Well, I thought the days of getting cool surplus body armor were over, but apparently I was wrong. One of my suppliers got these bad boys in recently, and let me tell you, they are WAY cooler than the pictures show.
Introduced in 2009, and adopted by the Italian military in 2010, these are a very close rendition to the U.S. IOTV worn by troops from 2008-Presently. These are in the HIGHLY desirable "Vegetato" pattern adopted in 2004 and currently used. These feature a quick-release very similar to the U.S. IOTV. Honestly, I wore an IOTV during my time in Iraq, and these are a VERY good copy of them. They feel exactly the same, these are just in a camouflage pattern that actually works.
What you see is what you get: Carrier with Groin, lower back, collar, and deltoid carriers. Soft armor ballistic inserts for all of the above, two composite front and back plates, and two composite side plates. All of these come in a very handy and durable carrying bag. These weigh around 30 pounds with all of the bells and whistles. Weight varies slightly by size, but they're generally around 30 pounds.
Sizing: Many of these have the sizes on the bag, which makes my life easier, but some do not so I will be measuring them by hand to ensure the sizes are correct. These are in U.S. BDU/IOTV Sizes, and are made to be worn over a uniform. Example: You wear a Medium-Long BDU/ACU/OCP top, you should order a medium-long vest.
These are ALL used, so expect fading, wear, and stains/writing. In order for these to have been surplused, the tags had to be removed. These are genuine expired surplus vests, and are being sold as expired ballistic armor, which means it is the purchaser's responsibility to determine whether they are purchasing it for protection or for novelty purposes.
*****NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. DUE TO ITAR*****
DO NOT PURCHASE IF YOU LIVE IN CONNECTICUT OR NEW YORK OR HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY IN ANY STATE WHICH WOULD PREVENT YOU FROM LEGALLY PURCHASING AND POSESSING BODY ARMOR.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL HOOPS YOU MUST JUMP THROUGH IN YOUR STATE TO PURCHASE/POSSESS BODY ARMOR. (Talking to you, Marylanders)