Quote:
|
Originally Posted by jester
I know most bulletproof vests are given a life of 3 to 5 years. And some are considered "used up" when they do stop a bullet. So each time it does its job and you survive you need a new one. That of course is the civilian side which is dictated by lawyers.
However, how many hits could modern combat armor sustain before it looses its effectiveness? I hear the SAPI plates do crack when hit. So how long before your trauma plates are used up?
And then we also have conditions, the old Kevlar we were told was as usefull as carboard when it got wet.
And of course we have the issue of the system sustaining damage. So what happens when it is hit with schrapnel or bullet hits putting holes in it or sections of it get torn or sheared off? And I already mentioned items contaminated with chemical agents so to wear it would give you a constant dose of chemical weapons damage? Or you just have to abandon it, like falling into a river and having to ditch your gear and swim for it, or dropping your armor because you have to climb or do something requiring agility and you can't retrieve it.
|
serious manufactureres of these vests and plates (SAPI) sometimes state that they guarantee the plates fro say 3 hits from 7,62x39 125 gr .fmj at 2300 fps spaced more than 1 " apart .etc etc
I read somewhere on the web that some guys shot up a vest with sapi to see what it could take (pretty expensive proposition -mine plus plates cost like 700 US)
the vest itself stopped a few rounds of the handgun rounds it was supposed to deal with , but the plates took over 40 hits from a 9mm with fmj rounds at something like 50 feet , as well as 4-5 hits from the 7,62 x39 mm without being penetrated.
sadly I cant post a link - I dont remember where I read it .
But the short of it I guess means that if hits are grouped close , the later hits will have an increased chance of penetrating .
I suppose none of the tests were done with steel core chinese /eastern bloc type rounds..