A YouTube channel called 704 TACTICAL has published a video where the host of the channel makes a DIY body armor plate out of simple and cheap items found in Dollar Tree store. He applied glue into a cookie pan, glued some decorative stones to the pan, put a book as a backing layer and wrapped everything together with duct tape. The result is surprising and impressive. The video is right below:

Yes, it stopped .22LR, 9x19mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP. .357 Magnum and a bunch of .38 Special bullets. I guess the host of the channel made the cheapest Level II armor. It would be interesting to see if the plate could also stop. 44 Magnum bullets, too. That could possibly “qualify” his armor to Level III A.

In the video below he cuts open the plate to see where the different bullets stopped:

As the YouTuber states multiple times, it won’t be a good idea to put that kind of armor into your plate carrier and trust your life to it. Nevertheless, it is a fun project. It also actually demonstrates how simple materials can be used to make a survival/SHTF type of armor.

Note also, that the 5.56/.223 penetrated the DIY plate without a problem at all. That reminds me the old caliber debate and proves once again that the bullet diameter alone is not a guarantee of a desirable terminal performance.