Ironside Frequently Asked Questions

Production time is the time it takes to fabricate your order. We are a manufacturer and make all armor in-house in our Phoenix, AZ facility. As a result, a backlog of production can occur, causing the production time in a product to expand. We do our best to provide accurate production times but shortages in materials along with hikes in demand can cause unexpected delays. One thing we can guarantee is your items will be fabricated and shipped in the order they were received and under no uncertain terms will be shipped out to you as soon as we possibly can.

We ship all items together to keep shipping costs to a minimum and help keep our warehouse efficient. This means the item in your order with the longest production time will be the expected Production time frame for the entire order. Once the last item in your order has been fabricated, your order is expected to ship out within our standard processing time. If you would like to ensure items with different production times ship ahead of items with longer times, it will be necessary to place separate orders for the items instead of placing all the items in one order. If you have already placed an order for all items and would like to split your order so the items with lesser production times ship ahead of the longer items, please give us a call at 602-501-9607 M-F 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM MST and we can split your order. Please be advised there will be a second shipping fee charged for this service. 

Polyurea is a two-part resin we use to coat our ballistic steel plates. It is waterproof, heat resistant, and resists abrasion well, meaning it will protect your plates from the elements and damage caused by scrapes or bumps.

SAPI is the acronym for Small Arms Protective Inserts, and is the designation the U.S. military uses for their hard armor plates. Ironside’s Rifle Plate is almost identical in shape and size to the military’s medium SAPI plate.

Aramids are a type of very strong and heat-resistant fiber. They are the base fibers used in bullet-resistant materials like DuPont Kevlar® and Teijin Twaron®

Personal body armor consists of two parts, the ballistic inserts (plates or soft armor) and a carrier to wear them.

Only you can answer that, but if you live or work in high crime areas, work in occupations where the threat of firearm injury is higher, or are looking to have a defensive capability against firearms at home, in your vehicle, or at work, then you should at least consider it.

Aside from a carrier and armor, another item to consider is a Trauma Pad, which is designed to help absorb the energy transmitted through the armor when it’s hit by a bullet. Think of it as a shock absorber for your armor. Even when the round is stopped, it delivers quite a punch, which can be painful. Trauma pads are meant to be worn in between the plate and the body and are not bullet resistant.

Body armor is bullet resistant, not bulletproof, up to the ammunition caliber and type it was designed to stop. With enough speed, bullet weight and the right bullet design, all personal body armor can be defeated. Make sure to check the rounds and velocities any armor is rated to stop prior to purchasing.

Unless you’re a convicted felon, body armor is legal to buy and own in all 50 states. You can purchase body armor online, except for residents of Connecticut who can only purchase armor in face-to-face transactions unless you are credentialed law enforcement or military.

To measure for armor plate width, measure across your chest from nipple-to-nipple. For length, measure from the notch at the bottom of your throat to your belly button, then subtract 2”. (This allows you to sit down in the armor without it ramming up into your throat) Most people in the 5’4” - 6’3” range will find our 9.25” x 12.25” Ironside RIfle Plate armor paired with either the Cromwell or Constitution carrier will be very close to these measurements.