Little more than a decade ago, American citizens didn’t have direct access to body armor. Major armor manufacturers in America only sold to the police and military, and the gear was prohibitively expensive.

But armor manufacturer Armored Republic changed that by making affordable protective equipment available to the civilian market.

Technological advancements in the mining and auto industries improved the strength and hardness of steel, making it more durable. But no one had brought those advancements to body armor until Armored Republic, formerly AR500 Armor, did in 2012.

Stronger, lighter, and harder steel made it possible to manufacture an armor plate that was affordable for average Americans at a mere $65. Prior to these innovations, armor costs were between $600 and $800 on the low end. And manufacturers refused to sell to civilian customers.

Companies had an incentive to maximize profits by selling in bulk to the military and police rather than individuals. They also wanted to avoid any backlash or scandal if government agents or the broader public perceived citizens as misusing the equipment.

Armored Republic understood that the armor manufacturing industry did not hold America's Second Amendment rights as a priority. So they filled that crucial gap in the market by creating affordable plates using stronger steel with a polyurea coating that could catch bullet fragmentation.

This exploded the civilian market for body armor.

Since then, armor sales to private citizens has been on a massive growth trajectory, according to a report from NPR. This phenomenon included a nearly sixfold increase in sales for Armored Republic bulletproof backpacks as of last spring.

Another manufacturer, UARM, also reported that sales jumped roughly 150% between 2020 and 2022. And roughly half of its buyers were new customers. 

Why defensive gear is important for the Second Amendment

Gun owners and Second Amendment advocates understand why access to defensive equipment like body armor is just as important as access to firearms. Armored Republic CEO David Reece told The Sentinel that “the word ‘arms’ really refers to anything that’s used for defensive purposes or combat.”

“You can look at any of the dictionaries at the time of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and you will find that the idea of ‘arms’ includes armament for offense and armor for defense,” he continued.

In order to protect themselves against tyranny, a fundamental liberty expressed in the Second Amendment, citizens need access to the materials necessary for self-defense. Guns are not the only necessary equipment to stand against an oppressive government, especially if that government has exclusive access to defensive gear like armor.

“It’s obvious that any equipment or gear necessary to resist tyrannical government, foreign invasion, or criminals and mobs is covered in the Second Amendment,” noted Reece.

However, like guns themselves, Americans’ right to body armor is coming under attack.

The Second Amendment is under threat in America

Not only are progressive and left-wing politicians actively seeking gun control measures, they’re also pushing for armor bans. And in some places, they’re getting them.

The state legislature of New York passed a bill last summer to ban any protective equipment meant to guard against gunfire, whether worn alone or as a complement to another product. This body armor ban was in addition to laws that already made it illegal to use body armor in the commission of a crime in New York.

Armored Republic announced its intention at the time to sue the state of New York for the unconstitutional statute. But New York isn’t the only place trying to ban body armor.

Lawmakers in California proposed Assembly Bill 92, which would prohibit the sale or transfer of all types of body armor, earlier this year. If this bill passes, Californians will be even more restricted in their Second Amendment rights than they presently are.

Citizens need to protect their rights

According to Reece, there are between 10 million and 25 million American gun owners who own more than 10 firearms. And many of them own semi-automatic rifles like AR-15s and AK-47s. Those Americans largely own firearms to protect themselves and their communities from tyranny.

“You think about the 85 million people that have guns, any one of them could own a backpack with armor in it,” said Reece.

But that can’t happen if gun control advocates get their way. Modern government officials, according to Reece, do not take their oaths seriously to protect and represent citizens, meaning that gun owners and free people need to be willing to stand up and contend for their rights.

Reece explained:

We need to be ready to resist unlawful orders that other people are following through lesser magistrates. These would be lower government officials like state officers, governors, and sheriffs. We need to find and elect godly men to enter into public office who are willing to say no. And we should be ready to retreat and gather around those people and stand with them in order to see our rights preserved.

He says Americans need to be willing to pray and be willing to flee a bad situation. He also argues that gun owners should rally around lawful authorities who are willing to defend our God-given rights.

When one compares the number of people killed by the mass shootings that gun control activists fear with the number of people killed by governments, Reece argues, the latter easily exceeds the former. “Dozens of people per year are killed by mass shooters,” said Reece. “Millions of people are murdered by governments.”

Armored Republic strives to uphold Americans’ rights

A pioneer in the industry, Armored Republic is the largest market player for citizen body armor. The four larger manufacturers in the United States cater to police and military customers. But Reece says he’s not going to back down on citizens’ rights.

Armored Republic’s goal is to make affordable gear that average citizens can use to protect themselves and their communities. The firm actively works to expand its offerings. It started out with innovative steel plate armor, but today it has a wider range of products. 

“We also try to make available all the other kinds of armor,” Reece said. This includes developing more products like plate carriers, soft armor, polyethylene, hybrid armor, and ceramic armor.