Body armour 3

Body Armour: There is No Such Thing as a Bullet-Proof Vest

Posted on October 19, 2015

Body armour is as old as civilization itself. Since the dawn of time humans have been shielding themselves in everything from animal hides to chain mail to full-metal suits of armour. However colourful its story may be, the history of body armour took a quantum leap in 1971 thanks to the work of Stephanie Kwolek; a research chemist employed by the American industrial giant DuPont.

DuPont bosses had asked Stephanie to come up with an alternative to steel in the production of steel-belted radial tyres. By accident, she invented a new polymer (poly-paraphenylene  teraphthalamide). The synthetic fiber proved to be 5 times stronger than steel. Immediately, DuPont patented the compound and trade named it, Kevlar.

Today Kevlar is used in the production of hundreds of products from ropes to tennis rackets to super-yachts, even the body of your mobile phone. Despite its versatility, the product is best known worldwide for its remarkable properties in the manufacturing of bullet-proof vests. That is, if there was such a thing as a bullet-proof vest!

At best, this type of body armour is bullet-resistant. Depending on the calibre of the bullet, the velocity and the distance fired from, all of which can change enormously, no Kevlar vest is totally bullet-proof. It’s also a common mistake to think that a protective vest is more effective against smaller calibre projectiles, such as a 9mm as opposed to a 45mm magnum. In fact, the opposite is true. Larger calibre bullets travel at a lower velocity; so because they are slower and they mushroom easier, Kevlar vests do offer a high degree of safety in these cases.
The laws governing the civilian purchase and wearing of body armour vary from country to country and sometimes even within the same country. In Canada, in three out of ten Provinces it’s illegal for any civilian to possess body armour. In the EU, purchase and wearing of body armour is totally legal for civilians and many companies exist (mostly online) to provide a plethora of protective products. You can buy everything from military and police force grade protection to Kevlar T-shirts and hoodies, although the later are mostly for their stab-resistant properties.

Sign up to our security newsletter

* indicates required
   
By entering your details into our website, you consent to our processing of your personal data in accordance with our Privacy Notice, including for HR & marketing purposes.