What are bulletproof vests? Body armor with own hands

Nowadays, many people in extreme situationsprefer a flak jacket, abbreviated - 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 vest 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-proof 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

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

All bullet-proof vests are divided into two large groups: civilian or police officers, which are used by ordinary people and law enforcement officials, and military, intended for servicemen of the armed forces. Before deciding which bulletproof vests to do by yourself, 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 outfit is allocated in a special, so-called zero class, providing reliable protection from metal blades.

Lightweight body armor concealed

This type of body armor is designed to be worncivilians and policemen. He is able to stop the pistol bullet, as well as to 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 outerwear

This armored vest is capable of withstanding bulletsup to 7.62 mm inclusive, which corresponds to the caliber of the attacking elements of almost all types of firearms. It is capable of withstanding more than one shot, which provides the possibility of multiple wearing.

The product is used by the armed forces all over 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 are bulletproof vests made of?

Before you make your body armorhands, you need to know what materials should be stocked, to make at home a product that in an emergency situation will help save human life.

Material, if it is a question of facilitated andmodern models, as a rule, becomes Kevlar - a high-modulus reinforcing thread, the production of which was first established in the United States. The disadvantage is the high cost of 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 ceramicarmored elements. They are lighter than metal, but heavier than tissue. Due to its durability, ceramics are very common in protective outfits. When deciding to make a bulletproof vest with your own hands, you should pay attention to this material, but remember that special devices are required for its handling. Among other things, such bulletproof vest can be used only once, since the repeated hit of the bullet immediately lead to its complete destruction.

What can be made of 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 body armor with your own hands, when the materials described above are not available?

Makarov's guns will help to protect himselfpacking of 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 matter (original inserts) and fasten in them well-pressed sheets of the above mentioned paper. Get a good homemade bulletproof vest that can withstand shots of 9x18 caliber (PM).

To protect against attacks of greater power, you canuse a base of wood, covering the chest and stomach, 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 that sticks 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 a 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 withoutspecial training to manufacture body armor. 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.