So, picked up some of that 1/4" AR500 body armor a while back, covered it with half an inch of off-brand rhino liner and slapped it in a plate carrier. You know, 'cause zombie hordes and ****. But as it turns out I got a pair of 6" x 8" side plates that don't fit in the carrier. So I can't use them. What to do with them?
Well, obviously no one wants second hand body armor... so I neglected to coat these, spray painted a 4 inch dot in the middle and shot at them for a while with some of my friends. Plate A was strapped to a tree and plate B was clamped at the corners against a flat surface. Here's how it went.
200+ rounds of .22LR each. Plates didn't care.
About 80 rounds of 9mm each. Plates didn't care.
About 50 rounds of .45 ACP each. Plates didn't care.
About 60 rounds of 5.56 green tip each. Plates didn't care, minor surface damage.
6 12 gauge slugs on Plate A. It didn't seem to mind that much, either. Minor surface damage, but the cloud of spall particles was visible.
5 Rounds steel core 7.62x54R on Plate B. The first four rounds left small divets in the strike surface, about 1/32nd of an inch deep. The fifth round SHATTERED the steel plate, sending all three pieces flying. I'm thinking that this is because it was a curved plate and had to transmit all the force through the edges. It cracked the long way straight down the middle and the right side split again almost perfectly in half. Since the plate on the tree had no such issues it will see use another day.
Well, obviously no one wants second hand body armor... so I neglected to coat these, spray painted a 4 inch dot in the middle and shot at them for a while with some of my friends. Plate A was strapped to a tree and plate B was clamped at the corners against a flat surface. Here's how it went.
200+ rounds of .22LR each. Plates didn't care.
About 80 rounds of 9mm each. Plates didn't care.
About 50 rounds of .45 ACP each. Plates didn't care.
About 60 rounds of 5.56 green tip each. Plates didn't care, minor surface damage.
6 12 gauge slugs on Plate A. It didn't seem to mind that much, either. Minor surface damage, but the cloud of spall particles was visible.
5 Rounds steel core 7.62x54R on Plate B. The first four rounds left small divets in the strike surface, about 1/32nd of an inch deep. The fifth round SHATTERED the steel plate, sending all three pieces flying. I'm thinking that this is because it was a curved plate and had to transmit all the force through the edges. It cracked the long way straight down the middle and the right side split again almost perfectly in half. Since the plate on the tree had no such issues it will see use another day.