What is a bulletproof vest?
A bulletproof vest is a vest designed to protect you from gunfire and thereby help save lives. The vest is designed to catch and encapsulate projectiles from handguns.
There are vests for different tasks, and they come in 6 different protection levels.
A bulletproof vest can be made from various materials, and all will protect you according to the standard they are rated for. Common to all of them is that they are made from fibers that different manufacturers combine based on what they want their vest to handle.
Typically, there are 2 types of fibers used in bulletproof vests: Aramid and Polyethylene. Their purpose is to absorb and encapsulate projectiles to stop them and thus save lives. These fibers can be manufactured and woven together in many different ways; here, flexibility, weight, and thickness of the vest are typically important factors.
However, there are other equally important factors to consider. If you are hit by a bullet, it is crucial that the energy from the shot is distributed throughout the vest to minimize damage to internal organs. You may be protected against penetration from a bullet, but the impact from the shot can also be harmful and, in some cases, fatal.
What is meant by bulletproof?
As previously mentioned, there are 6 different levels used to classify a bulletproof vest. It is important to know that a bulletproof vest is fundamentally only bulletproof within its classification.
The different protection levels range from Level I to Level IV.
Levels I to IIIA fall under what is called soft body armor, in other words, a soft bulletproof vest that protects you against a .44 Magnum.
Level III to IV is where an additional hard plate is added to protect you against armor-piercing rifle ammunition.
Are you then protected against all handguns if you have, for example, a Level IIIA, which is the highest level for soft vests? The answer is both yes and no!
If specially manufactured projectiles with a pointed metal tip are used, and shots are fired from a different angle and speed than what the vest is classified for, there is a possibility of penetration.
The same applies if you are shot multiple times in the same spot. Calling a bulletproof vest bulletproof must be related to the classification of the vest.
Bulletproof vests for Military and Police
Previously, a bulletproof vest was associated with use in the Military and Police. Today, the picture is quite different, and a bulletproof vest is used by many different professions.
Individuals at increased risk of attack now use bulletproof and stab-resistant vests. Security guards use bulletproof and stab-resistant vests for tasks such as standing at the door of a nightclub or at events, and they are also used for patrolling.
Journalists previously only used bulletproof vests when deployed. Today, they are used for completely normal tasks both domestically and internationally, where there is an increased risk of attack.
Public sector workers who deal with vulnerable groups also use vests. Gangs and criminals use bulletproof and stab-resistant vests in their conflicts with each other, but ordinary people have also started to protect themselves.
In the USA, there are bulletproof vests for children, and bulletproof plates are also made that can be inserted into children's backpacks.
Bulletproof vest - cheap or used?
If you want a cheap bulletproof vest, ask yourself one question: What is your life worth?
A bulletproof vest is a life insurance policy, intended to save your life.
Therefore, never buy a used bulletproof vest. You can find bulletproof and stab-resistant vests cheaply on sites like eBay, but it is strongly advised against buying used.
You do not know how the vest has been treated, and therefore there is no guarantee for the safety it is supposed to provide.
Typically, you only save about 1,000 kr. by buying a used cheap bulletproof vest. So ask yourself, is your life not worth that?