Do Ceramic Armor Plates Expire

You might have thought that expiration dates are limited to items like food and medicine but body armor and other similar safety products also have a shelf life.

Do ceramic armor plates expire.

I literally only wear them once or twice a year for a class or match that requires them. However there are no guarantees and no official testing for expired armor. This is because the chemical compounds that make up a vest such as industrial fiber or kevlar degrade over time. A pair of those plates will run close to 200 if you don t skinflint the process.

Although an expired vest may not be penetrable by a bullet or blade its internal components are more likely to warp crack or dent causing serious bodily harm to the wearer. The soft armor isn t much more than about five pounds but it will wear you out if you aren t used to having it on. Do they really stop working after that long. Again they do not expire and a pair will probably cost about 300 350.

So i have a pair of ar500 level iv ceramic plates in my plate carrier. Does body armor actually expire. No one wants to find out the hard way that an expired vest is no longer viable. Steel plates are easily 8lbs or more each.

Both are really hot. Expired body armor may not provide adequate protection against deadly force. You won t be able to move as quickly or get in and out of shooting positions easily while wearing it. They have a label that said expires in 5 years and their website says shelf life of 5 years.

1 body armor is heavy and hot. If your armor is expired and you cannot afford something new keep on wearing it. It has been proven that body armor does maintain some of its ballistic properties long after the standard 5 year lifespan. You should expect to wear expired armor at your own risk.