Bullet Proof Vest, Personal Body Armor & Military Surplus Shop

Searching for the right bulletproof vest can sometimes be a daunting task.  With so many companies selling body armor and the different types of materials being used to make the vests, you can sometime get overwhelmed with the decision-making process.  For instance, there are vests made from Kevlar, Spectra Shield, Dyneema with ratings of Type I, II, and IV. 

To start the process of selecting a bulletproof vest, you should first determine the rating that your need.  Currently, there are six ratings that the National Institute of Justice uses to signify the protection specific body armor affords.  Below, you can examine the protection a Type IIIA rated vest provides.

Type IIIA Bulletproof Vests

For body armor to have a rating of Type IIIA, the National Institute of Justice requires that vests stop the following bullets:

• .22LR – A long rifle lead round nose bullet with a caliber of .22 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1050 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 40 gr.
• .380ACP – A full metal jacket round nose bullet with a caliber of .380 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 95 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose 9mm bullets, which impacts the vest at a minimum velocity of 1090 feet per second and a nominal mass of 124gr.
• .40 – Full metal jacket .40 S&W bullets that impact at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second and a nominal mass of 180 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets that impact at a velocity of 1,175 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .357 – Magnum jacketed soft bullets with a caliber of .357 that impact at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 158 grams.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets with a caliber of 9mm, impacting at a velocity 1,400 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .44 – Magnum jacketed hollow point bullets with a caliber of .44, impacting at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and a nominal mass of 240 grams.

Type IIIA rated body armor is the highest rated concealable vests that are available on the market.  These bullet proof vests can be worn for daily use and full protection.

Once you have determined the proper rating you require for your bulletproof vest, you should then search for the material and manufacturer that you would like to purchase.  Once you have found the right vest, make sure that it fits your properly so that it can properly protect you from the potential dangers.  You can locate a large selection of body armour products at www.bulletproofvestshop.com