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Which
Model of Concealable Vest Should I Get?
- see our Vest Selection Page
- What
PROTECTION LEVEL should I get?
- What
about RIFLE protection?
- How
COMFORTABLE are vests?
- How
CONCEALABLE are vests?
- I'm
on a budget, what is the least expensive, GOOD protection?
- How
good is POLICE SURPLUS?
- Can
I TEST SHOOT my vest?
- Why
should I buy from BulletProofME?
- What
is your GUARANTEE?
- Printed
CATALOG?
- How
do I ORDER?
- SHIPPING
- How fast / How much?
- Is
it legal for CIVILIANS to buy Body Armor?
- WHOLESALE
orders?
- EXPORTS?
- Do
you offer special DISCOUNTS?
- AIRPLANE
FLIGHTS with my Body Armor?
- PACKING
Ceramic Rifle Plates?
1. What level of protection should I get?
Do you need
protection from pistol threats or rifle threats? Soft
Kevlar vests stop pistol and Fragmentation threats, but it takes a rigid
Rifle Plate to stop a rifle bullet.
For handgun protection
it is important to know that Level II-A, Level II and Level III-A all stop the overwhelming
majority of PISTOL projectiles you are ever likely to encounter (plus
12 gauge, OO buckshot), and also to know that NO
vest is ever 100% ‘bulletproof’ under ALL conceivable circumstances.
There is always
a tradeoff between more protection and wear-ability or concealability
- so the level of protection chosen is a personal choice. Better to
get a lower protection level that you will wear consistently, than the
highest protection that isn't worn! The best vest for you
is the one you are actually wearing when shot!
- Level II-A generally
~4 mm thick
- Level II generally
~5 mm thick
- Level III-A generally
~8 - 10 mm thick
The biggest difference
between Levels is the amount of blunt trauma impact protection. Ballistic
details at Ballistic Protection Levels...
- Level II-A
might be the best choice if thinness, comfort and concealability are
the most important factors, e.g., if wearing for long periods, or with
a lot of movement.
- Level II
is often worn by police officers. A great balance between blunt trauma
protection, versus cost, and thickness / concealability / comfort. What
we recommend most often...
- Level III-A
is a little thicker, stiffer, heavier and more expensive, but will stop
more of the uncommon pistol threats, for example, it is tested for 9mm
sub-machine-gun and .44 Magnum. Plus it gives you more blunt trauma
impact protection – possibly better to return fire in a gunfight.
- Stab-Resistant
vests are available, but we generally do not recommend the added
cost unless there is a significant knife threat. Why? Not that we don't
like to sell our more expensive vests – but Stab-Resistance makes
the vest a little heavier and thicker and significantly stiffer, and
therefore less comfortable and concealable.
Secondly a
regular ballistic vest does offer some knife
protection from slashing attacks. You can also upgrade regular ballistic
vests with Stab Resistant Inserts.
2. What about protection from RIFLES ?
The much higher
velocity of rifle rounds requires HARD Body Armor Rifle Plates –
Level III or Level IV Ballistic Steel, Ceramic or Polyethylene
- usually ~10" by 12" (~25 by 30 cm.) and generally from 4 to 9 lbs
(1.8 - 4.1 kg.) per plate to cover the Chest and / or Back (that's 8
to 18 lbs. Front & Back)
SOFT Body Armor
vests only offer pistol, Fragmentation, and shotgun protection (birdshot
and buckshot, but NOT shotgun slugs). Even doubling up TWO Level III-A
soft vests would NOT stop a rifle bullet!
Rifle Plate information...
3. How COMFORTABLE are vests?
Very comfortable
- unless it gets hot! You usually don't notice an extra 3 - 5 lbs. of
weight all that much, and vests don't restrict freedom of movement very
much (if fitted properly), BUT...
Heat buildup is
always a problem in the summer. No vest on earth can honestly claim
to be comfortable when it is hot and / or you are exercising and sweating
hard. The thickness of the ballistic panel insulates you, and the waterproofing
of the ballistic panel simply prevents effective cooling through the
vest.
So, in a very hot
environment, you might want to leave a gap on the sides for extra ventilation
when we size
you, and accept only partial side protection.
We strongly recommend
at least one of our 'Sweat-Wicking
Undershirts to keep you drier and cooler. It accomplishes this by
wicking sweat away literally 3 times faster than a cotton shirt. When
the sweat has been "wicked" to the edge of the vest it can
then evaporate.
If you are in a
police cruiser, our Vest AC will cool you down FAST, see:
Vest Accessories
As a last resort,
wear your vest on the outside. This makes ventilating under the vest
with outside air MUCH easier. You do sacrifice the concealment of the
vest, thus letting the bad guys know to aim for the head or hips - but
it's preferable to not wearing a vest at all. Make sure the color
or your vest matches the color of your uniform.
4. How CONCEALABLE are vests?
It really depends
on your body type, your clothing – and that the vest fits you properly.
That's why we take the time to fit you properly, and have a Satisfaction
Guarantee.
Vests are only roughly
0.25" thick (6mm) so just a shirt can cover it up nicely if the
shirt is loose, and not too thin. A thin dress shirt may need a T-shirt
over the vest to conceal well. A sweater, or suit-jacket makes it easy.
Rifle Plates are
generally an extra 0.5" to 0.75" thick (6 - 25 mm) and thus
require a jacket, sweater, Battle Dress Uniform, etc., etc. to conceal.
COLOR
The short answer
is that the color of a concealable vest usually doesn't matter at all.
If your shirt is so thin that the color shows through, then the vest
will be printing through the light fabric anyway.
If you have open
buttons at the collar, you might want a White vest - so if it does peek
out, it looks like an undershirt. On the other hand, if
you might have to throw a vest on after dark, on top of clothes, then
a darker color is preferred.
5. I'm on a budget, what is the least expensive, GOOD protection?
Level II-A is adequate (and may be the best choice if concealment,
light weight and/or comfort is the first priority over more blunt trauma
protection). We usually recommend our Police Surplus as the best value for those on
a budget, ~$190 and up.
We also offer our
brand-new ProMAX
Body Armor...
6. How good is Police Surplus?
In ballistic tests
used armor tests as good
as new according to National Institute of Justice research. Kevlar®
is good for many, many years as the NIJ research, and our tests, show.
You will have to
replace the elastic in the outershell carrier somewhat sooner, and you
might wear out the carrier quicker.
7. Can I TEST SHOOT my vest?
Not a good idea
as you would weaken your vest so it will not work as well in a real
life shooting, and could fail for shots close together.
To feel better about
your protection, read up on the ballistic
testing that is done on vests, see the photos of some of our tests
of Police Surplus and then read about some folks
who got shot wearing our armor....
8. Why should I buy from BulletProofME?
Glad you asked –
we have a whole page to list all
the reasons!
Briefly, we offer
quality protection at a competitive price – without flash or gimmicks.
What sets us even further apart is responsive service.
We
treat our customers as we would like to be treated.
We care that
you end up satisfied.
We back it all up
with our ‘Bulletproof’ GUARANTEE of Satisfaction below... Check out
our extremely high customer satisfaction ratings at PublicEye.com...
or hear what a few of our customers say...
9. What is your GUARANTEE?
Simply
put, we want you to be happy:
If you are not
completely satisfied with your retail purchase we will CHEERFULLY do our best
to make you happy.
We will send you a 100%
refund, less shipping charges, OR exchange to your satisfaction, your choice.
TWO
EXCEPTIONS:
1) We reserve the right
to charge a restocking fee of 5%, to cover out of pocket costs incurred when
an order is canceled on customer's request.
2) Ceramic Rifle Plates
are subject to a 20% restocking fee, as these must be closely inspected for
abuse/damage.
To return a product
you must:
1) Contact us by
phone or email within 14 days of delivery, to tell us what corrective action
is needed, and get a Return Authorization Number emailed to you with shipping
instructions. We need to understand how and why the product didn't work for
you, and exactly what corrective action is needed,
AND
2) Ship the product
back to us in a re-salable condition, within 21 days (pack rigid items with
a LOT of cushioning, and ship INSURED).
This Guarantee of Satisfaction
does NOT apply to discounted, quantity orders, or Custom, Special, or Made-to-Order
items not normally stocked. If your order is Custom / Special / Made-to-Order,
we will always let you know BEFORE you approve your order via email. Of course
the applicable Manufacturer Warranty still applies. This Guarantee is part
of our Legal Terms of Sale.
10. Printed CATALOG?
Sorry, we
don't publish a printed CATALOG (specifications, products and prices change
too quickly).
This
website is our CATALOG. For information on how to print
out our online Catalog on your computer.
11. How do I Order?
12.
Shipping - How fast / How much?
Details
here...
13. Is it legal for civilians to buy Body Armor?
In general, yes
- for law-abiding folks. A felony conviction makes possession of Body
Armor illegal under federal law
and in many states.
We have had civilian
clients with many different civilian
needs for Body Armor so we understand the need for vests for
civilians. Our policy is to only sell to law-abiding
adults who have a lawful purpose for Body Armor. (A parent or guardian
may buy for a minor with a legitimate need.)
Residents of
Connecticut are prohibited from buying Body Armor unless the
sale is face to face (or unless the buyer is a police officer, Police
Department, or military). We can't ship to Connecticut, or even accept
credit cards billed there...
We
cannot ship to residents of Connecticut
who are not police or military.
Some states are
considering new legislation to prohibit or restrict sales of Body Armor
to civilians, e.g., New
York. If you are in a state that passes such a law, you would
be well advised to make your Body Armor purchase now before it becomes
much more expensive and inconvenient, if not prohibited altogether.
14. Wholesale orders?
Contact
us for quantity pricing on 10 or more units of one item.
15. Exports?
Shipping Level III and
IV RIFLE Plates outside the US requires a U.S.
State Department export permit which can take 3 weeks to 2 months, generally
at least a month. Please plan your purchases accordingly.
Level II-A, Level II and
Level III-A Body Armor generally does NOT require a Bureau
of Industry & Security export license to most countries.
To check
on Body Armor regulations in your country, or estimate import duties and taxes
into your country, please consult your government.
16. Discounts?
We strive
to put our best price up-front on the website for small quantities.
We do offer 5% to 10% discounts for 10 or more units in one order for
most of our products (2% or 7% discount if paid credit card). Call or
email
for quotes on large quantities.
17. Flying with Armor?
At the US Transportation
Security Administration, Body Armor is NOT on the list of prohibited
items. But they also say:
"The prohibited
and permitted items list is not intended to be all-inclusive and
is updated as necessary. To ensure everyone's security the screener
may determine that an item not on this chart is prohibited."
So you can carry
your armor onto the plane to ensure that you have it when you arrive
- but with possible security hassles given the track record of the
TSA...
OR
...do you want to put your armor in your checked luggage, and avoid
possible security hassles, but at a higher risk of lost bags, damage
or theft in transit, etc., etc.
If you want to
carry-on we suggest:
-
bring
your professional credentials
-
get
to the screening checkpoint with plenty of time to spare, just in
case the security screeners have a problem with your armor, and
-
have
the appropriate materials to pad and protect your Rifle Plates,
just in case they request that you check your armor in baggage.
18. How Do I Pack Ceramic Rifle Plates?
Outside of bleach,
ultraviolet light, and heat or chemical abuse, it is quite difficult
to hurt SOFT Body Armor. On the other hand, Ceramic Rifle
Plates, while they are designed to take sharp impacts from the front,
are potentially vulnerable to fractures from sharp impacts to the
sides or corners.
So, when packing,
be careful to:
-
pack in a sturdy container
-
each
plate should be individually bubble wrapped - wrapping inside
your vest "burrito style" is also a good idea.
-
all
items must be securely cushioned at least 2" from box edges, or
4" from suitcase edges, so if the container takes a nasty
hit the plates have some cushioning
When flying
a potential problem is that your careful packaging may be disturbed
by an airline or TSA inspector who opens your suitcase and does
not repack it properly. When checking plates on a flight, be sure
that your Ceramic Rifle Plates are in a protective container that
can be easily accessed to verify the safety of the item for security
purposes, and also easily repackaged to prevent damage after repacking.
A "FRAGILE" sticker or notation might help too.
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Bullet
Proof
ME
Body
Armor
