Different Types of Body Armor
Modern tactical vests are comprised of a combination of soft armor, such as soft plate or soft hull armor, and hard armor, such as a hard plate carrier or ironclad vests. Soft armor is often constructed by tightly weaving large polyethylene threads, usually in a series, through the fibers of a heavy gauge soft polymer. High-quality soft armor, such as the plate carrier, is constructed from steel as well. Often, these vests will include a combination of both the soft and hard armor, with the main difference being the amount of flexibility that the hard armor offers vs. the soft armor.
Hard armor, as its name suggests, is built from iron or steel and specifically uses a hard metal core to further increase its strength. Hard armor also undergoes heat treat to create a hard sheen. These plates are usually worn by members of law enforcement or military agencies for use in close-quarter combat situations. Although they are strong and extremely durable, they are unable to withstand a direct impact from firearms fire, or even an impact from an explosive device. Even though this is the case, law enforcement officers and military personnel still utilize their gear for everyday personal protection. As a result, they are still wearing body armor even when participating in tactical exercises and other similar activities.
There are also a number of vests that fall within the spectrum of “soft armor” which are used by members of law enforcement or military agencies for everyday protection. One of these types of vest is the bullet-resistant vest (or a vest). This type of vest not only provides protection from firearms fire and a host of other objects that can damage your body, but it also has an extremely thick layer of padding that reduces the likelihood of being pierced by bullets fired from handheld handguns. Soft armor is a great option for law enforcement and other emergency personnel, because they provide the same level of protection that can be expected from hard armor, but one that does not inhibit movement in the same manner.
