Bullet proof jacket, your ideal personal armor

Added: (Tue Jan 19 2010)

Pressbox (Press Release) - A bullet proof jacket is perhaps the most available resistant that is used to prevent bullets and shrapnel from hitting the body. It is mainly used by policemen, military and security forces. The jacket is known in various terms across the globe. The commonly used terms are body armor vest, bullet-resistant vest, bulletproof vest, ballistic vest and so on. They come in different shapes and sizes and have a number of features. One can choose their ideal model according to the needs and the preferences. In most cases, there are soft bullet proof vests and hard bullet proof vests. The former is ideal for bullets from small caliber guns and hand grenades while the latter is more used as protection from automatic rifles, high explosives and so on. In simple terms, the bullet proof jacket protects the wearer by preventing the bullet from hitting. It absorbs the impact of the explosive or the bullet. It is mainly worn in the torso part of the body.

The use of the bullet proof jacket first gained prominence in the late 19th century. It widely came to be used during the First World War and since then it became a popular part of personal armor for the military and defense personnel. Today, more and more advanced form of body armor vests are coming up in the market to cater to the growing demand. They have more sophisticated features and are also not cumbersome unlike the older versions.

Usually, the soft vests are made of a number of layers of laminated and woven fibers which make them resistant against bullets and shrapnel. Compared to these, the hard bullet proof vests have metallic and ceramic plates in them which make them more effective and strong to absorb the impact of the firearms. In fact, the metallic plates also make them resistant to stab or attack from a sharp object.

Soft bullet jacket or body armor vest is more popular among policemen, security personnel and even ordinary citizens while the harder models are mainly used by combat forces, SWAT teams, military personnel, tactical units and so on. In case of an advanced body armor vest, other forms of protective clothing are also added with the usual ones for better prevention and strength. These are mostly used by bomb disposal squads. In fact, helmets and face masks are also used with the jacket to protect the head and the eyes and also the spine.

Usually, the bullet proof jacket consists of a bullet trapping system, the main function of which is to trap the bullet or the shrapnel and absorb the impact to protect them from hitting the body. Advanced body armor vests also have specially designed trauma pads which are made of special fabric material to keep that trauma away from the body and help the wearer withstand the shock. In simple terms, the fiber catches and deforms the bullets and transforms them into the shape of a disc thereby spreading its force over the larger portion of the body. Advanced bullet proof jacket has a third layer for more protection.

Get an idea about bullet proof jacket and body armor vest and buy the right jacket to prevent yourself against bullet wounds.