I've recently acquired AR-500 3+ plates for my carrier. I've seen torture tests of them and they hold up very well to 5.56 green tip ammo. Not that green tip is armor piercing, but they'll bite armor harder than non steel core ammunition. They're reasonably priced, but be prepared to wait a month to receive them. Both plates worn are ~20lbs, but I'd bet my life on them if I had to.
Did you buy AR-500 steel or ceramic plates?
If steel you wasted your money. If you get hit you'll still become a casualty from the spall. The "truck bed liner" they spray on doesn't help you. Buy ceramic, and either sell the steel to some antifa faggot or use the steel plates only for weight training.
I bought the steel plates, unfortunately, but to me risking fragmentation in my neck and face is a better bet than my bones and muscle trying to stop one from going through my chest lol. At the very least it makes my pushups more worthwile. You're right, though. Once I have more cash I'll upgrade to ceramic. Just wanted something rather than nothing during these times.
The spall is no joke. A sheriff's deputy out here spent 4 weeks in the ICU and another 3 months in the hospital after he swapped out his standard-issue ceramic plates for steel before serving a warrant. His buddies sent the nigger to the afterlife but he came close to joining.
RMA's level IV model 1155 plates are $135 per plate, at 8.3# per plate.
Looking at AR500's site (Christ I feel dirty), their level III steel plates are $65 per, at either 8.7 or 9.7# per plate depending on how much truck bed liner you bought. So double the cost per plate for the same weight for ceramic. I don't know if Hesco has a budget ceramic option.
RMA's other plates (and ceramics in general) are much, much lighter but get pricey.
EDIT: lol jesus the "extra" truck bed liner is a $49/plate option. So if you bought that you're in budget ceramic territory. FOR A FLAT PLATE NO LESS
Green Tip was made to get through helmets and minor barriers. Steel armor WILL stop it. Green tip rounds are 62gr.
The magic recipie for getting through steel is 3250+ fps. Which you can get from 55gr 5.56 shot through a 20" barrel. 14.5, 16 and 18 barrels don't give you complete burn of the powder required to get that freedom seed up to 3300fps.
(post is archived)