(Ed. Note: The new Point Blank Alpha Elite™ Series soft body armor uses DSM Dyneema ballistic material. We covered the recent upgrade in this Dyneema UHMWPE ballistic material in the Jan- uary 2014 issue of LAW and ORDER. See the Article Archives at www.hen-
donpub.com for the ballistic material.)
P
oint Blank introduced their Alpha Elite Series™ soft body armor at the 2013 IACP conference in Phil- adelphia and began shipping the
armor in early-2014. The Alpha Elite armor uses the very latest DSM Dyneema ballistic material. Alpha Elite is among the lightest weight Level II and Level IIIA soft body armor on the market today. Steady improvements in ballistic ma- terials have been made over the years. Ballistic panels continue to become thinner and more fl exible, making soft body armor more comfortable to wear. However, one major area of com- fort and wearability has remained almost ignored—the oft-overlooked carrier. That situation just changed. It is the brand-new design of the Alpha Elite Series carrier that sets this body armor apart.
Better Fabrics, Tailored Contour
Alpha Elite-series armor has a full hook and loop front panel, longer straps for both men and women, and easy- to-grasp PVC tabs.
The Alpha Elite Series carrier uses new sportswear fabrics and materials, new tailoring and contouring with less car- rier material, fewer stitches and seams, a better shoulder strap access, and easy- to-grasp strap hook tabs. The result is more precise ballistic panel control, and a cooler, snugger, more comfortable, lower visibility fi t.
The new Elite carrier is what hap- pens when you start with an expert in active wear apparel design, give him soft-body armor feedback from offi cers and distributors, and then a free hand in selecting the best sportswear fabrics available.
All else equal, and ballistic materials usually are equal due to NIJ standards, it is the carrier that determines comfort. Departmental policy aside, comfort ul- timately decides whether or not the of- fi cer wears the body armor.
Strap Suspended Panels The Self-Suspending Ballistic System™ prevents the ballistic panels from sag- ging and bunching. Point Blank is the only major company to secure ballistic panels this way. The other soft-body armor systems use the straps to hold the carrier, and in turn, the carrier holds the ballistic panels. With the Alpha Elite Se- ries, the shoulder straps are connected directly to the ballistic panels, which more securely hold the panels. The straps suspend the ballistic pan-
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