Bullet-Proof FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions

About Bullet-Proof Armor:

A material or object described as bulletproof is capable of cleaning a bullet or similar high velocity missile. The term bullet resistant is often preferred since few, if any, practical materials provide complete protection against all types of bullets or multiple hits in the same location.

Such materials are usually rigid, but may be supple. They may be complex, such as Kevlar, Lexan, and carbon fiber composite materials, or they may be basic and simple, such as steel or titanium. Bullet resistant materials are often used in law enforcement and military applications, saving a number of lives.

Q: How Does Body Armor Work? A: Kevlar, one of the most popular ballistic fibers, is a synthetic material developed by DuPont, with about 5 times the tensile strength of steel by weight. When a handgun bullet strikes body armor, it is caught in a web of very strong fibers. These fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet, causing the bullet to deform or mushroom. Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest, until such time as the bullet has been stopped. Q: Is Body Armor Legal to Own? A: Body armor is legal to own in almost all countries. Possession of body armor by a convicted, violent felon in the United States is not allowed, however for everyone else it is 100% legal to own. It is up to you to find out whether or not body armor is legal for you to possess. Q: Who Needs Body Armor? A: Obviously most of our clients have been police, and military personnel (US Marine Corps, US Army, Special Forces, US Air Force, US Navy, etc., etc.) and defence contractors in harm's way. But you might be surprised at the wide range of civilian needs for Body Armor... Residents in high-crime areas who have given serious thought as to the several minutes that will elapse between the sound of glass breaking at 3 a.m., and the arrival of police (regardless of the speed of police response there are unavoidable time lags) Homeowners who have suffered burglaries, or home invasions Security guards and armored car personnel Business or property owners who must provide their own security Convenience store clerks and owners (in fact one of the most dangerous jobs in America) Taxi drivers (and bus and limo drivers) Restaurant or bar owners who must make late-night cash deposits Business owners who must carry large amounts of cash for payrolls, purchasing, auctions, bank deposits, etc. Jewelry store owners and couriers who must carry valuable merchandise Emergency Medical Service personnel (EMS) ATM repairmen (whether or not the ATM is empty, the criminal doesn't know...) Alarm system repairmen who often have to investigate tripped alarms Crime victims or witnesses who fear retribution from criminals, and their accomplices Victims of stalking Attorneys in emotionally charged cases (e.g., divorce, child custody, etc.) Judges Process / subpoena servers Merchant Marine security officers Private boat and yacht owners – piracy has made a comeback on the high seas High-profile individuals, such as actors, who are the recipients of death threats Executive protection personnel / bodyguards Embassy personnel overseas Executives traveling abroad (and, sadly, to some US cities!) Missionaries traveling abroad War correspondents, journalists and photographers in "Hostile Environments" Citizens with relatives overseas in dangerous countries Private investigators Bail bondsmen and bail enforcement agents Auto repossessors Concealed Carry License holders Shooting range personnel and Concealed Carry License instructors Competitive shooters - or ANYONE who uses a public shooting range... Hunters Motorcycle racers, rodeo riders, rodeo clowns (for blunt trauma impact) Persons who perform abortions and have been targeted by anti-abortion activists (we are pro-life in all senses of the phrase 'pro-life', but do not endorse violence) Research Scientists, who use animals are the target of radical "animal-rights" groups Pharmacists (who handle drugs desired by addicts) and finally, sadly, teachers who have received death threats in some of our nation's schools Q: What Sizes are Available? A: Bullet Proof Vests are available in many different sizes. On this site however we are only able to get standard armor sizes (Small - XLarge) for the items available. If you need to acquire something larger then we can provide then we will be able to have it custom made for an additional charge. Q: What is the Deal with Level II - IV Protection? A: The National Institute of Justice has a rating system for body armor (NIJ Standard 0101.03, 0101.04 and the interim 0101.05). As you add layers of a ballistic fiber, such as DuPont Kevlar®, you add protection. Vests are tested not just for stopping penetration, but also for blunt trauma protection – the blow suffered by the body from the bullet's impact on the vest. Blunt trauma is measured by the dent suffered by a soft clay backstop to the vest – a maximum of 1.7" (44 mm) is allowed. Level I - Description: Early generation ballistic fibers, though bulkier, only stop fragmentation and lower velocity pistol ammunitions. This armor will offer excellent protect against .22 Long Rifle Lead Round Nose bullets (40 grain) at a velocity of 1080 fps, and can be effective up to .380 Auto Full Metal Jacket Round Nose bullets (95 grain) at a velocity of 1,055 FPS. This armor is most often used for riot controll and is not reccomended for protection against most small arms fire such as pistols. Level II-A - Description: Level II-A armor will protect against the vast majority of threats encountered on the street. Though you would sustain more blunt trauma injury in these vests than Level II or III-A, this armor is the thinnest and best for concealability and comfort. This armor will offer excellent protect against 9mm Full Metal Jacketed Lead Round Nose bullets (124 grain) at a velocity of 1200 fps, and can be effective up to .40 S&W Full Metal Jacketed bullets (180 grain) at a velocity of 1,055 FPS. This armor is also effective against all threats mentioned in Level I. This armor is reccomended for use in situations where common, small arms pistol fire may be expected, and is the minimal protection reccomended for combat use. Level II - Description: Level II armor is more effective against handling the blunt trauma provided from higher velocity and +P type ammunitions while still providing concealability and comfort that can be worn in day-to-day situations. This armor will offer excellent protect against 9mm +P Full Metal Jacketed Lead Round Nose bullets (124 grain) at a velocity of 1240 fps, and can be effective up to .357 Magnum bullets (158 grain) at a velocity of 1,400 FPS. This armor is also effective against all threats mentioned in Level I, and Level II-A. Level II armor is the most well-rounded armor for situations where the threat of small arms fire may be expected, and is a great balance for combat use. Level III-A - Description: Level III-A armor provides the highest blunt trauma protection rating in soft body armor. This armor will offer excellent protect against 9mm Full Metal Jacketed Lead Round Nose bullets (124 grain) fired from an SMG at a velocity of 1400 fps, and can be effective up to .44 Magnum Lead Semi-Wadcutter (240 grain) at a velocity of 1,430 FPS. This armor is also effective against all threats mentioned in Level I, Level II-A, and Level II. This armor is the best for very high-risk situations to cover even uncommon or unusual threats. Level III-A armor minimizes blunt trauma injury to allow more effective return fire. This armor is reccomended for those who are commonly put into situations where pistol and even Sub Machine Gun fire is an expected threat. [ H a r d A r m o r s ] Level III - Description: Level III plate armor is the serious body armor solution against pistol, SMG and automatic rifle fire. This armor will offer excellent protect against all pistol rounds, and most common rifle rounds, and is effective against .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO) bullets (165 grain) at a velocity of 2,750 FPS. This armor is also effective against all threats mentioned in the Soft Armors Category (Levels I-A - III-A). Type III body armor is clearly intended only for tactical situations when the threat warrants such protection, such as barricade confrontations involving automatic rifles. Level IV - Description: Level IV plate armor is a very serious armor made especially to be effective against armor-piercing rounds. This armor will offer excellent protect against all pistol rounds, and and common rifle rounds, and is effective against .30 Armor Piercing bullets (166 grain) at a velocity of 2,850 FPS. This armor is also effective against all threats mentioned in the Soft Armors Category (Levels I-A - III-A) as well as Level III. This body armor provides the highest level of protection currently available. Because this armor is intended to resist “armor piercing” bullets, it often uses ceramic materials. Such materials are brittle in nature and may provide only single-shot protection, since the ceramic tends to break up when struck. As with Type III armor, Type IV armor is clearly intended only for tactical situations where threats from snipers and heavy fighting are assured. Q: Should I test-shoot my armor? A: No. If you want to test shoot some body armor then you can purchase old test materials for around fifty dollars that you can shoot all you want.

If you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to email us with them before beginning the purchase process. This will ensure that everything goes excactly how it should and you recieve the excact product that you need.