Why You Need Level IV Body Armor For SHTF | LVL III & IV vs M193 & M855 

If you are interested in getting MIRA Safety Tactical LVL IV body armor plates, then use this link: bit.ly/3QJz7P7 Then use the code "magic10" to get 10% off of your order! Eye protection worn in this video: bit.ly/3CmNFjs Use code "PREPPER15" for 15% off of your order! Ear protection worn in this video: bit.ly/3NXwng3 Use code "MP15" for 15% off of your order!

I would always suggest getting lvl4 plates however I think if you’re going to test a common round for SHTf you should test it using common barrel length. Lvl3 is no match for a 556 from a 20” barrel but I would consider 16” & shorter a common barrel length.

I didn't believe a .223 fmj could ever make it though steel like that until my brother shot one of my steel gongs from only about 30 yards away out of a 20" barrel. It didn't go through the 1/4' steel but it almost did.

I have III+ steel. My issue with composite and ceramic is that while it's great at stopping bullets, it isn't super resilient. If you stack a couple of 5.56 into the same hole, it is going to go through. A few years ago, Demo Ranch took over 90rds to get a penetration on III+ AR500 steel with M855. Consider in SHTF, we don't have resupply from top tier logistics and the support of the whole Defense Industrial Base. We have what we have, unlike SEALs or even infantry guys who will get a new plate if they catch one. Spall is an issue but can be mitigated by a quality carrier and spall sleeves, some of which also have integral trauma pads for the shock from the impact. Not that Level IV plates aren't boss, BUT you're paying a lot of money for something that can take fewer rounds when you're not going to be able to get more. Also, something like 80% of wounds sustained in a gun fight are to extremities.

I've seen level 3+ AR550 Steel plates, stop M193 and M855.

Thank you for testing an AR-15 using a full 20" barrel. I hate seeing armor plate reviewers using less optimal barrel lengths to test 5.56 with. If you're not going for max velocity with the 5.56 your test results are automatically skewed.

This video was awesome please do more in this format, especially now that you have that range ✌️

Thanks for staying down to earth and not fear mongering/massive speculation. Useful info and demonstration!

Trauma pads are a must with any armour

Kudos to you for showing the sand bag footage. Honesty in media is a rare thing indeed.

7, or 8, years ago, I watched a video from Iraqivet8888. He tested all of SPARTAN Armors armor plates. Towards the end of the video, he had the steel 10X12 SPARTAN LEVEL III plate still standing strong, so he broke out the M1 GARAND WITH 3006 AP ROUNDS AND SHOT THE plate at 40ft or 45ft whichever is NIJ TESTING DISTANCE. He shot all the rounds dead center and it was the LAST AP ROUND THAT PUNCHED THROUGH. They tested some exotic rounds against that Plate too. All were stopped but the 8th round of 3006. That was the first set of plates I purchased as well as my son. Then, many years later Mrgunsngear tested BOTACH (BATTLE STEEL ARMOR PLATES) LEVEL III @3.5# EACH. Bought a set of them next and finally BATTLE STEEL LEVEL III+ (BOTACH) @ 1# more. So.i have 3 sets of good decent plates plus side plates and 2 condor EXO plate carriers which hold FBI 2.0, full soft armor and all the KDH ARMOR Accessories that the military has on hand for their levels of warfare, plus the old combat gear (ALICE) we used before armor was out their (unless SF experimental armor in the 70's) IF you need to go real fast, no armor... If youexpect, contact then vehicle armor is necessary as well as armor. Just remember, pounds equal pain! I'm now on the lightest stuff out there with enough back up with soft armor that will absorb truma, also the special kentic shock pads in back of the armor, will stop the shock. All necessary items in a kit. Armor has come a long way, as well as many price points. Hesco, Spartan, and others are all good. All you have to do is look at IRAQVET8888, OR MRGUNSNGEAR. If they are NIJ tested all the more better. Spartan Armors level III WERE NIJ TESTED AS WELL AS LEVEL III+ STEEL PLATES WITH SPALL BLOCK. I trust them to stop 99% of all threats, but way to heavy now for this 69 year old @9# each. To each their own. I covered all my bases .

Level 3 plates are not much good. Now I got the 3+ that’s good for anything I might encounter. That’s the minimum I’d suggest, it’s good for 30-06. Also the anti-spall coating is well worth the upcharge! The coating will hold the bullet and any shrapnel in one spot, encapsulated! I watched some vids in action! Side plates are a good option too, if you can handle a little more weight. As far as the plate carrier, I can’t speak highly enough of my Agilite! It’s got quick adjustments and you can pull the two releases on one side and shed it quickly if needed! Agilite is made by IDF, Israeli Defense Force and used by Musaad!

Very well done Magic! Great examples showing the differences between the 3&4. I will never put them on again. good luck

level 4 plate and the most beast mode medford pocket knife, RESPECT! i gotta go through more or you vids cuz i didnt even know you had that. great advice on buying level 3 steel and working up to level 4 when the budget allows. thats what i did ive even got iiia soft. i like a level 4 front and iiia soft rear or maybe no rear depending on what youre gonna do. the level 3 steel with a iiia soft in the rear is another combo i run or could pass to someone i recommend steel and soft because of the low maintenance of steel and rotating out your soft armor over time and wear. fun target to shoot, sell or gift later

AR500 steel 3+ is worth having due to its longevity in SHTF. Best thing would be have a level 4 primary with a small stack of steel plates for backup

This feels like an infomercial for Mira armor but if it was on TV at 3 am I'd watch it.

Actually exactly this topic is what i was wondering. You make excellent points in this video.

Great demonstration , thanks for sharing , God bless !

Thanks, Magic.

Good video! TY!

my AR500 plates are rated Level 3 at 100 yards. 55 grain slows down faster than 62 grain. your tests were about 10 yards. At 100 yards plus 55 grain barely takes the paint off while 62 grain green tip leaves a small divot. Your tests approximate more closely point blank range, like room/building clearing. Everything is faster at point blank.

Thank you

Great channel!

Magic Prepper- Thank you, for another insightful and informative video!! Much respect to you.

Not going to lie. I've invested in the plate carrier etc. but haven't got my armor yet. I will be getting level 4 when I get some though. Thanks for your work MP, fellow MidWesterner.

Another great video, thanks for the time you put into bringing great content to your viewers.

This was eye opening for me. I work as a security officer in Tucson Arizona and all I have is level 3 steel plates. I need to save up money and get level 4

IV in the highest end makes sense, but a budget 1155 RMA doesn't really considering the weight disadvantage, thickness and odds you encounter a threat that can defeat Special Threat "3+".

Great review! Finally a channel with logic based common sense subject matters. That Matter! Think about that... I don't care what a frozen pistol or rifle will do or won't do, shame on those channels you know who you are. Keep up the great work Magic 👍

Very cool video!

Got steel plate level 3+ for me and level 3 for my wife 🤷‍♂️

Great video !

Excellent info especially the m193 crazy. This is why I want level 4 armored plates

Thanks

I got LA Police gear LVL4 plates for $105 each. Not as nice as these and they weigh 6.2lbs each, but I have been watching and researching them for over a year and they still hold up well in tests done by buyers and owners.

Ceramic it lighter but it isn’t good for multiple impacts in same area. I use III+ with coating Ceramic is nice if you have several plates to change out just in case The added weight for Steele plates doesn’t bother me with a high quality carrier it is super comfortable

My Level IV took 5, .308 hits before it was little more than ceramic splinters (imagine glass shards) jangling around inside the carrier (empty mag pouches). My AR500 Lvl III+ stopped 16 rnds of .308 before the anti-spall coating separated. No spalling at all until the coating broke down (I had the plate set up in a box). I actually do think the III+ is rated up to 30.06 and 5.56AP (I know it will stop the 5.56AP). I use a Remington 700 BBL and an Interarms Mauser Mark X Classic in 30.06 (the Mauser does not have a Bull Barrel) for hunting in the US, I probably should pick up another III+ plate and make sure it holds up against 150gr spire points...I'm confident it will do fine and last longer than ceramic. Note I think Black Tip 30.06AP would probably defeat the III+ however. At this point, I'm still choosing the Lvl III+ coated steel over the Lvl 4 ceramic -- 30.06AP would penetrate it and probably the Lvl IV after a few shots as well, but I think .50BMG or 12.7 x 108 Russian is probably more common in combat then the 30.06AP, and if I get hit by one of those bad boys it's over regardless of any armor I'm wearing (sands a M1A1)

ballistic coefficients always blow my mind. GREAT VIDEO MAGIC - I could watch you shoot stuff all day while I'm supposed to be working lol.

Great video, Great information, thank you for your work. MIRA ceramic for 250 definitely worth it

It's funny I seen this video because my first plates are Downrange Industries AR600 level III+ and Mira Safety level IV I honestly think you need both. AR600 would stop whatever but there is a very slight noticeable difference between the weight but either way I like them both. I also have 6×8 plates in Steel and Ceramic they both feel great. FYI they make spawling gaurds for 10×12 and 6×8 plates etc. I took it a step further and got UARM soft body armor neck, shoulder, stomach, inner + outer thigh, war belt and shoulder strap soft armor just incase spawling was a issue. I think all 3 companies are great 👍

I had to go level 3++ multicurve, best bang for the buck 💯

That 460 Smith and Wesson might have been stopped but it would definitely stop your heart from blunt force trauma

Excellent video.....I keep telling people M193 from a 20 inch Barrell is the best ammo to stockpile for shtf.....the velocity "almost" guarantees it will yaw and fragment and also give you the ability to defeat body armor as you proved in this video.....I was thinking about level 3+ BUT I think the wise investment is level 4.....Now I will admit I didn't like how those 2 rounds caused that much damage to the ceramic plate and makes me wonder how "multi hit capable" level 4 ceramic may be......

Good luck 👍

I need 4s and don’t have them yet (have budget metal ones in a spall catching pouch to mitigate that risk). I recognize they’re no good against ARs at 20” barrel but it was what I could afford at the time. Saving for 4s currently. I am in a state dominated by hunters, so I would be worried about more than 5.56 and 7.62x39. Pretty sure I’ll be looking at 12 gauge slugs and .30-06 and various other large hunting rifles.

Great video

They’re pretty expensive but if you have the money look into safelifedefenses FRAS plates. They’re really awesome. I also came across this company called Hoplite which makes femoral plates for your legs as well. Those are pretty good too

Caliber body armor has great deals on 3+ take the un coated and wrap with kevlar cloth to stop spalling very inexpensive way to go

Nice plate and the 20 inch barrel is no joke i would like to get a 18 in myself ..

Reminder that a plate will stop a bullet, but not stop the transfer of energy

Level 3 plus is sweet spot for me

Lvl III+ steel are likely superior to lvl VI ceramic in terms of total value. They store longer, can take more hits, and are cheaper. However, I’m looking at moving away from plates all together in favor of a thick shield to save on weight and have more freedom of movement. Quality steel targets are impervious even to 50bmg. The preferred tactic for gun fights, something I did in Iraq, is to hide most of your body behind something, not to count on your body armor to stop incoming fire. If I can hide everything but my legs behind a portable barrier I’m gonna choose that over plates

Lol your most Paul Harrell video yet. You even have a similar vocal cadence in the beginning. Good stuff.

Very cool 😎.....well I guess they lie when they say that the steel plate will stop 5.56×45 and 7.62×39!!! But clearly you punched right threw it with the green tip!

there is a keyboard commando weeping tonight at the destruction of those armor plates. and just to help them out. Well ya know MP if you use this brand of ammo it uses Geospatial Navigation to align concentrically with the armor to provide better foot pounds of energy in a smaller area. good video thanks MP

So that's 3 and 4. Put some rounds on 3A and 3+. There is a difference

I have two sets of HESCO L210, I’m satisfied with what they can stop for the weight and price. That all said, I wear soft armor level 3A at work all day while serving felony warrants. Therefore, L210’s are way more than what 3A offers….

M855 IS armor piercing whereas M193 is not, however M855 was designed before modern ar500 and ceramic plates were the standard, and so M855 is actually designed to defeat more soft armor like the older flak styles, not modern steel and ceramics.

M193 does pretty good for a round that doesn’t penetrate

Ar500lll+ steel can take multiple hits compared to ceramic. The plates that I'm talking about have been tested with 308 556 3006 and several other's and passed

I have a 300rum loaded with black tip .30cal. Always wanted to hit a lv4 plate with it.

3A plates get clapped by everything besides standard handgun ammo. My 5.7x28 ammo goes through it like cardboard & I've even seen some light for caliber 9mm punch through them. Steel armor still has a place, despite a lot of people not even considering it. Especially if you put a good build up coat to catch spall. They cost a lot less & they don't expire like other armor materials. They're also significantly thinner. If you buy a new composite set of plates for like $750, they will need to be replaced in ~5 years. Steel plates will still be good to go in 25 years, plus they're much better for multi-hit & when they do stop a round, you don't get as hurt from the impact.

It would be interesting to see what a 170 grain bullet from a .30-.30 would do against body armor. It is a common round for hunting and people still have them.

I think I watched grand thumb with guard dog body armors I think but it’s a lvl4 ceramic plate that took 5 AP 30-06 rounds without a single penetration

M193 is my go-to... The way it's prone to such great fragmentation when it hits a soft target... Whereas the green tip sometimes just cut right through a soft target

I'll just wear a couple of sandbags. 😁

Great video. Hope I never run into someone shooting at me at 10 yards and a 20" barrel. If that ever happens I made some serious wrong steps somewhere along the way, or it's an ambush or betrayal.

Btw Magic Prepper… I appreciate your time in this video, it was very intuitive. 👊🏼🇺🇸

You forgot most manufacturers sell 3+ steel which usually stops m193 from a 20”.

Flexing with that Medford… sweet knife and awesome content, brother

m855 rarely passes thru level 3 steel. its almost always stopped. but m193 always will pass thru. the m93 is a faster round. and the steel cor of 855 welds itself to the steel of the plate.

I’m had all steel plates but have switched to ceramic just need side plates to be completely covered

Wish could afford , obviously important but with all other preps , food, etc... plus bills its on the list but aint cheap for Level IV

Wow, that 460 s&w round. Holy cow. I bet if that did hit you in the chest with that plate on, it would feel like being hit in the chest with a sledge hammer. That is wild round. It did stop it though.

This was a good vid

20inch barrels turning training ammo into premium ammo lol

You don't need any body armor, but it sure is nice to have. Stay light and stay lethal. Body armor is only really practical for a private citizen if they in a vehicle, defending or assaulting a fixed position. Look at chest rigs and battle belts, for lighter, more everyday use. Even an old, Vietnam era Alice belt can rock in the modern world.

In the event of being overrun by blue hats, guys around here are stocking up 22 nosler, 22-250, and 243. You should test those rounds

You should try hunting cartridges a lot of times those loads have super high velocity see what they do to armor

B interesting to see this test with 45-70

A level 3+ steel plate will stop 30.06, and with anti spalling coating your good to go. The problem with soft armor is the back face deformaion is what realy takes you down and can't take multiple hits like a steel level 3+ can, plus the cusion behind the steel plates helps for any deformation. You just showed that the 460 360 grain did more backface damage than the steel did, and that will take you out crushing and breaking ribs, sternum damage and organ failure. Not even a close or fair test at all. More like an ad for MIRA and soft body armor. Try this again at further distance and the results will be much different.

Hey Magic that was very entertaining! Is that the new range on your property you guys were putting together?

I wouldn’t test rounds right next to each on armor

I have the whole armor of God. He is my strength, my refuge, and my salvation. Yey though I walk through the valley in the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Great video. Nice to see a real world test. Those nicer ceramics are light and strong, but they have a expiration date. So after a big financial investment in a few years they loose effectiveness somehow.

this was an awesome, fun video! I bought affordable Level 3 plates a while back and often wonder if I should have saved my money for Level 4 plates. So many factors come into play, though, as others have mentioned. I run mine with some Kevlar in front and a trauma pad behind, not sure that helps much, but it eases my mind a little bit haha!

I'd really like some 11x14 steel that stops 556. Any recommendations. Don't think they make ceramic that size.

Have both and many sets. You have to sleep sometime. Everything on farm will need protection 24/7.

Right now I'm rocking level 3 steel. Heavier, yes, but is does hold up to multiple hits and costs less. I'm on a budget, so I can only do so much 😔

If I am shooting 450Bushmaster in my home and you have Level 4 I am not going to pop through it but it will still most likely turn you off forever. But anyone that wants to hurt you they are not aiming at center mass they are aiming below near the Groin and when you drop then they delete you. Get get what you can afford because if people want to harm you then your body armor doesn't matter they will find a way. Also once its broke or shot up it can be useless. for followup shots

Have you tested the FRAS? That would be a great video, too.

Should try m855a1 unicorn ammo

Definitely found some "knockdown power" there.

M855 won’t punch level 3 steel but it will level 3 poly ethylene

Great video ✌️ Stay frosty freedom fighters.

Those distances are not common and the barrel length is also not common. Try 50 yards with a 16 in barrel. Level 3 steel very resilient.

I get some of the point of this video. But I feel like its definitely missing some aspects. That could lead to some misconceptions including false confidence in their armor packages. 20" M193 versus some of a shorter length barrels with it. But SHTF... I guess itll be iykyk and that will weed out some of the weaker elements.

Ooooh science!!

I need to see this out of barrel lengths 16" and below

In Australia any kind of body armor is illegal.