ballistic vest question, please help.

goldeneagle76

I want to get a ballistic vest for my job and had a few questions:

I've heard a few negatives about level IIA not stopping some bullets, is this true? Should I just save a little more and get the level IIIA? How big of a difference (comfortability wise) is there in the two? Not that it would make too big of a difference.
Also, is Second Chance the best out there? A dealer around me has a buy 1 get one free on new Safariland ballistic vests but I don't know anything about them.

shooter10

Contact GT Distributing. There is one in Austin, Texas and another in Rossville, Ga. Pull them up on Google and call them. They are real Police equipment specialist. Ricky and Scott in Austin are extremely good, but they really are all great with this kind of info.
They also have a very helpful internet sight you might want to browse through.

PC800

Here is the lists of vest that conform to the latest NIJ requirements.
http://www.justnet.org/BatPro/Reports/rptCPL2005.asp

The most important thing is that you chose a vest that will stop whatever ammunition you are carrying in your gun, in case the perp disarms you and shoots you with your own gun.

The second most important is to buy what you will ALWAYS wear. Don't buy a IIIA if it will be so hot and stiff that you don't wear it.

I used to split the difference and wear a Level II. But that was years ago and the vest are much lighter, flexible and cooler now.

Good luck and stay safe.

hughes1

Galls.com carries a wide selection of body armor in all levels of protection and have the best prices in most cases. To find the body armor on their website click on the Enforcement Gear tab, and then Body Armor. By the way, Galls branded body armor is actually made by Point Blank, so you can get top of the line armor at a great price. Do not buy used body armor unless you are sure it is NOT made with Zylon ballistic fiber. Zylon was used from about 1998-2005 by most of the armor mfgs out there.

nards444

class two will stop most pistols i beleive. class three will stop pistols and up to 7.62. So with either one your screwed with high powered rifles

hughes1

Type I (22 LR; 380 ACP)
This armor protects against .22 caliber Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LR LRN) 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 380 ACP Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of6.2 g (95 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less.

Type IIA (9 mm; 40 S&W)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft/s) or less, and 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. It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in Type I.

Type II (9 mm; 357 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) 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. It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in Type I & IIA

Type IIIA (High Velocity 9 mm; 44 Magnum)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) 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 Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets, with nominal masses of 15.6 g (240 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 427 m/s (1400 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against most handgun threats, as well as the threats mentioned in Type I, IIA & II.

Type III (Rifles)
This armor protects against 7.62 mm Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets (U.S. Military designation M80), with nominal masses of 9.6 g (148 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 838 m/s (2750 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in Type I, IIA, II, & IIIA.

Type IV (Armor Piercing Rifle)
This armor protects against .30 caliber armor piercing (AP) bullets (U.S. Military designation M2 AP), with nominal masses of 10.8 g (166 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 869 m/s (2850 ft/s) or less. It also provides at least single hit protection against the threats mentioned in Type I, IIA, II, IIIA, & III.

11b6r

1. NOTHING is bullet PROOF. (see photos of armored vehicles w/ holes in them)
2. DO check the wearability of any vest. Weight and HEAT. Are you working in Seattle, or Baton Rouge? In August, it darned well WILL make a difference.
3. A vest that hangs in the closet because it is too uncomfortable to wear insures that your coat hanger is safe.
4. It should stop what you carry. You should be able to carry IT.

Now, be careful out there.

goldeneagle76

I'm guessing to stop a 45ACP it must be a level IIIA, am I correct?

PC800

No, most .45 ACPs are big slow slugs. What ammo do you carry? Depending on the bullet weight and velocity rating, you should be able to compare it to something listed, like the 40S&W. A Level II should be fine. Also, be sure to wear the trauma plates in front and back. They protect from back face deformation. Basically, this is when the bullet is stopped by the vest, but the force is transmitted through the vest into you. It is like being hit full swing with a ball bat, without having the vest on. That can still seriously injure or kill you.

nards444

bigger bullets like 45 or a slug are slow moving, to go through a vest you need smaller bullets actually like a 22 or 223.

Txs

What's been said is true. In fact, the .22 Mag will penetrate more layers of such vests than any other standard handgun caliber, with the 9mm coming in second. Small frontal area + high velocity equals greater penetration.

I've been wearing armor daily for 30 years, starting with a Second Chance Model Y. I now wear IIIA because I don't really feel there's enough difference in weight/thickness/rigidity of modern vests to opt for the lower level of protection.

Be aware that no matter what level you choose it WILL be uncomfortable. It takes a good month or two of daily wear to even begin to get used to this stuff, but after awhile you won't feel completely dressed without it. It's true that this stuff is uncomfortable in hot weather, but don't choose a lower level thinking it won't be as hot. The heat factor doesn't increase with the threat level.

The use of trauma plates is a personal decision, often based on comfort and mobility. They don't increase the ballistic resistance of the armor, but only serve to distribute the impact and decrease the possibilty of broken ribs. I know of no recorded incidents in the ~35 years concealable armor has been around where a vest stopped a round it was rated for and the wearer was killed due to blunt trauma alone. Just take a look at any of the old Second Chance promotional videos showing company founder Richard Davis emptying a 6 in. .357 Mag into his chest without use of a trauma plate. It bruised and broke skin, but he demonstrated this on a regular basis to dispel the "deadly blunt trauma" myth.