rat.bastard.reviews: HIGHCOM Armor
Disclosure: I'd like to start by thanking HIGHCOM Armor for providing me with their level IV 4s17m Ceramic plate set in shooters multi curve and CAP plate carrier for review. As Always I'd like to disclose that these Items were received free of charge from HIGHCOM in exchange for an honest review. It is important to me that I disclose with my audience however, that although I am a fool, I am one of morals and my final analysis and review will not be effected by receiving these items free of charge, guaranteed. I would also like to give a special thanks to our model today @b.ginnn my brother, thank you for taking the time to help me with this I love you and appreciate your support and understanding. Id also like to disclose this is the first review I have ever done under contract and although that means HIGHCOM would prefer that I streamline my thoughts and not use profanity you can expect that all the same this is a Rat Bastard review and my opinions will remain unchanged and unfiltered.
Specifications: HIGHCOM's level IV 4s17m Ceramic plate set is a level IV stand alone multi curve plate that provides armor-piercing protection made by HIGHCOM with a ceramic strike face and PE composite backing. They are DEA compliant and NIJ 0101.06 compliant certified by NIJ and thus can be found listed on the NIJ’s CPL (Compliant Product List). These plates are Rifle Special Threats Validated with a thickness of 0.95”. They are available for purchase in Shooters and SAPI cut's (10” x 12” shooters cut is considered nominal 9.5” x 11.5” dimensions. HIGHCOM also offers a 10 year warranty on all ballistic material excluding exterior cover and 1 year warranty on exterior cover material and workmanship. HIGHCOM provides ballistic projectile threat chart comparisons between all armored plates available from them on their website or for PDF download.
Initial Impression: My plate carrier is small, simple, a clean design free of unnecessary features. I'd even venture to call it utilitarian, Its actual purpose is obviously the driving force behind its creation. The plates themselves are a compact little package just large enough to cover your vital organs, professionally assembled and adorned with the NIJ lvl IV certification as all quality armors should be. HIGHCOMS customer service is approachable and enjoyable to talk with, They know where they stand on their products and specifically asked that I don't include cursing, politics or religion in my review. That says A LOT in this community, I have a notion that HIGHCOM is run by professionals in the high performance armor business and they actually want to focus on their product abilities; can you Imagine such a thing?
Breakdown: Allow me to spear-head this section by stating I am not a professional on body armor nearly ALL of my experience comes from my time in the Army using systems most civilians would laugh at like Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) and the Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) systems that can weigh up to 35 lbs when fully kitted! So when I say the 4s17m Ceramic plate set is light weight am I biased? Yeah probably, But the fact still remains this carrier weighs in around 7.5 lbs with plates. The weight is noticeable when lifting it over your head but the carrier is made of high-quality material and the weight spreads out very evenly on your shoulders, allowing you to carry the weight high eliminating fatigue and body aches with extended use.
The CAP plate carrier has a MOLLE webbing panel on the front, just large enough to accommodate 3 rifle mag pouches across its width without a half inch to spare, however after stacking my pouches I found a configuration I liked for the size. I was able to fit 4 AK mags, 2 M9 mags, and a knife without it feeling cluttered, obstructing prone shooting, or causing discomfort while belly down. This configuration is my preferred method for the size provided and will be shown below by our model. A massive hook & loop Velcro section is situated above our MOLLE webbing portion and can be seen reflected on the back like a mirror image. Believe it or not, that is one of the features that to me screams that this is for professional use IE. LEO & Security, there's enough room to display name, rank, blood type, affiliation patch and flag its massive! the CAP plate carrier is made of an extremely durable Cordura/nylon type material that was left completely unharmed after running it through my courses, It actually still looks brand new after dragging it through the mud and rain during about a weeks span of testing in Florida's hurricane season.
I think the best thing I could say about this combo is that simplicity is its best attribute. It would be difficult to overcrowd your MOLLE surface with attachments, there's not really any free material to swing or snag, and Its not really bulky enough to get caught on a foreign object while maneuvering. The overall shape and size of the plate/carrier combo listed above is so compact that even on very athletic personnel it stays within the contour and proportion of your own body; That means your spacial awareness is pretty much in tune with its dimensions already. Overall that makes this package one easy to train with and easy to operate in without feeling like there is a learning curve to conquer other then weight and accessory placement.
The fit, The shooters cut plates offer excellent curvature to fit your body, honestly they are the best feeling plates I've ever worn even keeping perfect fitment over a hoodie. The plates and carrier are labeled as "one size fits all" I always kind of scoff when I see this because if I'm being honest at this point in my life I have a body like Roy Nelson, and one size fits all usually is just simply not true. I could tell right away though that it would need very little adjustment straight out of the box, I dropped the height about an inch and traced my bone structure with my finger tips to find my lungs down to my liver were covered by plate armor and that was about it I was done. I do have a fairly wide back and shoulders and always think in general about how Id like plates to stretch out to the side a bit more but that is just me and I understand that would likely not be beneficial to most other people. The length Is also fairly short, I mentioned that the plate/carrier combo work in a way that lined up perfect for me over my vitals but I must say that there was less then an inch extra in any direction for unnecessary plate space, I'm 5'9" so I could imagine for very tall or bulky individuals this particular plate/carrier combo might not work as well. However HIGHCOM offers a variety of options and a representative could easily point you towards a product that could be more accommodating to your specific needs.
Special Mentions: I did do a brief testing period of approximately 10-12 hours over a 7 day span. My testing included a 4 mile hike through the swampy trails of Central Florida, suicides, push-ups, jogging, shooting from prone un-supported, shooting from kneeling position, shooting from standing position, and evac car drills. The plate/carrier combo did extremely well in all areas, yeah the hike was hot and sweaty and shooting from the prone sucks in all plate carriers but that's not product failure, its the nature of the beast. I was actually very surprised to see how easily I was able to exit the vehicle and take a defensive posture with my carrier on, it made almost no difference when compared to street clothes and I credit that to its compact size and tight curvature.
Final Thoughts: HIGHCOM armor isn't the cheapest armor company in the game but the craftsmanship and attention to detail is amazing, the fitment it advanced and it goes above and beyond its rating requirements. It's Important to remember that you are purchasing body armor to protect your vital organs during a firefight, and thus you should purchase the best you are able to without putting yourself in financial hardship. I think keeping quality in mind and pairing it with HIGHCOMS refusal to add tacky gimmicks speaks volumes about the company and their products in general. I would recommend HIGHCOM to those financially stable enough to afford a high quality kit or those in absolute necessity of a kit that performs such as law enforcement, but to others I would recommend that you compare price to performance and see what you actually need out of your ballistic armor plates before purchasing from any company. If you do decide you are interested in purchasing from HIGHCOM armor, I couldn't recommend a company more and am sure you wont regret your purchase.
-Rat Bastard
@highcomarmor
