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Seven Things You Don’t Know About Body Armor



My friend John Johnston (host of the excellent radio program Ballistic Radio) suggested that I write an article about body armor and fitness. He was doing some PT while wearing plate armor in order to improve his fitness for an upcoming firearms training class and thought that a post concerning the realities of wearing armor would be useful.To get more news about Hard Armor panels, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

Like most cops, I wear soft armor every day at work. I’m proud to say that I’ve never worked a single patrol shift without wearing armor. I also have rifle plate armor that I occasionally (but not often) wear. I guess putting the stuff on every day for the last 23 years makes me a reasonable authority to speak on the subject.

There are two basic classes of body armor. The first is known as “soft body armor” and is what most cops wear under their uniform shirts. This armor is reasonably light and flexible and made of synthetic materials like Kevlar and Spectra Shield. This type of armor is classified by threat level (the type of bullets they protect against). Current NIJ threat levels are (in order from least protection to most protection) Level IIA, Level II, and Level IIIA.

These vests stop pistol and shotgun rounds reliably, but they generally won’t stop centerfire rifle rounds. It’s a velocity issue. The faster the bullet, the harder it is to stop. Most level IIIA vests have a velocity threshold somewhere around 1600 feet per second. If a bullet traveling faster than that hits the soft armor, it usually penetrates.

In order to stop rifle rounds, you’ll need “hard” or “plate” armor. This armor is made of ceramic, a solid composite, or steel. It is rated with the NIJ classifications of Level III and Level IV. See the chart below from Howard’s Uniform Supply to see the particulars for each type of armor.
I’m guessing that most of you reading this don’t currently own any body armor. I think this is a hole in your self defense preparations. If you acknowledge the possibility that you might get into a gunfight, you should be thinking about protecting yourself as well. Body armor will save your life. If you are a prepper or anticipating some type of economic or societal collapse, I think that a ballistic vest will likely be a better investment than yet another case of ammunition. You won’t be able to fire that ammo or eat all that stored food if you get shot and die because you didn’t have body armor.

Personally, I think armor is so important, that I have a couple sets under the bed in my “safe room” right next to the long gun I will use for home protection. If you have enough time to grab your rifle when an intruder breaks into your house, you also likely have enough time to throw a vest over your chest. I believe it’s a sensible and necessary piece of equipment for any home defense plans.
1) Body armor is heavy and hot. The soft armor isn’t much more than about five pounds, but it will wear you out if you aren’t used to having it on. Plate armor is really heavy. You won’t be able to move as quickly or get in and out of shooting positions easily while wearing it. Both are REALLY hot. I think the heat is even more difficult to handle than the weight. Make sure you stay hydrated while wearing it. A casualty is a casualty, whether it comes from a heat stroke or a bullet.

2) Body armor will make breathing under exertion more difficult. You will want your vest to fit you snugly so that it doesn’t move around when you start taking rounds. That snug fit will make it more difficult to expand your chest when breathing hard. will have to take shallower, more frequent breaths if your heart rate is elevated while wearing a vest.

3) Body armor will alter your shooting stance. The hard plates are the worst offenders in this regard, but even soft armor will interfere with your shooting stance. I normally shoot a handgun with my elbows locked, but I am unable to fully straighten my arms when wearing my soft armor.