Tips and Facts on Soft Body Armor

In buying soft body armor, there are tips and guidelines we can find everywhere before deciding what type of body armor we are going to buy. Read on and learn, you might find this helpful.

1.       For bullet proof vest, there are two things to consider. The first one is the thickness. Older materials are more bulky compared to the new ones. The new and modern materials make a certain level of a vest nearly disappear under a polo! The second one is the length. If you are a tall guy, make sure you get a vest that is also long enough for you.

2.       Body armor depends on how much you are willing to spend. There are armor that range from $500 and up to thousand bucks. But if you find a good deal and had made a negotiation with a seller, you can generally save money.

3.       Before buying body armor, first to check on the level of protection you need. Look at the National Institute of Justice’s chart of body armor to know the difference of the types of body armor. It is always a rule of the thumb that we get the body armor that can protect us from our own weapon.

4.       Right fit and comfort should be considered. It is hard to move around especially when you are in a war zone if you feel uncomfortable with your vest.

5.       Proper care and maintenance for your body armor. It is best that you take care of your body armor. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to basic care. Consult your manufacturer for a possible replacement or repairs for your body armor.

6.       The higher the level of protection a certain type of body armor, the heavier and bulkier it would be. So balance what you need. Decide on the balance of both comfort and protection.

These are just the few tips to consider when buying soft body armor. hope you had learned.

Importance of Soft Body Armor

What is the importance of softbody armor? let us read on.

Men and women in the military, security forces or police always have to face the fact that one day will come where they will all end up in a very hazardous situation. And this is why soft body armor, bullet proof vest, bullet resistant vest or whatever you call it, has been developed and pushed by the United States National Institute of Justice and the Department of Defense for the soldiers to wear their vests every time they are on duty. In fact, it is best also not to take for granted off duty days wherein some people still need the protection they get from bullet proof vests.

A person’s decision to wear body armor may be a decision between life and death. Although, wearing a body armor may not guarantee 100% safety and protection from death, it still advisable to wear because a chance of survival is increased when one wears it.

Body armor makes the lives of police men and women, military and security forces safer and that makes an important part of their lives. These bullet proof vests protect against deadly attacks and may save a person from suffering other attacks that could paralyze or incapacitate them in some forms we will never know. In fact, due to the effectiveness and ability of the amazing body armor, new materials and technology have been developed and are being developed right now which will make body armor more effective and also lightweight. This is a great advancement since many actually choose not to wear their protective equipment due to the size and weight of it.

Whether it is soft body armor, hard body armor or a combination of both, we can never deny the fact that even we as civilians need body armor to protect us from the dangers of this unpredictable world.

Dangers of Using Used Soft body Armor

Soft body armor is not an inexpensive thing to buy but definitely worth the investment. However, like all our other purchases, it is hard to find that sweet spot between cost and performance. And due to economic crisis, many opt and consider the option of purchasing used soft body armor to save money instead of the real deal which would cost them bucks.

The experts in soft body armor have different views and opinions and even if you look at the popular forums, people are torn between buying the old stuff and saving money or buying the new one at a greater expenditure.

The disadvantages of buying used soft body armor are quite many. The very first thing that we put in mind is that body armor is there to save lives, to protect us but the used body armor’s strength and integrity is a question mark. Less stopping strength may make a huge difference in stopping bullets and projectiles. This is deadly. The fact that even if the body armor has never had bullets, blunt force trauma or simply by stabbing it may still make it weaker and less reliable compared to a new one.

The weather conditions can affect the body armor – the rain or sweating, humidity and heat contributes much to the strength of the body armor. This is why if you remember, testing it through extreme weather conditions is a part of the National Institute of Justice testing techniques to ensure that people can get the best bullet proof vest they deserve.

No insurance on old soft body armor is also another big deal on why it is still better to purchase the new one. This is something that could happen and may affect the family and the wounded person. Every new body armor has insurance.

Testing of Soft Body Armor

How do we ensure that the softbody armor we buy is proven effective and tested already? Are we assured the 100% guarantee that this body armor will work? If yes, how and why? Let us read on to know more about the National Institute of Justice’s standard on testing bullet proof body armor or bullet proof testing.

The testing done by the National Institute of Justice or the NIJ is the body armor ballistic testing. This is conducted to determine the resistance to penetration and the ballistic limit of body armor test samples. The objective of resistance to penetration or what they always call as Vo testing is to fire projectiles at a constant velocity to demonstrate that the armor sample provide specified protection against required threats. In layman’s term, this test determines at what velocity the bullet will have a zero percent chance of penetrating a given piece of armor.

If you ask about the penetration, here is the detailed description. A complete penetration occurs when the threat projectile or bullets, fragment of that projectile, or a fragment of the body armor material is imbedded or passes into the clay backing material (the clay is a substitute for a war fighter’s body mass).

Another testing done by the NIJ is the ballistic limit or V50 testing. This test is conducted to determine the velocity at which a complete penetration or incomplete penetration of the body armor is equally likely to occur. The V50 is determined by shooting the piece of armor several times with the same type of threat, across a range of velocities.

There is still other tests set-up done by both the National Institute of Justice and Department of Defense like for example, checking if the soft body armor is still working under extreme weather conditions such as dew, water and sun.

Methods of Constructing Soft Body Armor

How are soft body armor constructed? How come a very powerful fiber is able to protect us from speeding bullets at a high velocity? What do these manufacturers do to make such an amazing overall product?

Typically a bullet resistant soft body armor is constructed by a multiple layers of ballistic fiber or other ballistic resistant materials that are assembled together to form a ballistic panel. This is basically the general point of manufacturing the body armor.

this ballistic panel is then inserted into the “carrier” which is then constructed of conventional garment fabrics such as nylon or cotton. At times, this ballistic panel are sewn permanently into the carrier while other times, it may be sewn but at a removable basis. We may think that the overall finished product is very simple to make but the truth is it is very complex to manufacture and construct as this is a life- saver vest.

From one manufacturer to another one differs in how they assemble the ballistic panels. Some instances, the multiple layers are bias stitched around the entire edge of the panel; in others, the layers are tack stitched together at several locations.

Body armor intended for routine use is most designed to be worn beneath the uniform shirt. Again, manufacturers tend to design different methods of attaching armor to the body. Stitching is a way to assemble the fabrics, may it be assembled together at the edges of the panel or even in the entire ballistic panel. There is no current evidence that stitching may impair or degrade the quality of the bullet proof vest in stopping bullets from touching the body.

Manufacturer have their own way of manufacturing this soft body armor so as long as the level of protection is not forgotten and is taking into consideration.

Materials used in Soft Body Armor

Let us take a look at the history of the materials being used in soft body armor.

Ever since man has existed in this world, protection is already an issue. From the old centuries, man has used animal and plant skin as a body armor until the century of Rome and Greece. Because of the animals and gladiators, men have become involved in making body armors through metallic plates. But not long ago when rifles and guns were also developed thereby those metallic plates were useless. Soldiers also find it hard to move when in a war zone since the body armors are heavy and bulky.

So what are the materials being used to develop soft body armor? let us have a look.

Several manufacturers have been involved in developing and refining materials used in bullet proof body armor. Here are some.

1.       Kevlar – this material was introduced in the early 1970s. this was the first generation of bullet proof fibers developed by DuPont for body armor which help made the production of flexible, concealable bullet proof armor practical and reality for the first time. This was developed specifically by Stephanie Kwolek. In about 1988, DuPont released the second generation of Kevlar which was called Kevlar 29.

2.       Spectra – this type of fiber is developed and manufactured by AlliedSignal. This is an ultra high strength polyethylene fiber. This fiber is dissolved in a solvent and spun through a series of small orifices called spinnerets. The solution is then solidified by cooling and the cooled fiber has a gel-like appearance.

3.       Twaron – another fiber manufactured by Akzo Nobel. The fiber uses 1000 or more finely spun single filaments that act as an energy sponge, absorbing a bullet’s impact and quickly dissipating its energy through engaged and adjacent fibers.

These three materials or fibers are the three main fiber materials used to make our soft body armor.

Levels of soft body armor

It has already been proven effective that soft body armor can and have saved lives of those people serving for the public such as military, Army and those police officers we often see every day.

As of today, there are six different levels of body armor or ballistic vests; appropriate name for this is the bullet resistant vest. Each category has its own characteristics that make it more or less useful to certain job groups and especially to the civilians who are confused on what type of body armor do they need. It is very important to study the chart of armor levels released by the National Institute of Justice and understand the levels f protection one type of body armor gives before you make your final decision. Let us take a look at the first three levels of soft body armor.

Level 1 – this level of protection is already obsolete because our types of ammunition today had a higher velocity. This can no longer protect those in the army or even in the military. There is still who uses this but before actually deciding to buy this type of body armor, it is best to know the level of protection with which you will need. Observe your community and what dangers or threats are you experiencing. By this, you will now figure if this type suits you.

Level IIA – aside from its purpose, the threats in level IIA, this also serve as protection from the level I threats. This was one of the most common level of protection worn but with the development of newer and lighter weight materials for a body armor, level II and level IIIA body armor are now appropriate.

Level II – this protects the wearer also from both the level I and level IIA threats. While this is usually worn as a covert style, some organizations prefer to use it as an overt style armor.

Level IIIA – this is the highest threat level in soft body armor. it is usually worn as over style armor because of its weight and the thickness of the ballistic panels. However, modern advancements have developed lighter materials for the same level of protection.

How does a soft body armor works?

Many marvel the wonder of soft body armor. most of us would question even the authenticity of body armors and how  such a soft piece of clothing be able to stop bullets and help save lives? The potential of soft body armor is so powerful that according to a US survey that says, lives would be safer when you wear body armor at all times on duty than not wearing any body armor at all. Let us take a look at how this powerful body armor works.

Soft body armor is such a mystery. But the answer is very simple. At its heart, a piece of bullet proof material is just a very very strong net or a web of fibers. Compare it to something like a spider silk or a soccer net.

Long strands of fibers make up a very powerful bullet proof vest or body armor. They are interlaced to form a dense net that can protect the wearer even from a travelling bullet. This travelling bullet is so fast that the nets should be made from a very strong material able to stop the bullets at whatever velocity it travels.

When the hand gun bullet strikes a body armor, it is caught in a web of very strong fibers which these fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet. This absorption of the vest of the energy causes the bullet to deform or mushroom. In each layer of the material of the body armor, the bullet’s energy absorbed until the bullet has been stopped.

As of the current writing, today’s modern generation of soft body armor can now provide protection in a variety of levels and are even designed to protect the wearer against stab and knives. See the NIJ’s classification of this body armor.

What are the levels of soft body armor in terms of ballistic threats?

There are six levels of body armor approved and designed by the National Institute of Justice or the NIJ. The first four makes up the soft body armor classification while the next succeeding levels of body armor are those that comprise the hard body armor group. The NIJ developed this for us to understand what type of protection will we need in case we might want to buy or purchase our very own personal body armor.

Let us talk first about first four levels of protection which is under the soft body armor category.

The National Institute of Justice establishes six formal armor classifications, as well as a seventh type of body armor. This is in accordance with the NIJ Standard-0101.04

Level 1 (.22 LR; 380 ACP). This armor protects the wearer against the .22 long rifle lead round nose (LRLRN) bullets, with nominal masses of 2.6 g (40 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 320 m/s (1050 ft/s) or less and against .380 ACP full metal jacketed round nose (FMJRN), with nominal masses of 6.2 g (95 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less.

Level II – A (9mm; 40 S&W). This armor protects the wearer against a 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJRN) bullets with nominal masses of 8.0 g(124 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft/s) or less. This can also protect the wearer against .40 S&W caliber full metal jacketed (FMJ) bullets, with nominal masses of 11.7 g (180 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less.

Level II 99mm; .357 Magnum). This type of body armor protects the user against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJRN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 358 m/s (1175 ft/s) or less and .357 Magnum jacketed soft point (JSP) bullets with nominal masses of 10.2 g (158 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less.

Level IIIA (High velocity 9mm; .44 Magnum). This armor protects against 9mm full metal jacketed round nose (FMJRN) bullets with nominal masses of 8.0 g(124 gr), impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less and .44 Magnum jacketed hollow point (JHP) bullets, with nominal masses of 15.6 g (240 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less.

The said types of body armor above are the level of body armor belonging to the group of soft body armor.

Difference between Soft Body Armor and Hard Body Armor

Soft body armor, as the name suggests is a soft, lightweight and flexible armor used by human to protect them against bullets and other projectiles that my hit the body and damage it. There are other kinds of body armors such as bullet, stab and spike proof body armor. the spike and stab body armors belong to the hard body armors. it is strong enough to protect the body from sharp materials.

Depending on the level of protection or type of the body armor, the soft body armor will stop normal hand gun rounds up to .44 Magnum. While the hard body armor offer a much higher level of protection and is normally used by those people in the military and Army in war zones to defeat rifles and strong guns. Since these hard body armors are made up of solid materials such as ceramic and metal, they are also much heavier when compared to soft body armor. But usually, when a soft body armor is made, for the combination of both bullet proof and stab proof, the hard body armor is inserted and placed in front of the soft body armor such that the hard part will absorb the majority of the force and energy of the rounds, more impact is put upon the hard body armor since it is considered the first defense.

The hard body armor is usually made up of ceramic or metallic plates designed to prevent bullet and sharp objects penetration. They act like an iron suite that traps the round to prevent spalling or cracking and flaking of the particles out of the surface. It prevents the breaking of the particles while soft body armor are high performance web of fibers that absorbs the projectile and disperses the energy from the impact over a wide large surface area.