Ceramic Polyethylene Armor Vs Steel

Steel armor debate comes down to personal preference.

Ceramic polyethylene armor vs steel.

The best body armor for law enforcement comparing body armor types. Mainly fmj and steel core penetrator type ammunition. What s the best body armor for my needs. The tradeoff however is that it s currently not possible with available materials and processes to create a type iv level plate on a commercial basis meaning it is not rated to stop armor piercing rounds.

Ceramic plates can be 2 3 times thicker than equivalent steel plates 0 5 vs. Now with the cons 1 can be vulnerable to high velocity threats such as m193 or m855 fired at a high velocity. 3 steel with anti spall. Ceramic plates another more recent choice when it comes to hard armor plates is the ceramic plates.

Steel body armor ancient body armor was made of steel. Whether you serve on a police squad sheriff s office or swat team in a large city where violence and active threats arise daily or you re in a smaller community that rarely sees such action you ve likely considered the question. Both ceramic and steel armor strike a balance between optimal threat protection and exceptional comfort. Weighing 8 to 10 pounds steel is also much heavier compared to ceramic and polyethylene plates but it is also the most affordable of of the three.

Soft vs hard armor generally hard armor plates are worn in a plate carrier which is a vest that fits over your other clothing. Steel armor ar500 ar650 mil a 46100 etc. Other materials such as steel ceramic and polyethylene are used to create armor plates that reinforce the soft body armor. This part of the ceramic vs.

The bottom line is kevlar by itself only makes soft body armor. It is constructed from either steel plates ceramic composite or ultra high molecular weight polyethylene plastic. Steel armor is more affordable than ceramic armor which makes it a great entry level armor type. But steel plates can be 2 3 times as heavy 4 vs.

Polyethylene plates weigh between 2 to 5 pounds making them lighter than steel and up to 70 lighter than ceramic plates.