The sciences of ballistics and body armor go hand in hand when dealing with the subject of personal protection. The history of bullets is parallel to the history of firearms and the means of preventing a fatality if one is ever hit. Around the late Middle-Ages, Filippo Negroli, an Italian armourer renowned for his skills with fashioning steel, was commissioned by Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, to create the first bullet-proof apparel. Filippo became even more famous as several esteemed clients approached him to make more bullet-proof armor.However, as time passed, it became apparent that these body armors were more of a nuisance in battle rather than protection. It proved a little too heavy for soldiers to wear, and at the same time, it bogged down movement and agility. As firearms became even more powerful, it ultimately rendered all types of body armor inefficient and was discarded as the passage of years continued.
In the 1860′s, when the French went to war against Korea, Heungseon Daewongun ordered the production of soft ballistics vests to counter the increasing threat of invasion from western armies. These were sewed with thirty layers of thick cotton and were used most effectively. As the years passed, Korea also became embroiled in a war against the US, which led to the former sending an expeditionary force against the latter. The US managed to capture one of these vests and took it back for study. It forced the US to research new ideas for ballistics protection and to try to improve upon the bulletproof cotton.
In the 1880′s an Arizona man Mr. Goodfellow started playing with silk for use in bulletproof clothing. He created prototypes that used woven jackets sewn with 30 layers of silk instead of cotton, which was very similar to Gambesons. This design was significantly more effective than the design made of cotton.
Using the research from Goodfellow, Zeglen from Illinois developed and marketed bulletproof jackets that cost apx 800 dollars in 1914. This was recognized all over the works and was proven to be successful at saving lives. As many years passed firearms became super powerful and more development was needed to combat high velocity bullets. The vests eventually became obsolete at weapons and bullets technology advanced.
As World War 2 exploded into world history, the different armies of opposing countries developed flak jackets for protection against shrapnel and other dangers. They were designed for Air force crewmen but not for ground troops as it did little to stop high impact bullets. A few models, based upon the design of flak jackets, were experimented and improved upon by the Japanese but these designs were in rare use. The soviets also manufactured designs of their own but incorporated the use of steel plates sewn on top of the vests.
Towards the end of WW2, the USA created its new body armor very similar to the Soviets but with a protective material plat of laminate fiberglass. This resulted in efficient life saving in the Battle of Okinawa. Several years later, during the Korean War, the jacket was re-engineered once again to reduce the overall weight. The results of this trial did not stop bullets so they were back to square one. As years progressed, the platings were modified enough for people to start using them to a great extent. The provided police officers and riot officers the needed bullet resistant clothing to be safe at work.
The 1970′s was a great time for bulletproof technologies. Personal safety for citizens and law enforcement took a huge jump in advancements. A product by the name of Kevlar was introduced by Stephanie Kwolek. Kevlar was realized as the potential ingredient in making bulletproof clothing that actually worked. It was created for commercial use but the USA military seen its potential. This fiber was introduced and eventually integrated in the NIJ program of evaluation for lightweight concealable bulletproof clothing. It was determined that it should be manufactured into a bulletproof clothing line so military troops and police officers could wear it everyday and still remain comfortable.
As the years pass, new designs and technologies have been introduced and most have been improved. There has been a recent increase in modern urban crime situations and personal protection is becoming more and more important. One is tempted to lock himself away from these dangers but that is not the way to live. Bulletproof vests can provide the wearer with the confidence needed to walk around his/her neighborhood withour worrying about shootings.
