Body ARMOR For POLICE and Security: The Basics

What kind of bulletproof vest should you use as a cop or security guard? soft or hard? Kevlar? Spectra? Dynema? Steel plate? ceramic plates? polyethylene rifle plate? What about trauma plates? Level 2? level 3A? Are they really bulletproof? Follow me on INSTAGRAM: / tommy_freefieldtraining
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[@paulwitmer4611]

Okay so make a specific suggestion a vendor & brands

[@freefieldtraining]

While I'm partial to Safe Life Defense because we have shot a whole bunch of their armor always with great results on the channel (kzbin.info/www/bejne/baKvaaaVedWIesU) (kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooisg3mXbL-VoZo) (kzbin.info/www/bejne/haaXeGqugKhsa5Y) There are many great brands of soft and hard body armor out there. Point blank, Safariland, ect. The key is to find one that works for your purposes and budget.

[@paulwitmer4611]

Okay field training everybody is purpose is the same keeping something from getting through your chest you should be able to suggest a good combination of lightweight flexible substantial protection And an excellent pricing Source.

[@KoishiVibin]

@@paulwitmer4611 Armor Triangle: Protection, Cost, Ergonomic Choose two. In case of steel armor, autochoose Cost.

[@DJUwU]

@@KoishiVibin Oh....and in the case that is all 3....expect the product to be backordered for 3 months...

[@KoishiVibin]

@@DJUwU There is no all three. You won't find an AA4Universal Plate for less than a couple thousand nowadays.

[@p51mustang24]

I always wear a second t-shirt to protect myself.

[@hotsnottatertot5451]

Superman shirts are da'bomb, yo!

[@sea_unusual]

@@dcjosephine1774 you may be a genius

[@Echolimabravo321]

When your at home,sitting in your favorite lazy-boy recliner? In case you spill your beer, you wont have to get up and get a towel... just sit there and let it air dry? 🤔☠️👽😂😂

[@TheBiggityBoyd]

If I work in an area with a bunch of rifle threats as a security guard, I'm leaving ASAP. I did not get out of the Army to be shot at with rifles in the US.

[@biteme19671]

But that is more increasing, even as an officer wearing lllA soft body armor, some will insert a Sappi plate into the carrier, and even some of us will buy our own level lV steel or ceramic body armor to keep in the trunk in case we respond to a rifle situation.

[@Nocturnalzyx]

less than 5% of murders in the US involve rifle firearms. That said I'd do plate armor just to be extra sure. Discomfort is less important than safety.

[@jacobmikel4981]

Is there such thing as lvl 5? Do you no?

[@biteme19671]

@@jacobmikel4981 There a level 5 body armor, meant for military application, it's called dragon armor.

[@totenkopfan6296]

@@biteme19671 I doesn't work that good, i'd say it's overhyped, i think it didn't even pass the tests, it seems to be even worse than IIIa. It seemed promising though.

[@FuzzFam]

You realize you're like the professor of our profession right? Your knowledge base is incredible. Another great video T!

[@freefieldtraining]

+FuzzFam Now if I could only learn to spell! Lol

[@adrianakuzmikova1697]

@@freefieldtraining is there some groin protection that can be used as EDC? one shot in groin even with 22LR will shut down everyone.

[@mrd7067]

@@adrianakuzmikova1697 From what i understand the only groin protections there are are military, cutresistant or for sports. Military: Flaps on some vests that you can fold down. Usually not worn (or only on guard duty) because it`s not pleasant to wear when walking. The second thing are "blast proof" underpants which protect from explosions. Might protect from some guns but probably won`t. Cutresistant: There are underpants (shorts and longjohns) which can protect you from cuts and limited from stabs. Sport: For men there are some for some sports. They protect if you get attacked there by blunt force (not from guns). I don`t know if they even exist for women though. The groin area is, apart from the head one of the worst places to get hit (although it is not a direct fight stopper in most cases). Even direct medical help (IFAK / whatever) might not be able to help there because it is arguably impssible to stop the bleeding. Thats also a reason why the groin is a alternative third target after a "doubletab" (body, body head) or, if very close/surprised the primary target area.

[@tomsoki5738]

Adriana Kuzmikova you can get level 3a groin protector boxes, have a look at demolition ranches video on bulletproof groin protectors

[@ferna2294]

This video is 14 minutes 35 secs of FULL information. You can´t get deeper than this. Thank you so much. Subscribed!

[@Marco-bf4uu]

We federal police officers in germany get an Level 4+ plate carrier issued. But in germany the last active shooter situation was in 2004 and he had an 22lr. And mostly we only must deal with knifes. But its germany everything must be perfect and Safe.

[@noahno]

Strange, the internet seems to believe that criminals dont care about gun laws and without 300 million+ guns in civilian hands the criminals would run wild. So confused 🤔😂 (sarcasm)

[@caveymoley]

Count yourself lucky that the state cares enough about its police to provide them with solid equipment... Many place just get battered, second-hand and borderline obsolete gear.

[@gabriel39495]

@@noahno you have another contries that prohibited guns and still have a high crime hate, so you can't say that the main factor for germany safety are the gun laws. You can't isolate this variable.

[@martinramos8036]

Lol their goes your backs

[@stefankecina]

@@noahno "Germany has a good system of legal gun ownership, but illegal firearms pose a big problem," said Nils Duquet, a weapons expert in Belgium who works for the Flemish Peace Institute. According to Duquet, there are millions of illegal weapons in Europe, but he said it is impossible to know exactly how many. I had to lol

[@bennconner1195]

If your in the military I think a mix of soft Armour and hard armour is the way to go. A Hybrid level 3A body armour/plate Carrier would be ideal.

[@chrisafp071]

I work unarmed security on dangerous sites and I'm not sure how to take a step in the right direction for my career. Too much is expected of us with 0 training and 0 gear, I had to buy even my own flashlight, boots, spray, they gave me a shirt. I guess that is paying the bills and staying a float but I really hope some crackhead doesn't end me too early. I work my ass off over 60hrs per week, sometimes more.

[@FDGREAPER]

Chris Taylor buy a vest and go armed

[@jonathanmathews3035]

Chris Taylor I'm a senior supervisor for my agency we have to buy our own gear as well. I tell all my guards to invest on armor. The number one thing you want to think about is you go home alive.

[@jonathanmathews3035]

The vest he is wearing is a safe life 3a vest they take payments.

[@cryhavoc9748]

When it comes down to what my boss says I can and cannot carry, it boils down to this.... when it comes to a choice between my job and my life, I can always get another job. A friend of mine (an armed security guard) was fired after a justified use of his firearm. Company policy was that they be loaded with FMJ ammo. His pistol was loaded with Hornady Critical Defense. The State Law Enforcement Division ruled it justified, but he was terminated from the security company for carrying an unauthorized round.

[@CyberLord5G]

No training for unarmed? NYS makes it mandatory that Unarmed take 24 hours training before being licensed. Armed is an extra 47 hrs plus 16 hours annual.

[@jcoll2727]

Thank You, I am currently working as Executive Armed Security. I will be buying and wearing a vest at my next detail. I have been doing this for almost 4 years without one. I never served in the military, been a police officer, I interned at a police department, all my time in college. I am an internationally certified Firefighter, but there is so much to know and I am still learning, how to do my job in a safer and more professional. I have a new boss, retired secret service. Awesome boss and mentor, he keeps asking where is your vest! So again, Thank You, in less than 15 minutes, I know and understand what’s right for me

[@nativewarrior1262]

You can get an outer wear Vest that can catch Ar15, Ak47 rounds and much more

[@fraleo2192]

wow finally an explanation for what level 1 was, ive been looking everywhere for it and it was driving me crazy

[@joshuabrown9439]

I love this channel I'm down with nearly EVERY video

[@freefieldtraining]

+John Waynes Gun glad you enjoy👍

[@LuisGonzalez-gl4wc]

Thank you your vid. Just sold me on the Safelife vest. I just ordered in Coyote. What I like about your vid is the realistic scenarios. The other vids try to get you to get plate carriers, but you sacrifice so much area to a threat. Plus, I’ll later get a level 4 plate. Thanks and keep up the good work!!

[@onturrage495]

Quite informative. As a result, I will buy two steel plates to use with my level IIIA range vest. My range vest has a plate pouch on both sides. The vest you used in this video, I like all the pockets it offers. Many thanks.

[@kelleymcmahan6457]

I had an instructor years ago, what he suggested was to wear body armor that would stop whatever round you were carrying. Due to the vast majority of security/police shootings are killed by their own weapons.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Kelley McMahan That is good advice. Though the vast majority of security /police killed are not killed by their own weapons. It is still a significant risk. Today though all commercial soft armor will stop anything you should be using as a duty round. There are some outliers, like 357sig but they are a rare issue.

[@Nosurrender115]

Kelley McMahan very incorrect information.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

In 2019, this is false. What kills most sworn LE officers 🇺🇸🚔, is traffic accidents not gun shots, 🔪 wounds. 😉. Also about 35-40% of sworn officers killed by ammunition are hit in non body armor areas. Be aware too, fabric body armor systems can wear or lose effectiveness after 4-5 years...

[@KoishiVibin]

@Mike Evans Ammunition dependent. Also, uncommon round and mediocre wounding.

[@whitebadger380]

Great video helped me immensely in choosing my vest.

[@DavidLLambertmobile]

Streichers of MN & Galls.com are great 🚔 & private security corrections officers. Be safe! 😁

[@FilosefeAbstrac]

Thanks for this video, I just invested in a Safe Life Defense Level IIIa+ first response vest with a hard rifle plate for the front. I do armed security for a religious place of worship part-time, so the weight won't really be a factor.

[@angelmontiel3186]

This helped me a lot for my security work I was going to get to level 3 A+ you saved me some money so thank you

[@polargaming9133]

As a civilian(who wants to become a police officer) I never understood why police officer security etc. Never used plates that stop a 44 magnum but now I do thank you. Be safe ⚫🔵⚫

[@freefieldtraining]

+Polar Gaming cbase that dream brother. It is the greatest show on earth.

[@daviddebergh254]

I have a level 3 soft armor with 3a trama plates in front and back

[@danielbuehl432]

This is a great video that answered all my questions. Well done and thank you!

[@conorpatrick3487]

Very informative....Separated the rye from the corn...Tks...."We are what we do regularly, excellence is not an act, it's a habit"..Aristotle

[@SafeLifeDefenseBodyArmor]

Fantastic video! Highly informative and well thought out. Keep up the great work! Oh, and thanks for the shoutout!

[@freefieldtraining]

+Safe Life Defense shouting will get much louder next week!

[@peterpro2a]

free field training man oh man every vest I've looked up are pricey for me on my income I guess I'll just have to Rambo it every day but it looks like a very good product

[@sigmasafety]

Just a thought, you may want to define "back face deformation" for people that are unfamiliar with the term. NIJ allows 41mm BFD (aka BFS = Back Face Signature). It's also worth mentioning that many higher-end manufacturers list Special Threats which NIJ permits: the manufacturer can test and list in addition to NIJ certification. For example, Armor Express Level II SBA has special threat declarations for .44 mag and .357 Sig (both of which are NIJ IIIA rounds). It's an important factor in armour selection. Lastly, thanks for preaching about coverage! Have a look a the FBI statistics on officers killed or injured. ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2015/tables/table_37_leos_fk_with_fas_while_wearing_body_armor_point_of_entry_for_fatal_torso_wounds_2006-2015.xls About 50% of the officers who die from gunfire (other than a rifle round that penetrates their SBA) die from the bullet entering either between the sides of the vest or around the arm-hole. Lots more info about these events on the main FBI page; ucr.fbi.gov/leoka/2015/home/resource-pages/leoka_tables_by_title_-2015 Great video - keep it up.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Sigma Safety Corp. The problem with video format, as I'm sure you know, is that you can only cram so much into a length that people will watch. I'm already talking pretty fast and have to cut lots of stuff out to make a video that is concise enough for people to understand. This video was compiled from almost three hours of filming, lol. Explaining backface deformation to people who are new to armor is a big issue that I just couldn't tackle in this video completely as people really don't have a relatable standard of measure. Saying x number of mm in calibrated clay means nothing to your average person. I actually backed armor with 1" pine boards and shot it in a couple videos just to give people a standard of measure that they could relate to. You can check them out if you are so inclined : kzbin.info/www/bejne/laTFf5KPa9OhpcU And kzbin.info/www/bejne/haaXeGqugKhsa5Y It wasn't too scientific but I think it taught people more than they would learn looking at me measuring clay indents. I was excited to see in the comments that people had no idea before watching that getting hit in the armor would feel like getting hit full on with a framing hammer. That's when I know I am actually teaching something useful. I've never seen an NIJ special threats standard for soft armor certification. Since 357 Sig and 44 mag are THE 3a test it makes me wonder what those standards are. If you have a link I would love to read up on it. I always thought "special threats" were independent of NIJ certification. Coverage is the name of the game man, you don't have to thank me for preaching it. I'm sick of seeing guys wearing (or worse getting issued) nipple protectors and thinking they are protected. It really has been the worst thing that came out of the "let's all look like Special forces" craze. All people see is a list of specs on a page and it is hard to make a spec for coverage area. I would argue that, at least for civilian LE and security work, coverage area is at least as important as protection level. I had a company try to send me their level 3a 10x12 soft plate for testing claiming it was the "best bulletproof vest" or some other similar shananagins. I could hardly contain my laughter. I can't tell people that is quality gear. Thanks for commenting man, I always appreciate hearing from people in the industry and if you have a link to the special threats stuff I really would like to read it, I'm always up to learn new things.

[@sigmasafety]

Thanks for the note. Yes, I struggle with the content-vs-length as well. You did a great job overall. As far as Special Threats, NIJ allows companies to self-declare special threats. No ST's are certified specifically by NIJ though often companies will get 3rd party labs to certify the armour against the threats. See pg 57 of the NIJ 0101.06 standards, though it's a very brief mention of Special Threats. As you can imagine, armour companies are HUGE on liability protection. If they put in writing (i.e. on their spec sheets) then they have to stand by that. If they say their armour is Special Threat rated for a specific .357 Sig, for example, then the armour fails against that round, the armour company would be held liable. NIJ certification is the first thing to look for, as you mentioned in the video. Without NIJ certification, basically you don't know what it'll stop (maybe nothing - there really is no way of telling). Keep up the great work. Thanks for your service!

[@TRIGGZ123]

This channel is literally free training classes, keep up the good work and be safe out there brother

[@michaelanderson548]

I use IIIA soft body armor that wraps around in a carrier that also allows me to insert either a trauma plate or small soft IIIA sheet. I don't use the trauma plate, I use a small soft armor sheet to minimize any chest trauma. The only problem is that it's not stab resistant/proof. That upped the cost by a lot. But, I could see using it in a correctional facility. I also carry a IIIA sheet in my backpack where the laptop would go and a larger IIIA sheet behind the seat in my truck.

[@user-sd7qt3hy8l]

I just received a bulletproof vest, but i dont know anything about them. Mine doesnt have any directions on it nor any information really. All it says it's "Plate body armor" and it says its resistant from fragmentations and 9mm rounds. Is this a flack jacket or is it actual body armor? I honestly don't know. Thanks.

[@Stag15L]

i was always told wear armor that atleast stops what you carry. i weat 3a because wear i do security is in the hood

[@freefieldtraining]

+Drew Miller 3a is an excellent choice.

[@moonrunrs]

Excellent video, thank you. This is exactly the explanation I was looking for.

[@dakshitha92]

Thanks brother. Really helping me with my PhD thesis

[@whoop2684]

I want to be able to be shot with a lmg and laugh

[@vradic03]

GeKin lol

[@charielity6071]

GeKin get in a robot that has 9 inch thick steel plates, than you can laugh at them when you kill them

[@whoop2684]

Asriel Dreemurr so a tank

[@freefieldtraining]

+GeKin steel plate. Might catch a little so all though, lol

[@paullytle246]

GeKin it deosnt stop the impact

[@musicguy25100]

I'm from Chicago and i drive pass some tugs on the street especially Englewood that carry rifles on them.

[@markalford5406]

I thought it was illegal to carry in Chicago, maybe we should pass more laws

[@constantinevx]

They do not carry rifles here in Chicago. They if anything they have submachine weapons. That being said majority of what they carry here in Chicago is pistols.

[@TheBucketSkill]

@@constantinevx They definitely have access to rifles. AR-15 pistols, they have very short barrels to be concealed and AK Draco pistol which can use 7.62... though these are likely rare.

[@KZNer_Drag0n]

Thank you for answering a question I had! I had always wondered whether or not me as a civilian should get 3A or level II, but you said that it's rare I'll ever encounter a 44 or 357, so level II seems like the better choice since it protect against many common caliber and the bonus is it's probably lighter and more concealable as well.

[@richnorman7058]

Thank you for specifying "back face deformation" and not penetration. I go back a few years in the security industry when soft armor was about it, with the IIIA being too expensive for most of us and it wasn't appropriate to use external hard armor like it 's become these days. It drives me nuts when I see and hear people talking about how such and such armor is "rated" to whatever level, but then implies that they're talking about penetration. As in, so and so pistol round won't be "stopped" by whatever level of soft armor. It's getting to be almost false advertising and people who are wanting body armor are hung up on something that just isn't true. Thank you again and I hope people that watch this video understand what you're saying.

[@bobcauthon]

What's your thoughts/experiences on external body armor carriers? Worth it or too "tactical?" It seems convenient, but since I have to buy my own gear, I'm wary. As a side note, I would say rifle and pistol threats are almost even in my day to day. You city boys...LOL...might not have such a threat, but serving warrants in rural areas...where I swear I heard a banjo - ba-da-dang-dang dang-dang, dang...these country folk are more likely to walk outside with a rifle or shotgun than a pistol.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Bob Kawthun external carriers don't have to be too "tactical". Blauer makes one that looks just like the uniform shirt. It is almost indistinguishable from twenty feet away. We wear rifle armor for warrants and such here too. Plenty of choppers floating around my neck of the woods too. For security guards though... I still call shananagins.

[@bobcauthon]

I bought a second chance 3A vest, that cost me $1000! I don't want to have to take it in and out of an external carrier as situations change, plus getting dressed and undressed is a pain in the ass, and I just found your video on the safe life carriers. I like them...especially at half the cost, (but it's still 500 bucks!...I know..my life is worth it!) a little bit of feedback that's making me hesitate. I figure you have some sort of relationship with them and may be able to pass the message better or have more weight when you "complain" about a feature. It would be nice if the 3x3 velcro section on the front was more like 5x3 or most of the way over to the badge holder. The big one though...no pockets for pens, cards, notebooks, etc. and no tabs for body cameras. In my breast pockets I carry my cards which I go through like oxygen, a pen, an extended cuff key, and my notebook. I would hate to have to sacrifice the medical kit, which is the big draw to this kind of vest, for administrative stuff. Also it might be nice if we could trade that flashlight pouch out for a cell phone pouch. If you feel uncomfortable passing these remarks on, I will do it on their website, but again I thought it might be better received from you vs. a potential "internet troll"...stay safe out there.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Bob Kawthun There have already been plenty of discussion about doing a Molle vest cover so that people can put whatever pouches they want on them. I also know that they monitor the comments section on the product reviews so you could always leave suggestions there.

[@658webster]

Just gonna jump in, my department uses external carriers that have molle on the entire front and back. I prefer the external for the fact i like being able to easily take it off in the office when working on reports or just to cool off for a little bit. They do not lool as professional as interior vests but as far as im concerned the outer carriers are more comfortable if you get the right one, plus you can move some of the items on your belt up to the vest and take some weight off of your hips.

[@alwaysrockn2009]

Totally awesome video! Thanks for putting this one together.

[@freefieldtraining]

+alwaysrockn2009 It is my immense pleasure

[@ARHZONE]

From my perspective (have been working as an armed and unarmed security officer in the Houston area for a few years now) i personally think it really depends on both the area you work in, as well as the necessity of what your job entails. Without a doubt, both police and security officers (especially in the more crime ridden parts of cities) face challenges everyday, some much more than others. I have met security officers who have seen more action than most polices officers i have met, and i have met police who have seen a good deal themselves working in inner city Houston and my main opinion is the fact that you should only get what you believe if absolutely necessary for your location and job. I have worked with security officers in a very low crime rated area wearing level 3 vests and i have known armed guards who work in inner city Houston with tons of gun violence who either wear nothing or the lowest level armor they could find. It really comes down to your own preference and your own money, but in my line of work, i personally prefer a level 2 standard vest (possibly a level 3a, no particular brands) due to statistically, the most gun related violence you come across is with that of hand guns, and the most common types such as 9mm, .357, etc. While there is always the threat of an active shooter or killers with rifles, most of the time those are very low on the spectrum compared to hand guns. I've always had the mindset that you should take your equipment into consideration with your environment. If you are guarding an armored truck with tons of money or working at a government institution, banks or in a crime ridden part of town, then maybe going a bit heavier with the armor and other equipment is needed to be prepared. But if you are simply guarding a vacant parking lot or a warehouse in a quiet part of town, then i highly doubt you would need a level 3 or 4 standard vest armed with a 12g shotgun. A simple level 2 or 3a vest that can stop most common handgun types that is also a bit more mobile, is your safest bet. I myself wish to purchase a level 2 or 3a while continuing my security career and believe it will do me more than enough.

[@jasone1881]

I wear a level 2 point blank soft armor, and have a plate carrier that has level 3a soft panels (covers most of my torso) and 10x12 level 3 plates front and back and 5x8 side plates, but the Carrier weighs 35 lbs 😵

[@TheOtherFagola]

Jason Ellet Which brand of plate carrier are you using? I’m looking around for one that accepts soft and hard panels. It’s kinda hard though because most of the places I look don’t sell to pesky civilians.

[@KoishiVibin]

@@TheOtherFagola Iirc, many use the JPC 2.0. Go to r/tacticalgear for some advice, it's pretty interesting.

[@TheOtherFagola]

Norian Arijuna Got my set up already. IIIA BALCS planels with carrier with III”+” front and side plates and Crye deltoid and groin plates. My next PC will be their Airlite SPC for a more minimalist set up. Thanks for recommendation.

[@KoishiVibin]

@@TheOtherFagola What are your plates? Out of curiosity? I swear, if you've fallen for AR500/Spartan Armor's bullshit...

[@SylentONE]

@@KoishiVibin What's wrong with Spartan Armor?

[@captainraptor120]

hey I am a firefighter and my department is wanting to get vest what would be a great vest for firefighters

[@monikabataityte4283]

anti-fire vest?

[@KoishiVibin]

Most aramids are fire resistant iirc. Get something with good cooling to ensure no overheat.

[@justinnewquist6111]

Hey I’m a firefighter too and what I’ve seen with other departments is that they have hard body armor. They would be used for active shooter situations since firefighters/EMS may go with police in to try to triage those who have been shot.

[@eziahjohnson167]

Thanks for the info I just bought 1 front plate of soft Armor and I’ll be buying another one soon

[@AdvancedComputerFixYourOwnComp]

Awesome video, probably the best i have ever seen on vest and protection!!

[@freefieldtraining]

+Advanced Computer 2017 Fix Your Own Computer thanks bother!

[@mr.mrs.bounds1901]

Rural small towns = higher rifle/shotgun count

[@mikemoon7549]

Nobody seems to recognize this. Where I live you're much more likely to be shot with a 12 guage slug, a .308, 30-06 or even a .338 rather than a 9mm or a .357... Good luck surviving a hit from one of those with soft armor. A .338 will pass thru your vest and body both sides and then continue into your partner behind you... not even sure how a level 4 plate would fare against that.

[@striker6240]

Rural small towns = little to no crime

[@loganwebb5086]

Here before civil war

[@rurikvolkov2810]

I've met people who want a slab of titanum like 14by18 like 3/4 tick to put in a vest me im not getting shot at by anyone with a 50BMG so

[@freefieldtraining]

+Blayne Peterson we used to have titanium plates in vests they weren't the best.

[@rurikvolkov2810]

free field training well titanium is super strong and is bulleproof but it absorbs nothing but if I was getting shot at by some gaint gun thats what id want because its just so strong

[@Tremulousnut]

Titanium is good against pistol, but they suck as rifle plates. There's a lot of misconceptions about it, which makes people think it's adamant when it's a very niche material.

[@allenmitchell8846]

If you do get shot with a.50, at least it will be a quick death.

[@davidd.7251]

Great job! I incline for a Safelife Defense. Expensive but the words “you get what you pay” can’t be more important than when it comes to life or death matters.

[@omarmassey2522]

coverage is the reason why I'm not a fan of many plate carriers. most officers wouldn't need anything over level 2 with full coverage. I would probably have an IOTV or good quality plate carrier with coverage just in case, but not for everyday wear.

[@JulyFourth1776]

I have both soft and hard armor, so yeh me????

[@johndavis9487]

Has anyone used the Dragon Skin body armor?

[@cherishporter5314]

JOHN DAVIS man I wish but I'm fairly certain that's only for the US Military and it's not something that they sell to civilians but I could be wrong?

[@Unicorn161]

Cherish Porter It's sold, but it's very expensive and more importantly it's garbage. It failed every test the Army and the Marines did. The Army failed it first. Then the Marines in a separate test (and remember they are using a totally different vest and helmet than the Army now, as well as totally different packs and load carrying gear). Then after Pinnacle whined to Congress and made a stink to get public opinion on their side, Congress mandated the Army do another test, with a huge amount of Congress watching over their shoulder along with their hired experts. It still failed. It couldn't handle the extreme heat of being inside an armored vehicle in the desert. It couldn't handle being soaked in POL... Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants... things that mechanics as well as vehicle crews (tankers, crews on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle or Bradley Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, crews on self propelled artillery, cres on the Strykers, drivers and TOW gunners on the uparmored humvees, MRAPS, Armored Security Vehicles, combat engineers in 113s or bradleys, or AVLB or AVLM, and so on and so on) are exposed to.

[@libertardsbeware4180]

Well, Dragon Skin actually doesn’t work properly. These ceramic things are even if stopping debris - they are taking 50-75% of debris’ kinetic energy, making local internal harm - lungs can collide with ribs and have permanent damage. Pneumothorax and wrong syringe use may lead to death. Well, maybe it would work with two layers of thin steel and Twaron/Kevlar between them, because steel deforms, not breaks in path of bullet, while Twaron takes and catches microdebris.

[@Unicorn161]

I forgot the price. At one time a comete vest was a little over $5,000. The front and rear plate sized pieces about $2,000.

[@how_to_hallagon1]

They went out of business. The military said they don't work and couldn't get a contract with them as a supplier.

[@vincentbrewer8042]

Hey this we was awesome video and it really helped me out with some things thank you I appreciate it

[@briankern6644]

I have spent 10 years in the armed security field in Texas. I agree with your assessment about guards worried about rifle threats, I never encountered any bad guy toting any type of long arm besides sawed off shotguns, and .22 rifles which can be stopped by kevlar. The thing I most commonly saw where handguns, knives, bludgeons, improvised weapons, and poorly trained attack dogs.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Brian Kern "poorly trained attack dogs" god, ain't that the truth. Lol

[@steelman134]

Viewers probably play escape from tarkov

[@seanvv7598]

Spartan armor AR500 level 3 front back and sides with carrier... $175.... Sooooooooo... Jus sayin.

[@freefieldtraining]

Very minimal coverage area, very minimal rifle level protection, and over 20lbs...... Soooooo.... Just sayin...don't be an airsoft commando.

[@dragoneye6642]

@@freefieldtraining ya but it's better thin nothing at all your pussy ass soft armor is not going to save you from 556 round which there are millions of AR'5 and other more powerful rifles to America today and there's more people living outside city limits thin in the city that carry high caliber rifles in there truck (so ya suck on those eggs lol 😂 just playing with you with this last part)

[@freefieldtraining]

AR 500 armor won't save you from the most common ar15 rounds.

[@freefieldtraining]

That's kinda complicated. As with everything mantras like "speed kills" and "shot placement is key" don't tell the whole story and generally are a big tell that someone is only regurgitating what they have heard others say about firearms. Level 3 means that the armor (with a bunch of unrelated qualifiers) can stop 308 ball. This does not mean it will stop all 223/556 rounds because some of them are faster than ball 308 and some of them are constructed differently. Most steel armor that is "rated level 3" won't stop fast 55 gr ball like m193. And many polyethylene level 3 plates will stop m193 but won't stop m855 because of the steel tip construction. While speed plays a huge part in armor penetration construction does as well. To what part they play a role depends on what armor you are talking about.

[@freefieldtraining]

Lots of this stuff is not cut and dry. We have several videos on the channel of us shooting armor of various types and I've shot LOTS more armor at work. It is always a blast to see what this stuff will actually do when you shoot it.

[@thedesertwarrior7447]

A *long time ago,* I used the useless level I. What I faced while using it assured me that I was on the losing side. Thank you for this information.

[@KoishiVibin]

Hey, it's got enough to at least defeat basic handgun threats.

[@rodneyfarva3446]

Almost to 20,000 subscribers FFT! Congrats from a Harveyworld medic.......

[@freefieldtraining]

+Erectus Maximus we are getting there. Hell, in was excited when I had 600!

[@vascodegama5829]

Ummm Round not Rond nose...

[@freefieldtraining]

+vasco de gama Yeah, several people have pointed that out. In my defense it was 3am when I made this.... And I can't spell for shit.

[@abrahamlincoln7766]

Who else notice the crazy amount of edits in this video

[@mattconnolly169]

I recently bought a point blank level 2 soft body armor a lot more lighter and comfortable than the plate carrier with level 3 plates

[@Superbus753]

When we are on guard duty or patrolling (Swiss Military so we never are in a area with an active conflict or ever see action) wear a vest that protects our full upper body also covering our neck and extending down lower than our hips. These vests themselves are rated level 4 but can be reinforced with additional hard plates (which we don’t always have to carry them). So even though we never have to fear to be ever shot at we carry much more protection than any police force that actually see action.

[@SuperLocoloco69]

in chicago criminals are using high capacity rifles.

[@freefieldtraining]

+SuperLocoloco69 Lol, yeah that makes the news but it isn't the norm at all.... I'm kinda.... There. Occasionally you'll get a drive by where some mope will let off fifteen or twenty 7.62x39 rounds at a house or car. But that isn't what they are pulling out their pants on a street stop.

[@p51mustang24]

You need to make a rational decision based on knowledge and statistics of REALISTIC threats. Crimes with rifles, let alone AP rounds are pretty rare.

[@wkn123456789]

Whats a high capacity rifle?

[@Oscarcode1033]

@@wkn123456789 maybe 30 round magazine or more

[@constantinevx]

I live in Chicago, they do not carry rifles like that. If anything they may have a submachine weapon in their vehicle. They are carrying some sort of pistol.

[@SlimeBoy1231]

Why don't any companies make body armor pants? What if you get shot in the leg?

[@freefieldtraining]

+DJ Moore they are made. They suck to wear.

[@trevoranderson7182]

Imagine running around with unbreathing garbage bags strapped to your legs. On top of that, you've strapped several sandbags to your legs and belt. Sure, it feels like almost nothing at first but then try to run around with them in the hot sun. Even if for a few minutes, I'm in really good shape but still ended up with some really sweaty legs.

[@busara45thevillain22]

DJ Moore they'd make your butt look big. What about that one? he's got nice glutes! Aim for his ass!

[@somedaysuperhero2184]

Working on it!

[@ciaoking1227]

Getting shot in the leg is not a life threatening injury. Body armor is supposed to keep you alive.

[@TheOl1911]

Very interesting! Back in the day I think the popular one was the Second Chance Level IIa? Heavy / bulky stuff... but they did have the thinner stuff but it was really expensive I recall. I am sure today the technology is so different. Most security guys back in the day I knew did not even wear their vests to be honest with you. Especially in the summer... good stuff and a lot of good info!

[@freefieldtraining]

+TheOl1911 Most guys working private security today either dont have vests due to cost or are issued them and are required to wear them. Sad really. So many companies make vests for less than the cost of a cheap pistol.

[@peterpro2a]

I never had one and till this day I still don't I Rambo it I just can't afford them being out here in sw TX pay is not the best Bill's and rent come first but I try to stay very vigilant and alert to come home to my family trying to not let my guard down at all

[@shanerino]

Armed Guard in Tucson. Thank You Guys for video it was very informative and professional. I got Spartan IIIA + front and back (came as package with side plates too which I don't use) then later bought the 501 "Cross Fit" vest used from another guard and found with some attention and few times making adjustments... It wears like a second skin. Mobility is hampered very slightly. One of my main reasons was the 105F summers. I patrol dangerous shopping Plaza had 3 armed robberies 2019. What would the Pros and Cons be of Soft vs Hard in months of extreme heat ? Also, what about decreased protection due to perspiration in vest ? Thanks again for videos. God Bless.

[@Highclasslowlife5150]

What in the hell happened to the back of your head? Lol

[@freefieldtraining]

+Justin Finch ttragic knife fighting accident.

[@janglenutter3820]

Sounds more like a "hold my beer" moment.

[@usopp2683]

free field training wow that’s not funny

[@lemius6154]

whats the story behind that? lmao

[@Migger_29]

Justin Finch nice troll. I r8 the b8 8/8 m8.

[@vradic03]

police in my country don't wear any body armor

[@coolmansasoo7]

It looks like they do buddy www.indiedb.com/members/srb-hawkeye/images/exercise-of-serbian-police-units5

[@freefieldtraining]

+VR P sucks for them.

[@vradic03]

St. John Smith we have patrol and rapid response police. Only the rapid response police wear body armor.

[@vradic03]

and they usually keep it in the trunk and put it on when needed

[@vradic03]

Jimmey303 we are not the richest country in the world, and the police is a complete mess. 26000 police officers on 7000000+ people ! We have shit cars: www.google.rs/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.inserbia.info%2Ftoday%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F06%2FInSerbia-Serbian-police-car-650x487.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Finserbia.info%2Ftoday%2F2014%2F06%2Fserbia-84-car-accidents-in-one-day-one-dead%2F&docid=N-F6-LAIlWBpcM&tbnid=5TVwJr90MsYZoM%3A&vet=1&w=650&h=487&client=ms-android-prestigio&bih=511&biw=360&q=serbian%20police%20car&ved=0ahUKEwiJ9a2DkKjSAhVBOxQKHcM9DrgQMwgoKA8wDw&iact=mrc&uact=8 And shit guns: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_CZ_99

[@sirwhitecrayon2499]

Excellent video brother! Great points on the Level II vs IIIA. I can't tell you how many times I hear officers talk about "needing" IIIA. Most don't, but I know many departments or agencies, including where I work that do issue level IIIA. We have a grant for IIIA body armor through Armor Express. We also just started issuing 5x8 semi rigid Level IIIA and Stab level 2 trauma insert to help protect against knives and other objects. It's only on the front for now. We got them from a small outfit out of Texas called bulletproofmenow. Working in an ER, where we are in close proximity to unpredictable individuals, I'm definitely more concerned about being stabbed than shot. I however

[@freefieldtraining]

+SirWhiteCrayon I'm surprised you don't have 8x10 steel truama plates front and back with all the sharp things that float around an ER. Them things are dirt cheap all things considered. I think falls sells them for $40. Nothing stops knives like steel.

[@sirwhitecrayon2499]

We don't have them because of the weight of the steel. So at least a 5x8 semi rigid insert is better than nothing.

[@freefieldtraining]

+SirWhiteCrayon I can see that. Being on your feet all day ounces beat up your knees fast.

[@larsmurdochkalsta8808]

For clarification to my knowledge there is no NIJ certified steel armor. many companies will use clever tricks to make it seem like it should be. But my understanding is that it's not certified by the NIJ to meet that specification.

[@chuckmadden18]

Nice vid, I picked up some safeguard level 2 with level 1 edge and spike protection over Christmas. It was a little pricey though.

[@freefieldtraining]

+chuckmadden18 It pays for itself with a single hospital visit.

[@brucecook502]

About 20 years ago I had a surplus police level 2a vest, and I did test it with my 22LR rifle with Federal copper jacketed hollow-point at up to 1280 FPS, and I remember when I went to retrieve the bullet from the vest, I counted 18 layers of Kevlar, and the 22 penetrated into the 11th layer, that made me wonder how the heck it was supposed to stop larger common handgun rounds when it literally penetrated more than half the vest.

[@glockman9c]

I run 11x14 ceramic/poly hybrid level III with 11x14 soft IIIa as a pad. Much lighter than level IV.

[@jasondeselles1762]

Great video. Very informative and straight to the point.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Jason Deselles thank you. I do try.

[@AnthonyClauser]

It is so refreshing for a cop on KZbin that presents facts as facts, but much more important, opinions as opinions, but especially in a dignified fashion. Far too many present opinions as fact, or even worse in a very condescending fashion.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Anthony Clauser Well, the problem is that social media encourages such behavior and so they get the loudest voice and biggest following. If you want to see more stuff like this please share the videos you like to Facebook, redit and such. It helps more than you could know.

[@mustangkrillin]

Only thing I would add is that for people on a budget, steel is often among the least expensive options while offering the most protection, but it can be uncomfortable for all day wear for sure. While I'm no expert on this, I'm mainly referring to your video on stab protection, steel, or other hard armor would be best there as well. When I was in the military, me and a buddy where processing out some old IIIA (if I remember correctly) armor (to be destroyed anyway) so we tested it against our knives. Punctured right through though this was almost 10 years ago and the armor was expired so that may have diminished it's effectiveness.

[@freefieldtraining]

+mustangkrillin steel is great if you have very little money and your primary threat is from intermediate rifle rounds. It is very heavy for the area covered. If your concern is stabbing, there are specialized stab vests out there. Some are pretty affordable. Or, you can put thin stab plates in a vest. The thin stab only plates over level 2 ballistic armor I haven't found to be uncomfortable at all.

[@hectormunoz5663]

I do see that alot guys wit hard body armor that do armed security at marijuana Despensories and grow farms and Pawn shops I wear 3A soft body armor and a trama plate mainly because like u say gotta protect are sides along our rib cage and such

[@chrisharpster3007]

Another great video brother! I probably should have my earphones on as I'm sitting in the hospital watching, considering I have a high level of suspicion that the older woman sitting beside me thinks I'm a nutjob. Oh the joys of mandatory testing!

[@freefieldtraining]

+Christopher Harpster lol!

[@kelleymcmahan6457]

Ages ago when I was doing high risk work I wore a 3A under level 4 rigid. Granted it was overkill but some of the places I was working we were dealing with a rash of cut down shotguns loaded with deer slugs and that is a nasty bit of business.

[@aaronwilkinson8963]

I was a British soldier and we was issued osprey body armour. The plates were like glass or some kind of resin they were see through. Plates front and back but the rest of it was soft kevlar. Obviously it would not stop an AK round but they did tell us it would hold our guts in.

[@GregParr58]

Thank You Very Much. Highly informative! Technically appropriate without tangenting off into the stratasphere, lol. Thank You Again, Stay Safe & Sharp! GodSpeed!

[@aky19832001]

This is great for people who work in convenience stores as well.

[@Braindoner101]

Also I know you did say rarely will 44 mag be seen on the street, but may I be the exception? I live in Alaska. A good bit of people carry 10mm and 44 mag, but that's for most open carry people I see, otherwise for those I see printing are usually 9mm.

[@Loadrunner620]

Common rounds in Baltimore City: 22LR up to 12 gauge and AR15 pistol

[@H_Hold]

Aside from my first comment, Thanks a ton for the video I've been pretty in the dark as what body armor specs mean what things

[@immigrant6902]

Very informative and well organized! !!!

[@p51mustang24]

What’s the best kind of armor to stop a time bomb?

[@gabeagex]

Listen to this man, he knows what he’s talking about. I am a school officer and I went out and purchase steel level 3 plates from AR500, I thought it was a great deal, $350 with shipping. I wore it for about a year , with all 4 plates coming in at 39lbs. I am now placing my order for 3A+ from safe line and I believe it will be a fantastic switch for me, I recommend everyone to go 3A+ from the start.

[@KoishiVibin]

If you want rifle protection, you'd be better served by L210s.

[@sminem6572]

What do you think is better for home breaching? (not robbing, serving arrest warrants and search warrants)

[@Eslamizar]

I do hospital security and we run into a lot of crazy people. My employer does NOT provide body armor so I bought my own. I bought the Oregon City armor carrier form Safariland. I have the bullet resistant panels with the built in stab resistance (it's more of a corrections armor panels). I'm also running 5x8 side panels. I have 7x9 Protech Impac S.T. trauma plates front and back. With all of my other gear on the vest, it's about 30 pounds. If I put plates in my carrier (I have ceramic 4A) it is too heavy and too thick. So steel plates work better than my ceramics because it's thinner but I loose my AP capabilities. I don't run hard armor at work, too much weight and the odds of rifle rounds are very low in my area.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Eslamizar Here is my take on 30.06 AP. If a dude has it what are the chances he is not the tpe of guy who shoots people in the head? Think about it...30.06. So bolt guns, medium machine guns, and M1 garands. People who use those...are thankfully few and far between.

[@rothesayprepper]

I also work as a hospital security officer but in Canada. We are just in the process of getting level 3+ armor because rifles are easier up here then handguns.

[@TheAngrySecurityGuardChannel]

I was actually talking to a cop buddy of mine yesterday. We used to work together. He had a good point. What is the point to having vests that are not made for rifle rounds because the common weapon used in AS events are usually long guns. I prefer plates that’ll stop, hopefully, an AR round.

[@cookimonster6156]

I've been working security for years and just recently have I gotten my first death threat so I went and coughed up money for a level 3A from safe life and starting bringing a taser to work. I'm not playing when it comes to my money 😁

[@soundwave-gi6xy]

great video thank you for talking the time

[@thorhaugen5757]

Can you make a video of a vest of IIIa up front , like a robbery scene or something etc. That would be nice, too see if it can protect upclose

[@xenomorphelv4265]

sensitives neighbourhoods where i live use kalashnikov to settle accounts concerning drug traffic. so a armor plate is not too much in certain cases.

[@jeffreykonyukhov4164]

What about the level 3A+ safe life vest how much thicker is it than the level 3A safe life vest and is it still pretty concealable and worth it.

[@ajm7174]

love the facts you give

[@zklin3983]

Thanks so much for the informative video. I work for the campus DPS. Unfortunately, our standard issue is IIA. I am glad that they issue us something, though. What do you find is the most common soft armor issued by police departments?

[@freefieldtraining]

+Zachary Kline level II around me. IIA isn't necessarily bad. It is certainly easier to conceal especially with the .06 standards that necessitate making armor much thicker and stiffer.

[@GriffonAriac]

I wish you had talked about ICW plates. I wear my agency issued soft IIIA, plus a personal ICW IV plate. Comes in at

[@freefieldtraining]

+GriffonAriac Funny I am actually shooting a video about an I would plate today...

[@tylercooper5092]

I’m late to the party… but when pairing ICW rifle plates do you recommend 3 or the heavier 3+ for routine patrol daily wear? And in 10x12 or the smaller 8x10?

[@irishbastard2815]

I have always told people look at your situation and decide what your most likely to encounter and decide from there. I had a job well cant say where but the standard was a quick sling vest that was quick to put on and a rifle plate as a soft body armor would have done us little to no good and the movement restrictions would hinder our work or thats what they told us anyway

[@JoshVanTubergen]

Great video. Informative and no nonsense.

[@freefieldtraining]

+Josh VanTubergen lol, ill try to add some nonsense to the next one for ya! 😀

[@adamethridge7824]

This is informative gracias

[@Mikkel111]

If price isn’t an issue, what is the very best for concealed armor? Do soft and thin IVA or IV vests exist yet?

[@anonymouslee2083]

FRAS or dragon scale style armors are pretty good. They can stop AR and AK pistols too.

[@FreedomsLife1776]

I’m buying some soft armor now because of you.