Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

How long should a bulletproof vest should last?

Everything deteriorate over time. Over time the effectiveness of a bulletproof vest would degrade and would have to be changed.

Being over clothing and underclothing will be a factor in this as well.

This is based on a Vest that hasn't been shot at.

Oh, the worst dangers to kevlar are UV rays, generally UVa/UVb rays significantly deteriorate kevlar after 24 months-"coincidentally" this is when many police departments rotate theirs out, so be careful buying surplus.

Many ads for vests tout the pieces UV resistance for this reason, but they will all decay and lose strength after enough exposure to light.

Kreutz wrote:Oh, the worst dangers to kevlar are UV rays, generally UVa/UVb rays significantly deteriorate kevlar after 24 months-"coincidentally" this is when many police departments rotate theirs out, so be careful buying surplus.

Many ads for vests tout the pieces UV resistance for this reason, but they will all decay and lose strength after enough exposure to light.

Lots of modern carriers are designed to block most of the UV. www.bulletproofme.com has shown lots of old vests still work just fine. High temps (car trunk, etc.) kill the fancy polymer alternatives.

The new .05 standard proposes accelerated wear tests to answer just that question.

Maybe Bill will come along and tell everyone what happens when you shoot yourself in the chest with a .357mag while wearing one.

Nothing but a push and some discomfort when you have a thick phone book under it and a head set on. Want to see the .357 Magnum Winchester Western 125 grain silver tip that I used many years ago.
Bill

I wanted to purchase one for when the SHTF but if its going to degrade in just 2 years i don't think its worth the price.

How long would it last if i kept in stored in a closet (out of the sun)?

zeroselect wrote:I wanted to purchase one for when the SHTF but if its going to degrade in just 2 years i don't think its worth the price.

How long would it last if i kept in stored in a closet (out of the sun)?

I would ask those bulletproofme guys. Unlike some other suppliers, they legally and happily sell to citizens. If you are going for SHTF, I would suggest you consider the rifle threat. No soft armor vest is capable of stopping a rifle threat. Buy a nylon carrier and stand alone ceramic plates. As long as you don't drop them, they should last near forever.

zeroselect wrote:I wanted to purchase one for when the SHTF but if its going to degrade in just 2 years i don't think its worth the price.

How long would it last if i kept in stored in a closet (out of the sun)?

Its worth noting even the best armor is generally not effective in preventing or mitigating harm while in a closet.

As gunderwood mentioned they have gotten better in reducing the effect of UV radiation, but it will still degrade it over time, its just the way kevlar is.

Well maybe i'll just get 2 plates of Level III rifle plates and a roll of duck tape.

Can you just rub a little sunscreen on it once a week?

zeroselect wrote:Well maybe i'll just get 2 plates of Level III rifle plates and a roll of duck tape.

I wore ceramic armoure on many occasions and I would not recommend it for SHTF things. It is heavy as all hell and you can't move in it. Someone with a good eye is going to know what you have on as it is bulky and you can't cover it very well if at all. The next thing you know there will be nothing but attempts for head shot's. Game Over
I still have my body armoure from work it is level ll and it is stored out in my shed. If I had too I would wear it if nothing else but for a false sense of security. It would not stop a rifle round and I have been shot before with a handgun so what the hell it would be a new experience even if short lived.
Bill

SgtBill wrote:

zeroselect wrote:Well maybe i'll just get 2 plates of Level III rifle plates and a roll of duck tape.

I wore ceramic armoure on many occasions and I would not recommend it for SHTF things. It is heavy as all hell and you can't move in it. Someone with a good eye is going to know what you have on as it is bulky and you can't cover it very well if at all. The next thing you know there will be nothing but attempts for head shot's. Game Over
I still have my body armoure from work it is level ll and it is stored out in my shed. If I had too I would wear it if nothing else but for a false sense of security. It would not stop a rifle round and I have been shot before with a handgun so what the hell it would be a new experience even if short lived.
Bill

Yes, hard armor is a PITA. I've never had to wear it, but never run into anyone who has that liked doing so.

Like most SHTF discussion, I think it really depends on exactly what is going on and your objectives. Any situation where I need/want to wear LBE with lots of AR mags, tools, a light, and a pistol the hard armor probably makes sense. In that case, a close range pistol engagement is not likely. It may be useful for rioters/looters too as you are likely to want LBE anyways.

However, there is a lot of middle ground where you may just want II/IIA somewhat concealable armor. Having both would be great, but none of this stuff is cheap.

Fondly remember wearing a tankers "chicken vest" under my flak jacket in the Army for the hell of it, not too bad.

Hard armor is only intended to be worn for short periods of time, think a mission or a SWAT raid.

one thing to be aware about kevlar is that like glass it is technically semi-liquid. As such it should be stored flat on a shelf in your closet... never hung from a hanger like a shirt as over time it will "settle" downward. Granted it takes years for any significant structural changes. In theory for a shtf situation you could open your plastic wrapped horizontally stored kevlar years from now and the 2 year "effective" life would start then, not now. Sometimes you can pick up used kevlar that was properly stored unused in somebody's work locker till it got cycled out, but there isn't really anyway to be sure of how it was stored besides the seller's word so it's a gamble. Also remember that vests are supposed to be replaced after being shot the first time which is hard to do in a shtf situation. On the same note any protection is much better than none. Also kevlar works nicely in a fist fight but is little protection against swords and crossbow bolts.

if it stops one bullet it was worth the investment though, everything else is a bonus.

kanata67 wrote:one thing to be aware about kevlar is that like glass it is technically semi-liquid. As such it should be stored flat on a shelf in your closet... never hung from a hanger like a shirt as over time it will "settle" downward. Granted it takes years for any significant structural changes. In theory for a shtf situation you could open your plastic wrapped horizontally stored kevlar years from now and the 2 year "effective" life would start then, not now. Sometimes you can pick up used kevlar that was properly stored unused in somebody's work locker till it got cycled out, but there isn't really anyway to be sure of how it was stored besides the seller's word so it's a gamble. Also remember that vests are supposed to be replaced after being shot the first time which is hard to do in a shtf situation. On the same note any protection is much better than none. Also kevlar works nicely in a fist fight but is little protection against swords and crossbow bolts.

if it stops one bullet it was worth the investment though, everything else is a bonus.

Good info.

The lifespan of body armor, soft and hard, is dramatically understated. There are companies who do demos with vests they sold two decades ago and they still stop the rated threats. This is because they always over spec a vest to guarantee it won't be penetrated and while Kelvar degrades they significantly buffer that too. It is a matter of guarantees and policy vice practical use.

Personally, I'd just grab democrat and make them stand in the line of fire.

jsmithusaf89 wrote:Personally, I'd just grab democrat and make them stand in the line of fire.

You need 4 for maximum coverage...they can dance ring a round the rosey and hold hands...

zephyp wrote:

jsmithusaf89 wrote:Personally, I'd just grab democrat and make them stand in the line of fire.

You need 4 for maximum coverage...they can dance ring a round the rosey and hold hands...

Go for 5, then you can have a RAID-5 (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Dems)

Sotiris wrote:

zephyp wrote:

jsmithusaf89 wrote:Personally, I'd just grab democrat and make them stand in the line of fire.

You need 4 for maximum coverage...they can dance ring a round the rosey and hold hands...

Go for 5, then you can have a RAID-5 (Redundant Array of Idiotic Dems)

There, fixed it for ya...

Or one well-chosen dem wearing body armor...me!

But seriously, you people are hilarious.