Bulletproof Vests

Whether you are a cadet, a sworn in officer, a first responder, security guard, military personnel or any other type of employee who puts their life in the line of fire on a daily basis, a bullet proof vest is a necessity. Bullet proof vests and other body armor are made from layers of threaded fabrics that when pressed together are able to resist gunfire from standard weaponry. It is best to recognize your level of need and decide from the most effective product in your desired range.

Bullet proof vests come in various levels. For instance a lightweight, level IIA is made of lighter weight fibers while a level IV is heavier weight and as a result much more cumbersome. Few officers would be comfortable performing regular duty in a Level IV bullet proof vest. Commonly, IIIA is used for general law enforcement needs. It is also recommended to look at how the ballistic panels are constructed inside the vest.

When purchasing a vest, you have to ensure that is authentic. There should be disclaimers on the vest and each should have a recognizable serial number and safety testing information from the National Institute of Justice. As you shop for body armor, look at the individual ratings to ensure you are buying one that will give you an optimal level of protection.

For private investigators, under cover officers and even off duty use, many people choose to wear concealed vests that fit under normal clothing without being recognizable. These will help to protect against small gunfire and simply offer a peace of mind protection for every day use.

Another consideration is the type of fibers that your vest is made from. Traditionally, they are either made from Spectra, which is a newer fiber or Kevlar. Neither of these vests will provide total protection against heavy artillery fire and many can be reinforced with trauma plates designed to add extra protection to areas of the torso. Still, the head, neck and other areas of the body are left unprotected. Often due to poor fit, bullet proof vests can leave openings into the main torso where a bullet can penetrate which is why it is essential to understand how to purchase a well fitted vest.

It is important to consider your body armor as your partner against crime. Research concludes that body armor has saved thousands of lives and has progressively decreased the amount of line of duty deaths in police officers in the last decade. Today’s bullet proof vests are made with comfort and safety in mind and come in a wide array of designs that can effectively save your life and reduce your chance of injury.

If you want to protect yourself from bullets fired by terrorists or hidden enemies, wear bodyarmor. Personal Body Armor, commonly known as ‘Bulletproof vest’, can save your life from bullets. Soldiers have been wearing armor for thousands of years to protect themselves from enemies. Body armor is widely used by military, police, and body guards all over the world.

Body armor is a ‘bullet-resistant vest’. Body armor has a web of very strong fibers. When a bullet strikes it, the impact energy is transmitted to the vest from the bullet. The fibers absorb and disperse this energy causing the bullet to deform. The web is hard enough to deflect the bullet. To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction and so the armor stuff pushes out on the bullet with the same power or nearly the same force with which the bullet pushes in, so the armor is not penetrated. Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest; until such time as the bullet has been stopped.

Fibers of Bodyarmor prevent the bullet from penetrating inside. The multiple layers of the vest work together like a web and thus a large area of the vest prevent the bullet from penetrating. This also disperses the forces. However this may cause blunt trauma resulting into some non penetrating injuries to inner organs of the body. Research is going on to find more suitable material so that a vest is constructed from a single ply of material.

Human flesh is soft and weak and bullets are solid and fast. Body armor has proven very effective in saving men lives under different situations. Bulletproof vests of different design and strength are made for different purposed. For example, body armor designed to overpower rifle fire is of either rigid or semi-rigid construction, made metals and hard materials like ceramics. Because of its weight and bulkiness, it is not practical for routine use. It is more relevant for use for short periods of time in tactical situations. It is worn especially to deal with higher level risks. Today, modern generation of concealable body armor is available.

Armor protects your precious life and you can, as per your threat perception, choose out of a variety of levels designed to overcome common low or medium energy handgun rounds to a rifle fire.

Workers that are in the line of fire routinely wear protective gear so that they can guard themselves against potential fatal injuries. One of the most important pieces of protection that these individuals can wear is a Personal Body Armor bulletproof vest. This shield-like jacket is designed to provide individuals with safeguard against bullets and even stabbing. While bulletproof vests are merely bullet-resistant more than bullet-proof, there is no doubt that these protective devices are saving lives every day.

There are two common types of materials that are used to make bulletproof vests, which are Kevlar and Spectra Shield. Each of these vests is created using a different manufacturing technique. More information can be found at MadeHow.

Kevlar

Kevlar is also referred to as poly-para-phenylene terephtalamide. It was created in 1965 by a scientist from DuPont named Stephanie Kwolwk. This high-strength product is a liquid polymer that is spun into a fiber which is used to create the body armor.

The thread is first created in the lab by completing a process called polymerization, which brings together the molecules into a liquid form. The liquid is then pushed through a spinneret to create long strands that are then cooled to harden the product into thread. The thread is then spun together to make the Kevlar yarn, which is the cloth that is used to create the body armor. The bulletproof vest manufacturers take the Kevlar cloth and create layers of the product that are then sewn together using Kevlar yarn.

Spectra

This product was introduced in 1989 by the Allied Signal Company, as a rival to Kevlar. The main difference between Kevlar and Spectra is that Spectra bulletproof vests are not created by weaving yarn together. Instead, Spectra fibers (made out of polyethylene polymer filaments) are laid parallel to each other and are then coated with a resin to bond them together.

These Spectra sheets are then layered and coated once more to create a cloth that is nonwoven. To install the Spectra panels on the body armor, the panels are simply inserted into pockets or pouches on the vest without any type of sewing or adhesion being used.

As you can see, the process to create the bulletproof vests is different between Kevlar and Spectra. However, the end result is the same – a protective device that affords military personnel, law enforcement and private contractors/civilians the protection they require from bullets, as well as possible stabbings.

Whether you are in law enforcement or private security, your personal protection should be of utmost concern. You will not be able to do your job properly if you do not feel confident in fulfilling your duties. The position that you are currently in is inherently dangerous, one way that you can increase your confidence is to use a bulletproof vest. By utilizing a quality bullet proof vest, you can help mitigate any potential impact of a bullet.

Type IIA Rated Bulletproof Vests

The National Institute of Justice characterizes Type IIA rated body armor as being proper for police departments and their full-time personnel. These vests provide protection from the same threats as Type I rated vests, as well as added coverage for:

• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose 9mm bullets, which impacts the vest at a minimum velocity of 1090 feet per second and a nominal mass of 124gr.
• .40 – Full metal jacket .40 S&W bullets that impact at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second and a nominal mass of 180 gr.

Taking these details in consideration during your body armor purchase allows you to be better equipped for a wider array of situations.

Type IIA Purchases

You can purchase bulletproof vests online for the ultimate in convenience. When purchasing items online, there are some things that you need to consider:

Return Policy since you are purchasing the vest sight-unseen, you may find that the vest does not fit you properly or you are not happy with it. Make sure that the company you are purchasing from has a return policy of no less than 14 days.

Size Label every bulletproof vest must have a label on it which clearly displays the rating of the vest, as well as the lot number, the date of issue and other care instructions. If the body armor that you purchased does not contain this information, you should send it back immediately.

Reputation a great way to have a positive body armor experience is to find a reputable company that others have purchased from. You can read blogs and review sites were real customers have discussed their experience with certain companies. You can also speak with colleagues as to which body armor products worked best for them.

Selecting the right rating and purchasing from a reputable company will make your purchasing experience easier. By taking the time to understand the different ratings of body armor, you will be able to select the vest that is right for you.

Bulletproof vests provide protection up to the rating of the body armor. If you are concerned about the level of protection you desire, then you should understand what a Type 1 rating means.

Type I Rated Bullet Proof Vests

The National Institute of Justice has created the rating system that is used to explain the protection afforded by particular bulletproof vests. Each bullet proof vest manufacturer is required to have their body armor tested to ensure that it has the applicable rating.

A Type I rated bulletproof vest are light in weight and is considered to be the least amount of protection any law enforcement official should wear. This vest will stop the following bullets:

• .22LR – A long rifle lead round nose bullet with a caliber of .22 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1050 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 40 gr.
• .380ACP – A full metal jacket round nose bullet with a caliber of .380 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 95 gr.

Vests with these types of ratings are not typically worn these days because they do not provide enough protection from some of the common handguns that are carried by individuals today. If you are looking for more protection, then you should consider a bulletproof vest with a higher rating.

Selecting a Bulletproof Vest

When making the decision to purchase body armor, you should take the time to research the proper type of vest. While you may want the best protection possible, you may find that the highest rated body armor will not suit your needs because of the sheer weight of the vest. Therefore, you should keep in mind a few points when purchasing a new bullet proof vest:

• Select a vest that has a rating that matches the kind of firearm you currently carry
• Make sure the vest fits your properly
• When purchasing body armor, make sure the tag on the inside of the vest clearly displays the rating from the National Institute of Justice
• Determine if you want a concealable vs. a tactical bullet proof vest

Since you are going to be wearing this personal body armor every day, you should make sure that you are confident and comfortable with it. When searching for the right bulletproof vest, it is important to note that not all bulletproof vests and manufacturers are alike so you should consult with your colleagues to find out what works for them.

Searching for the right bulletproof vest can sometimes be a daunting task. With so many companies selling body armor and the different types of materials being used to make the vests, you can sometime get overwhelmed with the decision-making process. For instance, there are vests made from Kevlar, Spectra Shield, Dyneema with ratings of Type I, II, and IV.

To start the process of selecting a bulletproof vest, you should first determine the rating that your need. Currently, there are six ratings that the National Institute of Justice uses to signify the protection specific body armor affords. Below, you can examine the protection a Type IIIA rated vest provides.

Type IIIA Bulletproof Vests

For body armor to have a rating of Type IIIA, the National Institute of Justice requires that vests stop the following bullets:

• .22LR – A long rifle lead round nose bullet with a caliber of .22 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1050 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 40 gr.
• .380ACP – A full metal jacket round nose bullet with a caliber of .380 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 95 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose 9mm bullets, which impacts the vest at a minimum velocity of 1090 feet per second and a nominal mass of 124gr.
• .40 – Full metal jacket .40 S&W bullets that impact at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second and a nominal mass of 180 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets that impact at a velocity of 1,175 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .357 – Magnum jacketed soft bullets with a caliber of .357 that impact at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 158 grams.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets with a caliber of 9mm, impacting at a velocity 1,400 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .44 – Magnum jacketed hollow point bullets with a caliber of .44, impacting at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and a nominal mass of 240 grams.

Type IIIA rated body armor is the highest rated concealable vests that are available on the market. These bullet proof vests can be worn for daily use and full protection.

Once you have determined the proper rating you require for your bulletproof vest, you should then search for the material and manufacturer that you would like to purchase. Once you have found the right vest, make sure that it fits your properly so that it can properly protect you from the potential dangers.

Body armor that is meant to protect a wearer from various types of bullets may not provide this same protection from other types of incidents. Specifically, if a person was to be stabbed with an object , then the bulletproof vest may not provide the protection that is required.

This is all too common in jails and prisons where inmates will create shivs and other ‘ice-pick’ like devices to injure the officers. In order to properly protect themselves against these types of attacks, individuals should purchase stab-resistant vests. This is because the points on these weapons are much smaller and can pierce the protective layers of regular bulletproof vests.

Stab-Resistant Armor

The National Institute of Justice has two rating levels for body armor and they are Edged Blade Class and the Spike Class. Edged Blade resistant body armor resists of weapons such as kitchen knives, hunting knives, whereas Spike Class vests stop weapons made in prison systems.

For each class mentioned above, the Institute has three levels of protection. These levels were developed based on the impact the body would sustain from the impact, which ix expressed in joules. Below are listed the levels with their associated amount of joules (where 1 joule is equal to 1 foot-pound of energy):

• Level 1 – can defeat 24 joules of energy and is the lowest level of protection and concealable
• Level 2 – can defeat 33 joules of energy
• Level 3 – can defeat 48 joules of energy and is considered the highest level of protection

Purchasing Stab-Resistant Armor

When shopping for the right body armor, you need to make sure that you select a vest that fits your body correctly. If the vest is too big, it may not fit you properly and the movement of the vest may allow the blade or object to enter your person. In contrast, if the vest is too small, it may leave vital organs exposed resulting in injury.

If you are purchasing the vest online, you should be aware that some manufacturers create standard sized vests. You may not fit exactly into one size, so you should make sure that you can find a company that offers the ability to purchase a vest that fits properly.

There are some bulletproof vests that offer the ability to insert extra panels into their carrier. This would effectively transform the vest from a bullet-resistant vest to a stab-resistant vest.

When body armor was first created, vests and other protective gear were typically heavy and limited in motion. These earl vests were typically made up of metal plates that were placed into pockets on the bullet proof vest.

As time went on, Kevlar and Spectra Shield would be introduced to the market. These special fibers would create a resistant yarn to make sheets of cloth that would be used to for form-fitting and comfortable bulletproof vests.

Scientists and manufacturers alike are constantly looking for the next big item – stronger and lighter materials. In this pursuit, new materials have been created for use in bulletproof vests.

Dyneema SB61

Several years ago, a company from the Netherlands called DSM created a new polymer that is much stronger than Kevlar. According to DSM, Dyneema SB61 is 40% stronger than Kevlar and 15 times stronger than steel. This new type of material is already being used by law enforcement personnel today for body armour purposes.

Carbon Nanotubes

Researchers have also been working with carbon nanotubes to create strong fibers that can be used to make protective gear. When these fibers are created, they are said to be 4 times stronger than spider-silk, 20 times stronger than steel wire and 17 times stronger than Kevlar. These fibers can also be used to create stronger materials for military personnel.

Colloidal Shear-Thickening Fluids

With standard bulletproof vests being created with dry fibers, there are some scientists who believe that injecting those fibers with a colloidal shear-thickening fluid because it will make the body armor even stronger.

These fluid-fibers are stronger because when the fabric undergoes stress, the fluid turns rigid in order to protect the body. In addition, since the material is stronger than traditional bulletproof vest materials, there are fewer layers that need to be used in order to allow for less restrictive movements.

As more and more products are created, it is important for you to consider the danger your current position posses. Each bulletproof vest that you look at will have a different rating that alerts you to the type of protection the body armor will afford you.

Performing research on the current types of bullet proof vests that are currently available will allow you the opportunity to compare the materials and protective capabilities each has to offer. Bulletproof vests are quickly becoming lighter and stronger.

The first product placed on the market which was used to create bulletproof vests was Kevlar. Afterwards, Spectra fibers were created and became the competition for a Kevlar vest. Although there have been other products that have been created, such as Zylon, these two products remain the major players today.

Kevlar

Kevlar was created in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont. The process by which the thread is made is called polymerization. Put simply, the liquid polymers are passed through a metal plate that has many holes on it and all the single strands come together to form the Kevlar yarn. This yarn is then used to weave the cloth to make the armor. To increase the strength of the cloth for the body armour, many layers are added together to create the desired level of protection.

Spectra

Unlike Kevlar, Spectra fibers (created by the Allied Signal Company) are not woven together. Instead, the fibers are laid parallel to each other and a special resin is used to hold them in place. Then the process is repeated again to create another piece of cloth. The second piece of cloth is turned ninety degrees and is laid on top of the first cloth and then the resin is applied to bond these two sheets together. The end product is a non-woven cloth.

Zylon

This resistant material is a synthetic polymer that is commonly used in tennis racquets and other applications. It was created by a Japanese manufacturer called Toyobo and was used for body armor products starting in 1998. However, the product began to have problems in 2005. Second Chance Body Armor made bulletproof vests that used the Zylon product, but later learned that the material degraded at a rapid rate.

Toyobo would later settle a large class-action lawsuit in the United States and the settlement included covering legal expenses for attorneys and creating a fund to help replace officers’ bulletproof vests. The company also agreed to provide police departments with discounts for five years so that they could replace their bulletproof vests affordably.

While it is clear that not all bulletproof products are the same, the tried and true materials will continue to be used to create quality body armor. There have been newer versions of Kevlar and Spectra that are providing lighter and stronger protection to law enforcement individuals. You can be sure that more unique products are going to be developed in the future that will provide the same protection or better.

When a company has creates a new material that is focused on protecting an individual from the threat of bullets, the manufacturer must first undergo testing. The testing is necessary because a bullet rating must be associated with it in order to advise the wearer of the level of protection it affords.

In order to begin selling a particular bullet proof vest, the National Institute of Justice has a procedure that must be followed to properly rate body armor.

The Testing Process

To register a new body armor product and to sell it to the government and other personnel, the vest must meet the following test:

Two samples are taken of the vest, one from the front panel and one from the back panel and 2 types of ammunition must be used.

6 shots are fired at each panel, with two of the shots impacting at a 30 degree angle.
This sequence is carried out twice, for a total of 48 shots.
The deformation of the material that is behind the bulletproof material must be no more than 44mm or 1.73inches.
These testing limits must also be achieved when the armor is wet.

Testing Example

If you are looking to purchase a bulletproof vest that has a rating of Type IIIA (the highest concealable rating for a vest), then that vest had to meet the following test:

The first sample fired 9mm full metal jacket round nose bullets that weighed 124 grams that impacted the vest with a velocity of 1,430 feet per second.

The second sample fired .44Magnum Semi-jacketed hollow point bullets that weighed 240 grams that impacted the vest with a velocity of 1,430 feet per second.

The vest will them be checked to make sure the deformation of the vest and material is within the test limit.

Once the vest has passed the testing phase, the National Institute of Justice will issue a certification attesting to the validity of the test, as well as registering the vest for sale.

It is important to note that you should not purchase a vest that does not have a size label on the vest. This label will indicate the size, manufacturer, date of issue, protection rating, lot number, serial number, and care instructions. If you have in your possession a vest that does not have this tag, then you should not use it and if possible, return it to the company that you purchased it from.

The bulletproof vest test is in place to ensure that you are aware of what level of protection is being afforded to you. It also provides uniformity across manufacturers to create the same high-quality body armor that is demanded of them.