Okay, I suppose this is a divisive issue for some but I'm going to give it a shot. Let me say at the outset that as "preps" go armor is a low priority, so please don't tell me I should stock more food/exercise more/change my diet/wear seatbelts/wear healing crystals, etc. I watch my diet, I wear my seat belts, I keep food, water & TP stocked, etc.

I have long felt body armor was a useful thing to have. Up until a few years ago I lived in a town of 1/4 million and all my shooting was done on a public indoor range. If you looked around you could see literally thousands of bullet holes and marks in the ceiling, the side walls, the floor, etc. It seemed prudent to wear armor at times when the range was busy.

Also, although not common there is violent crime. A coworker of mine experienced a home invasion in which he was roughed up pretty good but not seriously injured. The first step at home is hardening the perimeter (good locks, strong doors, security on windows, good lighting, etc), and about ten years ago there was a situation where my reinforced doors and locks probably saved me from shooting someone.

So let's say that you've already done those things and addressed the issues you can. I grew up in a rural area to parents that were "gun folks" so I learned to shoot shortly after I learned to walk. And I have always kept firearms for home defense. But a gun is the last line of defense, not the first line, and you only go to guns as a last resort to preserve human life.

If you believe in firearms for personal protection, then you have to acknowledge that a gunfight involves more than just your gun. And while you're trying to make holes in the intruders, they will be trying to make holes in you. Enter the body armor!

I already had two sets, one US Palm rig with steel plates and a low-pro Blackhawk concealable carrier with soft armor. The steel plates are an odd duck, being steel but rated only for pistol rounds (IIIa). Back when I bought them I didn't own a rifle at all and ARs were much less common than now. My feeling was that if I had to face a home invasion the perps would probably have handguns and maybe shotguns which IIIa will stop. But as time went buy the AR rose in prominence and I figured the odds of facing a rifle were increasing.

So LA Police Gear had a Black Friday type sale and after a long time of ogling I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of Level IV ceramic/PE plates. They're rated to stop nearly any rifle round you can find including 5.56 "Green Tip", 7.62 NATO, 7.62x39 and .300 Win Mag! Despite this they're only 6 lbs each, much lighter than steel and not vulnerable to spalling. It should fit one of my carriers that I already have but I'll probably get one from Shellback Tactical down the road.

I am not going to be clearing buildings; my plan in a home invasion is to hunker down and wait for the cops. But I'll be sitting there in armor with my shotgun or rifle at hand!

Probably not a necessity but it's another tool in the toolbox. Better to have and not need than to need and not have. Plus, I got a nice Xmas bonus from work. I'll probably use 1/2 of it as mad money and save the rest. Ultimately this is kind of a splurge and I'll likely live my whole life without ever needing it, but these ceramic/PE plates are getting cheap enough that I decided the potential benefits outweigh the low cost.