Ceramic Vs. Metal Plates

There's no telling when a fire fight might break out, and being prepared is what will give you the advantage and the ability to go home that night. The best course of action is to avoid getting shot, but should that happen, you want to be wearing some body armor. It comes down to 2 choices, ceramic or metal plates.

Ceramic plates are the most common form of armor you will see. These plates can offer you level 4 protection at a fraction of the weight of their metal counterparts. This is a big benefit when you might have to be humping into your destination with a ruck and other gear. If a fire fight does erupt, they allow for you to be much more maneuverable. The downside to these is that they shatter should they get hit, sometimes even if they are dropped on the floor. That being said, they will take a round or two but after that you are vulnerable. Also, they are bulky which means that it could cause some gear issues if you are not use to it.

Metal plates are the exact opposite in almost every way. They are slim, but heavy and harder to maneuver in. The primary benefit to these plates is that if you are getting lit up, which is not desirable or recommended, they will be able to take multiple rounds depending on the caliber. The drawback to these, however, is that should you get hit, the round can potentially fragment and shoot up to your face or lower extremities causing damage or possibly death.

The best course of action is to not get hit, but should that happen, you want to have the right equipment to get you out of that situation in one piece. Given the choice, I will always choose ceramic plates over metal. My intentions are not to get hit, therefore I don't need a heavy metal plate that can take a lot of rounds. I would much rather run with the ceramic and should I get hit, be able to bounce back and move quickly to cover.

A Quick Blurb on the CDI Factor

The best marketing tool that tactical manufacturer's have on their side is the CDI Factor (Chicks Dig It.) This isn't so much because women are actually turned on by your new PVS-14 mount or your cool new FastMag holster, but it the way that it makes a lot guys feel when they strap on new gear. You probably have a guy on your team who's ego seems to expand with his gear. If you would, allow me to break down this phenomenon.

CDI is the mojo that drives most guys to go out and get the flashiest gear they can find because it will make them look "cool." It's amazing what a new IR strobe can do for some guy's self confidence, and if that same IR strobe is seen being worn in the next Hollywood blockbuster it's a done deal.

One year the higher ups got a case of CDI and got my team Benchmade Infidel knives. Don't get me wrong, it is a very nice knife, but for our purpose it just became an expensive letter opener because it has no use in the field. I know that they felt it would be a cool tool that would fit in a specialized team, but what we needed was practicality and not "cool."

Another item that I see being used for the CDI Factor is drop down holsters. These are a great tool when they are used correctly, but look around and see how many guys drop it a little too low. Really, do you have to draw from your knee? Drop downs were designed to be used if your gear set up does not allow for a conventional hip holster. When you drop it down too low, yea it looks more bad ass and you get CDI points, but it inevitably slows down you draw time. I'll take a CDI point reduction for functionality.

Next time you go gear shopping because you have that itch, be sure to take a moment and reflect on your possible purchase. Ask yourself, "Is this item going to make my work life easier, or will it just be used for CDI." If it does both, then great! If not, and it is only serving your CDI fascination, you might want to hold off and let the buzz die down before you go throwing money away.