This is because the chemical compounds that make up a vest such as industrial fiber or kevlar degrade over time.
Do ceramic armor plates expire.
A pair of those plates will run close to 200 if you don t skinflint the process.
Plate armor is really heavy.
Although an expired vest may not be penetrable by a bullet or blade its internal components are more likely to warp crack or dent causing serious bodily harm to the wearer.
No one wants to find out the hard way that an expired vest is no longer viable.
You should expect to wear expired armor at your own risk.
You won t be able to move as quickly or get in and out of shooting positions easily while wearing it.
So i have a pair of ar500 level iv ceramic plates in my plate carrier.
Considering the price ceramic level iv plates are a better investment.
With the necessary spall coating maybe more.
The soft armor isn t much more than about five pounds but it will wear you out if you aren t used to having it on.
Does body armor actually expire.
It has been proven that body armor does maintain some of its ballistic properties long after the standard 5 year lifespan.
If your armor is expired and you cannot afford something new keep on wearing it.
Again they do not expire and a pair will probably cost about 300 350.
Expired body armor may not provide adequate protection against deadly force.
1 body armor is heavy and hot.
Both are really hot.
They have a label that said expires in 5 years and their website says shelf life of 5 years.
However there are no guarantees and no official testing for expired armor.
I literally only wear them once or twice a year for a class or match that requires them.