Essential Facts About Ballistic Vest

There's a reason why law enforcement institutions are so vocal about body armor or mostly ballistic vests these days. According to the latest stats of body armors, it has saved a considerable number of lives during combat. Officers who wear ballistic vests during battle are much more likely to be safe from an injury than those not wearing any. But there are some tips that every officer needs to know about their ballistic vests that will increase its durability and longevity.

One of the most important things is that a ballistic vest should fit you like gloves, or it may fail to do its job correctly. If the fit is not correct, the armor will not perform accordingly as it should. So, if you are a police officer and want to know more about ballistic vests, then read this article till the end.

Ballistic Vests Are Not Bulletproof

Before relying on a body armor completely, you should know that they are not entirely bulletproof; nothing is. Some of them are bullet-resistant, but nothing is bulletproof. Ballistic vests are made of multiple layers of fabrics that help you save your life from possible threats, but you still have to be careful while in combat. So always be detailed enough to wear a ballistic vest in any risky situation.

Fabric That Withstands Bullets

Usually, body armors are multiple layers of panels that are made of great strong fibers. Sometimes the fabrics or the threads are woven, and sometimes they are non-woven. A handful of expensive ballistic vests are made of both woven and non-woven fabric in some rare cases. The combination of both types of materials is more useful as they are effective in stopping bullets.

It slows down the bullet's speed and turns it in another direction, making it hard to penetrate your body. Vests that claim to be bulletproof are more likely to stop shots that travel slowly. Whereas, rifles and hard-tipped bullets are not easy to be stopped.

It Needs Hard Round of Testing

Body armors are meant to be tested every 5-10 years to ensure they are working correctly. Multiple types of handguns and rifles are tested on the vest to see if it can still be worn. Female ballistic vests are slightly different than male ballistic vests as the bodily structure of both are not the same.

Different types of vests are available for both male and female officers, and both shall clear through a set of tests. Previously, the same kind of tests were used to decide their operating ability, but after manufacturing companies specified, a distinct set of tests are run on them.

Names of the Materials

Previously Kevlar was the only material used in making vests; they were so popular that people started calling it Kevlar vests. DuPont is the manufacturer who first came out with this material named Kevlar.

Even though some other materials are very much in use, Kevlar has managed to keep its place as well. Some of the different materials are DSM Dyneema and Teijin Twaron; Even though Kevlar tops the list, these are some of the most used ballistic vest material these days.

Keep Your Vests Dry

Well, soft vests are not water-resistant; thus, rain and other types of water can make your vest wet, making it vulnerable to bullets. If you are in the marine industry, a lot of your duty time requires you to be submerged into water. It would then be great for you to choose vests made of Dyneema and SpectraShield as they are water-resistant.

Ballistic vests are essential types of body armor, and these are some of the basic things you need to know about them if you have one.

Bulletproof armor also protects against fire

In fact the aramid fibers contained in bulletproof armor do not catch fire, withstand high temperatures and have poor thermal conductivity (aramid fibers are often used to make firefighter clothing). However, the pockets and the outer shell of armor are often made from flammable material, for example, nylon. In addition, some armor types with polyethylene shields are also flammable plastic, and therefore the bulletproof vest can still burn as usual.

Conclusion

Surely many of us have heard from friends, action movie fans, or even news that a person wearing bulletproof armor can rest assured against heavy machine gun fire, and armor can be worn as easily as wearing a coat. Or the skeptics say: bulletproof armor can at most only protect against light pistol ammunition, and even with armor, ribs will still break and damage internal organs, furthermore wear bulletproof armor is also very heavy.

Now, after having read about ballistic vest, I am sure that you have got some information. So if you intend to try this type of vest, just take a look in the store linked in this article, you will not regret.