Bullet Proof Clothing – The Real Facts About Body Armor
Rangesuits and loadings suits are used for military, police and even personal applications. Some of the most common items in a bundle suit or loadings suit are hard armor plates, hard hats, protective shields, bullet resistant vests, and protective headgear such as facemasks, helmet covers, gas masks, goggles, gloves, boots and pants. Soft armor is used for protection from impact trauma, especially by police officers and soldiers. Soft armor is generally used for lighter loads, because it doesn’t provide as much protection as its hard-armored counterpart. For example, although it offers about one-third the stopping power of a hard armor level, a soft armor will still stop bullets fired at close range by an assailant on a close range battle scenario.
Rangesuits and loadings suits have several different materials that are used in the manufacturing process. One type of material is what is called “kevlar fibers.” “Keltic” refers to a type of coarse knife-grind material. Most range suits and dress uniforms, especially the British version, use this type of material because it is easier to work with and can withstand the impact of more pressure than “kevlar fibers.” Other types of material that are sometimes used are “tactop” plate carrier, which is another name for a hard plate carrier; “metric mesh,” which is the term used for Kevlar fibers; and “carbon fiber,” which are a high-density polyester that has tiny holes in it to let the bullet pass through it, preventing a piercing hit on soft body armor.
Soft armor has a few advantages over hard armor. It is lighter, which makes it easier to propel through the air. It also travels more slowly than a hard armor level, which means a faster kill distance. Since it is not bulletproof, soft armor is less effective against high-powered firearms and energy weapons like laser rifles and plasma cutter/propelled grenades. However, in close-quarter combat with an assailant armed with a large weapon, a soft armor level will do little to defend itself and should be backed up by at least two items of hard armor.
