If a gun, why not armor?

[Phobotech]

My brother is a pretty heavy-handed conspiracy theorist...in reality, it just makes him a sheep of a different kind, just more inflammatory. But he recently threw down several hundred dollars for a vest and a couple of high grade plates of Infidel Body Armor.

Now, his reasoning behind this...what is it, 60lbs, 80lbs worth of gear? Is by being in Texas, many of us have concealed hand guns as a contingency plan. "Better to have it and not need than need it and not have it" mentality arms ourselves so that we're prepared to deal with a similarly armed threat.

But he raises an interesting point...if we arm ourselves, why don't we armor ourselves?

He justifies his purchase with the hypothetical situation of a riot, or a heavily armed presence threatening our neighborhood. Our houses are fragile, the whole neighborhood has shit for cover, so he invested into ballistic plates that can withstand an AK round...

...is it excessive, or can no measure be too great when it comes to safety under extreme conditions? Yes, he's paranoid, but why is the owning of armored vests so rarely talked about? (lol, or did I just answer my own question?)

Do you know anyone who has a bullet resistant vest?

Do you or have you always wanted a bullet resistant vest?

What are your thoughts on owning a gun or armor (or having a gun as opposed to armor, or visa-versa)?

[Insateddii]

Well you're brother is well prepared for anyone that comes fucking with his shit, dude!

I think it's a bit excessive but better safe than sorry

Amirite?

[Splats]

At 12/17/13 12:02 PM, Insateddii wrote: Amirite?

Not if you live in a safe place where people just wonder where the fuck people are coming from when they pull off shit like this

[Fim]

Can't really argue with his logic when you live in a country that seems committed to making sure as many people as possible can own guns.

[Phobotech]

At 12/17/13 12:06 PM, Fim wrote: Can't really argue with his logic when you live in a country that seems committed to making sure as many people as possible can own guns.

It's sad, but true. Not to mention the incessant alarming reminders in our media with every shooting that goes down in a public place, whether people actually died in the shooting or not.

[TurkeyOnAStick]

At 12/17/13 11:56 AM, Phobotech wrote: He justifies his purchase with the hypothetical situation of a riot, or a heavily armed presence threatening our neighborhood. Our houses are fragile, the whole neighborhood has shit for cover, so he invested into ballistic plates that can withstand an AK round...

What's the likelihood of those hypothetical situations occuring? How often do armed riots break out in your immediate vicinity?

[mandog]

Cloth isn't enough to stop a bullet? damn pussy, the Celts went to war NAKED, and the Romans had fucking Javelins!

[Phobotech]

At 12/17/13 12:11 PM, TurkeyOnAStick wrote:
What's the likelihood of those hypothetical situations occuring? How often do armed riots break out in your immediate vicinity?

Believe me, that was my primary argument against the purchase. It has never happened in Dallas to my memory, and if it did, it was far beyond my time...but his argument for it, in all of it's extravagance, is it hasn't happened yet, and it's a matter of "when."

He imagines that if or when it does, acquiring the armor when you need it most would be next to impossible. So the entire idea behind it is as a last resort, contingency plan for desperate and troubling times. A situation that if he never had to use it, that would be ideal...and he could pass it down in case somebody else needed it. Sort of how old guns become heirlooms all the time, "why not armor?"

[Thor]

I own a plate helmet, and I'm gonna purchase a mail shirt very soon

[TheGasMan]

Well when the National Weather service buys .40 cal hollow points in the thousands and the DHS and IRS do the same, a little protection might be helpful.

[Scarface]

I think it's more logical to wear a vest than carry a gun. If you're taken by surprise, you could be dead by the time you draw your gun, but if you have a vest on, you have time to get away (or draw your gun, if you have both).

A part of me has always wanted both a gun and a bullet-proof vest, but the desire has always been too expensive and not strong enough to fulfill, so I just hope I'm never shot at.

[Piper]

Actually, people who prepare for possibilities really turn me on. I don't know why. Something about - - - the way they think?

I'm guilty of my own prepping too, though. I own a breathing mask, emergency food and water supplies along with a "getaway" bag and various defensive weapons. So... yeah.

[Ron-Geno]

Your brother.
Fucking smart.

Question:
He purchased the type that's concealable?
(not too noticeable under normal/casual wear)

[Xenomit]

I have two hand-made plated armor suits.

The base of the suits are a super thick heavy duty work coat and overalls, and then I riveted quarter inch thick metal plates in sections across the entire suit, the only thing I don't have is a helmet.

They're strong enough to guard me from small arms fire like handguns and rifles that fire bullets with a lower grain and fill, which is enough to make me happy. I've only worn both of them once each, and that was to make sure they fit and to see if I can hold up the weight easily enough to retain mobility.

They're heavy as fuck.

[TailsPrower]

At 12/17/13 12:19 PM, Phobotech wrote: He imagines that if or when it does, acquiring the armor when you need it most would be next to impossible. So the entire idea behind it is as a last resort, contingency plan for desperate and troubling times. A situation that if he never had to use it, that would be ideal...and he could pass it down in case somebody else needed it. Sort of how old guns become heirlooms all the time, "why not armor?"

Heh, sounds like something I'd do. If he has the means to purchase it and has intentions to use it for good, rather than robbing banks with it, then I support his initiative. Then again, I think just owning ballistic armor in general's pretty frickin sweet. Though you do bring up an interesting point about why countermeasures for firearms aside from legislation is hardly being discussed.

[DM692]

Only if it can protect me long enough to get within bum rushing range of the aggressor.

[Mumbo]

At 12/17/13 05:46 PM, Xenomit wrote: I have two hand-made plated armor suits.
They're heavy as fuck.

weak

[Xenomit]

At 12/17/13 06:17 PM, Mumbo wrote:

At 12/17/13 05:46 PM, Xenomit wrote: I have two hand-made plated armor suits.
They're heavy as fuck.

weak

Yeah, enough plate metal to cover your body is supposed to be light.

It's not hard to wear them, that's why I said the whole thing about putting them on to make sure I can easily maintain mobility, which I can, that doesn't mean they're not heavy as hell.

[FunkyPope]

At 12/17/13 12:13 PM, mandog wrote: Cloth isn't enough to stop a bullet? damn pussy, the Celts went to war NAKED, and the Romans had fucking Javelins!

I hope that if i'm ever in a situation where my life is threatened (getting robbed, held as hostage, riot, etc) i'll be brave enough to just immediately strip down naked.
Either you scare/confuse the shit out of your enemy and gain a vital upper hand to fighting back and getting away, or you get die and get THE COOLEST FUCKING COVERAGE ON YOUR DEATH EVER
"Local Man Gets Naked Attempting to Protect the Innocent, Dies"

[Gagsy]

Well the dumb thing is that most Americans think the gun is the form of protection. Who needs to protect their body from bullets when they have their own bullets. Their logic.

[KillerSkull]

At 12/17/13 06:25 PM, Gagsy wrote: Well the dumb thing is that most Americans think the gun is the form of protection. Who needs to protect their body from bullets when they have their own bullets. Their logic.

Well the ironic thing is that it's easier (and usually cheaper) to buy bullets than it is to buy Kevlar.

[mandog]

At 12/17/13 06:23 PM, FunkyPope wrote: I hope that if i'm ever in a situation where my life is threatened (getting robbed, held as hostage, riot, etc)

Live in a forest, get naked, swing from tree to tree, dodging each bullet.

[Scintillating]

At 12/17/13 06:25 PM, Gagsy wrote: Well the dumb thing is that most Americans think the gun is the form of protection. Who needs to protect their body from bullets when they have their own bullets. Their logic.

It is undeniably a form of protection.

There is always the possibility that widespread gun ownership actually incites some gun violence though.

As far as armor and the original post, I think your brother is a tool who wasted his money. Just like those people who build bunkers in their backyards, although a stocked bunker is much more useful in a riot than armor. What will his armor do against a maltov cocktail?

[FunkyPope]

At 12/17/13 06:30 PM, mandog wrote: Live in a forest, get naked, swing from tree to tree, dodging each bullet.

What do you think I do when I'm not on newgrounds

[Phobotech]

At 12/17/13 05:42 PM, Ron-Geno wrote:
Question:
He purchased the type that's concealable?
(not too noticeable under normal/casual wear)

It's pretty bulky...I mean, he's thin in build, so if he wears a hoodie over it, he just looks thicker than usual, like he gained several pounds. It ain't exactly "compact"...padded shoulder straps, since that bears most of the load, and he even strapped some MOLLE pouches for magazines and a first aid pouch around his belly.

At 12/17/13 06:33 PM, Scintillating wrote:
As far as armor and the original post, I think your brother is a tool who wasted his money. Just like those people who build bunkers in their backyards, although a stocked bunker is much more useful in a riot than armor. What will his armor do against a maltov cocktail?

Lol, probably "stop, drop, and roll" and then promptly "jack-shit." He ain't exactly a warrior, and he claims constantly that the purchase was a defensive measure. I agree, though, for the sum of money dropped on it, I could think of scores of more useful things to buy, but I'm still fascinated by the idea of civilians buying bullet-proof vests. I almost wonder if its a sign of the times, or just isolated cases of extreme paranoia. A fanaticism with tactical porn that's been glamorized and idolized in media and video games for almost a decade now.

I literally don't know anybody else, who isn't a cop, that owns a vest. I imagine if you're on fire, you're shit outta luck. Thank god he didn't drop for a Gilly suit, because I hear those things are INCREDIBLY flammable.

[Gagsy]

At 12/17/13 06:33 PM, Scintillating wrote:

There is always the possibility that widespread gun ownership actually incites some gun violence though.

ya think

[Slacker013]

At 12/17/13 07:42 PM, Phobotech wrote:

Thank god he didn't drop for a Gilly suit, because I hear those things are INCREDIBLY flammable.

Yeah... my sniper suit came with this bag of salt meant for keeping it from bursting in flames. Should get around to doing that some day...

[Ron-Geno]

The MOLLE patches don't help...

I imagined that your brother purchased the type of vest that a paranoid mob boss would wear; something he could wear everyday.

I mean, sounds like he could still wear his vest around in public.
But from how you described it, sounds like he wants to wear it as an outside layer.

[LemonCrush]

At 12/17/13 12:06 PM, Fim wrote: Can't really argue with his logic when you live in a country that seems committed to making sure as many people as possible can own guns.

Actually, we don't do that (though I wish it were like that. Would be a much safer place)

People owning guns is a natural part of society, so protect, and the right to protection needs to meet the needs of reality.

[LemonCrush]

At 12/17/13 06:33 PM, Scintillating wrote: There is always the possibility that widespread gun ownership actually incites some gun violence though.

Not likely. Countries where gun ownership is through the roof, like Switzerland, have no gun violence.

Also, cities and states in the US where there are open carry policies, or lax regulations to gun ownership, also have very low numbers of gun violence.