| Online: | |
| Visits: | |
| Stories: |
| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Scot’s Product Review: JRH Enterprises Armor, Helmet and Carrier
DKX Max III Body Armor
I like having body armor. I first bought some to wear while covering civil disturbances, but I was always happy to have it around in case of trouble around my home. My early stuff was soft armor that could be worn concealed and was intended to stop handgun rounds. Choosing body armor is a great conundrum, however. You have to consider the threat you might face and how much weight and bulk you can carry as well as how it affects your mobility. We will be looking at armor here that can protect you from most rifle fire rather than soft armor to defeat handguns. This means we’ll be looking at hard plates that are bulky and heavy compared to soft armor. The plates in question today are the DKX Max III ones available from JRH Enterprises. Before I talk about them, though, I want to go over the options for this sort of protection so you can better determine the best answer for your needs.
Steel Plates
The most common plates in prepperdoom these days are probably steel ones made from AR500– a tough, hardened steel alloy often used for targets. It usually comes in 10×12 inch plates with the top corners cut off at an angle to make them more ergonomic for shooting; these plates usually sell for between $60 to $100 per plate. It has a number of advantages and disadvantages. The biggest advantage is that it will take many hits from most rounds, though 5.56mm M193 can reliably get through it at close range. This is a very common round, so I see this as a serious concern. There are some companies making enhanced steel armor that can stop M193, and if I were buying steel these days I would seriously consider the upgrade.
The second problem with steel armor is weight. Each plate typically goes to about eight pounds in weight. If you add a rear plate and the carrier, you will reach over 20 pounds, which starts to slow most of us down quite a bit. My own rig includes side plates, a couple of rifle magazines, two pistol magazines, and a two-way radio; the result is 30 pounds. I don’t plan to move around while I’m wearing it, and I hope I don’t fall down either.
The third problem is that steel armor stops bullets by breaking them up into small pieces. Where those pieces go is something of a concern. They usually fly off the edges of the plate and they are big enough to do serious damage. Should any parts of your body be in line, it can and likely will be hit. Your chin and arms (which may well be extended holding a firearm) come to mind and have lots of vulnerable blood vessels that could be opened up with these fragments. Eyes could also be at risk. Some argue that it is better to absorb bullet fragments than bullets. While I agree, after looking at the area around steel targets, I have a major concern about the damage fragments can cause.
Source: http://survivalblog.com/scots-product-review-jrh-enterprises-armor-helmet-and-carrier/
