @Jeff-A1 and @Sheepdog556 and say you probably donāt need body armor. Sorry, Iām not going to convince you. If you want it and you have the money, knock yourself out. But unless youāre willing to wear it everywhere you go, or at least carry it and practice throwing it on in seconds, then why buy it? (Itāll keep you warm in the Winter, but so will a cheap jacket.) Once you justify going down this rabbit hole, thereās no end. Next up is getting an up-armored truck. (OK, that actually sounds kind of fun, too, but I canāt rationally justify it when I do the cost / benefit analysis.) Then you need the underground bunker. Youāll keep going until youāre broke or youāve put yourself on the FBIās radar.
Haha no, I only use those on big guys. Knocks down their ego a bit.
Lots of differing opinions here! 2019 if you brought up the idea of Body Armor, Iād think you were a little koo koo, but my opinion has changed in 2020. Part of it is the 2020 madness, part of it is I have God given rights and I want to exercise them, part of it is research and listening to firearm instructors.
I think one can own body armor and it be practical. Now, I donāt have the money to have a āwar carrierā and a āconceal carrierā. I donāt have the money or room to keep body armor in my truck at all times. Iām not saying Iām sold on the idea, because Iām not. BUT if one has the free money for those things, after theyāve put their family first financially, than more power to them.
It is something that could save your life if things got crappy.
I personally donāt live in a violent area, and I donāt see it turning violent. BUT weāve seen that all that has to happen these days is a high profile police shooting, and then you have rioters from all across the states marching in your neighborhood with fire screaming violent things.
I made it a financial priority to raise my family in a good neighborhood (but neighborhoods can change over the years). The question for me is: do I want to spend the money? Iām not really sure. There are probably much more practical uses for the money.
What could do, is use phone books instead of plate carriers 
@ScoutBob Brother, I donāt know your financial status. Not going to assume your budget. You can only operate one firearm at a time. Iām guessing you have a few more firearms than that and ammo to feed them. If you can afford another firearm, you can afford body armor. Our country does need well prepared patriots. The kind of patriot that is willing to defend the Constitution and if need be, water the tree. There are shadows on the horizon that want nothing less than total subjugation of every man, woman and child within our borders. I hope my kit sits in the closet and collects dust (when Iām not training in it).
