Alright everyone, I've been going down the rabbit hole on AR500 steel plates lately and wanted to post my findings after spending weeks on this protective plate information; https://bbarlock.com/index.php/User:ZaneHuber515393, gear decision, so here goes — steel body armor are undeniably incredibly durable compared to ceramic armor plates but the fragmentation risk is a serious factor to consider because those spall shards bouncing around after getting shot are no joke, which is why quality coatings are non-negotiable; now when it comes to Level III body armor versus Level IV plates, the body armor weight difference is a real tradeoff since steel plates tend to weigh considerably more than ceramic armor plates, and while the steel versus ceramic debate never really gets old, my honest take after comparing them hands-on is that your intended purpose should be the deciding factor more than budget by itself, and