Pinnacle Armor's Dragon Skin Body Armor

[ItalianBostonian]

This body armor looks like some real good stuff. It appears that it is better than what the army is using now but won't issue this new body armor to the soldiers. Anyone hear anything about this armor vs what the army uses now?

Here are a couple of videos on it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THQwO7-JMvE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c40t-YLVPJA

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

yea it was on future weapons. IIRC though, it doesnt even pass NIJ standards.

 

[ItalianBostonian]

Why does it not pass NIJ Standards?

 

[GLOCK.Perfection]

http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bvpbasi/docs/08032007_pinnaclefinal_announcement.pdf?popupWindow=Y

 

[ItalianBostonian]

Hmm guess it doesn't stand up to extreme heat or cold.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

I think the issue with dragon skin was that the overlapping plates while providing good head-on coverage tend to allow projectiles to slip in between the plates when hitting from an angle.

Take this for what it's worth. I'm not a body armor guy, and the information was provided by a buddy who worked for a competitor.

 

[z0mbi]

I think the issue with dragon skin was that the overlapping plates while providing good head-on coverage tend to allow projectiles to slip in between the plates when hitting from an angle.

I've heard this as well. I also heard that extreme temperatures degrade the epoxy-like substance that holds the plates together, or something like that.

 

[Wildweasel]

You need to remember the body armor isn't just for bullets. Shrapnel is percentage wise I think the number one wounder/killer of our troops. a blast from the ground would seem like it could defeat the design. (IED anyone?)

 

[TXDMERC]

thats a pretty good vest (dragon skin) in time they will make the perfect vest and soon affordable for everyone then there will be less people getting killed by bullets, but the fact is if they cant kill them with bullets they will try it with bombs. the Evolution Theory takes effect, the enemy will always look for a weakness ...

 

[ItalianBostonian]

Has anyone seen when they put a grenade under the vest?

 

[weekendracer]

It weighs a lot, can't remember exact weight but seem to remember 15+lbs.

Armor is good. It can be overbearing in extreme heat environments.

 

[cekim]

Hmm guess it doesn't stand up to extreme heat or cold.

Yeah, its been a clusterfrock... He-said-she-said, but the short version is that the government says they don't hold up under heat or rough handling off the body and they fall apart inside the carrier...

 

[P2A]

It didnt pass the government tests. The ESAPI system is the best thing we've got right now. The Army did give Pinnacle 1 million in a grant for future development. There's some guys over here doing commercial protection that really like it, and have heard some great success stories about it. But the bottom line its a liability issue. It cant pass the certification, and what we have now works. Its prohibitively expensive.

 

[Underwhere]

I've heard this as well. I also heard that extreme temperatures degrade the epoxy-like substance that holds the plates together, or something like that.

That's an easy fix. Glue them together with snot. My snot can stay hard on surfaces for years and withstand harsh New England winters and balmy summer days.

 

[Kicker96FS]

That's an easy fix. Glue them together with snot. My snot can stay hard on surfaces for years and withstand harsh New England winters and balmy summer days.

That is snot your talking about, right?

 

[Underwhere]

That is snot your talking about, right?

The stuff displayed here in bubble form.