Armour

[TheFalcon]

Any Armour is better than none

[Scythe13]

I'm going for bullet proof, but I recognise a knife (and thus possibly an arrow) can penetrate a bull-vest.

Going to speak to a friend about stabbies. How good they'd be against bullets (not that I don't trust the army, but there are others with guns out there).

Also, I'm looking at a full kevlar undersuit. Kevlar longjohns, long sleve vest, wrist guards, and gloves.

The Bladerunner hoodie I have worked a treat against a friends stanley when testing it out.

[Prepper1]

the ancient chinese used to make it from paper.
Saw a program about it, called dragon scale, could stop an arrow in its tracks.

was on a program called ancient discoverys I think.
Paper laminations...

[Tibbs735]

I was reading a pdf of "The Poor Mans James Bond" by Kurt Saxon, and it touched on DIY armor. Apparently a German / Prussian guy made some armour by layering thick wool sheeting, stitching together into a very tight, dense slab, over a thin sheet of metal. It caused bullets to tumble and break up within the wool. He even invited the army to shoot him, as well as a horse. It worked very well, but I can't find anything else about it online.

There's another way, detailed on Philip Luty's website. It involves mixing silicone sealant with quartz sand into a paste, then working it into thick, industrial felt. You could use this to make vests, or to make thick rectangles to fit inside more conventional plate carriers

[Prepper1]

You know half the trouble with bullet proof anything is the user usually leaves the face, neck, thigh, arm, bum area exposed....
plenty of room for bullet access...

wait till they turn around and shoot them in the arse...
that's gotta hurt... right in the cheek, through your pelvis, possibly severing the artery on the way....
and or removing your manhood...

ooo eeerrrr missis....

[bigpaul]

i think i'll just opt for staying out of everyones way, see someone- go the other way, hear a noise-go to ground...

[Geordie_Rob]

(4 March 2013, 17:05)Mandlaka Wrote: I will have to put it together slowly.
About a pound per plate so do it over a couple of months.

But I think it may be a good investment as most folks will not have guns but will be far more likely to possess blades...

That being said, the armour will only protect your torso and vitals but still leave other critical areas exposed (legs and the femoral arteries, neck and the carotids) for example...

Never an easy solution...*sigh*

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(4 March 2013, 17:04)bigpaul Wrote:

(4 March 2013, 17:00)Geordie_Rob Wrote: How much is it going to cost & would it not be cheaper (taking into account time where you could be doing other things) to buy a covert bulletproof vest?

where the heck do you buy a bullet proof vest(especially in my size) without arousing suspicion??

I am very interested in the answer to this too. It would certainly save a lot of hassle...

eBay. They sell everything. Ex mil or police. My personal opinion is buying from abroad as I'm not convinced our PTB wouldn't cut corners & provide our troops/police with sub-standard products to save a few quid. Hopefully any recent ex mil staff can add a bit more insight as to wether the British gear is any good or not.

[Highlander]

I can tell you that the standard British Army `Flak jacket`, commonly refereed to as a bullet proof jacket,...is not actually bulletproof,.. its small arms fire proof, and flak proof, and in most cases shotgun proof, but it would not stop a rifle bullet, unless long distance was a factor, having said that if I was looking for protection, I would buy one, they are light weight, and easy to wear and also protect the neck to a certain degree

I am talking about the older flak jacket, as in the link below,... they may well be a better version out since I left the Army

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flak_jacket

[Scythe13]

Nice pdf Tibbs. Didn't think anyone else knew about Kurt Saxon. The guy is a nutter!!!

[Mortblanc]

Kurt Saxon is even considered a nutter over here!

He knew very little of what he was spouting off about, but made a good living sapping money from the unknowing and unimaginitive, but concerned.

Body armor has come a long way in the past ten years. Over here we can buy it over the counter set for any level of protection we can afford. We do have to be careful due to body armor having a "use by" date. The kelvar is sensitive to UV and chemical pollutants and begins to break down. Much of what you se as "surplus" is past the usable date. Buyer beware!

The top level includes "sappy plates" made from the same ceramic used in armored vehicle construction and is resistant to all small arms to include full rifle rounds, 7.62 NATO included. They are light enough to operate in during most weather. Being efficient, they are used rather than left behind on patrols. Most people outside the military do not use the "sappy plates" and depend on the basic soft armor to stop any handgun and low level rifle rounds.

The "flack jackets" and sappy plates issued to our troops are the most stolen items of issue kit. About every combat soldier returning home brings one with them. They have great confidence in these items, having seen them save lives in action.

If all you fellows are dealing with or anticipating is blade attacks I would think that Kydex or heavy leather would work adequitely, be light and easily obtainable. Just trim to shape and sew into an existing garmet as scale armor.