The world is a every changing place and the threats in it seem to constantly evolve. Hardly a week goes by where there isn’t some lone wolf style of attack in a market place or school somewhere on Planet Earth. A common tool in these lone wolf style attacks unfortunately are firearms, this leaves us asking the question “How can we improve our defensive posture ?” In many situations having a firearm available isn’t an option for any number of reasons.
That leaves us with the option of personal security details, which is cost prohibitive for anyone I know on a first name basis. What if you could give yourself an enhanced defensive posture, with minimal weight that could shield many of your vital organs from most calibers of handgun ammunition ? That’s where the Ally One Special Use Armor by Angel Armor comes into the picture. Before you think of the typical ballistic vest, try thinking about something that weighs less than a pound and is barely larger than a piece of paper.
Discreet and Effective
In the world of personal security, low profile discreet and effective methods work best. The best security measures are ones that protect from threats but offer little to no visible profile or signature. The Ally One is a personal defense armor that is designed to be used by everyone from a Chief Operating Officer of a Fortune 500 company all the way down to your most precious asset, your family and loved ones. There is a list of attributes about this plain black looking panel that 90% of people will look at and not think twice about. Let’s take a look at the specifics and what makes this piece of gear an ideal piece in a personal protection system.
Ally One is slightly larger than a sheet of notebook paper and only .23″ thick
Specifications
Manufacturer: Angel Armor of Ft. Collins Colorado
Name: Ally One
Weight: .96 lb
Dimensions of Ballistic Coverage
- Length: 12″
- Width: 9″
Dimensions of Finished Product
- Length: 13.25″
- Width: 10.25″
Thickness: 0.22″
Outer Material: Ripstop Nylon
Inner Material: Proprietary aramid material that Angel Armor holds the patents to
Ballistic Rating: NIJ Standard 0108.01 Threat Protection (Level IIIA)
Rated for Multiple Impact: yes
MSRP: $129.99
Loads Tested Against:
- .44 Magnum Lead Semi Wad Cutter
- .45 ACP Speer 200 grain Gold Dot Hollow Point +P
- 9mm Full Metal Jacket
- .40 S&W 165 grain Federal Tactical Bonded Hollow Point
- .500 S&W
If you don’t believe it in writing, look at the Vimeo footage from Angel Armor above, some people say “put up or shut up”, well with this video Angel Armor sold me as a huge supporter. The chances of a person being shot three times with three different calibers is slim admittedly but if you ever find yourself in that situation the Ally One might just save your life.
Impressions
When I first opened the package from Angel Armor that contained the Ally One, I was shocked at how light it was. Once I got the Ally One out of the box and protective sleeve I had to laugh because the first thing I thought of is how the Ally One would make a great mouse pad as well as a piece of personal protective equipment. After spinning the Ally One around few times and waving it through the air I could tell very easily its very rigid, yet light.
The nylon covering features a very faint graph line system in the material which wasn’t an issue at all, just something I noticed. Checking the rest of the nylon sleeve that the ballistic plate is encased it you can see the seams are uniform and don’t want at all. The edges are folded over and secured, so as to reduce the chance of a snag or the nylon becoming frayed. The only real markings on the Ally One at all is a small cloth tag that lists the serial number of the plate and the website address for the company. There is nothing screaming “I’m body armor ” anywhere on it. To the untrained eye is a black piece of hard nylon.
My thoughts on the Ally One being perfect for backpacks or computer bags was spot on, since that’s exactly what the manufacturer had in mind when they designed it. The truly interesting part of the Ally One is that it once started life as part of Angel Armor’s ballistic door package design for vehicles. According to the company, that after hearing repeatedly how light and durable the plate was, someone had an idea and the smaller more portable version became what is sitting in my hands right now.
clean seams and checkered nylon cover shown
The amount of research and development as well as abuse that has been put into the design and production of the Ally One is fantastic. The company really has gone above and beyond in terms of testing the panels against repeated bullet strikes. Now will the Ally One protect every square inch of your body ? of course not, but it will cover up the heart and lungs very nicely. If you think the Ally One isn’t big enough I have a test for you, take a sheet of notebook paper and hold it up to your chest, it covers more surface area than you might think. When you add size, and lack of weight with the ability to withstand multiple strikes, you can clearly see the advantage of the Ally One.
Some people may still think that ballistic plate is only for foil hat conspiracy theorists or far right-wing wack jobs, that’s not the case. Lets look at facts, the Ally One fits easily in a briefcase, pack, or computer bag and adds almost nothing in terms of weight. It’s a passive system that works without attracting attention. It also happens to be legal in all 50 states and can be taken anywhere in the world. That’s actually something I didn’t think about at first, but it’s just another positive attribute of the Ally One.
I’m not trying to sound like a fear monger here when I say this, but If I lived or worked in a high crime area, I would be damn sure to have an Ally One as part of my protective system. Especially if I live in an area like Chicago or most of New Jersey where being able to own a handgun to defend myself is either prohibited or just a nightmare of waiting through permits and special permissions. If I was an international traveler I would also have one tucked into my carry on back and just say its a place mat for my laptop.
We are curious to hear from our readers, has the increase in school shooters or attacks in common areas around the world causing to you to change your personal defense thoughts? Have you considered products like the Ally One for yourself or your family?
