Body Armor:
· Please NEVER tell the customer that body armor is “Bullet Proof”; instead say that it offers “Ballistic Protection”. NOTHING is bullet proof.
· As of August 1, 2016 Galls made a companywide decision to only sell body armor to Public Safety Professionals. (Law Enforcement, Military, Corrections, Security Officers, etc.) Someone who is retired from one of these professions would only be able to purchase body armor if they are still involved with a department in some way (volunteer, part time etc.). In the state of Connecticut, it is only legal to sell body armor to Law Enforcement.
Vest Components and Vest Information:
· Body Armor consists of several components: Vest Carrier, Ballistic Panels and Straps.
-Vest Carrier: Outer shell
-Panels: Actual Ballistic Protection. Used to help protect against handguns. These go inside of the carrier.
-Straps: This is what holds the vest in place.
-Plates: These are optional and are not usually included in a body armor package. Plates are considered to be a “Trauma Pack”. Plates can be hard or soft and are usually either 8x10 or 10x12. They protect the sternum from blunt force.
· Trauma Plates/Shock Plates: These are not NIJ Certified. They can be hard or soft. Hard trauma plates offer more protection from penetration, such as knives. Hard plates can cause bullets to ricochet. Soft plates are made from the same materials and fibers as the ballistic panel. It slows down the bullet and disperses more of the energy from the bullet than ballistic panel alone.
· Ballistic Plates: NIJ certified. Usually called Rifle or Special threat plates. These go into a separate carrier and are typically 10x11 or larger. They are made of ceramic or steel. They weigh between 4-8 lbs each. These are also known as “Active Shooter Kits”
· Areal Density: The vendor cuts a 1x1 square piece of material and weighs it. This is how the weight of body armor is portrayed. The lower the areal density, the lighter the vest will be.
· Each vest, even the exact same vest can vary in weight because each vest is hand cut. This is also why the lead time on Body Armor is longer.
· Level 112-3A are Concealable Ballistic Vests
· Level 3-4 are Active Shooter kits, Rifle Vests, Trauma Vests and are outer or external vests/carriers.
· External Vest Carriers: Made to enable the wearer to wear their concealable vest on top of their uniform. Their current body armor (Vest and all) go inside the outer vest carrier. *If customer is ordering an external carrier, we do not need their measurements, we need the size of their existing vest, or sizing will be incorrect. An external carrier must be a little larger to compensate for the entire body armor going inside of it.
· Stab Armor: Designed to stop a blade by catching the blade in the fibers. Absorb and dissipates the energy from the blade. Blade Vests or Stab Vests are for commercial vests. Spike Vests are more for shanks. (Corrections)
· Stab/Spike Vests DO NOT offer ANY ballistic protection and Ballistic Vests DO NOT offer stab/spike protection. It is one or the other.
Measuring Body Armor:
· NEVER measure yourself, it is not reliable due to having to twist and contort to take measurements. Usually will end in measurements being too large. Always have someone else take your measurements.
· MEN:
o Chest: Under the arms and at nipple level
o Waist: Above the belt at the navel
o Girth: Around back, below ribs at the thickest/widest part of the body.
o Torso: Measurement should be taken while sitting.
§ Front Torso: First closed button on top of shirt to the top of the duty belt or Sternum to navel.
~~2 Finger Rule: 2 inches above the duty belt when standing.~~
· WOMEN:
o If a woman wears either an A or B cup bra they can order a stock vest. If larger, they need to order a custom vest.
o Chest: Not the Bra Size. This is measured under the arms and at nipple level.
o Nipple to Nipple: Use a ruler, point to point.
~~There are NIJ Ratings Charts on the CS Page you can use to help with body armor questions as well.
~~If you do not know the answer to a question, please don’t guess. Giving incorrect information about body armor could cost someone their life!