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Body Armor, Description and Law

A bullet-resistant vest (body armor) - is anbullet, further reducing its ability to
article of protective clothes that works as apenetrate.
form of armor to minimize injury from
projectiles fired from handguns, shotguns andWhile a vest can prevent bullet wounds, the
rifles. They are commonly worn by policewearer still absorbs the bullet's energy,
forces, the military and private security andwhich can cause blunt force trauma. The
civilians where legal. However, they aremajority of users experience only bruising,
sometimes worn illegally, by those that thebut impacts can cause severe internal
relevant government refuses to allow bodyinjuries. This is considered to be
armor.unimportant by many, as it seems guaranteed
any bullets or shrapnel with sufficient force
The term "bullet-proof" is a misnomer sinceto cause notable injuries would do more
these vests (depending on their armor level,damage  without  the  vest.
see below) may provide little or no
protection against rifle ammunition or evenMost vests offer little protection against
against handgun ammunition fired from aarrows, ice picks, or stabbing knife blows.
pistol-caliber carbine. The exception is theAs the force is concentrated in a relatively
common .22LR ammunition, which can usually besmall area with such bladed weapons, the tip
stopped by these vests even when fired from aof the object can push through the weave of
rifle. These vests are usually protectivemost bullet-resistant fabrics.
against handgun ammunition fired fromSpecially-designed vests are available that
handguns (once again, depending on theircan provide protection against bladed
armor  level.)weapons, and sharp objects; they are often
used  in  prison-guard  vests.
Vests may be augmented with metal (steel or
titanium), ceramic or polyethylene platesThere are a variety of strategies to achieve
that provide extra protection to vital areas.stab and slash protection. Some materials
These hard armor plates have proven effectivelike Dyneema do offer considerable protection
against all handgun bullets and againstagainst these types of threats. This is
specific rifles using specific ammunition.important for the safety of law enforcement
Normally referred to as tactical body armor,and  prison  guard  personnel.
these types of vests have become standard in
military use, as soft body armor only vestsBulletproof vests are legal in most
are ineffective against most military riflecountries. One exception is Australia, where
rounds. The CRISAT NATO standard for bodybody armor has been prohibited for some time.
armor  specifies the use of titanium backing.This ban may have its origins in the late
19th century, when the iconic Australian
A vest does not protect the wearer byoutlaw and folk hero Ned Kelly used home-made
deflecting bullets. Instead, the layers ofarmor with mixed results. While the steel
material catch the bullet and spread itsarmor worn by Kelly defeated the soft lead,
force over a larger portion of the body,low velocity bullets fired by police Martini
absorbing energy more quickly and hopefullyHenry rifles, it greatly restricted his
bringing it to a stop before it can penetratemovement.
into the body. This tends to deform the



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