Anyone who has ever had to wear body armor for even an hour or more knows how good it can feel to take it off. Based on experience, that’s often because the armor carrier either isn’t adjusted to fit correctly or the armor panels are too big for the officer in question - which makes the whole system off. Officers sometimes have to use the same panels with different carriers for different missions and because of how complicated changing carriers can be, they end up (again) not adjusted or fitting properly. Recently we were contacted by Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. to field test one of their armor systems: The FAS G4. We received the test unit - both carrier and armor panels - and began our testing protocols. The protocol included a wear test of the armor as an external carrier in its “CP” format, and as a concealable armor set in the “UC” format.
Before we get into the test results, let’s take a look at some of the features of this armor system, and we should note that we did not test it in the “TC” format, but the TC and the CP only differ in what’s mounted on the outside front of the armor carrier when it’s worn externally so all observations about the CP format apply to the TC format for our testing purposes.
The FAS G4 CP is actually comprised of four parts: front carrier, rear carrier and two side panels. The side panels are removable to be replaced with 4” wide elastic straps which converts the CP format into the UC format. The front and rear carriers have ID panel loop area for easy application of necessary ID patches. The length of side panels, as they wrap around the wearer, are adjustable where they attach to the back carrier with a quick-release attachment buckle on the front carrier. Both front and rear carriers have multi-plate size removable pockets and the rear carrier is equipped with a low-profile drag handle. In all formats the armor carrier is equipped with an internal cummerbund for load management. The system has padded shoulder wraps and the front of each shoulder has a microphone/camera attachment point. There is an administrative pocket center chest that’s easily accessed and quite handy if the carrier is being worn external to the uniform. The published material states that the FAS G4 is available in male, female and unisex shapes.
Before our testing protocol began, we noted the value of having a single armor system that offered three different format options, fulfilling a variety of mission needs with a single cost. After reading through the published materials, the tester set about adjusting the shoulder straps and both the internal and external cummerbunds for fit. Once properly adjusted, the carrier was then wear tested in the CP external format with nothing mounted on it except a body camera and a microphone. To keep the right shoulder (rifle shoulder) free, the body camera was hung/mounted in the administrative pocket while the microphone was on the left shoulder. (NOTE: The system was provided with Level IIIA panels that are easily inserted/removed for cleaning.)
The external carrier configuration was worn for the equivalent of several shifts while performing a variety of activities. Our wear-tester noted that it was comfortable throughout and credited the combination internal/external cummerbunds for much of the stability experienced, contributing to the overall comfort for extended periods of time. The carrier was then converted to the concealable (UC) configuration and wear tested again for the equivalent of several shifts under “normal” uniform shirts, polo shirts and a hoodie. The wear-tester again commented on the comfort of the armor, how easy it was to move naturally while wearing it and the overall lightweight feel of the armor. It should be noted that no hard-armor plates were inserted for either test period.
When all of the features are taken into consideration, and the potential cost savings thanks to the adjustability of the system and, finally, the positive remarks from our wear-tester, we are enthusiastic about awarding our “Tested / Field Rated” seal of approval to the PointBlank FAS G4 armor system.
