USA versus China (armor)

We manufacture the vast majority of our armor in North Carolina, USA. There is a portion of our customer base that needs quality armor at the best price possible.  That's why we developed our "OA+" line of armor. 

Our OA+ series of plates are assembled in China with high quality components.  Both of our Level 3+ (RF2) and Level 4 (RF3) OA+ plates perform very well in testing performed by National Institute of Justice (NIJ) approved labs.

Here is an example of our OA+ RF2 (Level 3+) plate test report from NTS.  Notice that the plate was soaked, dropped and shot six times with 7.62x51mm M80.  The results are equal to or better than the vast majority of US manufactured armor.

It is time to bypass the social media sensationalists and set the record straight about Chinese body armor. Here's a shortcut to the truth:

After two decades in the body armor industry, I can tell you that the Chinese can (and do) manufacture effective body armor.

Many of the reputable Chinese firms are ISO-certified. It's amusing to see the comments we sometimes receive from people responding to our social media posts about our OA+ armor. Most of them go like this -

I would never trust my life to Chinese armor.

So, what would you trust it to? 

As with any business relationship - you have to partner with reputable firms, with verifiable test results with proven reputations for doing things the right way.  There are plenty of US firms that do an awesome job at building armor and supporting US-based businesses is really important for most of us.  But - if you "can't" due to economic circumstances... then we still want you to be covered with safe materials that work.

Is there some "bad" Chinese armor out there?  You bet there is, but we don't offer it. There's also a lot of substandard quality armor made in the USA.  When you evaluate an armor retailer or manufacturer for dependability - you have to look at their testing programs, reputation, mission, dedication and transparency.  

So, what are some concerns with Chinese armor?

In general, there are two main issues:

1. Foam (EVA) edging along the perimeter of the plates is not always disclosed to the buyer.

To make the plate lighter, a company can build an armor plate  with a "retracted" ceramic strike face. People often refer to this as a Chinese "cheat ring."

This means that when you purchase your 10"x12" armor plate, the actual ceramic strike face is only 8"x10". The ceramic is arranged so that there is a 1" rubber edge along the outer edge which lightens the plate up, protects the ceramic, and makes the plate cost less in materials. This is what we call a "Standard" configuration.  It is quite popular because you still get ceramic coverage over most of the plate and the plate backing material is resistant to pistol projectiles across the entirety of the plate (even the edges).

It is important to disclose this ceramic arrangement so that the customer understands what they are purchasing and whether this is the best layout for their particular situation.  Most Chinese manufacturers do not disclose this rubber edge and they should.

2. The adhesives utilize the hand layup method with chloroprene rubber.

For differences in manufacturing techniques, click Why Us. We use a more effective assembly process.

So, if Chinese armor is "so great" why spend more money on US-produced armor?  

1.  The GTS OA+ Chinese assembled line allows people to obtain plates that work for as little money as possible.

2.  For our Made in America plates, we improve on the Chinese process by utilizing high quality, low-leak silicon vacuum bags held at a constant vacuum during the heat cycles that activate our adhesives.  This results in a plate package that has been pressurized.  We feel that this produces a better bond and better performance as seen in our many videos.  We also diversity our materials sourcing to include high quality materials from Europe, America and Asia. More information about our supply line can be found at Supply Chain.

We also use a proprietary adhesive and strike face/wear face enhancements to maximize performance.

So, spend less money and get a basic plate that works with our OA+ line. Or, step up to the plate and get our made in USA line built with the most effective combination of adhesives, pressure and temperature that we can offer (still at great prices).

If you are interested in a review of your armor posted to our social media sites (or not), please contact us.  For a nominal fee, we can test and evaluate your armor during our field testing sessions and provide you with an objective look at possible vulnerabilities and overall quality.