What are bulletproof vests? Body armor with own hands

Nowadays, many people in extreme situations prefer a bulletproof vest, in abbreviated form - BZ. This device is an element that provides individual protection to its owner. If necessary, you can make a bulletproof vest with your own hands. It is worn as an ordinary waistcoat and protects the human torso from attacks by cold and firearms, as well as the damaging elements of some shells. The composition includes materials that delay and scatter energy bullets and fragments: ballistic fabric, metal or ceramic plates.

Protection classes

Modern armored clothing is divided by the degree of protection into several classes. These standards entered into force on the territory of the Russian Federation in 2014:

• 1st class - protection from weapons of 9x18 mm caliber with steel core;
• 2 nd grade - 9x21 mm gun with lead tip;
• 3rd class - 9x19 mm with steel thermo-resistant tip;
• 4th class - 5.45x39 mm and 7.62x39 mm;
• 5 th grade - 7.62х54 mm;
• 6th grade - 12,7x108 mm.

A big role here is played not only by the caliber of charges, but also by their mass, the speed in flight, the distance from which the shot is fired.

And from the bullet and from the blade

Everyone who decided not to spend money on purchased means of defense, but does not know how to sew a flak jacket with their own hands, you should first of all become familiar with the classification of protective clothing. This is necessary to understand what kind of armored waistcoat you need to stock up in a particular situation.

All bullet-proof vests are divided into two large groups: civilian or police, which are worn by ordinary people and law enforcement officers, and military, intended for servicemen of the armed forces. Before deciding which bulletproof vest you need to make, the prospective owner should study the types of these devices, each of which differs in the degree of protection and type of weapon, the wound from which it is designed to prevent. The most common for an ordinary person are lightweight body armor concealed carrying and light / medium armor outer wear. Such armored jackets are designed to protect from damage by firearms. If you want to make a bulletproof vest from a knife with your own hands, remember that the classes described above will not help to protect yourself from cold weapons. This type of protective clothing is allocated in a special, so-called zero class, providing reliable protection from metal blades.

Lightweight body armor concealed

This kind of bulletproof vest is intended for wearing by civilians and policemen. He is able to stop the pistol bullet, and also withstand the shots of small - caliber automatic weapons. The drawback of this model is that the waistcoat is, in fact, one-time, and after getting into it a bullet it comes into disrepair. Having decided to make such a bulletproof vest with one's own hands, one should take into account the fact that in case of damage it will be necessary to tackle sewing again. Weigh such a product from 700 grams to 8 kilograms. This waistcoat is used mainly by civilians. He is put under his clothes.

Lightweight / medium body armor

This armored vest is able to withstand bullets up to 7.62 mm inclusive, which corresponds to the caliber of the attacking elements of almost all types of firearms. It can withstand more than one shot, which provides the possibility of multiple wearing.

The product is used by the armed forces around the world. It is possible to combine wearing this armor with a backpack. The minimum weight is 2 kilograms, the maximum weight is about 30 kilograms.

What is the body armor made of?

Before you make your bulletproof vest with your own hands, you need to know what materials you should stock up to do in your home environment a product that, in an emergency, will help save human life.

The material, in the case of lightweight and modern models, usually becomes Kevlar, a high-modular reinforcing thread, the manufacture of which was first established in the United States. The disadvantage is the high cost of the material and the ability to withstand only the first three classes of protection: pistols and revolvers.

The heavier models are made on the basis of steel, titanium and other metals. However, the use of metal has its drawbacks. First of all, this is due to the increase in the mass of uniforms, and consequently to the decrease in the mobility of a person.

An alternative to metal can be ceramic armor elements. They are lighter than metal, but heavier than tissue. Due to its strength, ceramics are very common in protective clothing. When deciding to make a bulletproof vest with your own hands, you should pay attention to this material, but remember that special tools are required to process it. Among other things, this bulletproof vest can only be used once, since the repeated hit of the bullet immediately leads to its complete destruction.

What can you make an armored vest at home?

Unfortunately, not always at hand is Kevlar, ceramics or metal, in order to produce a quality armor. It is in this case, many are wondering how to make a bulletproof vest with their own hands, when the materials described above are not available?

To protect from the bullets of the Makarov pistol will help to pack A4 paper. The bullet, freely entering it, does not penetrate the paper through and through. It is enough to sew the usual waistcoat with layers of cloth (original inserts) and fasten in them well-pressed sheets of the above paper. Get a good homemade bulletproof vest that can withstand shots of 9x18 caliber (PM).

To protect yourself against attacks of greater power, you can use a wooden base covering the chest and belly, and coins worth 10 rubles. This combination will help to protect yourself from pistol bullets. Here you need to make 2 layers: the top of the wooden base (will stop the movement of the bullet) and the lower of the tightly fitting coins (finally stop the bullet, which will get stuck between the tree and the coins). For better protection with coins, it is better to coat in 2 or 3 layers. The waistcoat will be reliable, but the person will experience a very sharp pain when the bullet hits, but gets rid of only shock and bruises.

The combination of three layers of coins, steel plates and reinforced yarns will help to avoid injury even from the Saiga carbine. This option will be an ideal body armor.

However, professionals still do not recommend preparing body armor without special training. If a person's life is really in danger, it is better to resort to armored clothes of factory production. Homemade armor, if it is not done in compliance with all the rules and recommendations (which is quite often due to the incompetence of the master), will not be able to protect against injury in the event of a real threat.