What to look for when buying Body Armour

• Decide on ballistic threat and stick to it.
Eg. The Vest must stop a specific 9mm x 19 FMJ at a given velocity with less than a
specific degree of trauma.
• How many hits the Vest must stop in a given area.
• Specify the degree of minimum body coverage for a specific garment size.
Eg. The FBI specifies for their Tactical Vest Model 629-SWAT-1 that for a Large
Regular Size, the ballistic panel both front and back will provide a minimum 700 square inches (0.42m_ ) of total protection. (Total area 0.904m_)
• Compare actual sizes from various armour manufacturers.
“A” sells his Medium Regular Vest for $450.
“B” sells his Medium Regular Vest for $500.
“A’s” armour has a protection area of 0.375 sq m (=$1,200.00 per sq m)
“B’s” armour has a protection area of 0.500 sq m (=$1,000.00 per sq m)
“B’s” armour is actually better value for money than “A’s”, as the protected body area by “B” is 25% larger than “A’s” for approximately 10% extra cost.
• Control your own testing.
Have your own tests conducted by an approved laboratory.
Ask for copies of test certificates and check with testing authority.
Do not rely on data provided by the manufacturer.
• Check the armour content.
What materials are used in the armour?
How many layers and type of fibres and weave type?
Is the fabric waterproofed? (Non waterproofed fabric is considerably cheaper.)
Note distances of box stitching if used.
• Has the armour a strike face that must face the threat?
If yes, check why.
There can be a danger if the armour panel is worn the wrong way.
• Ask for trade references and check them.
Are they for the Vest type you are looking for?
• Accreditation to Quality Standards.
Is the issuing body internationally accredited?
• Accreditation by one of the fibre manufacturers.
This entails very stringent quality controls by the fibre manufacturer over the anti-
ballistic fabric used.
• Do random sample testing (5-10%) of all Vests delivered by manufacturer.
The simple fact is that on a large order, eg. 1,000 Vests, leaving out one layer of material or substitution with another material can result in a considerable saving to the manufacturer.
• Ask for a copy of product liability insurance policy.
Check if underwriter is a reputable insurer, that the policy gives the cover you want and is current. If overseas manufacturer, is the policy valid in Australia?