What do you want the body armor for? What threats are you preparing against?

For myself and the threats I think I'm likely to face, I've decided against body armor. To be effective, you need to be wearing it or have enough warning to put it on before the threat presents itself.

Also, the added weight and bulk can have a significant impact upon any use of a firearm, especially if you're using cover, moving, or using any shooting positions that aren't on two feet. This means significant additional training time. My training time is constrained as it is.

Body armor is getting lighter and thinner all the time. Until I retired a few months ago I was required to wear it. A fact the insurance company made very plain to my employers. I don't likke it and prefer to be free to move and cooler without it holding in heat. It can also get in the way. My suggestion is do without unless people are shooting at you.

At which time it's too late to change your mind.

Was that medical insurance or life insurance? If your line of work is such that people might shoot at you, wear the body armor; that's your insurance.

As for that video (I watched before it was removed) -- not impressed with the testing procedures. The bullet may have a much different effect on the armor if you back up the plates with a man size/weight mass, rather than just sticking it in sand and allowing it to fall over. $.02

thanks for breaking this thread off. The title itself raised my antenna that it was at best a newbies innocent unknowing of our forums general direction and at worst a shill.

Good job moderator.

The company my fiance works for hired an intern and moves the intern around from department to department daily. I told her and her co-workers that I wished my work would hire us interns. We could duct tape phone books all over them as body armor and let them go all prison-gladiator-style on each other to see who REALLY wants the job.

She thinks I'm not quite right for some reason I can't understand...

Probably because you forgot their weapons. Classic rookie mistake.

Tubes from wrapping paper, empty lunch boxes, staplers (as projectile-launchers, ie, staples)... all work well for improv'd gladiatorial combat.

Pens for short-range stabbing weapons, whirling mice for IT guys, coffee-based special powers, and the sales reps can throw flaming appletinis.

Yeah, I was going to let them improvise their own weapons. I've actually seen a friend of mine get hit with a stapler once. He came over the desk and knocked the guy out with one hit, it was awesome.

Don't forget good old rubber bands. Generally greater range than stapples. Then there is always the ruler to the knuckles.:)