Can bulletproof vests protect the whole body?
The answer is obviously No. There is only one kind of bulletproof vest in the world that can protect the whole body – tank.
In fact, ordinary military bulletproof vests only add a bulletproof insert plate to the chest and abdomen, which is similar to the “goggles” on the ancient battlefield armor to protect the fatal parts.
The head, neck, limbs, shoulders, crotch and bulletproof vests cannot be protected. In some special cases, such as when soldiers do not need to run and move quickly, and do not need to carry many items, more comprehensive bulletproof clothing can be used – plus bulletproof panels on the sides, neck and thighs.
However, such clumsy soldiers have no combat effectiveness on the battlefield and can only die faster. Therefore, such protective clothing is usually only suitable for personnel performing explosive demolition.
Even bulletproof vests with only two front and rear shields have caused controversy among the armed forces of various countries.
The load of bulletproof clothing will not only slow down the soldiers’ mobility and make them more tired, but also excessive load will affect the soldiers’ shooting reaction time.
On the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, American soldiers carry an average of 53 kilograms per person. Between 2004 and 2007, one third of the soldiers who left the battlefield suffered spinal and musculoskeletal injuries, twice the proportion of direct combat injuries.
Therefore, even two ceramic bulletproof plates with front and rear chest (nearly 6kg) will impose a great additional burden on soldiers.
Sometimes it’s just a piece in the front chest – because there’s little chance of getting shot in the back.
Why Do Soldiers Wear Bulletproof Vests?
The two most common causes of death on the battlefield are:
- Shot in the head or hit by sand and stone impacted by explosion;
- Thoracoabdominal injury.
These two causes of death account for about 80% of battlefield deaths. Limb injuries usually lead to disability rather than direct death.
Therefore, wearing helmets and bulletproof vests on the battlefield can reduce mortality.
There are also personnel of some special occupations who need to wear bulletproof vests, such as security guards escorting money and armed police on anti-terrorism missions. They are often shot by criminals.
Snipers usually aim at the heart. Short range shooting with guns such as pistols is generally aimed at the chest and abdomen. Therefore, wearing bulletproof vests can avoid most bullet injuries.
Ordinary people are rarely sniped if they are not important, but there are exceptions.
During the turmoil in the Balkans, Sarajevo was besieged by the Yugoslav people’s army and the army of Republika Srpska from April 5, 1992 to February 29, 1996.
For more than three years, the surrounding highlands and abandoned buildings were full of Serbian armed snipers, and many citizens were shot and killed walking in the streets. If they wear a bulletproof vest under their coat, they can escape.
In the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, countless guns fell to the people. Any group of people you meet may have guns. In order to rob food and various items, shooting is very common.
In this environment, even the most ordinary civilians should be equipped with bulletproof clothing.
What material should bulletproof vests be made of?
SOFT BULLETPROOF VEST
Bulletproof vests fall into two categories: Soft And Hard.
Soft bulletproof vests are usually made of multi-layer specially woven Kevlar and PE fiber cloth.
This kind of bulletproof vest can resist the penetration of light guns and is comfortable to wear, but it lacks protection against slightly stronger bullets.
In addition, the fiber of soft bulletproof clothing is eroded by sunlight and sweat for a long time, which is easy to age.
In terms of cost performance, the bulletproof insert plate is obviously better.
HARD BULLETPROOF VEST
The hard bulletproof vest is inserted with various bulletproof plates in the bulletproof vest.
The materials of bulletproof plate include steel, Kevlar bulletproof plate, PE bulletproof plate, ceramic bulletproof plate, ceramic and PE composite bulletproof plate, etc.
Steel bulletproof plate is very cheap, but the disadvantage is very heavy.
This kind of bulletproof plate will not be used on the battlefield, but this kind of bulletproof vest can be seen occasionally on the security guards and auxiliary police in some underdeveloped countries.
Kevlar bulletproof plate is the first polymer material successfully used in bulletproof clothing.
Better than Kevlar is ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (PE), which has been developed in recent years.
Ordinary PE material is very soft plastic. Once the molecules are neatly arranged into a long chain, it becomes the strongest material.
This reason is just like that if the carbon molecules of soft graphite are arranged well, they will become ultra-high strength materials such as carbon fiber, diamond and graphene.
Among the current bulletproof plate materials, PE is the lightest one. But,
The protection level of PE can only reach level 4 at most. It is enough for general pistols, portable submachine guns and simple guns made by criminals, but it can’t deal with rifles and sniper guns.
If you want to fight sniper guns, you need to add ceramics and other auxiliary materials to meet higher protection requirements.
Common ceramic materials are silicon carbide and alumina. If it is high-purity jewelry grade, alumina is sapphire and ruby, and silicon carbide is morsonite. Silicon carbide and alumina powders are often used as grinding wheels and grindstones to sharpen knives, because they are much harder than the hardest steel.
As an ordinary user, it may be difficult to understand the technical details of the Ministry of public security’s testing standards. If you buy bulletproof vests, you only need to understand these points:
Level 3 bulletproof vest, which can resist ordinary 7.62 × 17、7.62 × 25 (mm) pistol bullets and light submachine gun bullets.
Class 3A bulletproof vest, can resist 7.62 × 39 (mm) rifle bullet.
Level 4 bulletproof vest can resist 7.62 × 54 mm sniper gun bullet.
What is the difference between the bulletproof vests worn by ordinary people and those worn by soldiers?
A soldier’s bulletproof vest is usually a tactical vest with two bulletproof plates inserted in the front and rear (sometimes only one in the front).
There are many accessories on the tactical vest, because soldiers have to hang a lot of various equipment on it. This tactical vest is deeply loved by military fans, but it is too ostentatious and cumbersome for ordinary people.
What is the difference between the bulletproof vests worn by ordinary people and those worn by soldiers?
A soldier’s bulletproof vest is usually a tactical vest with two bulletproof plates inserted in the front and rear (sometimes only one in the front).
There are many accessories on the tactical vest, because soldiers have to hang a lot of various equipment on it. This tactical vest is deeply loved by military fans, but it is too ostentatious and cumbersome for ordinary people.
How to buy and use bulletproof vests?
Before buying bulletproof vests, you should first determine what grade you buy.
For low-grade bulletproof vests, such as those below level 3, the insert plate bag is relatively small, which is only suitable for inserting thin low-grade insert plates.
The high-grade bulletproof insert plate is very thick, up to more than 20mm thick, so the size of the pocket should also be larger.
If you get a multifunctional anti stab and bulletproof dual-purpose bulletproof vest, you can only take it as anti stab every day.
You need to insert a bulletproof plate in special times.
Stab proof and bulletproof clothing should adjust the position of the magic buckle according to your height and body shape.
If you don’t think the size is appropriate, you can change it with the store. If you are very thin or tall, you may need to make it to order.
If it is dirty, you can take out the bulletproof plate and stab proof interlayer and wash the vest.
Vest cloth is the most common polyester oxford cloth, which is not a high-end fabric. It can be brushed with water and detergent.
If the vest is damaged, the thread is loose and the magic buckle is loose after long-term use, it should be repaired like ordinary clothes.
Of course, it’s easier to change a new vest directly. Because the cost of vest is very low, the valuable thing is bulletproof plate.
The storage life of bulletproof insert plate is generally about five years given by the manufacturer. Not that it will be useless in five years, but that it may not reach the original bulletproof level in five years.
For example, level 4 may only reach level 4, and level 4 can only be used as level 3.
Therefore, in order to ensure safety, it is best to use it within the warranty period.
