[thor]

Hey Group,
(Hope this request will knock any dust off a whole lot of keyboards!)

What, in your opinion / experience is the:
1. Best and yet,
2. Lightest
Level II Body Armor / Protective Vest available and WHY?

One of the last really meaningful things I might get to do in simultaneously
filling the positions of BOTH Armorer/F.I. AND Supply Officer/Quartermaster
at my agency COULD BE heavily influencing how *forward* we move in the next
procurement of protective apparel for our personnel . . .

Some time ago, I spied a post from one of the Illinois Tactical Officer's
Assoc. among you about the Second Chance "Ultima" vest
(Ultima "II", I believe) and how it was barely thicker than a couple of
quarters and still had very, very, effective stopping power . . .
that REALLY got me thinking!

Anyway, 1999 was the last contract we put out to PACA, Second Chance, and
ABA. That contract's spec.s called for Level II vests.

3. Is Level II even sufficient in the consensus of your opinions?

Each mfr./vendor sent a rep. who all arrived at the same location, date, and
time, and each deputy got to choose which maker they would go with and were
measured up then and there.

Daily duties here run the typical gamut but heavily include from courtroom
duty to prisoner transport to processing prisoners to serving warrants;,
Dom. Violence orders;, Emerg. Psych. Orders; Evictions; court ordered
seizures to (and here's the kicker) "posting tack-ups".

Posting "tack ups" involves running (more often than not, literally) up and
down apartment stairwells all day (and / or night :-[ )and affixing one page
court "Notices of (landlord's) Intent to Evict" to each apartment door(s) as
necessary (the sheer numbers of these things each week alone boggles the
mind!)

(It IS a particularly un-enjoyable way to get in to shape -- FAST! :wink:

With the hot, h*u*m*i*d* Wash, D.C. summer fast approaching, you can imagine
how quickly even the lightest of protective vests can become a real b*tch
pulling a weeks long "tack ups" assignment!!!

As I started to go through the various mfr.s websites I started to realize
how little I really knew about was out there, regardless of whether it's
Level II or IIA.
And, as I do every time I get that feeling, I realized there were probably a
lot of others who'd already been down the path on which I'm just getting
started . . .

Thanks in advance for any info on what you're happy with, very happy with,
or "would never buy again", etc.

Stay Safe and Be First!,

Cpl. R. "THOR" Thorsen
Office o/ Sheriff, P.G. Co., MD

 

[Guest]

Thor,
Over the last almost two decades I have worn several of the first through 8th generation vests. Starting first with US issue then moving to the Guardian Technologies Spectra vest. I must mention that I really hated the Spectra vests as it was like living in a plastic turtle shell.
I truly hated it, but it was issued and so required. Then when I moved into a new role at another agency I was issued an ABA level 2 "lightweight" Kevlar 129 that was pretty good and I wore that for almost three years before switching to a Second Chance Monarch level 2 as I was spending almost all of my time traveling and escorting dignitaries and that vest was quite comfortable and did not feel like a "shell".
When I changed to an agency that was more technology oriented I noticed most of the agents were wearing fitted Brooks Brothers and Armani suits, vests were "out" so I picked up the Second Chance Monarch level 2a ultra pro and that was very comfortable and in the shirt carrier I was also able to wear fitted suits quite comfortably as I often spent 30-40 hours straight wearing that vest on long assignments/flights.

_________________
Think, Plan, Train, Be Safe.
Thanks,
David



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: David DiFabio on 2001-06-15 23:31 ]</font>