So, I’m in the market for some IIIA soft armor.
Other than the slightly added ballistic protection… Does anyone know why I would choose a carrier which takes concealment cut armor vs just getting soft armor backers and cumber button side armor for just a plate carrier?
Thanks in advance.
Do you have an example of what “concealment cut” is?
I’m assuming that he means just a normal soft armor vest vs soft armor “SAPI cut” plate backers. I guess the answer would be coverage.
Basically these: http://www.optactical.com/vesyleiisoar.html
vs a backer system
Depends on slick you want to be and for what reason you are wearing armour.
When I workd plaincloths we couldnt wear the standard wrap around soft armour because you could see it from a mile away in the summer. In the winter it was fine since a jacket conceals it.
Everything really depends on what you want it for. I have a first spear slick carrier that I keep ar500 plates in, nearly invisble in the summer with a buttondown, but its heavy. It takes soft plates too, uspalm soft plates are cheap and rated well.
It’s really about the shape of the vest/ carrier, and how you want it to ride.
Vests that take full coverage (concealment cut, as you’ve described) soft armor that also have plate pockets tend to have their plates sitting rather low. To get the plates up where they should be, more often than not the soft armor will be jabbing you in the throat.
A plate carrier gives you a little bit more flexibility with regards to positioning the plates. You can wear a separate soft armor vest with the plate carrier over top to get the best of both worlds. You can also ditch the plate carrier when you only need pistol caliber protection, or ditch the soft armor when your working with rifles in the summertime and sweating like a hog.
If you get stand alone plates, and are happy with that coverage up front, you won’t “need” soft backers. You could put some soft armor in the cumberbund if you wanted though.
Interesting. Thanks.
Just wanted to make sure there was not some other reason I didn’t see