The legality of body armor is confusing to many. Federal law regulates body armor under 18 USC Section 931. Felons are prohibited from purchasing or possessing body armor, but body armor is legal in most states. Despite questions of constitutionality, New York is the only state that restricts its citizens from purchasing body armor. Federally, using armor in the commission of a crime is illegal, but many states have also passed laws that make it illegal to wear while committing a crime. Still in committees, California and Illinois have proposed bills to ban body armor: California AB92/Illinois HB3238.

I’m dumbfounded when I hear Americans willing to forfeit or compromise their Constitutional right to protect themselves and their loved ones. My father wore soft armor like a second skin as a police officer. I wore it in combat as a U.S. Marine in Iraq. There’s nothing that makes you a believer in body armor faster than an enemy pointing a gun in your direction. I witnessed a rapid evolution of body armor that included the development of SAPI plates and carriers while working for Blackwater USA from 2006 to ’09. I performed ballistic testing on swimmer-­cut designs, flexible minimalist armor made of composite materials, and slick carriers for plain-­clothes protection personnel. That technology has shifted to benefit private citizens. We may eventually see wearable armor that’s as easy to live with as a button-­down shirt. If you can imagine a need to own ballistic protection, don’t allow your representatives to ban armor out of fear that bad guys are going to commit crimes while using it.

Rook Armor CEO Dr. Anire Okpaku, MD, has completed third-­party testing of a proprietary ceramic that has revolutionized a body armor’s strength-­to-­weight ratio. Rook Armor offers its “B” plate, which is an ultra-­lightweight Level 4 plate featuring a ceramic composite plate that’s threat-­level rated against armor-­piercing 7.62×39 and 7.62x54R. It weighs 4 pounds as a medium-­cut and 3½ pounds as a small cut. The “C” plate is a medium-duty Level 4 plate rated against more shots of the 7.62×39 BZ API round. The “D” plate, also called the “MAKO,” is a heavy-­duty Level 4++ plate weighing between 4½ and 5 pounds that’s rated against those rounds as well as the M995 Tungsten 5.56 NATO round, which typically destroys a Level 4 plate. Then there’s the “Megladon,” or “E” plate. It’s a Level 4++ that’s rated against rounds under .50 BMG. These plates weigh between 6 and 7 pounds, depending on size. Of course, these would more likely interest uniformed law enforcement and military personnel. 

Why would a civilian want rifle-­rated armor? If you’ve ever been hit with shrapnel from pitted steel targets, or you don’t trust the skills of other shooters on a public range, you already understand. Still, there is a greater demand for plates that are stronger than soft armor but lightweight to wear. Enter “Bass Reeves.”

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Rook Armor’s Bass Reeves is a Level 3++ plate that is rated for the M855 and M193 (5.56 NATO), M80 (7.62 NATO), mild steel core 7.62×39 rounds, as well as the M855A1. It was developed for a federal agency solicitation. It’s only a half-­inch thick and weighs just 3 to 3½ pounds. The current-­issue government plate is twice as thick and isn’t rated to stop the M855A1. It’s the lightest and thinnest Level 3++ that stops M855A1. For those of us interested in possessing a quality layer of personal protection, one that could be concealed and capable of reinforcing a plate carrier, the Bass Reeves is it. Use it to complement a bedside battle belt or create an emergency ballistic protection plan for the family. For reference to scale, the small SAPI plate measures just 8.5-­by-­11.5 inches, which is the size of a piece of printer paper. Learn more at rookarmor.com.