Defeating the Bulletproof Vest

An article in The National Interest (May 5, 2018) 5 Ways to Get a Bullet through a 'Bulletproof' Vest discussed ways of defeating body armor. Modern concealable body armor ("bulletproof vests") are very effective at stopping bullets fired from handguns from penetrating them, but this does not mean that an adversary wearing concealable body armor can't be defeated.

One recommendation is to shoot for the pelvic region. While I do agree that the pelvis is a viable target, it must be understood that there are no organs or structures inside the area commonly known as the pelvic region that are responsible for Central Nervous System function. To medically stop a threat, we need to incapacitate them.  Incapacitation of the human body occurs in one of two ways, destructive trauma to the central nervous system which results in life function/consciousness failure or significant blood loss that leads to life function/consciousness failure.

To immobilize a threat we have to sever or collapse a load bearing structure, shatter bone and injure supporting muscle groups to the point that the threat is unable to stand and/or move. Can a bullet shatter bone?  Absolutely if bone is struck it can break and shatter bone, but this is far from guaranteed (it’s also likely the bullet will punch through the pelvic bone without shattering it). Can a bullet destroy a muscle's ability to operate?  Absolutely, in fact this is more likely than bone destruction, though of the two, bone destruction is more likely to cause immobilization.

Heavier bullets, .45ACP, 10mm, .44 Magnum will be more effective than 9mm, .38 Spcl, when making pelvic region shots.

The Mozambique Drill has a shooter fire two shots center of mass on a target and follow up with a shot to the head. This is an excellent drill to practice. Make it a habit to follow up each of your shooting strings with a head shot.

Note too that while concealable body armor protects the front and back of the wearer, the sides may be unarmored, and there is no ballistic armor in the armpit area.

Ballistic armor can often be defeated with non-firearm weapons such as crossbows. Although, heavier soft armor and hard plates can defeat bolts and arrows as well.

So, if you find yourself in a gunfight against someone wearing concealable body armor, your handgun bullets are unlikely to penetrate the armor, but you can defeat the armor by focusing your shots on the head and the pelvis.

 

Operating in Hostile and Non-Permissive Environments:
A Survival and Resource Guide for Those Who Go in Harm’s Way

 



Military personnel deployed to a combat area, their supporting contractors overseas, government civilian employees overseas, non-government organizations (NGOs), journalists working on international stories, businesses attempting to establish a foothold in developing countries, and individual travelers to remote areas of the world can all find themselves in hostile and non-permissive environments. This guide covers a broad range of subjects that are intended to aid individuals, living and working in dangerous areas, in being safer in their daily lives and in being better able to protect themselves and survive in case of an emergency, disaster, or hostile action.