How do you know it works? Have you tested it?
That's not something you want to find out at the wrong time...
I haven’t shot the exact refurbished vest I bought from BPM.com, but I’ve shot other “sample” kevlar swatches of similar quality and layers etc.
My own factory 9mm hps don’t make much of a divot. That’s good enough for me. I could shoot my BPM.com vest in a low corner, but I don’t feel like I need to. I have faith in their quality.
I don’t have a “plate carrier” for rifle-proof hard plates. I feel like concealed soft BA is the better value. What you want is for the bad guy/robber to shoot you with a pistol, and only then find out (when you turn and blow his brains out) that you were “bullet proof.”
If you walk around with a rifle plate carrier visible, a bushwacking sniper will just aim for your brain housing unit....
Hard armor is for soldiers who are ordered to attend a firefight with enemy riflemen.
If you've been following this thread you'll know Travis and I did business with the same company. Here's how I tested their products.
While I haven't actually fired a .44 mag at the vests I purchased for my family, I DID purchase some of the panels they had on sale for a ridiculously cheap price at the time and then I took them to the range. I wrapped the panels around a 5 gallon bucket filled with water and let loose on them with some full power JSP .44 mag rounds.
The buckets took a beating, but not one round penetrated. Not one.
IIRC, and this was about 5 years ago, I got 2 Safariland Level III vests for less than $600 bucks or so. They were PD trade-ins according to the fine folks at BPM.com. I believe them and I'm willing to bet my life on their products.
Don't believe me, though. Do your own research.