RMA 1165
We’re proud to introduce our all-new RMA 1165 plate. Today, you can get lightweight level IV armor at an affordable price. We took the battle-proven 1155 design and utilized a new high-strength Dyneema backer. We slashed 1.5 lbs of weight and slimmed it down to only 0.8 inches thin.
So why get a thin and lightweight level IV plate?
Lightweight Level IV Plate Benefits
We’re proud of our battle-proven 1155 plate. It’s legendary for being the most affordable and capable plate on the market. But we felt like we could make it even better. We left the original high-performance 1155 strike face intact. Our proprietary Alumina Oxide strike face offers a great mix of strength and elasticity. Thus, the 1155 and 1165 will generally have higher multi-hit performance than Silicon Carbide and Boron Carbide plates. While Silicon and Boron can offer a higher initial strength, they both bring a significantly higher material cost. Plus, they’re also significantly more brittle. Boron Carbide is almost glass-like. Alumina Oxide–while heavier–offers a high level of crack mitigation, allowing it to perform against more total rounds.
The lighter your armor is, the higher your cardiovascular and muscular performance ceiling is, no matter what shape you’re in. Whether you run a 5 minute or 50 minute mile, cutting your plate weight will help you go further, for longer. Another way to think about it is total load carriage. If you have a target load weight in mind for your gear, every pound you slash off of your gear is another 5.56 magazine. A 5.56 magazine loaded with 30 rounds weighs almost exactly 1 pound. So by upgrading from your 1155s to the new 1165, you can carry 3 more magazines for the same total weight.
And if you already have some ultra lightweight SRT plates but are looking to increase protection, the new 1165 has the same physical footprint as our SRT plate. It’s 10X12, single curve, and only 0.8 of an inch thin.
Thin Armor Benefits
Thinning your armor also has its own benefits. If you’ve ever gone for a run with any gear on, you probably noticed it fighting against you. It isn’t just the weight. It’s the inertia of the mass in motion that really drags you down. You can think about this just like when you’re turning a tight corner in your car and you feel those lateral G-forces. The car is pulling you in a constantly changing direction, while your body is attempting to keep moving in the same direction. Your gear has the exact opposite effect.
In this case, you are the vehicle. Your gear is constantly moving in the last direction you went in. Legs propel you and your gear slightly left or slightly right as you move forward. Your plate carrier is always moving slightly left or slightly right when your other foot starts pulling you the opposite direction. It’s a fast way to drain your energy and exhaust your muscles.
Mid-Engined
We’re neither automotive engineers nor physicists, so we’ll do our best to explain here.
In high-performance vehicles, engineers work to create the most central center of gravity relative to the wheels to decrease the leverage the engine mass exerts upon the vehicle while in motion. The engine is the single most dense mass component in the vehicle. When the mass is closer to the middle of the wheel base, the G-forces have more equal distribution on each wheel. Thus, the vehicle is being dragged significantly less toward the heavier front end of the car as compared to a front-engine vehicle. When the center of gravity is put in the middle of the car instead of the far front end of the car, the inertia of the engine mass doesn’t drag the vehicle toward a straight line as much. You’ve probably experienced something like this when it’s harder to turn at speed in a front-engine car.
This helps dramatically increase traction in corners. In automotive terms, these cars are called, “mid-engined.” The new C8 Corvette is just such a car. The new C8 Corvette sports massively improved handling over the C7 thanks to this redesign. The engine has been moved from under the front hood and placed behind the driver and much closer to the middle of the vehicle.
Get up, Come On Get Down With The Thinness
Thinner armor like the RMA 1165 has a similar effect on your kit. A thicker backing material pushes the heavier strike face away from your body. In effect, this gives the heavier material more inertial leverage as it grows in distance away from your center of gravity. So every time you take a step and your torso slightly rotates your kit fights against you. A thinner plate reduces that leverage, just like moving an engine from the front end of a car to the middle of a car.
And that’s just the smallest bit. Don’t forget about ammo, comms, and everything else you have loaded to the front and back of your vest. All that mass in motion at a distance from your body’s core has an exaggerated effect against you. The RMA 1165 plate reduces the lateral leverage your gear has working against you when you move. Plus, it’s much lighter. It’s the ideal armor companion.
Profile
Let’s not forget another critical component of combat efficacy. Your physical size matters a lot. Shooters slightly crouch not just for rifle handling purposes. It also has the effect of making you a smaller target. A smaller target is harder to hit. But the benefits don’t end there. Thinner kit means you have an easier time moving in confined spaces, such a vehicles and building interiors. If you’ve ever worn full kit in a HMMWV, you know what I’m talking about. Additionally, you’re less likely to get jammed up on protruding obstructions like loose screws, door jambs, furniture, and more.
Conclusion
Upgrading your plates to lightweight RMA 1165s is a no-brainer, especially at our incredible introductory price of only $249.99. Slashing 3 lbs off of your loadout and pulling all your gear closer to your center of gravity while maintaining a smaller profile are all great benefits. But most of all? You get it for only $249.99. It’s still 100% American-made right here in Centerville, Iowa. Upgrade now!