Question about owning body armor in Va

[cheepz]

I just bought a plate carrier for the range, and man I totally am in love with this thing. But someone mentioned to me earlier that it might not be legal for civilians to own body armor, and to check with local laws and state regs. Can anybody else chime in on this topic?

[OakRidgeStars]

I'm not aware of any state regulations prohibiting civilians from owning or wearing body armor in Virginia.

[jdonovan]

Like oak ridge, I know of no state/local laws that prohibit it. i do know of some that provide stiffer penalties if committing a crime while wearing it.

Given some of the poor behaviors I see on some public ranges... I feel lots safer with the Level II concealable being worn while I'm there. And in the right clothing its very hard to notice... but boy does it make you warmer.

[TenchCoxe]

§ 18.2-287.2. Wearing of body armor while committing a crime; penalty.

Any person who, while committing a crime of violence as defined in § 18.2-288 (2) or a felony violation of § 18.2-248 or subdivision (a) 2 or 3 of § 18.2-248.1, has in his possession a firearm or knife and is wearing body armor designed to diminish the effect of the impact of a bullet or projectile shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.

Note "while committing a crime of violence..."

That is the only thing I found in the entire Virginia Code regarding use of body armor.

While looking for that, I also found this:

§ 18.2-308.3. Use or attempted use of restricted ammunition in commission or attempted commission of crimes prohibited; penalty.

A. When used in this section:

"Restricted firearm ammunition" applies to bullets, projectiles or other types of ammunition that are: (i) coated with or contain, in whole or in part, polytetrafluorethylene or a similar product, (ii) commonly known as "KTW" bullets or "French Arcanes," or (iii) any cartridges containing bullets coated with a plastic substance with other than lead or lead alloy cores, jacketed bullets with other than lead or lead alloy cores, or cartridges of which the bullet itself is wholly comprised of a metal or metal alloy other than lead. This definition shall not be construed to include shotgun shells or solid plastic bullets.

B. It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly use or attempt to use restricted firearm ammunition while committing or attempting to commit a crime. Violation of this section shall constitute a separate and distinct felony and any person found guilty thereof shall be guilty of a Class 5 felony.

Teflon-coated bullets are not per se illegal, but illegal only when used in conjunction with committing a crime.

[cheepz]

Thanks guys!

[gunderwood]

Like oak ridge, I know of no state/local laws that prohibit it. i do know of some that provide stiffer penalties if committing a crime while wearing it.

Given some of the poor behaviors I see on some public ranges... I feel lots safer with the Level II concealable being worn while I'm there. And in the right clothing its very hard to notice... but boy does it make you warmer.

+1

There are companies like www.bulletproofme.com who sell to civilians for exactly those reasons.

13. Is it legal for civilians to buy Body Armor?

In general, yes - for law-abiding folks. A felony conviction makes possession of Body Armor illegal under federal law and in many states.

We have had civilian clients with many different civilian needs for Body Armor so we understand the need for vests for civilians. Our policy is to only sell to law-abiding adults who have a lawful purpose for Body Armor. (A parent or guardian may buy for a minor with a legitimate need.)

Residents of Connecticut are prohibited from buying Body Armor unless the sale is face to face (or unless the buyer is a police officer, Police Department, or military). We can't ship to Connecticut, or even accept credit cards billed there...

We cannot ship to residents of Connecticut
who are not police or military.

Some states are considering new legislation to prohibit or restrict sales of Body Armor to civilians, e.g., New York. If you are in a state that passes such a law, you would be well advised to make your Body Armor purchase now before it becomes much more expensive and inconvenient, if not prohibited altogether.

[bryanrheem]

I just bought a plate carrier for the range, and man I totally am in love with this thing. But someone mentioned to me earlier that it might not be legal for civilians to own body armor, and to check with local laws and state regs. Can anybody else chime in on this topic?

Cheepz, do tell what you have!!! I'm looking for something as well.

[shinyribs]

Awesome topic here.Man,I think I am gonna love this forum.I just keep getting answers to questions that i dont even have to ask! Thanks for the info guys!

[Kreutz]

If you're buying armor online make sure they have a really good return/exchange policy, because fit is extremely important. You do not want chafe around your armpits and waist. Underarmor style t-shirts wont compensate for a poor fit.

I hate the word "bulletproof", but you can get armored outerwear like coats, but theyre not cheap.

[AppleaDay]

Also keep in mind that kevlar has a shelf life. Police depts cycle through theirs every five years or so- break down due to UV exposure, sweat, etc...
Be careful buying a used plate or vest. As the Russians say: trust but verify

[Kreutz]

Also keep in mind that kevlar has a shelf life. Police depts cycle through theirs every five years or so- break down due to UV exposure, sweat, etc...
Be careful buying a used plate or vest. As the Russians say: trust but verify

Unfortunately no sellers will let you "test" a vest, new or used.

I've heard theres a good chance a police vest spends roughly 50% of its life in a locker, so it should theoretically have 50% more life in it.

Plates should have an indefinite shelf life and its easy to see if they've ever taken a hit. Though, if you need a plate I suspect you live in Newark or know somethings coming we don't know about.

[SgtBill]

Haveing worn body armor for a lot of years I would suggest that you DO NOT BUY OFF LINE the fit is the most important thing about the armour. Everyone in our Police Department as well as anyone that was issued Armor within the State of New Jersey was custom fit for their Armor by the Point Blank Armor Company. We were also issued the steel trauma plate, these were not Bullet Proof they were simply put into a pocket over the front of the chest and were designed to start slowing down any projectile that impacted on them.

DO NOT think that body armor will stop anything, IT WON'T. Body armor is made up of Kevelar weaved material. It has a weave of 1500 denear or 1500 threads per square inch and they are made into a shell for both the front and back, As a member of the SWAT team I was issued a class 3 vest that would stop any type of handgun round and or shotgun round but the hit alone from a shotgun would most likely BREAK YOUR RIB'S.A bruised chest would happen from most handgun rounds.
I took a shot to the chest with a .357 Mag. Winchester Western 145 grain Silver Tip Hollow POint from a 4" S & W and only had an ouchie that did not hurt. But I do not suggest it for anyone.

Body Armor will degenerate over time along with more rapid degeneration if it is left wet or out in the sun. When you see a Cop running around with his armor on the outside of his or her uniform they are only asking for trouble.
Enough said
Bill

[cheepz]

I bought a Eagle Plate carrier in coyote brown, and it is awesome. The fit is great and all I need now is money for plates lol. I am 5'10, 160ish pounds, so I have a medium plate carrier (the size refers to the plate size, not the size of your chest). I believe Eagle also makes the plate carriers for the marines. Im actually really excited to have it and cant stop playing with it. I bought some mag pouches for it last week