Those of you have that have worn plates, did you wear steel or ceramics?  I was issued ceramic plates (ESAPIs), and while lighter than steel (the ESAPIs were somewhere around 6 lbs each, if I recall correctly), were pretty bulky.

RMA Armament has a solution that is roughly a third of the weight, their new “SRT” Hard Armor Plate.  And even cooler is that they are about a half inch thick.

Bottom profile shot

RMA’s “SRT” hard armor plate is designed to provide multi-hit protection against some of the most common high speed rifle rounds in the world today – the 7.62×39 (M67 Lead Core), 6.8×43 FMJ and .556×45 ball rounds.

Most impressive is that this SRT plate – comprised of UHMWPE material – can stand up to a ballistic beating of the aforementioned nature while weighing just 2.05lbs, which is just a fraction of the weight typically needed to defeat such high velocity rounds.

DETAILS

• Special Threat, Multi-Hit Tested by an NIJ Certified Laboratory
• Special Rifle Threat Stand-Alone
• Constructed with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
• Single Curve
• Shooter’s Cut
• Positive Buoyant
• Waterproof
• Made in the USA

SIZING

• 10″ x 12″
• 2.05 lbs (.93kg)
• Thickness: 0.56″

I suppose it is cool that they are buoyant, but I’m not sure that will make much of a difference with all of the other crap that is generally attached to a plate carrier.  The savings of weight that is equivalent to a gallon of water, along with the lower profile would definitely have been nice.

Okay, so now let’s queue up some stories of the armor you all have carried…