Bullet proof vest refers to various protective clothing designed to protect your body from penetration or impact caused by weapons.
In most cases, body armor is used to protect oneself from bullets and crude weapons.
Traditionally, bulletproof vest has been the patent of military personnel and law enforcement personnel.
However, bulletproof vests are now being used by many private citizens and private guards to protect themselves.
Today, let’s talk about what this situation means, and whether the bulletproof vest in the army is different from the bulletproof vest we can buy at ordinary times.
The bulletproof vest provided by the army should be superior to the civilian bulletproof clothing in terms of performance and all aspects?
Can Civilians Wear Bulletproof Vests?
There are many misunderstandings about who is allowed by law to own and wear bulletproof vests.
And civilians can legally buy and use bulletproof clothing.
Bullet proof vest is the most commonly used bullet proof vest for some civilians. In most countries, if you are convicted of a felony, you cannot buy or use a bulletproof vest.
As a civilian, if you work or live in an environment that is likely to be attacked, you may feel the need to wear a bulletproof vest.
Examples of civilians who may feel that they need to wear bulletproof vests every day include jewelry store owners, pawnshop owners, ATM repairmen, messengers, judges and lawyers, politicians, emergency services, firefighters, and many others.
The bottom line is that when civilians feel their personal safety is threatened, they need to obtain bulletproof vests.
No matter how hard law enforcement personnel try to reassure you, your personal safety is your responsibility.
Therefore, it is logical to have and wear a bulletproof vest when you feel your safety is threatened.
Different types of body armor provide different levels of protection.
Therefore, before you buy any body armor, you need to evaluate and understand the level of protection you need. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) of the United States has set a world-class standard for the manufacture of bulletproof vests.
You can use the NIJ standard to check the protection level of various bullet proof vests.
Protection Grade Of Bulletproof Vest
The protection grade and standard of bulletproof vest are usually determined by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and the British Center for Applied Science and Technology.
The two organizations continue to share testing technologies and develop standards for bullet proof vests.
Threats fall into three categories. They are ballistic, blade, sting threats. There are different levels of protection under each category.
Ballistic Threat
Ballistic threats refer to all threats related to artillery fire. There are many kinds of firearms.
From small pistols that shoot small bullets to large machine guns that shoot large bullets, bullets can be fatal in a moment.
The bullet proof vest is designed to slow and stop bullets from trying to penetrate them.
There are two kinds of bullet proof vests. Soft and hard armor.
Soft armour is used to defend small firearms, while hard armour is used against large caliber firearms and large armour piercing projectiles.
According to the protection level provided by the bulletproof armor, the bulletproof armor is divided into the following levels.
Level IIA – Level IIA is the lowest level, usually able to withstand 9mm bullets. The thickness of bulletproof vest of this level is 4mm, and the area density is 3.5kg/m.
Level 2 – Level 2 armor is more protective than Level 2 armor, although it still cannot handle any bullet larger than 9mm.
The thickness of bullet proof vest of this level is 5 mm, and the area density is 4.2 kg/m.
Level III A – The bulletproof vest of Level III A can resist any bullet up to 0.44mm and any bullet below it. The thickness of armor is 6mm, and the area density is 5.9kg/m.
Level 3 – Level 3 consists of a high caliber bullet proof vest that can withstand 7.62mm bullets from NATO classified weapons. The bulletproof coat of this level is 15mm thick, and the area density is up to 25.9kg/m.
Level III armor is usually used by military and law enforcement personnel.
At present, this kind of bulletproof vest has always been hard, and it is in the form of a ballistic plate, which can be inserted into the bulletproof vest or aircraft carrier.
Level 4 – Level 4 armor provides the highest level of defense against ballistic attacks.
Like Level 3, it is hardened. The thickness of this kind of bulletproof clothing is up to 20 mm, and the area density is 32.5 kg/m.
Sabre Threat
Many people tend to think that if a bulletproof vest can stop bullets, it can also prevent stabs. But this is not the case.
However, it may have a bullet proof vest that protects against both ballistic and blade threats.
Bulletproof vests still need to be classified according to the level of protection they can provide to prevent being stabbed by the blade.
Spike threat is an extension of blade threat.
These are threats posed by sharp weapons, such as throwing knives or arrows.
The classification of peak protection grade is similar to that of edge protection grade.
The stab protective bulletproof vest can be regarded as the edge bulletproof vest with additional protection against stab attack.
Differences Between Civilian And Military Bulletproof Vests
It is important to remember that military personnel may not be able to avoid extremely dangerous situations as civilians are.
Therefore, their bulletproof clothing is to ensure that it can protect them from more lethal situations, rather than disasters.
For example, a soldier may have to deal with a fire. In this case, a light invisible bulletproof vest that can usually resist pistol bullets is not enough, and it often needs more professional help, such as the fire brigade.
Military bulletproof vests always have additional protection functions to make them more resistant to weapon attacks or cover more body areas.
Bullet proof vest can increase bullet proof protection by adding accessories to cover the neck, throat, groin and upper arm. In addition, the protective plate can be inserted into the special pocket on the bulletproof vest to provide additional penetration protection against larger caliber guns.
Hard armor plates were used to reinforce bulletproof vests when a clash of caliber guns was expected.
Hard armor metal plate and synthetic fiber plate are usually used to defend against the threat of rifles of level 3 and level 4.
All these additional protections for military armor are often cumbersome and can only be used when necessary.
Therefore, it is highly unlikely that civilians will need to use such body armor.
In most cases, civilian bulletproof vests are just ordinary bulletproof vests, and bulletproof plates are made of Kevlar, ceramics, steel and para aramid materials.
The protection grade of civil bulletproof clothing is also different, but mainly between IIA and III. However, civilians can buy Grade III and IV steel plates online.
Materials For Making Bulletproof Vests
While developing bulletproof vests, manufacturers aim to produce bulletproof vests that are light, durable and as protective as possible.
The weight of bulletproof clothing is a very important aspect of its applicability.
For a soldier, a difference of 1kg in a vest can be the difference between life and death.
Manufacturers seek hard but lightweight materials As mentioned earlier, there is not much difference between the materials used to manufacture civilian and military bulletproof vests.
Different manufacturers use different materials, but all bulletproof vests must pass specific tests before being sold. Some commonly used materials include.
Aramid Fibre
Aramid is a synthetic fiber. Its strength and heat resistance are incredible. This fiber material was officially used to make bulletproof clothing in the 1960s.
In 1960, aramid fiber was hard and heavy. Until the 1970s, para aramid and meta aramid were introduced into the manufacture of bulletproof clothing.
In particular, the early use of synthetic materials called Normax and Kevlar.
These materials give the body armor flexibility and greatly reduce its weight.
This ensures that the armor is comfortable for a person to wear, but tough enough to prevent bullets and stabs.
Kevlar and PE (polyethylene) are the most commonly used pyramids for making bulletproof vests today.
It has been used to make bulletproof vests for decades.
Kevlar materials have been greatly improved in the past decades.
All improvements focus on making this material more resistant to bullets and knives, and making the wearer more comfortable.
The latest version of the Kevlar material was released in 1995.
This material makes it possible to make multi threat vests. You can now buy a bulletproof and knife proof vest.
UHMWPE Material
Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is another material used to make bulletproof vests.
The material has similar properties to para aramid. UHMWPE is a kind of long hydrocarbon chain compound. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is related to the high-end model of bulletproof vest.
Para aramid and UHMWPE are both used to make soft bulletproof jackets.
Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (also known as polyethylene) is also used for atomic defense of the third and fourth hard armor plate.
Composition Of Bulletproof Vest
A bulletproof vest is not a complete piece. Many bulletproof vests have two shields and the vest itself. Vests without paneling do not provide any protection.
It’s just a normal vest, or just like other vests. Instead, it has a pocket in which protective panels are inserted at the front and back.
Both military and civilian bulletproof vests use the same 3-piece design. Depending on the manufacturer, the overalls can be cotton, Cordura or Gore Turks.
The three piece design allows people to increase the level of protection without buying another vest. For example, you can use the protection panel to protect the secondary protection panel. If the size is the same, it is the tertiary protection panel.
Another important aspect of body armor is size. You must wear a bulletproof vest that suits you to provide the best protection. In the case of military personnel, their bulletproof vests must be properly fitted to enable them to maneuver easily.
For example, people may not be able to lift or rest their hands freely if the bulletproof vest does not fit or is not properly dressed. For some civilians, this may not be a big problem, but no one is willing to wear a vest that makes them uncomfortable all day.
Military body armor always requires a higher degree of protection. As mentioned earlier, in some states, if civilians have committed serious crimes, they may not be allowed to buy such bulletproof vests at all.
Generally, it is quite easy to buy bullet proof vests with all the above protection levels. The bottom line is that there is no special bulletproof vest for the military.
As a civilian, the appropriate body armor depends on the level of threat you face.
However, buying bulletproof vests is not a hassle. Refer to the above NIJ threat level to determine the level of protection you need, and then send your specific body measurement data to our team via email
You can buy bulletproof vests online in many states. You may want to buy your bulletproof vest as soon as possible, because there is a rumor that the law on civilians buying bulletproof vests may be tightened.
