Are steel armor plates safe? (2024)

When it comes to tactical gear like body armor, you have many options. From different levels of protection to different brands and materials, there are many factors to consider when purchasing a bulletproof vest, or a plate holder and other associated tactical gear, tools and accessories.

Today we're going to talk about tactical ballistic protective equipment worn by the military, law enforcement agencies, and civilian customers for protection against rifle bullets. While a soft body armor ballistic vest is great for pistol caliber protection, it won't do you much good if you get shot by a rifle bullet.

This is where hard armor plates come in. These signs are carried in sign holders and can be made of different materials. Although steel is a common material for making hard armor plates, isn't it the safest? Let's talk about it in more detail.

WHAT MATERIALS ARE ARMOR PLATES MADE OF?

When manufacturing hard armor, whether for military, law enforcement, tactical gear geeks or civilian customers, there are many things to consider:

• Ballistic material used
• Weight,
• structural integrity,
• Sustainability,
• Safety for the wearer

Modern body armor manufacturers use many different ballistic materials to make body armor. Below is a list of the most popular materials used in the production of tactical equipment, such as armor plates.

AR 500 STEEL

Abrasion resistant (AR) steel plates are a high carbon alloy designed to be malleable and weather resistant. The addition of alloys makes them harder when they are heat treated, making them excellent for projects that require material defects due to wear or abrasion, rather than extreme temperatures such as the flames of a welding torch, where there is a greater chance of evaporation which would cause destruction over time even if covered with paint etc., but also not something you want to happen in everyday life!

Many armor manufacturers in the world make AR500 steel armor plates, and while they have the longest durability and reusability capabilities, many people say they are also not the safest. In addition, they are also very heavy, which can affect maneuverability.

CERAMIC ARMOR PLATE

Ceramics such as aluminum oxide, silicon carbide or boron carbide are other common materials used to make armor. Ceramic armor usually consists of a UHMW polyethylene backing and ceramic bonded to the surface. Ceramic is light and causes incoming bullets to disintegrate, making it easier for the PE backing to absorb impact.

They are also lighter than steel, but once shot, even with a small caliber, their protective ability can begin to diminish.

UHMW-POLYETHYLEN

In recent years, manufacturers have also begun making armor entirely from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. UHMW PE armor is light and durable, but also has a longer service life. It is significantly safer than steel armor. However, UHMW PE is only strong enough to make level III armor plates, for higher protection ceramic and steel hybrid plates are a better option.

It is important to mention that PE plates have a neutral or positive buoyancy, which means that they float when dropped into water.

WHY STEEL SHEETS ARE NOT SAFE

One of the biggest reasons why most military personnel and civilians shy away from using steel armor is Spalling. Now you're probably wondering what is splashing?

Well, it's pretty simple: What do you think is going to happen when a fast-moving bullet hits a solid steel plate? The bullet will break into fragments naturally. However, these fragments cannot be controlled by steel plates and are instead deflected to the sides and sometimes even upwards, towards the neck of the person wearing the armor. These fragments and deflected bullets can contain enough energy to fatally injure someone.

This can be extremely dangerous, as anyone wearing steel armor plate can be seriously injured, as well as those around them. Additionally, the deflectable fragments can damage your plate carriers and other tactical equipment, tools, and weapon accessories you carry on your plate carriers. The fragment can damage your magazines, communications equipment, med packs, and other tactical gear you have. To conclude this section, it should be noted that steel armor has been phased out by most armed forces around the world, mainly because peeling makes it less safe and more difficult to use than other materials such as polyethylene.

Typically, the inner lining of a bulletproof helmet is made of foam, rubber or plastic, and there are also some hybrid options. Foam filling offers the most comfort. A tactical helmet can use foam of different densities, made of open-cell and closed-cell polyester, polyurethane, polyethylene.

Almost every helmet comes with some type of padding to ensure a comfortable fit and cushion the impact of any projectiles. However, there are also aftermarket comfort pads that can significantly improve the wear resistance of a helmet.

In addition to the filling, the inner lining of a helmet is also important. Most helmets have a mesh lining on the inside to keep your head cool and prevent excessive sweating during long periods of work.

IS THERE A SOLUTION FOR THE SPLITTING?

Well, there is one solution that most manufacturers use, but even that is not ideal. They actually cover the front of the steel armor plate with a heavy rubber layer that catches any fragments inside it when fired.

However, the solution only works for the first few shots if you are in a situation where you can be shot more than once, which is entirely possible for the military and special law enforcement units; the rubber coating wears off and spalling becomes a problem. Now you know why many people prefer other types of materials over steel. You should now understand why more and more militaries are forcing their personnel not to use steel armor plates for personal protection in combat situations (chances are that if there was a war going on anywhere in the world right now, every American soldier caught in combat , not wearing steel armor).

The future will probably bring us lighter and better materials for body armor, but right now it's complicated by the fact that you want to stop bullets but also allow the penetration of knives and other stabbing weapons (that's why vests designed for the police are designed mostly ceramic on the front half, while Kevlar covers the back).

WHY IS STEEL ARMOR BAD?

Well, aside from the major flaking issue, here are some other reasons why steel armor isn't the best option:

STEEL DOES NOT ABSORB IMPACT ENERGY

If you get hit with steel armor in your plate carriers, the bullet may not penetrate, but you're still not in a good position to continue the fight. Steel plates are notoriously bad at absorbing the force of the bullet when it makes contact with the plate, and even if the bullet doesn't penetrate, you'll feel like you've been hit really hard. This often leads to broken ribs and sometimes even a collapsed lung.

STEALING ARMOR IS HARD

The weight of armor plates makes a big difference, especially for military and law enforcement officers who have to wear their plate holders all day. Two heavy steel panels front and rear, combined with all the tactical gear, tools, backpacks, bags and weapon accessories, can make a plate holder a little too heavy to handle, and it also reduces movement and maneuverability.

A 4 x 12 inch steel plate can weigh between 8 and 10 pounds, while ceramic armor of the same size weighs half that, and PE armor is even lighter.

STEEL ARMOR IS UNCOMFORTABLE

Another reason you should avoid steel armor is that it is uncomfortable. Most ballistic steel panels are straight, although a slightly curved plate is more comfortable. If a steel plate is bent, the chance of ricochet increases.

This can make it difficult to move around, carry your tactical gear, and even perform simple tactical maneuvers.

WHICH TYPE OF ARMOR PLATE IS SAFE?

Now that we've established that steel armor isn't the safest option, let's talk about the best type of armor to use. If you want basic protection against pistol bullets, you can buy a ballistic vest with soft armor inserts made of aramid Kevlar fabric. They are the most comfortable because they adapt to your body contours. Like a plate carrier, the body armor can carry any type of tactical equipment or tools if necessary.

On the other hand, if you are looking for protection against larger calibers, choose ceramic or PE armor. For Level III protection (up to an FMJ .308 Winchester), PE armor seems best, it is durable, easy to store and maintain, and most importantly, polyethylene armor plates are light. Moreover, it is safe because the PE fabric absorbs the bullet fragments instead of deflecting them.

Now if you're looking for Level IV armor protection (up to 30-06 armor-piercing rounds), things are a little different. Usually these plates are made with multiple layers, in some cases a ceramic surface and a polyethylene or aramid backing. These plates are safe because the ceramic catches the fragments and crumbling is not a problem. Although they may be heavier than most PE plates, we have a solution for you: the Level 4 Body Armor Plate that weighs only 2.5 kg and stops multiple armor-piercing rounds. Therefore, ceramic and polyethylene composite armor panels are ideal for Level IV protection. The US military also uses PE and ceramic armor for both Level III and Level IV protection.

CV

So when it comes to tactical gear, body armor is extremely important and you want the kind of armor that will save your life and make unsafe situations safer. But in the case of steel armor, the effect can be the opposite.

Having to carry heavy and thick steel plates is not the best choice when it comes to choosing your armor plates, as you compromise on mobility, agility and aiming. Steel armor panels are not the safest, they can deflect bullets towards the person wearing the armor and are very poor at absorbing the impact of the bullets. They are also heavy and uncomfortable.

We hope this post helped you learn more about which types of ballistic armor panels are the best choice. Thanks for reading along!