Vests

A ballistic vest or bullet-proof vest is an item of armor that absorbs the impact from gun-fired projectiles and explosive fragments fired at the torso. more...

Home
Knives, Swords & Blades
Militaria
1700-74
1784-1860
1866-97, Indian Wars
1903-13
1919-38
1946-49
1954-60
1976-89
Civil War (1861-65)
Current Militaria (1991-Now)
Desert Storm (1990-91)
Korea (1950-53)
Militaria (Date Unknown)
Other Militaria
Pre-1700
Revolutionary War (1775-83)
Spanish-Amer War (1898-1902)
Surplus
Bags
Hats, Helmets
Masks
Medals, Pins, Ribbons
Other Military Surplus
Paper Items, Manuals
Parachutes
Patches
Personal, Field Gear
Belts, Belt Buckles
Boots
Jackets
Other
Pants
Shirts
Vests
Pouches
Vietnam (1961-75)
WW I (1914-18)
WW II (1939-45)
Science Fiction
Tobacciana
Trading Cards
Transportation

Soft vests made from layers of tightly-woven fibres protect wearers from projectiles fired from handguns, shotguns, and shrapnel from explosives such as hand grenades. When metal or ceramic plates are used with a soft vest, it can also protect wearers from shots fired from rifles. Soft vests are commonly worn by police forces, private citizens and private security guards, and hard-plate reinforced vests are mainly worn by combat soldiers in the armies of various nations as well as armed response police forces.

Modern body armor may combine a ballistic vest with other items of protective clothing, such as a helmet. Vests intended for police and military use may also include ballistic shoulder armor for more protection and leg armor for protection against grenade blasts.

Overview

Vests may be augmented with metal (steel or titanium), ceramic or polyethylene plates that provide extra protection to vital areas. These hard armor plates have proven effective against all handgun bullets and a range of rifles. These "tactical body armor" vests have become standard in military use, as soft body armor vests are ineffective against most military rifle rounds. The CRISAT NATO (Collaborative Research Into Small Arms Technology-North Atlantic Treaty Organization) standard for body armor specifies the use of titanium backing. This titanium plate may be removable or sewn in.

A vest does not protect the wearer by deflecting bullets. Instead, the layers of material catch the bullet and spread its force over a larger portion of the body, absorbing energy more quickly and hopefully bringing it to a stop before it can penetrate into the body. This tends to deform the bullet, further reducing its ability to penetrate. While a vest can prevent bullet wounds, the wearer still absorbs the bullet's energy, which can cause blunt force trauma. The majority of users experience only bruising, but impacts can still cause severe internal injuries.

Most vests offer little protection against arrows, ice picks, stabbing knife blows, bullets with their points sharpened or armor-piercing rounds. As the force is concentrated in a relatively small area with bladed weapons and armor-piercing rounds, they can push through the weave of most bullet-resistant fabrics. Specially-designed vests which protect against bladed weapons and sharp objects are often used in vests for prison guards and other law enforcement officers. Some materials like Dyneema offer considerable protection against bladed weapons and slash attacks.

Ballistic vests may provide little or no protection against rifle ammunition or even against handgun ammunition fired from a pistol-caliber carbine. The exception is the common .22 LR ammunition, which can usually be stopped by these vests even when fired from a rifle. These vests are usually protective against handgun ammunition fired from handguns, depending on the armor level of the vest.

Read more at Wikipedia.org