How effective is a bulletproof vest at stopping a gun shot?

For many years, people were not able to protect themselves from gunfire. There were a few options available that gave minimal protection, but none could ensure adequate protection from a bullet.

After many years of trial and error, developers discovered materials that could be used to make bulletproof vests. One of these market-leading materials is Kevlar® - a material that could cushion, trap, and prevent a bullet from penetrating through to the body. 

When someone purchases a bulletproof vest, they often believe the vest is truly bulletproof; this is not the case at all.

A bulletproof vest is actually bullet resistant. This means it will prevent the vest from being penetrated by certain types and sizes of bullets traveling up to certain speeds. Even if a vest is strong enough to stop the bullet from penetrating, the wearer may still suffer injury.

If the vest stops a bullet, it may still force the vest fabric into the body of the individual. This can cause bruising or more severe internal injury. Fortunately, our Kevlar® vests disperse this impact across the panel, minimizing this effect to safe levels.

Equally, a strong enough impact may even knock a wearer down. This may also lead to injury.

The material used to make bulletproof vests is specially crafted to resist ballistic attacks at different levels. Many years ago, Kevlar® was shown to absorb and distribute energy that came into contact with it. Many developers determined that this revolutionary material could offer greater protection to individuals who face dangerous ballistic situations.

The Kevlar® in our bulletproof vests is crafted into fine threads, and these fibers are woven together to form a web. Many layers of these Kevlar® webs are woven together to form a dense and relatively lightweight panel. Then this panel could be capable of stopping bullets from larger handguns.

The fibers are strong in this form and can absorb and disperse impacts and force. This means that if someone is shot while wearing a Kevlar® bulletproof vest, the Kevlar® absorbs the impact of the bullet and disperses the impact across the panel. If the energy was not dispersed in this way, the bullet could force the vest into the body, and this could cause damage to internal organs.

When you are wearing a bulletproof vest, you should ensure it fits you properly. Vests are not made in a one-size-fits-all format; they are made to fit exact body types and heights.

Having a proper fit for a vest is essential because if the Kevlar® is not positioned appropriately, it will not properly disperse the impact or give protection where it is needed.

A bulletproof vest should not rest below the belly button. Many people assume that body armor should go down to their waist. However, having a vest hang this low can restrict the mobility that the wearer has, and may make simple actions, such as being sat down, uncomfortable.

Our bulletproof vests protect the internal organs, including the body's vital organs. The vest should not extend to protect the kidneys or the intestines, as an injury here should not prove fatal. Therefore, protection is sacrificed here to allow greater wearability.

Some vests are designed to absorb the impact from small arms fire, and other vests are designed to withstand attack from larger arms. It is important to wear a vest appropriate for any potential situation you may find yourself in.

Body armor that is only designed to offer protection from smaller caliber weapons will not give you protection from larger caliber weapons. A wearer should not hope that a vest will protect against more than it promises.