In short, yes you CAN. However we do not think you SHOULD. Don’t do it because you can never be sure what kind of stress the bulletproof vest has been through and you have no guarantee it works any more.
Can I buy a second hand bulletproof vest?
What is the price of a bulletproof vest?
It depends a lot on which type of ammunition it is required to protect against and which options for customization and accessories you need. Protection Group Danmark offers these bulletproof vests and use our sizeguide to find out which one suits you the best.
Which bulletproof vests are used by the military and police?
Police and military do not share what types of bulletproof vests they use with the public. This is obviously a matter of safety.
What is the best bulletproof vest?
Basically the best bulletproof vest is the one that protects you when you need it. Which vest would be the best for you depends on things like:
- What type of ammunition is it required to protect against?
- Does it have to be bulletproof, stab proof or both?
- How heavy is it?
- How does the vest fit your body?
- Which accessories are available and fits with your bulletproof vest?
- What is the price?
The level of quality can vary drastically if you buy cheap bulletproof vests from untrustworthy countries. Bulletproof vests from Protection Group Danmark are made in Denmark and Europe to ensure the highest level of quality. We recommend you stick with recognized brands from trustworthy manufacturers. Saving a few bucks is not worth risking your life over.
How does a bulletproof vest work?
The common belief is that a bulletproof vest works by deflecting the bullet. This is not accurate.
A bulletproof vest is made from several layers of material. The purpose is for the layers to catch the bullet and absorb its energy to distribute the force over a larger surface area. This enables our body to withstand the impact. The user will still have to endure the entire force from the hit, but by distributing the force over a larger area, will only suffer minor damage and bruises instead of being penetrated by the bullet.
What does bulletproof even mean?
No bulletproof vest is capable of protecting against all kinds of rounds. Instead some bulletproof vests protect against certain types of rounds while others are capable of protecting against other types of projectiles and fragments.
It’s a common misunderstanding that bulletproof vests are capable of protecting against knives, arrows and armor-piercing projectiles. They simply do not, as these will penetrate the layers in a regular bulletproof vest. For threats like these you need specific products for each one.
The American standard for specifying which product handles what threat is made and handled by the National Institute of Justice and is called the NIJ standard.
Bulletproof vests from Protection Group Danmark qualify NIJ level 3A and can be upgraded to level 4.
What are bulletproof made from? When was it invented?
There are 2 main materials for body armor.
UHMWPE
The first material is UHMWPE which is an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, which is a chemical polymerization process in which monomers are converted to polymers. UHMWPE is VERY strong versus its weight, and has a high resistance to both ballistic, sharp edged and pointed instruments. UHMWPE is not only used in bullet proof and stab proof vests, but also in clothing, fishing lines, cut resistant gloves, aircraft containers, sports equipment, clothes, etc.
Dyneema from DSM
Dyneema is one of the most used polyethylene materials in bullet proof vests and according to DSM itself, Dyneema is up to 15 times stronger than steel, and 40% stronger than aramid fibers when considering the weight versus the strength. DSM has many different Dyneema fibers, which all have different properties.
Aramid
Aramid is a synthetic fiber that was created back in the 1960s by Stephanie Kwolek. The fiber is known especially from Dupont Kevlar, which were the first company with a commercial version for bullet proof vests, followed by Twaron from Teijin. Aramid is used in bullet proof vests and stab proof vests, as the material is very strong and flexible, and has proven to be stable and safe after many years of use.
Is it illegal to wear a bulletproof vest?
In most countries it is legal even for civilians to wear a bulletproof vest in public. The specific rules differ from country to country however. We always suggest checking up on your own specific country of residence.