Category: Body Armor

Letter Re: Dragonskin Body Armor Versus IBA

Dear Jim, Dragonskin Armor, from all non-PR reports, isn’t nearly as good as its designers would like us to believe. (Also see: this article, as well as this one.) Dragonskin is claimed to meet Level IV standards, but has only been certified by the NIJ to Level III. And that’s only one model of several–others are not certified at all. They are being sued by the USAF over this fraudulent claim. After several delays refusing to provide test samples to the Army, the Army purchased some and sent them to an independent lab. [The manufacturer] Pinnacle claims these tests were …


Three Letters Re: Surplus Interceptor Body Armor (IBA)

James, I noticed the letter you posted about the man who bought his interceptor armor from eBay. Much of the Interceptor [Body] Armor on the market is stolen property. Many times it was stolen through supply [channels] and that is one of the reasons so many troops had to buy their own. On many of the tactical forums you have to be able to produce proof that you bought the interceptor armor legally. The interceptor armor itself is outdated. It is very heavy and bulky. Dragonskin is also not available to civilians. You have to have a end user certificate …


Letter Re: Surplus Interceptor Body Armor

James, Military surplus Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) is starting to show up on eBay from Iraq war veterans who had to purchase the military spec armor themselves before the military was able to issue the armor to every soldier. This week, I purchased a full set of the Interceptor body armor with the front and back small arms protective insert small arms protective insert (SAPI) rifle plates from an Army officer via eBay. This equipment is heavy (around 17 pounds) tactical armor that is bulky. It offers good protection and intimidation factors for post-TEOTWAWKI uses and is perfect for guard …


Reader Poll Results: Your TEOTWAWKI Resume — 100 Words and 100 Pounds

Some of these stretched the 100 word limit. (I skipped posting one that rambled on far beyond the limit.) The poll’s premise in a nutshell: “If someday you went to the gates of a survival community post-TEOTWAWKI and pleaded the case for why you should be let past the barricades and armed guards to become a valuable working member of the group, would you get voted in? Taken objectively, would you vote yourself in?”   I am a shoe maker (not just a repairman) can repair saddles tan leather have done ranch work mechanics weld gardening skills set a broken …


Letter Re: Leatherworking as a Post-TEOTWAWKI Occupation

Dear Jim, Basic leatherworking [suggested in the recent poll on potential TEOTWAWKI home businesses] is fairly easy, if time consuming. Shears, a punch and strong thread are all that’s needed. Fine work or more elaborate items than pouches, belts, hats and such take practice, but the leather can frequently be salvaged from mistakes and reused. I think the most important aspect of the skill for a TEOTWAWKI environment would be skinning, curing and tanning. Brain, urine, vegetable and oak tanning are time consuming (Everything about leather is), but books exist and functional (as opposed to pretty) leather isn’t too hard …


Letter Re: Walking Blood Banks and Interceptor Body Armor

James, Here’s a link to an e-mail written by a Marine Corps Intelligence officer in Iraq. It’s humbling to read first hand the sacrifices our troops endure for us. But in all dark clouds, there is a silver lining (in this case from a preparedness perspective). In the near future, there are going to be a lot of medical personnel returning to civilian life that know exactly how to treat gun shot wounds and conduct “walking bloodbanks”. May the Lord bless you with one near your home. Other stray thoughts: keep an eye out for the new [Interceptor] body armor …


Letter Re: Swords and Bows for that Dreaded Multigenerational Scenario

Jim: Some corrections and additional points regarding swords, crossbows, leaf springs, etc. 1) The Japanese do not have a monopoly on “cutting” swords; most European swords before c. 1500 (and even after this point) were quite capable of serous shearing blows. See Ewert Oakeshott’s “Sword in the Age of Chivalry” and “Records of the Medieval Sword” for more details. 2) An “epee” or “foil” is utterly useless as a weapon, being for sporting use only. The rapier (which is what the epee/foil is based loosely on) is somewhat useful, but is a somewhat degenerate sword style, introduced after swords were …


Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?

Dear James: J.H. is absolutely correct in that you should avoid body armor with Zylon, and that most of the “big name” brands in Body Armor have put out Zylon models. Some Point Blank production was only 20% Zylon, but it’s just not worth taking the chance. For any vest you should check out the manufacturer’s website, and then if there is any question of Zylon, get a confirmation in writing of the ballistic fibers used. The recommendation to buy only NEW armor is not always the best advice, though. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has tested 10 year …


Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?

Sir: I’d read your post in SurvivalBlog about body armor – someone had asked for some recommendations. I own a small company and my employees wear armor, I’ve worn armor for ten years… And there have been some upheavals recently that those looking to acquire used body armor need, desperately, to be aware of that weren’t addressed in your answer – which was adequate but I felt needed elaborating on – so here goes! WHAT BRAND OF BODY ARMOR SHOULD YOU AVOID WHEN BUYING USED… Both Second Chance and Point Blank are facing bankruptcy and major lawsuits associated with some …


Letter Re: Recommendations on Body Armor?

James: I’m a newbie at preparedness. I have some nitro-packed storage food and I’m working on buying a few guns and getting training.  I think I’ll start with a course at Front Sight. But for immediate needs, I’m about ready to buy some body armor for “just in case.”  Are the mil surplus flak vests that I see advertised for +/-$80 a good deal? – T.Y. JWR Replies: I highly recommend the training at Front Sight it is top notch! About body armor; first things first: Forget about the older-vintage military surplus “flak” vests” that you saw advertised. These are …


Army Upgrades Interceptor Ballistic Armor With New Side Panels

(Quoting the American Forces Press Service, Jan 10, 2005, by Jim Garamone) The Army will continue to improve body armor issued to soldiers, and will begin manufacturing side-panel inserts to the Interceptor ballistic armor (IBA), officials said here today.  The side panels, which weigh three pounds, will be made of the same material as the small-arms protective inserts. Army Col. Thomas Spoehr is in charge of fielding body armor. He said the Interceptor body armor now issued to servicemembers protects against most of the threats they face in Iraq and Afghanistan today. “It’s the best body armor in the world,” …


News Item: 18,000 Point Blank IBA Vests Recalled

The folks over at Military.com report that the U.S. military just announced the recall of more than 18,000 Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) vests because they did not meet ballistic test standards when the body armor was made. This is the second body armor recall announced this year. The recall affects only the outer tactical vest and its soft inserts, made by Point Blank Body Armor Inc. of Florida, and not the ceramic insert that also is used in the armor. Among the eight lots of body armor being recalled, more than 10,000 vests went to the Marines and more than …


Two Letters Re: Lessons from the Big Sand Box: Firearms, Gear, and Tactics in Iraq

Jim: I have been meaning to write for a few days and thank you for posting Fernando’s observations from Argentina. I view the slow slide into economic collapse as the greatest threat and the one I am currently preparing for. What prompts me to write now is the post (12 Nov ’05) about experience in Iraq. Having recently returned from Iraq I thought I would add some of my observations that run a bit different. The AR pattern weapons definitely require greater maintenance but preventive maintenance will prevent problems. Five minutes a day is all it takes. The greatest handicap …


Letter from: “Doug Carlton” Re: Discrediting the Lessons from the Big Sand Box: Firearms, Gear, and Tactics in Iraq Letter

Jim: Unless you can actually verify the identity of the author of the “Firearms, Gear, and Tactics in Iraq” e-mail, then it is bogus. I’ve seen it running around the net in several incarnations with different authors attributed to it for some time now. Some reasons to believe it’s bogus without any authentication: The part about the M249 being a POS comes from an early AAR about the invasion. Some USMC units had weapons that were VERY well-used and I know a Marine that went in with his M249 held together with zip ties. The Army, with newer weapons, report …


Lessons from the Big Sand Box: Firearms, Gear, and Tactics in Iraq

We received this letter, ostensibly from a former Marine Corps First Sergeant, supposedly his second-hand assessment of weapons and enemy tactics in Iraq. This letter has subsequently been largely discredited, so I’m only leaving it up for a couple of days as a teaching tool. I’ve added a few notes. Special thanks to to another First Sergeant (1SG White) and to “Doug Carlton” for helping me with those notes. Hello to all my fellow gunners, military buffs, veterans and interested guys. A couple of weekends ago I got to spend time with my son Jordan, who was on his first …