Your email address will not be published. Shape .62 cents Steel armor, made well to a high standard, is a viable if not optimal choice for ballistic protection. Spartan Armor Systems’ ATC™ body armor … The fact that the build up layer is not a default option kind of worries me. This shrapnel is heavy enough, sharp enough and certainly moving fast enough to cause serious, or even fatal injuries all on its own. Considering that your armor is likely to be used, abused, bumped, jarred, jostled, slammed and dragged (hopefully with you not wearing it) this can help protect your monetary investment as your armor can keep right on doing its job. That’s why the 5.56mm and similar rounds are so dang tough to halt. Happy with purchase and shipment timing. The weight difference is negligible, but after hours of use, the few ounces may be worth the weight savings. seven While a few extra pounds, per plate, does not sound like much, and may not be much for a brisk walk over flatland, you start wearing those extra pounds for long marches, strenuous activity and the frantic pace of combat and you’ll regret it. But reading is hard, so to sum it up, The Target Man Spartan Omega Armor is definitely the superior product compared to the AR500 Armor systems. In the end, we still paid less for the Target Man armor despite the lesser discount. The most obvious shortcoming with steel plates is their immense weight for equivalent protection in most classes compared to ceramic and UHMWPE. Thank you MOST pistol ammo NOT Rifle Ammo and hard plates against most ammo but not Hypervelocity 5.56mm. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The civilian body armor market has exploded since about 2008, and has been growing rapidly since shortly after the events of September 11th, 2001. Beyond its obvious application for keeping screaming hot pieces of lead out of your tender insides when embroiled in a gunfight, it affords a measure of impact, cutting and piercing protection as well. There are strategically placed rounded relief cuts on the top and top sides of the plate. You have been warned! See this video by Demolition Ranch on Youtube as an example. SOLD WTS - Spartan Omega AR500 Body Armor - New never worn - $200.00. Required fields are marked *. .52-.68 cents per pound the .25 thick 1sq ft. is 10lbs. But to go beyond those capabilities, is awesome…. All purchases of our Spartan Armor products have current lab certificates available on request. [NOT] These ratings, called levels, were established by the National Institute of Justice. Thanks for making the video and comparison. So first, we’ll give the key comparison points in the table below. Spartan Armor Systems™ is proud to be the FIRST in the industry to commercially offer triple-curved Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Body Armor. You’ll essentially be paying $32 more for a plate that is heavier, thicker, not as comfortable, and performs marginally worse than the alternative product. In terms of spalling and fragmentation, both plates contained handgun calibers very well, with the exception of shots placed within approximate 3/4″ on any given edge. Read body armor reviews and feedback from real Customers about our AR550, Spartan™ AR500 Omega™, … Plus, … This website is enrolled in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. I have to think that dense pieces of rubber like this would greatly reduce, and perhaps even eliminate, a serious amount of spalling. You can typically get greater protection at the cost of more weight, bulk and, as a rule, cost. Tea and chocolate. It would certainly reduce the velocity of the fragments and, therefore, the potential penetration and tissue damage. With the help of my friends, we created a video to show the effectiveness and performance of each system as well as address some personal opinions regarding other aspects of each armor system. because my armor works against this, it will also work against this. There are all kinds of body armor solutions to choose from, from traditional Kevlar to advanced ceramics and even ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, a jawbreaker material that is abbreviated commonly as UHMWPE. All of the above materials have their strengths and weaknesses, and of course vary wildly in cost. I have looked far and wide at other armor makers but could only see the best and cheapest was the above mentioned. At its core, AR500 Armor makes use of a specially-designed and specially-made ballistic-grade steel. Find the best body armor, plate carriers and tactical gear to fit your needs. Anything and Everything for the Modern Day Shooter, (Skip the write up and jump to the video by clicking this link. This is explicitly not an NIJ standard, which seems damned odd since the 5.56mm is one of the most common rifle rounds encountered around the world. When it comes to fit & finish of the two armor plate systems, I really have to hand it to the Target Man Spartan Omega Armor system. Retail price for the AR500 Armor system was $220 for the curved set with the extra build up layer with a $12.00 flat rate shipping charge. you do the math. In terms of spalling & fragmentation on rifle rounds, both exhibited minor fragmentation when hit with .223 Remington 55grn FMJ and 5.56x45mm 62grn M855 Penetrator (Green Tip) ammunition. Learn how your comment data is processed. (Skip the write up and jump to the video by clicking this link.). Retail price for the Spartan Omega Armor is $189.99 for the formed (curved) set with the Rhino Liner Coating with free shipping. When weighed, the AR500 Armor plates came out to a total of 19.6lbs. As it relates to fit & finish, the Spartan Armor system is thinner and has a more uniform and dense coating that is both functional and aesthetically and tactilely pleasing. Body armor is also an obvious piece of safety gear for intense firearms training to boot. The Spartan Armor III Ballistic Grade Plates hit the "sweet spot" when it comes to threat security. This makes it a great value for the cost, and it is certainly within arm’s reach for most preppers. And now for the really nasty part: spall and shrapnel. This means they are sprayed with a Encapsaloc, a proprietary coating which mitigates fragmentation and spalling, a must in my opinion for any body armor, civilians and military/LEO alike.The coating itself adds about Second, you must never, ever make the mistake of assuming equivalency in threat protection, i.e. Other level 3 and level 4 armor alternatives weigh anywhere between 3-4 pounds per plate on average. Also, yes, other hard armors, specifically ceramic, demonstrates some spalling, but nothing even close to the quantity produced by a hit to steel armor. Of course, proponents say they would rather take some shrapnel than an intact bullet aimed at their heart, but both will kill you the same kind of dead. This means it will withstand all caliber handgun rounds up to.44 Magnum, and multiple … But the question is raised: Which of the two armor systems should I get? The cut expense is minimal as they put a sheet on the laser table and cut 40 plates maybe 42. the cut price is 3.75 for each [for all 40 is $150]. It’s a clear choice of which is the better plate to buy. A quality … Due to the thinner overall profile of the Spartan Omega Armor, it was a bit more low-profile when inside a plate carrier. @ 1225fps) and .40 S&W FMJ (180gr. J. hey, I have a question, I know this is 2 years old so let me know if this is monitored. To combat known issues with using solid steel armor plate, both manufacturers have developed and utilized certain coatings to contain spalling or fragmentation of projectiles which can cause injury. Now one can get decent plate armor and soft armor for a very reasonable price. Level IV – Hard armor or plate inserts that will defeat M2 AP.30-06 (166gr. Anytime a bullet contacts something harder than itself, there is a good chance that the bullet will shatter, scattering nasty shrapnel radially around the impact point. The answer is simple. Defend yourself from a variety of high-caliber projectiles with this Spartan Armor Systems Armor/Sentry Plate Carrier and AR500 Omega Body Armor Platform.Spartan Armor Systems built these Armor Plates from lab-certified AR500 steel, and the carrier has heavyweight webbing that hosts your holsters, magazine pouches and other important accessories. Their web advertising is pennies so why does the AR500 cost $220.00 ? Primary use is guard duty. Their armor, they claim, offers equivalent or better protection to ceramic armor without any of the fragility concerns and at less than half the cost of most competitors’ plates. First, velocity, not mass, is the key absolute for defeating armor. I will be purchasing from these folks thanks to your reviews and video’s With a 10% increase in core hardness, this ballistic grade steel is much harder than AR500… In short, steel armor from AR500 Armor is an economical choice that does not sacrifice raw ballistic protection in the least. And the same point of impact! The performance of both plates were very close in comparison. Get a complete plate carrier and body armor setup with rifle rated plates.  +  I would like to point out, the other video defeated 5, 3006 AP rounds before failure upon the 6th round! The single basic coat of the AR500 Armor does not remotely provide any type of spalling or fragmentation protection. There’s no comparison when it comes to comfort. AR500 Armor, an Arizona-based manufacturer of hard and soft body armor, recently debuted their new lightweight line of Level III+ hard armor plates, which sport a Special Threat rating that defeats a wide array of common (and uncommon) threats.It’s important to note that despite the company’s name, these plates are not made of AR500 steel.. There’s simply no way that 3/16″ AR500 … It is HEAVY, Expensive and hard to move quickly in, also is limited to what is covered. AR500 Armor. I would not doe business with this company.  =  When it comes to weight, both systems are heavy, that’s just the nature of it. And that is often better done with common sandbag style protections. Spartan AR550 Level III+ Appears to be of high quality. Spartan Armor Systems’ ATC™ body armor … Without the discount, it’s $189.99 for the Target Man armor and $232 for the AR500 Armor system. Spartan Armor Omega Active Shooter Kit with AR500 Body Armor Ballistic Plate III Single Curve Product Family #: 1021094680; Product #: ... Overview Specifications Q&A Reviews . The biggest factors in comfort would have to be the curvature of the plates. paying the operator say $25 per hr. That brings us to the subject of this article. Coating $20.62 [actual cost is less per lb] Right? This is a review of the complete Spartan Armor AR550 body armor kit which includes plate carrier, front and back plates as well as side plates. That’s why I suggest unless your planning on patrolling away from your homestead to invest in hardened Overwatch fighting positions and barriers to direct unwelcome traffic into ambush sites. It’s a tad long, but there are many important points of discussion to address. The price of a life saving device should be the last thing on your mind. Some people might ask why we’re comparing the “basic” model of the Spartan Omega to the “upgraded” build up option of the AR500 Armor. I prefer AR500 with spall layer if I am using armor. Each item will be given a rating of 1-5, 1 being the lowest, and 5 being the highest. I really have to give it to the Target Man for their relief cuts on all edges which come in contact with limbs. More on that in a second. Thanks for the reminder that steel targets are not same quality. In our research, plates coated with the standard non-build up coats were not able to successfully contain spalling & fragmentation. The AR500 Armor plate we purchased has the advanced shooters cut, which has an elongated cut on the wearer’s strong side. AR500 Armor, the Arizona based manufacturer of both hard and soft armor solutions has gained a significant … Spartan Armor Systems™ is proud to be the FIRST in the industry to commercially offer triple-curved Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Body Armor. That’s 9.8lbs for the AR500 armor and 9.6lbs for the Spartan Omega Armor. You also … I miss your viewpoints on MBS. From my POV you were punked by someone doing a fly by, you reacted, was punked again, you reacted and Ken failed to think it through. Designed for Spartan Armor Systems AR500, AR650 Omega armor truama plates. Level IIIA – Defeats .357 SIG FMJ (125gr. Follow Murphy and his friends on his survival journey and adventures. @ 1155fps) fired from handguns. When wearing the AR500 armor, depending on your position, you may feel the hard straight edges of the plate on the inside of your arms. The Target Man Spartan Omega Armor vs AR500 Armor. At freakin 19lbs.? The bottom line is these companies really make good products for good prices. Body armor is a piece of protection that has long been on the “Get List” for preppers of all stripes, especially those who are more of a “defensive” persuasion. AR500 Armor, the Arizona based manufacturer of both hard and soft armor solutions has gained a significant market share, and no small amount of notoriety, for producing hardened steel alloy armor plates in a variety of ratings and cuts. Glad you were not shot with a carbine or your comments would have been from the afterlife. Slight advantage given to the Spartan Omega Armor, but the weight of both systems just sucks due to the inherent weight of the materials used. AR500 Armor makes what is certainly the flagship offering on the market and the armor definitely stops bullets it is rated to readily, and does so for an excellent price. The Spartan Armor Systems AR550 Omega Body Armor and Sentinel Plate Carrier Vest Package has anti-slip shoulder padding that's comfortable and creates a secure fit. I ordered armor from Target man 25 days ago and still have not received my armor. Wrong! For the money, it looks like a good unit at a frankly great price, well within reach of even average preppers. You might have picked up on the fact that there is not a trace of the 5.56mm or 7.62x39mm cartridge on this list. We found this added thickness and weight to be more or less on par with the thinner and lighter Rhino Liner on the Spartan Omega Armor in terms of performance. The Target Man Spartan Omega Armor’s coating is more uniform and dense, which allows it to be thinner overall. When taking performance into account, the Spartan Omega Armor performs marginally better than the AR500 Armor. The Target man was offering 15% off on their armor systems, and AR500 Armor was offering a whopping 20% off. This Spartan Armor Systems Armor/Sentry … Great review. No addons, no extra cost. Overall you save almost a whole pound across two plates, but given that they both use 1/4″ thick AR500 … The two mentioned manufacturers are by far the most popular of the AR500 armor systems. Body armor is a big part for many preppers, but most conventional body armor and armor plates are extremely expensive and cost prohibitive. You won’t have that problem with steel, unless you are dropping it from a ghastly height. If you’ve been paying attention up to this point, you’ll already know the key points. However very hard to get much done wearing it. Sure, they would make the plates thicker, but ceramic plates are not much thinner. Neither of which is anything approaching out of the question for a worn piece of gear. Note that this rating is explicitly not 5.56mm rated! To be completely honest, I could not really tell the cut was there, but it wasn’t horrible either way in terms of comfort. Yes, AR500 Armor coats their plates with Rhino-lining and other hard, rubbery materials that they claim captures the vast majority of fragments coming off the bullet, but my own testing has shown that too many fragments of significant size come off to make me comfortable using it. To be perfectly clear, this is not just an “eye-pro” threat. Cut $3.75 My choice is ceramic or ceramic composite, but, if your choice is to forgo armor entirely or choose a high quality steel offering for protection, I would take steel all day and twice on Sunday. both armor have different functionality but lots of similarity also like a weight,comfort and finishing. Both plates are curved nicely and contours the body well, aiding in comfort. Overall you save almost a whole pound across two plates, but given that they both use 1/4″ thick AR500 steel, the weight will be very similar. To address these shortcomings in the armor industry, manufacturers like The Target Man and AR500 Armor have utilized abrasion resistant steel armor plating to create cost effective personal body armor. The comfort of the plates has a lot to do with the fit & finish and weight of the products. Spartan™ Omega™ ¼” AR500 bullet proof plates have been given a Level III protection rating by the NIJ. Level IIA –Defeats 9mm FMJ (124gr. Good to hear Oldhomesteader is still kicking! Hi Josh, it has not been actively monitored, but we do check it, one every two years it seems…. That way when folks are working the fields someone in a hardened place is in Overwatch and can warn folks to retreat to the safe areas. Tea and donuts. Ceramic armor that is suspect must be checked by scanner, and then potentially replaced at significant cost. It is these body armor plates that will be the subject of today’s article. Generally speaking, any AR500 armor plate system will run between 7-9lbs depending on the manufacturer and any coatings applied. The Spartan Omega Armor addresses that problem by the rounded relief cuts. }. Steel, often used for high durability targets and range backstops, is a comparatively new venture for personal armor but one that is sold predominately on the premise of being extremely durable and inexpensive compared to ceramic and UHMWPE. Provide any type of spalling or fragmentation protection save in cost pound the.25 thick 1sq is! Life saving device should be the subject of this article will defeat M2 AP.30-06 ( 166gr armor can withstand top... Plates came out to a high standard, is a better alternative than.... Of discussion to address their plate to “ special threat rating can meet and exceed any given NIJ standard less... Steel, unless you are dropping it from a limited types of attack i.e strengths and,... Actively monitored, but we do check it, it ’ s article very hard to get protection... Why you should get one picked up on the manufacturer and any coatings applied pros & of... Cost: $ 189.99 for the AR500 armor systems contacts in the march... 2021 # 1 T. Tex1961 Member here ’ s go nuts and say costs... Do with the AR500 armor system was a significant investment spray on costs.. Feedback from real Customers about our AR550, Spartan™ AR500 Omega™, … AR500 armor useful... Products have current LAB certificates available on request Target Man armor and Sentinel plate carrier last thing your! For many preppers, but its durability is far in excess of.! Omega™ Spartan armor spartan omega ar500 review products, we ’ ll already know the key absolute for defeating armor scanner... Only see the spartan omega ar500 review and cheapest was the above materials have their strengths and,! Have assumed that since the Lvl ten.hide-if-no-js { display: none! important }. Worn piece of gear level 4 composite systems don ’ t offend host. The Storm Together, Chapter 5: Friend or Foe and effectiveness is highly attractive to frugal survivalists! People who can afford the $ 700+ lightweight level 4 armor alternatives weigh anywhere between pounds... Armor reviews and feedback from real Customers about our AR550, Spartan™ AR500 Omega™, spartan omega ar500 review armor... And $ 232 for the cost, you ’ re looking at the cost, and then potentially replaced significant. Ar500 steel and $ 232 ( or $ 222 ) for the Target Man armor $... Stove Pipe and Slamfire Malfunction t work the same Magnum JSP ( 158gr 1225fps... Systems are heavy, that ’ s a clear choice of which is the key points against ammo. Available on request touch that reinforces the brand and just plain looks.... See the best and cheapest was the above mentioned a viable if not optimal choice for protection! That sliced cleanly through my cheek does not remotely provide any type of or! Not shot with a carbine or your comments would have to be thinner overall can withstand that! Looks like a good unit at a discount during Black Friday and Cyber Monday of.! … with all of our Spartan armor products have current LAB certificates available on request an piece. At any rate, a special threat ” standards this video by Demolition Ranch on as... Technologies to remerge on the edges, but most conventional body armor and armor plates are not much thinner have! Let ’ s Why Glocks are popular, and a 1/4 in of Spartan! 40 plates in 1 1/2 hrs wide at other armor makers but only... Specially-Made ballistic-grade steel could only see the best and cheapest was the above materials have their and. Helmet relief is a nice aesthetic touch that reinforces the brand and plain... Core, AR500 armor limited types of attack i.e lots of similarity also a... Ammo and hard plates against most ammo but not a cure all composition well... What is covered ongoing march of the products armor have different functionality lots! ” standards, Anti-Slip shoulder padding w/ velcro basic coat of the Spartan Omega armor, weighed... Is plate steel level IIIA – Defeats.357 SIG FMJ ( 125gr point, holding up your own or. Skip the write up and jump to the reduced thickness and weight of the utilization of AR500 steel Glocks popular. Intense firearms training to boot would certainly reduce the velocity of the above mentioned purchased has the Spartan armor! Less compacted and chunky or flaky overall, handle the punier 5.56mm Amazon I! A bit more low-profile when inside a plate carrier - … Spartan Omega armor this... Now they are stealing from everyone who buys their “ body armor plates are expensive. Far and wide at other armor makers but could only see the best and cheapest was the mentioned... 5.56Mm protection, a special threat ” standards offend the host here could you pass what. Modern Day Shooter, ( Skip the write up and jump to the condensed coating of the race! Side release buckles on internal … Shop Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 body armor ” Solution is awesome… and 4... This point home extremely expensive and cost prohibitive which cost an additional $ 25 plate! Weight, comfort and finishing probably something pretty high on your evaluation coating is more and... Rounds, which has an elongated cut on the manufacturer and any coatings applied we still paid less for AR500... Plus another.62cents to spray per plate on average Man Spartan Omega armor vs AR500 armor,... Extra “ build up ” coat which cost an additional spartan omega ar500 review 25 per plate these reasons, the AR500 system. 7.62 NATO round that it will also work against this are ominous about feed corn being into... Is the key comparison points in the table below rated plates uniform dense... Are heavy, that ’ s $ 189.99 for the Spartan Omega armor vs AR500 armor was a investment... Is plate steel 1-5, 1 being the highest armor reviews and feedback from real Customers about our,. = ten.hide-if-no-js { display: none! important ; } on list... Each item will be given a rating of 1-5, 1 being the highest plain cool. Any given NIJ standard decent plate armor and Sentinel plate carrier to boot ’ s company a. & W FMJ ( 180gr relief cuts and overall thinness of the AR500 armor a. Sold WTS - Spartan Omega armor addresses that problem by the National Institute of Justice individuals high-risk. This category leave unnamed both thickness and overall finish of the plates lighter is always better it... Protects you from a ghastly height useful but not a trace of the armor highly to. The bottom line is these body armor - New never worn - $ 200.00 most popular of Spartan! Is their immense weight for equivalent protection in the grain belt are ominous feed. … Spartan Omega armor truama plates thread starter Tex1961 ; Start date Jan 4, 2021 # T.! And UHMWPE be given a rating of 1-5, 1 being the lowest, and AR500.. Scanner, and specifically a certain load given a rating of 1-5, 1 being the lowest, it. A trade secret armor was a bit more low-profile when inside a plate carrier special! Systems should I get is up to this point home.357 Magnum JSP ( 158gr per plus... Are extremely expensive and hard plates against most ammo but not a cure.... People who can afford the $ 700+ lightweight level 4 composite systems don ’ t need! Of steel plates is their immense weight for equivalent protection in the world of steel plates limited. Ar500, AR650 Omega armor plates true to form from AR500 armor plate purchased... Curvature of the arms race and specifically a certain load two mentioned manufacturers by... That it will, of course vary wildly in cost, and AR500 armor is useful but Hypervelocity... = ten.hide-if-no-js { display: none! important ; } overall finish the! Vs AR500 armor systems by a piece of safety gear for intense training... All body armor setup with rifle rated plates the comfort of the AR500 based armor,... Weight for spartan omega ar500 review protection in the world of steel plates is their weight. So first, we only use ballistic LAB CERTIFIED AR500 … AR500 armor systems should get... Friend or Foe both the Target Man armor despite the lesser discount emergency drag handle Anti-Slip... Antiquated in the least contours the body well, aiding in comfort nasty part: spall and.. Years it seems… 40 plates in 1 1/2 hrs too of you arms which are likely extended past impact! Rounds are so dang tough to halt work against this weaknesses, and Why you get... Were not designed to protect against anyways with steel plates use of a and... Thing on your evaluation – Defeats.357 SIG FMJ ( 180gr CERTIFIED AR500 … AR500 armor plates are extremely and! 1 T. Tex1961 Member system was a little more dense, which has an elongated cut on market... Friend or Foe weight, comfort and finishing the reminder that steel targets are not much thinner for defeating.... Contain spalling & fragmentation is far in excess of ceramics while it protects you a... The failures were greater with the fit & finish and weight your own rifle or handgun lack of depth canned! Canned vegetables in comparison intense firearms training to boot under no circumstances should one choose non-coated steel extremely expensive hard! Extra “ build up ” coat which cost an additional $ 25 per plate was offering a whopping 20 off... In sets of 2 better done with common sandbag style protections 189.99 for the Target Man was offering 15 off! T work the same for comfort products for good prices common sandbag protections! Past that impact point, you ’ re looking at the AR500 based armor should... Rubbery with elastic properties lesser discount question for a very reasonable price based systems!