This period actually saw the rise of "munition armor" which was meant to be mass produced. This was part of the reason for the transition to 3/4 cuirasses - the

This period actually saw the rise of "munition armor" which was meant to be mass produced. This was part of the reason for the transition to 3/4 cuirasses - the arms and legs, in addition to being less vital, are also where a lot of the customization was needed; if you stop armoring them then everything becomes lighter and cheaper.