RMA Armament Model 1165, Lightweight Level IV /RF3

💲RMA: alnk.to/aLIHbjd "buffman"
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This demonstration pertains only to the samples tested. This demonstration/review
may not be used to claim product certification, approval, or endorsement by NVLAP, NIST, or any federal government agency. Always seek official NIJ accredited labs reports for threat profiles.
* The information presented in these videos is technical and educational in nature. All safety precautions are followed. Imitation or the use of anything demonstrated in my videos is done AT YOUR OWN RISK. This video is not an attempt to sell you a good or service. I am not a gun shop and DO NOT sell or deal in firearms. Such a practice is heavily regulated and subject to applicable laws. I DO NOT sell parts, magazines, or firearms.
**This video could contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks for the support! #RMA1165 #NIJRF3 #NIJLevelIV

[@jeffhuntley2921]

Nicely done Deacon!

[@Johnny_Cash_Flow]

I served with Blake Waldrop (CEO of RMA) in the Marines back in 2003 and have had the honor of remaining friends with him. He's one of the nicest and most freedom-loving guys I know. Besides that, I've worn his plates for almost 10 years now and trust not only my own life, but my family's lives with them. I've worn them professionally and privately and trust them entirely. Semper!

[@JudeFunk37]

I CAN NOT wait until i have a kid to teach things to and be the best father figure possible. Very excited

[@BuffRANGE]

Teaching him things is a life experience indeed. Sometimes he knows too much :D

[@STB-jh7od]

I know you're answered this in the comments before, but I'd love to see a compilation video of your top 5 body armor plates. Maybe a top 5 level IV, and top 5 Level III.

[@FindingOurAdventure]

I second this!

[@TheKalkara131]

Considering I literally just got a pair of these, this is really good timing

[@brad2340]

Thanks Deacon for the help today.

[@conro7003]

The king💪of armor destruction! Zap zap!🪄⚡️

[@JohnnyYK]

You should do a top 5 Lvl 4 and lvl 3 armor plates because I would like to see a comparison between the top tier plates on the market.

[@AlaskanBallistics]

RMA makes very good stuff!

[@utzius8003]

You're the best ballistics channel out there!

[@BuffRANGE]

@@utzius8003 thanks! Tell your friends !

[@utzius8003]

@@BuffRANGE Always send your new videos to all of my gun guy friends!

[@sionsoschwalts2762]

We need to see more Adept armor tests!

[@BuffRANGE]

We have some coming this summer hopefully!

[@derrickkolba]

@@BuffRANGE titanium?

[@BuffRANGE]

@@derrickkolbatheir new level IV IIRC

[@timewave02012]

@@BuffRANGE If you find something worthy of SmKH and don't have any left, let me know.

[@99cobra2881]

Everyone seems to be bashing about the weight of these plates being heavy. Versus the 1155 the weight reduction of the 1165 added together you're losing 3 pounds which is the equivalent of three loaded pmags. Thats not bad for what the plates cost each on sale.

[@BuffRANGE]

Right on!

[@Mike-w8e5n]

You are trading off a pound for massive decrease in performance.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@Mike-w8e5n I personally don't think so. the UHMWPE IMO offers better performance against threats over E-glass albeit at at cost of BFD.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@gtsarmor UHMWPE in all my testing is able to catch threats that otherwise e-glass and Aramid isn't. This was seen in the in Tacticon Armament level IV test, where M193 was able to make it through the E-glass backer, when UHMWPE would have caught it. It would seem to indicate your constructions are utilizing UHMWPE as well.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@gtsarmor I have seen very little if any companies using mixed materials for hard armor backing (outside of mixing different product sku's of UHMWPE), at least in any measurable quantity outside of strike face lamination. I don't think I've ever seen you mention or talk about your backing material, and or who cuts/presses and prepares it for you. My door is always open for evaluations

[@TacticalandThings]

Damn!! I love your Destruction videos of armor!! Keep them coming!!! Always good!! 👍🏽

[@Jason32Bourne]

As per usual you are second to none in this field, so thank you. Which would you recommend: 1155mc or this 1165mc? Is the trade off for thickness and weight worth it?

[@BuffRANGE]

IMO I say for the weight loss it's worth it. I hear a bird telling me a newer offering may be coming soon that may be even lighter.

[@Jason32Bourne]

@@BuffRANGE Thank you for the reply!

[@ja0298]

Interesting that your garmin is giving you different results compared to the lightspeed chrono. Mine is right on compared to my brothers Caldwell.

[@BuffRANGE]

Some online discussion may blame the placement of the sun and it's movement during the day. I have some experimentation to do :D

[@nickolaschandler7659]

Seems like a decent plate i just need something that stops green tip and light my local store had green tip 5$ cheaper a box i know folks are choosing that over the non green tip

[@BuffRANGE]

This will stop green tip easy, but an actual RF2 plate will do it better and more repeatedly. Look at RMA’s 1092

[@Kinetic.44]

M193 has a better chance of punching through at close range with a 20 inch gun. It's all about velocity.

[@nickolaschandler7659]

@Kinetic.44 if somebody was going to tag me from close with a 20" hopefully I am paying attention and stop it lol

[@oh_so_loh]

I love my 1165s

[@BuffRANGE]

Nice!

[@user-oy9zy4ds9m]

I noticed you haven’t been testing m993 on your level 4’s lately? Or do you figure it will go through them all from the 22 inch

[@BuffRANGE]

It pretty much wrecks any level IV from 16" and longer and sometimes even from the 13". At $70/each, unless a manufacturer expresses the ability to potentially stop it, I don't throw it around as much :D

[@user-oy9zy4ds9m]

Good to hear cuz its my go to shtf round. I got whole combat loadout worth of it and im investing in a real nice AR10 and LPVO setup around it too. I think its the quite force multiplier and necessary in a world where seemingly everyone has level 4 armor these since its cheap and widely available. Also gives advantage if adversaries are behind hard cover.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@user-oy9zy4ds9m That is a very sound decision.. M80A1 is also good to have..

[@user-oy9zy4ds9m]

True true. Hey buff you should do more penetration tests im curious to know how m993 performs against hard cover like concrete and stuff

[@user-oy9zy4ds9m]

I wonder how m993 compares in comparison to penetrating hard cover and barriers compared to m80A1

[@thestacche6898]

You’re the goat

[@BuffRANGE]

I do like goats.. :D

[@Talex-jb8bp]

You should check out black arc munitions

[@BuffRANGE]

Indeed I have. Just did a review on their 300 BLK.

[@SRad01]

Do you have anymore smkh? If so will you be doing any future tests? As always I enjoy the content.

[@BuffRANGE]

I'm sorry if this shows up twice, but YT seems to not to want to show it. I have some yes, but what to use it against is the question. I have a target coming up to use it against :D

[@SRad01]

@@BuffRANGE nice, looking forward to watching the vid.

[@ТимофейМихайлович-н5х]

The "One Piece" music gets me every time 😅

[@BuffRANGE]

I should get the kid a straw hat :)

[@ТимофейМихайлович-н5х]

@@BuffRANGE haha how far along in the series are you? This ongoing egghead arc is INSANE.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@ТимофейМихайлович-н5х I drop in every now and then on the manga. I was watching the anime on AS and an at like the Dressrosa arc.

[@ТимофейМихайлович-н5х]

@@BuffRANGE the most recent chapter is probably not the most kid-friendly, I must say...

[@ryanmekkes5239]

How did the 1155 lose its accreditation?

[@BuffRANGE]

A lot in last years FIT “failed”. Currently is being appealed but will likely re cert under 07 std. A Root Cause Analysis found no material or manufacturing variance.

[@mackgmoney1515]

Any tests on gaurddog ridgeback lvl 4?

[@BuffRANGE]

Only some R&D ie behind closed doors. They work pretty good. I can only encourage you to DM them and ask for a public evaluation.

[@pakman184]

The request to only drop test a single plate and a passthrough on fair M2 hits, plus a lack of certification, really gives me pause about this plate. The ceramic also appeared to degrade significantly faster than other plates I've seen before.

[@Grooove_e]

Ehhh I mean it's a 7 pound level 4 plate...I'd say it did pretty well. Keep in mind that pass through was from a M2AP loaded into a 300 Winchester magnum case. It also stopped M995, and M80A1 loaded into a 300 winmag case. Pretty impressive for a lightweight, budget, level 4 multicurve.

[@pakman184]

@Grooove_e 7Lbs is on the heavy side for Level 4, it's only lightweight in the budget category. Putting an M2AP round into a 300win casing also makes no difference at all as long as the target velocities are met, as you're still slinging the same projectile at the same speed. The M995 stops are fairly impressive though, I'll give it that.

[@BuffRANGE]

Bear in mind level IV is ONE and ONE single shot of M2AP, COM. Even RF3 is the same spec. There is no requirement even under CPL to do more. The plate did its job. I would agree that the front and back of the strike face need to be laminated just like the 1092 and even like Tacticon level IV I demo’d. If RMA wants to “ease the pain”/rebuild public confidence, they need to CPL this, the 1155, 1092 and 1192. :)

[@BuffRANGE]

The pass through of m2ap is at the NIJ spec of 2,880. But the NIJ level IV spec is one single hit. There’s no multi hit spec for M2AP.

[@cc-vg4ed]

@@pakman184 7lbs is on the heavy side for level IV?!?!?! The top selling plates in the industry are 7+lbs. The lightest plate on the NIJ list is Hesco 4601 at 6.4lbs for swimmer and 6.6lbs for sapi 10x12s.

[@CheeseBurgerXJ]

So is all m855 have a hardened steel tip? I thought all m855 had a mild steel tip

[@BuffRANGE]

@@CheeseBurgerXJ all M855 has a hardened penetrator cone 49-54 RHC. Mild steel would be like an RHB that you find in 7N6.

[@CheeseBurgerXJ]

@@BuffRANGE that’s good to know do you think adi ss109 would be the same way I have a lot of that

[@BuffRANGE]

Yes. Or at least it should be.

[@CheeseBurgerXJ]

@@BuffRANGE do you think 223 spec 62gr trophy bonded bear claw is as good of a penetrator as m855 for auto glass and car doors type stuff

[@harrypeterson9287]

M995 sabot out of the .300 Win mag would be just about worst case scenario.

[@BuffRANGE]

If you could even get them to hit your target...

[@harrypeterson9287]

@@BuffRANGE I've seen mixed results with sabots. With muzzle loaders I found them to be about as accurate as full bore projectiles which is actually pretty decent. My dad had some 30-06 sabots that were all over the place, some of them keyholing and landing 15+ feet off at 100 yards. Maybe from a 22-250 or something? It would be interesting to see.

[@BuffRANGE]

@@harrypeterson9287 22-250 has 1:12 twist, might work. But 22 CM with 1:7 will have I have 4 projectiles marked for use in it..

[@harrypeterson9287]

@@BuffRANGE You've earned a sub with that statement. I'll stay tuned to see that!

[@TheGunNerd]

Testing against 6.5 creedmoor when?

[@BuffRANGE]

6.5 Creedmoor is primarily a hunting/target round. There is not a wide fielding of Military style loads. This plate is stopping 30 caliber threats at 300 WinMag velocities. Effectively to these materials the available 6.5 CM rounds are like .308 ball.

[@TheGunNerd]

@BuffRANGE yes but many militaries (us included) dmrs and snipers are beginning to use creedmoor, and with the popularity of it civilian side it may be worth at the very least looking at. Plus, with higher velocity and less surface area it may pen what 30 cal doesn't

[@Ws_minion]

Using a gothic calligraphy font and spelling it "armor" just looks wrong to me

[@Mike-w8e5n]

Unfortunately with the #1165, RMA joins the world of "average." Redundancy is doomed. As a cherry on top, knowledgeable reviewers become mouthpieces for this stuff. Even in RMA's own posted #1165 ballistic test reports detailed on their website, shot 1 BFD is 37.56 and shot 2 over 40mm. Far cry from #1155 performance. The #1165 will gain 6-8 ounces if they try to approve it for the CPL because it likely will not pass drop testing predictably as built. No room for error here and not impressed at all. Sort of sad, really.

[@BuffRANGE]

The RMA 1155 is only rated by RMA for a single hit of M2AP. Is there a spec sheet I'm not seeing showing the 1155's lab performance against M2AP multi strike? Well besides when I did it lol

[@valkerdotcom]

Always appreciate your videos. Your vids and insight have helped me make decisions on armor purchases. Keep rocking and stay safe, brother!

[@BuffRANGE]

The pleasure is all mine :D

[@chrisgriffith9252]

The irony of a kamala commercial before this video.... I mean really

[@BuffRANGE]

@@chrisgriffith9252 really ? They must really want you to vote for her :0

[@donwyoming1936]

You do realize Kamala is going to win in a landslide, right?

[@jammbbs1688]

Just get guard dog body armor atleast you know it'll save your life

[@BuffRANGE]

And you don't think this panel wouldn't?

[@jammbbs1688]

@@BuffRANGE I'm not a fan of rma or thier owner

[@BuffRANGE]

@@jammbbs1688 Is there any particular reason? I will agree Guard Dog is making some good strives in bettering their products, but currently hold no CPL's for any of their items.

[@blakewaldrop406]

@@jammbbs1688 Yeah I don't like RMA's owner either

[@levireiddsouza9326]

Awesome video as always

[@BuffRANGE]

Thank you!