Bullet-proof vest facts for kids
A bullet-proof vest (also called "bulletproof vest", "body armor" or "body armour") is a protective piece of clothing that covers the torso (chest, abdomen, and back) of a person. It protects the wearer from most pistol and revolver bullets and from fragments of explosive devices such as grenades. Bullet-proof vests are worn by police officers, soldiers, security guards, and people who are at risk of being shot (such as the leader of a country).
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How do they work?
Bullet-proof vests contain many layers of tightly-woven fabric such as Kevlar (or hard, strong materials such as ceramic or titanium) which can stop the metal pistol or revolver bullets or metal shell fragments from going into a person's body.
How much protection does a bullet-proof vest provide?
When a bullet hits a bullet-proof vest, the forceful impact of the bullet can seriously hurt the person wearing the vest even if the vest stops the bullet.
A bullet from a strong sniper or machine gun can pierce a bullet-proof vest.
If a bullet hits a body part that the bullet-proof vest does not cover, the bullet can hurt or kill the person wearing the vest.
Types of vests
The bullet-proof vests worn by most police officers and security guards are made with many layers of tightly-woven fabric such as Kevlar.
Bullet-proof vests for soldiers are heavier and stronger than the bullet-proof vests worn by police officers and security guards, because soldiers need protection from rifle and machine gun bullets. Bullet-proof vests for soldiers often have flat pieces of ceramic material or a strong metal such as titanium. These materials can stop bullets from many rifles and machine guns.
Other pages
- Helmet- soldiers and some types of police officers (called tactical police officers) also wear helmets to protect themselves
Images for kids
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The Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV), here in Universal Camouflage Pattern, is issued to U.S. Army soldiers
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Ned Kelly's Ploughboard Ballistic Suit
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Test of a 1901 vest designed by Jan Szczepanik, in which a 7 mm revolver is fired at a person wearing the vest
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World War I German Infanterie-Panzer, 1917
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Testing a bulletproof vest in Washington, D.C. September 1923.
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A Japanese vest, which used overlapping armour plates
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Sn-42 Body Armor
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US Marines being issued the MTV at Camp Foster, Okinawa
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Bulletproof vest with Belgian Malinois as K-9 unit.
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Indonesian Special Police "Brimob" personnel and an officer (left) with bulletproof vests in Jakarta during the 2016 Jakarta attacks
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A level IIIA soft armor low-profile vest
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A Polish SOF member wearing a plate carrier with hard armor plates
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Bomb suit being used in a training exercise
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Metropolitan Police officers supervising World Cup, 2006
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US Marshals wearing tactical plate carriers
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The low-profile configuration of the Plate Carrier Generation III
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Hostage Rescue Team agents
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See also
In Spanish: Chaleco antibalas para niños
