These are one of those products people don't really think about for emergencies, because for one thing, they think it's too expensive. They aren't. People compare them to traditional soft body armor, which is less effective, will still cause blunt force trauma, and cannot stop most if not all rifle rounds. Soft armor is made for all day concealed wear for those who need it. This type of armor is grab and go for that "HOLY BLEEP!" day, a quick setup with pistol and rifle magazines, and it doesn't degrade over time - soft armor reaches an expiration date, faster if the fabric is mistreated. This vest will be there for a long time with no maintenance but dusting required...and like all of our emergency preps, I hope all we ever do is dust them. But if the worst happens, (and with the unrest in the world, both spontaneous and deliberate, that possibility grows every day), this is a one of those good ideas that will be worth it's weight in gold if you ever need it.
You make some great points here, the advantages of steel are huge compared to several types out there.
Traditional ceramic plates can run $300+ for each plate and they can't handle all the same forces that steel can. Plus if you drop them or land on them if you had to hit the dirt, the ceramic plates could crack and become vulnerable. How about the fact that they are more slim than ceramic plates and would give you a smaller profile for better range of motion. Soft armor is only rated to stop most pistol rounds and usually has a trauma plate over the heart to help protect against blunt force trauma.
These plates are stand alone, they can be dropped, shot several times and keep protecting the user. No expiration date and no maintenance needed, just put them on and know you are protected.
Rating: AR500 Trauma Plates are stand alone, multi-hit capable, and
bench tested to the same armor rating as Type III. Type III Armor will defeat rifles rounds up to 7.62x51/.308 @ 2780 ft/s.Recent testing provided good results against Federals XM855/SS109 Penetrator Round (Green Tip 5.56). We fired 7 rounds at 15 yards within a 2.5" group and experienced no penetration. Yes, we actually test our plates out by shooting them.
Our AR500 Body Armor Trauma Plates are designed for maximum coverage of vitals while allowing the operator to shoulder there weapon comfortably. Our AR500 Armor Plate will fit in all plate carriers capable of accepting 10"x12" plates, slim 1/4" thick profile.
Finish: We take extra care in not affecting the final heat treatment of the AR500 as it comes from the manufacturer. Because of this we coat in a "cold" method, and avoid the common practice of powder coating which many other manufacturers do. We feel there is no need to expose the AR500 to extra heat for any reason, helping eliminate one extra variable to ensure our Armors durability. Each plate is coated with industrial grade enamel offering protection again UV, rust, chemicals and general wear. The coating is functional and effective.