Is It Legal for Armed Citizens to Buy Body Armor?<\/span><\/h3>\nWell, yes. Yes you can. <\/span><\/p>\nYou may have some trouble buying a full-body suit like the bomb-disposal units wear, but other than that, you can find just about everything you want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nBody armor is legal to own in all 50 states. However, there are a few wrinkles. <\/span><\/p>\nIf you live in any state except Connecticut, you can buy bullet-resistant vests and body armor and have it shipped to your front door, or buy it in-store from a retailer. You can still buy body armor in Connecticut but you must buy it face-to-face in a store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Kinds of Civilian Body Armor Are There?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n![\"Civilian](\"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/media\/body_armor-238x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>The author’s plate carrier, with two lightweight Level III+ plates inside.<\/p><\/div>\n
There are two kinds of body armor available for civilian use: soft armor usually made of advanced polymers like Kevlar\u00ae and similar materials, and hard plates made from hardened steel, ceramics, and other materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nIn general, soft body armor is sufficient to stop most handgun calibers and buckshot loads. Soft armor is not up to the task of guarding against a rifle round though. <\/span><\/p>\nYou can wear soft armor as a separate concealed garment under your clothes or as an insert in a dedicated plate carrier. <\/span>Hard plates are rigid, inflexible, and heavier than soft armor. You’ll likely struggle to conceal them compared to soft body armor. Most civilians wear hard plates inside a plate carrier that sits outside their clothing.<\/span><\/p>\nBody Armor Levels<\/h3>\n
Body armor is defined by the <\/span>National Institute of Justice<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\nThe NIJ 0101.06 Standard is\u00a0<\/span>the most current<\/span><\/a>. It\u00a0defines body armor by how powerful a round it can reliably stop without penetration.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- Level IIA:<\/strong> Tested to stop 9mm and .40 S&W<\/a> fired from short barrel handguns. No rifle ammunition protection. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Level II:<\/strong> Tested to stop 9mm<\/a> and .357 Magnum ammunition fired from short barrel handguns. <\/span>No rifle ammunition protection.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Level IIIA:<\/strong> Tested to stop .357 SIG and .44 Magnum ammunition fired from longer barrel handguns. No rifle ammunition protection. <\/span><\/li>\n
- Level III:<\/strong> Tested to stop 7.62mm FMJ lead core rifle ammunition.<\/span><\/li>\n
- Level IV:<\/strong> Tested to stop .30 cal steel core piercing rifle ammunition.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Downsides To Owning Body Armor<\/span><\/h3>\nExpiration Date<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\nChemical adhesives hold the materials inside every piece of body armor together. Every piece of armor comes with an expiration date when those chemicals are no longer guaranteed to hold everything together. If the parts separate, that can impact how well it stops incoming rounds. <\/span><\/p>\nManufacturers print the expiration date for a given piece of armor right on it (mine expire sometime in 2025,). Heavy wear and environmental factors such as heat and high humidity can also speed up the expiration date of your armor. Keep in mind, then, that whether you\u2019re buying a soft bullet-resistant vest or a Level IV hard plate that will stop a rampaging .30-06 bullet in its tracks, your armor will give up its effectiveness one day and will need to be replaced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nLimited Utility<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\nUnless you make your living kicking doors or calling in airstrikes, body armor, especially the hard plates that stop rifle rounds, is not for everyday wear. <\/span><\/p>\nFor the average joe, walking around in a plate carrier in any circumstance other than a severe looting situation is probably not a good idea. Soft body armor can be concealed under your clothes, but it won\u2019t stop a rifle round. And, it shares another problem with hard plates, which is that\u2026<\/span><\/p>\nBody Armor is Hot and Heavy<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\nA loaded Glock 19 weighs just under two pounds. Add in a spare magazine, holster, and the other items of your everyday carry gear, and you\u2019re probably looking at carrying around five pounds more than the average unarmed person does. With a pair of soft body armor inserts weighing over 3 pounds by themselves, and hard plates weighing in at around four pounds apiece (and that\u2019s for the \u201clightweight\u201d model), wearing body armor means weighing yourself down even more than you already are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nShould You Own Body Armor?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n![\"Armed](\"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/media\/civilian_body_armor-300x192.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Also, it’s a good idea to wear body armor when doing high-level tactical training.<\/p><\/div>\n
Good question. To be honest, for years my answer to this question was \u201cNo, I don\u2019t need it. I\u2019m not a soldier or a cop. They need bulletproof vests, not me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThen one night, as I was sitting on my front porch during the darkness after Hurricane Irma rolled over my neighborhood, a car started slowly driving down my street. This was long after the county-wide curfew made such activities against the law. There I was with a pistol on my hip, flashlight in my hand, and a rifle close by. As the car drove past (and thankfully kept on going without incident), it occurred to me that in situations of increased tension having something on my body to stop incoming fire might not be a bad idea. <\/span><\/p>\nWhen crews restored our power and things settled down a bit, I went out and bought an inexpensive plate carrier and a pair of Level III hard plates. I don\u2019t plan on using my body armor any time soon. It\u2019s there for defensive purposes in the most dire of circumstances. However, it\u2019s nice to know it\u2019s there if I really, really need it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat About Other Options?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\nBecause of a perceived rise in school shootings, there has been an uptick in interest in items such as<\/span> bullet-resistant backpacks and seat covers<\/span><\/a> that have bullet-resistant inserts. Most of these, however, have inserts that are rated IIIA, meaning they stop penetration of pistol rounds, not rifle rounds. As rifle has been the weapon of choice for most recent mass shooters, these backpacks would have little, if any, effect.<\/span><\/p>\nShould You Buy Body Armor Now?<\/span><\/h3>\nHow Long Will It Be Legal?<\/h4>\n
You may have some trouble buying a full-body suit like the bomb-disposal units wear, but other than that, you can find just about everything you want.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Body armor is legal to own in all 50 states. However, there are a few wrinkles. <\/span><\/p>\n If you live in any state except Connecticut, you can buy bullet-resistant vests and body armor and have it shipped to your front door, or buy it in-store from a retailer. You can still buy body armor in Connecticut but you must buy it face-to-face in a store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The author’s plate carrier, with two lightweight Level III+ plates inside.<\/p><\/div>\n There are two kinds of body armor available for civilian use: soft armor usually made of advanced polymers like Kevlar\u00ae and similar materials, and hard plates made from hardened steel, ceramics, and other materials.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In general, soft body armor is sufficient to stop most handgun calibers and buckshot loads. Soft armor is not up to the task of guarding against a rifle round though. <\/span><\/p>\n You can wear soft armor as a separate concealed garment under your clothes or as an insert in a dedicated plate carrier. <\/span>Hard plates are rigid, inflexible, and heavier than soft armor. You’ll likely struggle to conceal them compared to soft body armor. Most civilians wear hard plates inside a plate carrier that sits outside their clothing.<\/span><\/p>\n Body armor is defined by the <\/span>National Institute of Justice<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n The NIJ 0101.06 Standard is\u00a0<\/span>the most current<\/span><\/a>. It\u00a0defines body armor by how powerful a round it can reliably stop without penetration.<\/span><\/p>\n Chemical adhesives hold the materials inside every piece of body armor together. Every piece of armor comes with an expiration date when those chemicals are no longer guaranteed to hold everything together. If the parts separate, that can impact how well it stops incoming rounds. <\/span><\/p>\n Manufacturers print the expiration date for a given piece of armor right on it (mine expire sometime in 2025,). Heavy wear and environmental factors such as heat and high humidity can also speed up the expiration date of your armor. Keep in mind, then, that whether you\u2019re buying a soft bullet-resistant vest or a Level IV hard plate that will stop a rampaging .30-06 bullet in its tracks, your armor will give up its effectiveness one day and will need to be replaced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Unless you make your living kicking doors or calling in airstrikes, body armor, especially the hard plates that stop rifle rounds, is not for everyday wear. <\/span><\/p>\n For the average joe, walking around in a plate carrier in any circumstance other than a severe looting situation is probably not a good idea. Soft body armor can be concealed under your clothes, but it won\u2019t stop a rifle round. And, it shares another problem with hard plates, which is that\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n A loaded Glock 19 weighs just under two pounds. Add in a spare magazine, holster, and the other items of your everyday carry gear, and you\u2019re probably looking at carrying around five pounds more than the average unarmed person does. With a pair of soft body armor inserts weighing over 3 pounds by themselves, and hard plates weighing in at around four pounds apiece (and that\u2019s for the \u201clightweight\u201d model), wearing body armor means weighing yourself down even more than you already are.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also, it’s a good idea to wear body armor when doing high-level tactical training.<\/p><\/div>\n Good question. To be honest, for years my answer to this question was \u201cNo, I don\u2019t need it. I\u2019m not a soldier or a cop. They need bulletproof vests, not me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Then one night, as I was sitting on my front porch during the darkness after Hurricane Irma rolled over my neighborhood, a car started slowly driving down my street. This was long after the county-wide curfew made such activities against the law. There I was with a pistol on my hip, flashlight in my hand, and a rifle close by. As the car drove past (and thankfully kept on going without incident), it occurred to me that in situations of increased tension having something on my body to stop incoming fire might not be a bad idea. <\/span><\/p>\n When crews restored our power and things settled down a bit, I went out and bought an inexpensive plate carrier and a pair of Level III hard plates. I don\u2019t plan on using my body armor any time soon. It\u2019s there for defensive purposes in the most dire of circumstances. However, it\u2019s nice to know it\u2019s there if I really, really need it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because of a perceived rise in school shootings, there has been an uptick in interest in items such as<\/span> bullet-resistant backpacks and seat covers<\/span><\/a> that have bullet-resistant inserts. Most of these, however, have inserts that are rated IIIA, meaning they stop penetration of pistol rounds, not rifle rounds. As rifle has been the weapon of choice for most recent mass shooters, these backpacks would have little, if any, effect.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat Kinds of Civilian Body Armor Are There?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Civilian](\"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/media\/body_armor.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Body Armor Levels<\/h3>\n
\n
Downsides To Owning Body Armor<\/span><\/h3>\n
Expiration Date<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\n
Limited Utility<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\n
Body Armor is Hot and Heavy<\/strong> <\/span><\/h4>\n
Should You Own Body Armor?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>What About Other Options?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
Should You Buy Body Armor Now?<\/span><\/h3>\n
How Long Will It Be Legal?<\/h4>\n