FOG HORN 2014

Twobirds Flying Publication

Copyright 2014, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.
CSE Gear Low Profile Carrier Kit with DKX IIIA Plates
By: Sal Palma


We all dont need NIJ Level IV military ballistic
protection, its heavy, expensive and if youre
an evil doer or prone to temper tantrums and
delusions of grandeur, thinking that you can get
one up on law enforcement is a colossal error in
judgment. However, as in any sport, the proper
equipment will provide you with a safer and
more enjoyable experience. I recently lived
through an event that cemented my views on
civilian use of protective ballistic equipment.
While at an indoor range working on a couple of
carbine drills, two young women and a man
entered the area with an AR15. The first young
lady sat down and was assisted in loading the
weapon by the man, who I believe to be her
dad. She began firing at a silhouette 7 yards
down range. Although, she swiss-cheesed the
target, in all fairness, she did manage to stay on
paper for most of the 30 round magazine.
Next up at bat was the second young lady, as
before, the man loaded the AR15 with a new 30
round magazine and soon after she began
firing.
Within 1 or 2 seconds from the sound of the
first shot, I began to see chunks of acoustic tile
flying. This reached the point where I was no
longer able to clearly see my own target at a
mere 50 yards. Intermingled with acoustic tile
debris were the sounds of ricochets, as bullets
struck the targets travel track and the steel
plate holding the frame that supports the paper
target. It reached a point where I ducked and
called for a ceasefire.
Its events like these that strongly support
civilian ownership and use of ballistic protection
as a responsible and smart idea, but not
because the Russians are coming.
Level IIIA is the right level of protection a
civilian shooter needs. It provides torso
protection from pistol and revolver rounds as
well as ricochets.
Critical Safety Equipment LLC and DKX
Advanced Manufacturing have teamed to
create a low profile kit that combines a very
light, low signature, plate carrier with front and
back DKX Level IIIA ballistic plates. The
combination is just right for the civilian shooter
or hunter, and equally well suited to your non-
tactical law enforcement personnel. So, let me
tell you why I like this arrangement so much.
CSE Gear Low Profile Carrier Kit with DKX IIIA Plates
2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved


Ill begin with the plate carrier, which is a low
profile, low signature garment. It is fully
adjustable with generous amounts of loop
panels for unit designation, country of origin,
moral patches and accessory pouches.
Complete with front and rear plates, specifically
DKX Level IIIA, the system weighs slightly less
than 3.5 lbs. The front side of the vest is
designed for a shooters cut plate, shown on the
right in the picture below. A shooters cut plate
provides for a more comfortable shooting
stance and allows the shouldering of a rifle,
SMG or carbine.

The rear pocket of the CSE Gear carrier accepts
either a square cut plate, as shown on the left,
or a shooters cut plate, so you have that
flexibility. However, unless you have a pressing
need for concealment, I always recommend a
square cut for the rear because it provides
greater protection and adds some degree of
load bearing stability, say a pack, should you be
traveling with one.

The inside of this carrier is fully lined with nylon
mesh for breathability and both front and rear
panels are padded with about .25 inches of
foam. Ive been wearing this vest for a few
days, in a heat index of 90+ degrees with
humidity in the 60% - 70% range and its done
extremely well in both comfort and
breathability.
Recognizing the need to provide some load
carriage capability, CSE Gear included loop
panels front and back so any hook backed
accessory, like a med-pouch, pistol or carbine
magazine pouch, or other accessories like
restraints will securely attach to the vest. The
company also makes optional accessory sleeves
for similar applications.
On and off is over the head with adjustable
shoulder straps and an adjustable elastic
cummerbund.
On aggregate, the CSE Gear Low Profile Carrier
is very clean, very simple and very slick; with an
empty weight of just under 1 lb.
CSE Gear Low Profile Carrier Kit with DKX IIIA Plates
2014

Copyright 2014, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

You cant ask for much more than this especially
at its price point, so Im all over this carrier. I
like it a great deal for all of the reasons
mentioned previously.
So, whats a plate carrier without plates?
At the moment, DKX Advanced Manufacturing
makes two types of plates; the DKX Max III, a
level III plate with NIJ certification and the DKX
IIIA a level IIIA plate currently undergoing
certification. Both have received numerous
exceptional reviews and have been shot at, on
and off camera, more times than I care to say
without experiencing a single failure.
DKX plates are made from Dyneema so they are
extremely light weight and impervious to water.
For example, the companys DKX Max III
exhibits positive buoyancy, which is ideal for
maritime security work.
The DKX IIIA plates are exceptionally light, at
roughly 20 ounces per plate, and extremely
effective capable of defeating some very
aggressive rounds like the Liberty Ammunition
Civil Defense .45ACP +P, .40 S&W and 9 mm +P.
This exceptional performance, from a .25 inch
plate, comes without a need for trauma plates.

For readers unfamiliar with trauma plates, its
important you recognize that although soft
armor will prevent a pistol bullet from
penetrating, it does nothing to prevent the
brute force impact of the projectile striking your
torso. Blunt trauma can result in broken ribs
and severe bruises potentially causing cardiac
arrest or internal bleeding. Thats the reason
why soft armor is usually worn with a steel
plate called a trauma plate. The trauma plate
functions to dissipate the bullet energy;
however, the added protection comes at a
higher cost and results in a heavier system.
With the DKX IIIA plates you get the Level IIIA
ballistic protection along with trauma
mitigation inclusive. DKX IIIA plates are also
available in standard chest trauma plate insert
sizes like 5x7 and 6x8, giving you a few
ounce solution when added to soft armor.
Other notable pluses available only with the
DKX armor are no loss of ballistic performance
when wet, and should you drop a plate you
wont need to have it x-rayed. Unlike ceramic
plates, dropping DKX armor will not damage it.
On the investment side of this equation, you
can reasonably expect to pay about $500 for a
Level IIIA protection package. Level III which
adds protection against rifle calibers will run
you about $1200, but given the consequences
or alternatives its a worthwhile investment.
In closing, given the uncertain political climate,
its hard to predict if or when legislators will
introduce laws to curtail civilian use of body
armor. Regrettably, they have yet to let go of
the invulnerability argument to focus on hunter
and shooter safety. However, you and I, as law
abiding citizens, recognize all too well the need
for ballistic protection and I encourage you to
act on that awareness. It is the responsible
thing to do. And, when you do decide to add
ballistic protection to your kit, I could not
recommend more strongly CSE Gear and DKX
Advance Manufacturing. Their combined
strengths deliver real world solutions to real
world problems. So, be sure to check them out.

-SP
For additional information visit:
DKX Advanced Manufacturing
CSE Gear
Clyde Caceres
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
clyde@criticalsafetyequipment.com