What is Body Armor?

By: Alex De Mostafa

Body Armor is a protective covering worn over the torso usually in the form of a vest. Body Armor is also commonly known as ballistic vest or bullet proof vest and it protects the user from the impact of any type of gun fire or explosive projectiles and fragments. The Body Armor are normally available in two kinds; the soft type and the hard type. Soft Body Armor are made out of layers of very tightly woven special fibers which are capable of protecting the user from bullets fired by using a shotgun or a handgun. These vests also protect the wearer from shrapnel from hand grenades and are usually worn by the police force and private guards. The hard type Body Armor uses ceramic plates or metal plates to reinforce a soft vest which gives it the ability to protect the wearer from high impact rifle shots as well. The hard type Body Armor is somewhat heavier and us normally used by combat soldiers on an army in many countries and by armed rapid action police forces in some countries while dealing with insurgency.

The Body Armor is usually called bullet proof vest but the term ‘bullet proof’ is a much misused terms and a misnomer. The Body Armor in its soft avatar which is ineffective in providing any protection against rifle shots or even shots from a pistol grade carbine. This soft Body Armor is capable of protecting a person from rifle shots only if the .22 LR ammunitions have been used. However these are usually protective enough for normal handgun shots fired from a handgun and hence the name ‘bullet proof’.

The actual so called bullet proof Body Armor are the hard type and usually reinforce the soft vests with steel or titanium or polyethylene or ceramic plates which provide the extra protection usually required for vital organs. These hard types Body Armor are capable of protecting the wearer against all type of handgun bullets and most of the rifle fire power.

James Pratt writes on topics such as Body Armor and Body Armor for Tactical Gears Visit What is Body Armor?.