Ballistic protection vest! But correctly!

01/18/2016By Redaktion

Beratung Personenschutz Plate Carrier Plattenträger

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Already hundreds of years ago, people were looking for a way to protect themselves from dangers and harmful influences, whether in hunting, in war, or against crime. Body armor has always been made. We all know the image of the knight on a high horse, enveloped in his steel armor or a plate armor. Before that, hides and leather were processed into simple protective clothing, which was nothing more than a very primitive form of a body armor. Today, manufacturers have much better and higher quality materials and production processes at their disposal, and with the wide variety of different models from various suppliers, as a buyer looking for protection, it is easy to lose track. Ballistic body armor is often surrounded by a variety of myths and assumptions. In this article, security consultant Michael Zeitler explains the key points and selection criteria for buying a suitable body armor for individual security needs.

Definition: Ballistic Body Armor

Safety is a feeling - but not just that. There are no bulletproof vests. Laymen often feel "safe" at the thought of wearing a discarded "police vest." However, this fact is more than questionable. More on this below. If anything, there are bullet-resistant vests. We want to stick to the term "Ballistic body armor."

Such a vest protects the wearer up to the specified protection class from the lethal effects of projectiles. And here lies the key statement: As a wearer of body armor, I only receive the chance to survive. However, a vest can never be "bulletproof." Therefore, one should beware of providers and sellers who handle terms like "bulletproof" or "bullet-resistant." These are often unscrupulous sellers with a lack of expertise.

Every Beginning: the Needs Analysis

In order to find a suitable body armor, the personal needs must be determined first. There is no "best vest" or "best protection class". All variations have corresponding advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know what the body armor is needed for, whether it is ballistic protection or even stab protection.

The enormous energy absorbed by the vest upon impact of the projectile still acts against the wearer's body despite high-quality materials. A so-called shock absorber significantly reduces this effect. Blunt trauma and sometimes severe injuries are still not ruled out for a person hit.

Which Protection Class is Needed?

The following questions help in selecting a suitable model:

Do you need the vest for work or personal use?
Do you want to protect yourself only against projectiles or also against stabs?
Which attacks are likely or foreseeable?
Will you wear the vest openly or hidden?
Do you live and reside most of the time within Germany?
Do you regularly travel to crisis or even war zones?
How much money are you willing to spend?

These questions serve as a kind of checklist to narrow down the selection of offered products sensibly. Those working as security personnel have different requirements than others using it for personal use. Those working abroad and especially in crisis areas, such as journalists or reporters, have naturally a higher risk. However, the open carry method is not a problem here, and there are therefore more options to retrofit so-called "hard ballistic inserts" to achieve a higher protection class.

What protection classes are there?

With that, the most important questions for selecting the appropriate protection class should be clarified. In Germany, there are four official protection classes:

Protection Class 1 (SK1): protects against common handgun ammunition
Protection Class 2 (SK2): protects against handgun ammunition with hard core
Protection Class 3 (SK3): protects against rifle ammunition
Protection Class 4 (SK4): protects against rifle ammunition with hard core (image above: SK4 set)

Protection Class 1 is the most commonly used variant and is used, for example, by the police in Germany. It should be mentioned beforehand that a differentiation can be made between the following two categories:

Soft Ballistic (image below)
Hard Ballistic

Ballistic body armor is usually made from aramids. Aramid fibers are characterized by often very high tensile strength and elongation at break. They are also heat and fire-resistant and do not melt at high temperatures. A well-known example is Kevlar, which has been used for decades in the production of protective clothing.

So why hard ballistic, one may ask? In the case of lower protection classes, where only soft ballistic material is processed, projectiles from conventional small arms can usually be stopped. However, when it comes to rifle projectiles (e.g. Kalashnikov), it doesn't look good. For this, additional hard ceramic plates are used. Either in an additional compartment of the body armor cover or in so-called plate carriers (image below) as a stand-alone version.

Open or hidden carry?

The question practically answers itself. If you are not a member of relevant authorities, you should definitely wear the body armor hidden. In addition to the aspect of increased visibility (also towards the police), a potential attacker could otherwise target unprotected body parts. This is not visible when worn concealed.

Note: Under no circumstances should you buy cheap models or so-called "police vests." These are often discarded models. Why is that so? The materials used lose their protective properties after five to ten years. This process is further accelerated by direct exposure to UV light. You should always buy a new ballistic body armor, never used.

It is very important to know that stab protection can only be achieved with additional inserts. A body armor with protection class 1 alone does not protect against attacks with knives or other edged weapons. There are two possibilities for this.

Upgrading Ballistic Body Armor

If ballistic protection against projectiles is the main focus for the wearer, they can first buy an appropriate vest and upgrade it later. It is important to clarify with the dealer before purchase whether upgrading the body armor with stab protection inserts is possible.

Alternatively, one can buy a body armor cover and equip it individually with shock absorbers, e.g. SK-1 inserts, as well as stab protection options. However, this requires a certain level of expertise and experience. Therefore, this option is not recommended if the prospective buyer has never dealt with the topic before.

Compare Different Offers

Now, there is nothing standing in the way of purchasing your body armor. Due to the high acquisition costs in the three to four-digit range, it is recommended to compare offers from different dealers:

Visit dealers in person and get advice based on your individual requirements and needs. Avoid providers or sellers who offer you "police vests" or the like.

Plan a budget of €600 to €800 for ballistic body armor of protection class 1. If you also need hard ballistic or stab protection inserts, it will be correspondingly more expensive.

Once you have chosen a reputable provider, have your size custom-made. Never buy "off-the-shelf" models in standard sizes. Especially with prolonged wearing, it is important that everything fits as it should.

Invest in breathable functional underwear and wear it under the actual vest. Otherwise, there may be uncomfortable skin irritations or rashes.

Safety Note: Never wear the body armor over zippers or buttons! These greatly increase the trauma effect in the event of an incident and can lead to serious (internal) injuries.

Conclusion: Ballistic body armor is a sensible option to protect yourself against armed attacks and threats. Quality always has its price - especially in relation to supposed bargains. Cheap models ("police vests") should be avoided under all circumstances. Question the statements of sellers and if in doubt, contact an expert or knowledgeable person who can advise you on selecting a suitable model. Also, remember that this article cannot replace personal advice on the topic but serves as a guideline.