Body Armor

Body armor and body armor plates are protective pieces of wearable equipment designed to defeat handgun and rifle rounds. While tactical body armor is mainly thought of as body armor plates or bulletproof vests, it also covers a wide range of safety equipment that can cover many different parts of the body for additional protection.

Typically, body armor has been known to protect military personnel, but today it is also used by various types of law enforcement, security guards and law-abiding civilians as well.

Whether you’re deciding on the sizing of body armor plates and plate carrier, to the type of ballistic helmet, soft armor, mag pouches, etc., you need, RMA Armament is your one stop source for the proper body armor protection – armor plates proudly made in the USA! RMA manufactures

If you have any questions on our body armor products and accessories, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us and ask. If you work in law enforcement, we have a police guide to body armor designed specifically for you, which will answer questions about the type of body armor you’ll need – soft body armor, armor plate inserts, or other accessories to complete your plate carrier loadout.

RMA has a lot of body armor for sale, so choosing the right soft armor or ballistic rifle plates for your personal needs can be a difficult task. You open up RMA’s web store and see over 20 armor plate models across five different ballistic levels. A pretty daunting task, right? Especially for someone brand new to the world of ballistic body armor protection.

With the importance of self-protection at an all-time high in the United States, we help you break down your body armor selection into simpler terms to help you understand the differences across Level IIIa bulletproof vests, Level IIIa hard armor, Level III, Level III+ and Level IV rifle rated armor in an easy to read guide on How to Choose the Best Body Armor.

RMA Armament also has a ballistics chart that you can reference to determine which rounds a given soft armor tactical vest or hard armor plate is able to defeat.

If you have any questions on RMA Armament’s wide selection of armor products, or if you need assistance in determining the best body armor for your specific needs, please call us at 866-978-7103 or contact us via email.

*18 U.S. Code § 931. United States law restricts possession of body armor for felons convicted of a crime of violence (as defined in 18 U.S. Code § 16). Many U.S. states also have penalties for possession or use of body armor by felons. Please check local and state laws regarding body armor.

It is important to note that the state of New York has recently banned the purchase and ownership of body for anyone who is not in law enforcement or a first responder. Here is a full list of those who are still eligible to own and wear body armor in the state of New York.

A civilian may purchase any level of body armor they wish, from level 2a body armor to level 4 plates. There is no level 5 body armor. If you are a resident of Connecticut, you are not allowed to purchase body armor outside of a face-to-face transaction, but all body armor is still legal for civilians to own.

Generally speaking, there are two types of body armor; soft armor and hard armor. Soft body armor ranges from Level II to Level IIIa and is capable of defeating common hand gun rounds. Soft body armor is typically found in a bulletproof vest that all those in law enforcement wear

For those who need to be protected against rifle rounds, hard body armor is a must. The most common types of hard armor is Level III body armor, Level III+ body armor and Level IV body armor. Depending on the types of rounds you want your armor to defeat will greatly inform the body armor levels that the user will want to purchase.

The short answer is yes, body armor CAN expire. But please, check with individual manufacturers to hear what they have to say about the armor they produce. (And make sure you’re checking with a manufacturer, not a reseller of armor!)

Body armor is designed to protect you from harm by absorbing and dispersing the impact of a bullet or other projectile. However, over time, it is possible that the materials that make up the armor can degrade, which can compromise its effectiveness.

The lifespan of body armor depends on a few factors, such as the type of armor, the manufacturer’s recommendations, and how frequently it’s used. In general, most manufacturers recommend replacing body armor every five years or ten years. However, some types of armor, like ceramic plates, tend to last much longer when you treat it well.

Some body armor can also be damaged by exposure to extreme heat or moisture, which can cause it to break down more quickly. However, that’s typically only the case with soft armor. The ceramic and polyethylene’s used in today’s hard body armor plates are typically very resistant to the types of heat and moisture that soft armor/kevlar can be broken down by.

In the case of RMA’s armor plates, neither heat, or moisture will reduce the plate’s effectiveness against the ballistics its rated to defeat. (In fact, check out videos of our plate’s being tested against heat and moisture in these tests.)

To take this a step further, it’s also important to note that NIJ certified body armor is tested at an NIJ Certified ballistics lab with both heat and moisture, before its ballistic test. If you purchase composite armor from a manufacturer that doesn’t produce NIJ Certified products, then it’s fair to question whether their plates can stand up to the rigors of heat and moisture.

In RMA’s case, all of our hard armor is more than capable of outliving you, the end user, if it is well maintained. If you’re unsure whether your armor is still effective, please check with us. It’s always better to err on the side of caution with a live-saving product.