News

The short answer is “it depends.” The question itself requires a bit of nuance, as there are several things that qualify as a “bulletproof vest” and not all of them are rated to stop an AK-47. The question shouldn’t even be “can a bullet proof vest stop an AK-47.” Rather, it should be “what kind of vest can stop a 7.62x39?”

Currently, there are several firearms which use the AK-47’s 7.62x39mm round. While the most famous of these is the AK-47 itself, this Soviet round is also found in certain variants of the CZ 805 BREN, IWI Galil ACE, SKS, Robinson Armament XCR, and even AR platform rifles. If a particular vest can stop a round from a Galil, it’ll stop a round from an AK-47 just as well. 

The appended “x39” to the AK-47’s ammo designation is important to distinguish it from the 7.62x51mm NATO and the 7.62x54mm Russian rounds. Some sites erroneously state that the AK-47 shoots full-sized rifle cartridges like the 7.62x51mm NATO when in fact, the Soviet rifle uses 7.62x39mm Soviet ammo.

When it comes to the issue of protection, not every type of body armor is guaranteed to stop the 7.62x39. For example, the Level IIA and IIIA soft armor vests typically used by personal protection officers and police are normally only rated for pistol rounds, vulnerable to anything larger than a .44 magnum. 

For example, in 2022, a Las Vegas metropolitan police officer was killed while investigating a domestic violence incident. The suspect was using an AK pistol chambered in 7.62x39mm, which defeated his body armor and tragically ended his life. 

In the same way, the US military’s flak jacket – a Vietnam era relic that might pass as modern body armor in the developing world – was never meant to protect soldiers against direct enemy fire. This 10-pound vest, twice as heavy as a modern IIIA vest, could not even stop large caliber pistol rounds which modern soft armor can do with ease. Accurate fire from even a poorly maintained SKS would kill a Vietnam-era soldier in full kit. 

An extremely unsafe test of a bulletproof plate against an AK-47.

Only Level III and Level IV plates can stop rifle rounds of any kind. These plates are made of rigid materials like steel or ceramic materials blended with aramid fibers and bonded with resin. The resulting material is a hard but lightweight plate capable of defeating intermediate rifle rounds at Level III such as the 5.56x45mm, 7.62x39, and 7.62x51mm NATO, while Level IV plates are rated for larger caliber rounds such as the .30-06 AP, also known in the military as the M80. 

No longer issued flak vests, modern US military personnel are equipped with IBA and IOTV armor. These modern protective vests are built to be used together with Level III and Level IV plates, meaning they are resistant to most enemy small arms calibers .30-06 and below. 

Sergeant Joseph Morrissey, who deployed with the 82nd Airborne to Afghanistan in 2012, was on the receiving end of a five-round burst of AK-47 fire delivered from only 30 yards away. He was back on patron in just 48 hours, since his IBA was outfitted with life-saving plates of rigid armor. 

BulletSafe sells both soft IIIA vests for pistol caliber threat as well as top of the line Level IV plates for the highest levels of small arms protection. 

Some people who are new to body armor might be confused about the differences between all the different levels. Some might assume that as long as they’re wearing body armor of any kind, they should be safe against all types of bullets. Others assume that Level IIIA armor is more powerful than Level III armor because the added letter makes it seem that way. Both these assumptions are wrong.

Bulletproof protection levels are determined by the National Institute of Justice, which subjects vests to rigorous testing to determine their resistance. While any company can claim to make bulletproof materials, the NIJ will determine if the user will still be alive after being shot, by measuring the amount of back face deformation. A “dent” in a vest is acceptable, but too much deformation will punch deep into a victim’s chest cavity to the point of death. Just because a bullet is stopped does not mean the vest is a life saver.

In the world of bulletproof vests, the NIJ classifies armor according to type, beginning with Level IIA at the bare lowest bulletproof rating and ending with Level IV at its maximum strength. Here at BulletSafe, we don’t bother with the lighter Level IIA vests, which are rated to only stop small and medium caliber bullets like 9mm and .40 S&W. Our most popular product, the VP3, is rated to stop Level IIIA threats, while our Tactical Plate Carriers come with Level IV plates for maximum protection.

Level IIIA products like the VP3 are rated to stop most pistol caliber threats ranging from .22LR all the way up to .44 magnum, while Level IV products such as the plates in the BulletSafe Tactical Plate Carrier are hard armor capable of stopping rifle rounds from .223/5.56x45mm to .30-06 AP.

Now, there may be some confusion about Level IIIA and Level III. While both seem similar because of their nomenclature, the two armor types could not be more different. Level III armor, despite its name, is the more powerful of the two. Level III armor is much like Level IV both in terms of its ability to defeat rifle fire and its construction as a hard armor plate, meant to be worn as part of a plate carrier system.

Level IIIA, on the other hand, is almost always soft lightweight armor meant to stop pistol rounds. In some cases, helmets such as the MICH, ACH, and PASGT are rated at a IIIA level, but just like IIIA vests, they are not meant to resist rifle fire.

IIIA vests are usually used by law enforcement professionals, as 9mm and other pistol rounds are a more common threat than large caliber rifle rounds on the streets of a bad town. Level IIIA vests also weigh less than the heavy Level III SAPI plates used by United States military personnel in modern IOTV armor. Since our service personnel in tan and green face more considerable threats than the men and women in blue, they are expected to have better protection. The “bad guy” weapon of choice around the world is the AK-47, which would punch straight through a civilian cop’s IIIA vest, while a Level III plate would stop both the AK’s 7.62x39mm or a full sized 7.62x51mm round from an Iranian G3. Level IV armor, also found in military use as ESAPI armor, is rated to stop all rifle fire up to and including the .30-06 AP round, a large, hard-hitting round famous for being used in the .30 caliber M1919 machine gun and M1 Garand from World War 2.

What bulletproof topics would you like to read about in the future? Tell us in the comments below!

Bulletproof vests are typically worn by the military, law enforcement professionals, and security personnel, and nowadays companies like BulletSafe offer the same protection to ordinary civilians. However, in some places, people who needed ballistic protection either couldn’t access it or took one look at professionally-made bulletproof vests and thought “eh, I can do better.”

Homemade bulletproof armor is typically unwieldly, ugly, and of questionable effectiveness. Usually created by people with a mix of ingenuity, desperation, insanity, and a great amount of faith, homemade bulletproof vests should never be relied on if there are professional-grade products readily available.

The definition of “bulletproof”

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “bulletproof” as “impenetrable to bullets,” but fails to mention that there is some nuance to this term. A vest capable of withstanding a direct hit with a .22LR will not be able to survive being hit by a .50 BMG. When it comes to bulletproof materials, composition matters.

Bulletproof armor comes in four general levels defined by the National Institute of Justice or NIJ. With Level IIA (handgun protection up to .40 S&W) at the low end and Level IV (large caliber rifle protection up to .30-06 AP) at the highest level, NIJ certified armor undergoes rigorous testing to determine its safety. Homemade armor, obviously, is not held to the same standards. Some of it could even fall apart after vigorous jumping before it even gets hit by the first bullet, just like…

Egyptian Mosireen Soda Can Armor

Mosireen (Arabic for “Insistent”) is a volunteer activist group formed during the Egyptian Revolt of 2011. Dedicated to the dissemination of truth and exposing the horrors and violence perpetrated by their oppressive government, the group has frequently found itself on the receiving end of violent crackdowns by Egypt’s National Security Agency.

In 2013, a thousand protesters were gunned down near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo to end a peaceful sit-in. Unfortunately, in a nation where the people have no weapons to fight back, anti-government protesters have had to rely on jury-rigged homemade solutions for their own protection, such as this “bulletproof” vest made from soda cans and glue.

With materials easily obtainable from local hardware stores and restaurants, anyone can make the Mosireen soda can vest by gluing together 6-10 sheets of aluminum and duct taping them to an undershirt.

Mosireen Soda Can Armor

The question is, of course, if it’ll actually stop bullets. According to Mosireen, the answer is maybe… sometimes… and only at distances of 8 yards or greater. The Mosireen vest is primarily designed to stop birdshot and nonlethal rounds, which wouldn’t even meet Level IIA standards on the NIJ scale. Unfortunately for Mosireen protesters, Egyptian security forces frequently pack AK-47s and sidearms along with their 12 gauges so the practicality of this armor is questionable at best.

Clint Emerson’s Book Armor

In contrast to the Egyptians, former Navy SEAL Clint Emerson created something with substantially more survivability that can be made with a fraction of the materials and the effort. Made of nothing but copies of his moderately thick “100 Deadly Skills” books, ceramic pool tiles, and duct tape, Emerson’s makeshift armor is surprisingly effective against 9mm rounds, but shouldn’t be relied on to stop anything heavier.

By making a double-layered ceramic tile sandwich between two books and duct tape, Emerson created armor that can assembled in a hurry or in an emergency situation by anyone with access to common household items. Even without the ceramic tiles, the books can be moderately effective at stopping smaller calibers like .22LR and 9mm at long ranges. Ceramic tiles or not, it should still not be trusted to stop anything beyond small caliber pistol rounds.

704 Tactical’s Ceramic Tile Armor

The YouTuber 704 Tactical took the pool tile armor concept and made it slightly more professional-looking. His $6 DIY armor made out of three layers of pool tiles, 0.3 inches worth of copy paper, and a layer of duct tape, this DIY plate weighs 8.5lbs and is strong enough to stop 9mm rounds and 12ga buckshot.

However, the armor comes with an unfortunate caveat. In 704 Tactical’s own words, “don’t rely on it, you’ll definitely die.” While some companies rely on ceramic plates for their bulletproof materials, professionally-made armor is always augmented with some form of ballistic fiber, and copy paper just doesn’t provide the same level of protection.

Trojan Ballistics Armor

Troy Hurtubise's Trojan Armor

While the “Trojan” looks semi-professional, it’s actually the brainchild of one man. Troy Hurtubise, the Canadian inventor of the bear suit, was famous for testing his homemade heavy armor while wearing it himself. The aforementioned bear suit, for example, was hit by a 300lb log.

Around the time of the War in Iraq, Mr. Hurtubise grew concerned about IED attacks on Canadian soldiers, so he put his efforts into creating a new suit rated to stop bullets and shrapnel. He described his Trojan Ballistics Armor as the “first ballistic, full exoskeleton body suit of armor.” The full body armor was capable of stopping 9mm, .357 Magnum, and 12ga buckshot at close range. Hurtubise even made the bold claim it could stop a round from an elephant gun (loosely defined as any large caliber centerfire chambered in .400 or greater) but no evidence was found to prove this. The suit was never tested against IEDs.

Based on the modifications he made to the suit, Hurtubise probably intended to create a real-life Iron Man suit for special operations use. Weighing a mere 50lbs, the suit was equipped with magnetic holsters, helmet-mounted headlights, a solar-powered air conditioning system, a recording device, a pepper spray capsule, and a compartment for emergency morphine and salt.

While the product seemed top notch on paper, Hurtubise’s marketing for government contracts was less so. In 2010, his research and development drove him to bankruptcy and later divorce. Tragically, Hurtubise died in a freak highway accident in 2018 when his car collided with a gasoline truck which resulted in a fiery explosion. He was not wearing his armor at the time.

Hurtubise was confident that its bullet-resistant foam, a material of his own design, would be able to stop even the largest calibers of ammo, and he proved it to be at least Level IIIA resistant, but sadly the suit’s true capabilities may never truly be tested.

BulletSafe

BulletSafe VP3 vest

Unlike these other examples of bulletproof armor, BulletSafe vests and plates are NIJ tested and approved. The VP3 vest is affordable, durable, and lightweight Level IIIA armor capable of stopping rounds up to Level IIIA, and BulletSafe Level IV plates have been shown to be capable of defeating .30-06 armor piercing ammunition.

If you decide you need bulletproof protection at home, there’s no need to improvise. BulletSafe’s vests are sold at just $299.99 and are worn by security and law enforcement professionals all over the world.

There’s something extremely conspicuous about a man walking around in public wearing a full tactical vest over his business casual dress code. Usually, a person wearing something like this out in the open is either private security or a mass shooter. It’s highly likely that the average citizen concerned about his own personal safety doesn’t want to draw the attention of everyone in the room when he just wants to go about his business. 

Knowing this, people who want to buy a bulletproof vest and use it prefer if they could wear it in public, and the only way to do so without getting funny looks would be to conceal it. Now, it’s important to know that not all kinds of armor can be concealed. One cannot simply throw on a poncho over an IOTV like Clint Eastwood and go to a mall.

Armor carrying heavy Level IV ballistic plates cannot typically be concealed. Tactical vests and plate carriers are typically meant to be worn over the body, which is why they have MOLLE webbing for external attachments like first aid kits, magazine pouches, and other gear. 

For everyday wear that doesn’t make people call 911 on you, consider a IIIA vest. Worn under baggy clothing like dress shirts, sports coats, or Hawaiian shirts, IIIA vests are light, foldable, and resistant to most pistol caliber rounds up to and including the powerful .44 magnum. 

In the military world, Level IIIA vests in the form of the PASGT system were used by ordinary infantrymen from the Invasion of Grenada in 1983 all the way up to the first years of the Global War on Terror. Meant to stop shrapnel from grenades, Level IIIA armor is also worn by vehicle crews, who can be hurt by fragments of metal that fly off the interior walls of a vehicle when it takes enemy fire. 

Level IIIA vests are also worn by Secret Service agents under their suits, as well as police and SWAT teams, who value the vest for its light weight and flexibility. These qualities make it great for everyday wear, as opposed to the modern Level III and IV plates which are stronger but rigid. 

Even if Level IIIA armor is lighter and softer, it still adds some bulk to your body, so you won’t be able to show off your figure anymore. T-shirts are to be worn under the body to prevent direct contact with your skin, as exposure to moisture like your sweat can degrade the ballistic fibers over time. 

The vest itself should never be “low cut” like a tank top. It should always protect everything between your collar bone and your navel. If you’re a person with a little bit of extra love around your waistline, this doesn’t change. Even if you have extra fat dangling under your vest, it truly does not matter. Your vest is meant to protect your vitals like your heart and your lungs, not your love handles. 

As a general rule, buy your bulletproof vest in the same size as you would your regular clothing. Any clothing meant to be worn over it should be one size larger, or otherwise clothing that’s loose like a hoodie. Here, fat people have an advantage because they already look large, and any added bulk won’t be as noticeable as it would be on a person with a skinny frame. 

BulletSafe offers its VP3 – an NIJ certified Level IIIA soft armor vest – in all sizes from extra small to 4XL, ensuring that it’ll fit on people of all shapes and sizes. With its adjustable straps, breathable material, and $299.99 price tag the VP3 vest is quite possibly the most practical and affordable vest on the market today. There is no reason to pay more for the same level of protection, which is why you should consider BulletSafe for your personal protection needs. 

In 2019, the DusitD2 complex in Nairobi, Kenya was rocked by a violent explosion. Witnesses reported seeing human limbs flying through the air as gunfire erupted from other areas within the complex. Terrorists from the Al-Shabaab militant group began firing into crowds at random.

Retired SAS operator Christian Craighead, who was in the country training Kenyan counter-terrorist units, was on break at the time. Craighead heard the gunfire erupt and rushed to his vehicle, where he retrieved his kit, consisting of his Canadian C2 rifle, a sidearm, and his plate carrier. After spending mere seconds gearing up, he ran towards the sound of gunfire. With the help of local police forces, the attackers were subdued. Craighead became a legend in the firearms community almost overnight.

If you are reading this from the United States, the likelihood of you being involved in a mass shooting is substantially higher than it would be in Kenya. While it would generally not be a good idea to storm into a building to subdue a shooter (first responders might mistake you for the bad guy), it would be a good idea to add a plate carrier to your vehicle EDC kit.

Jacob Albarado, the hero of the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde, famously had to borrow his barber’s shotgun and helped with the evacuation but did not go into the school because of his lack of gear.

“At one point, I was there at the door fixing to go in, but once again I didn't have any of my gear. It wouldn't have been a smart move for me. All those guys had their gear and stuff so like I said, I pulled back."

To be fair to Albarado, this wasn’t cowardice at all. Through no fault of his own, he found himself unprepared. Realistically, who imagines they’ll ever be in a situation where they need to fight for their lives or the lives of their loved ones? However, in the crazy, dangerous world we live in, it’s becoming more and more likely, and it’s important to be prepared.

You never know when the next riot, natural disaster, terrorist attack, mass shooting, or other life-threatening circumstance might happen, so if you choose to throw a vest in your back seat, know that it may be there for a very long time. For long-term storage, soft armor vests are not the best. Prolonged exposure to humidity and ultraviolet light can cause degradation over the long run, so when it comes to vehicle storage, Level III or IV plates are the better option.

BulletSafe’s Level IV ballistic plates area made of durable alumina-oxide ceramic, which does not degrade over time like its soft armor counterpart. In addition, Level IV plates are stronger than soft armor, capable of defeating rifle fire from AR-15s and AK-47s as well as a single .30-06 round.

While we hope the worst case scenarios never come to pass, a bulletproof vest in the car would be beneficial in several scenarios, such as:

Working High-Risk Jobs. Armed security personnel and asset protection units put their lives on the line every day. It would be good for company vehicles to have vests in the back seat in case of worst case scenarios or if visitors might need them.

Living in High-Crime Areas. If you live in a particularly bad area known for frequent gang wars and fall asleep to the sound of gunshots every weekend, it might be a good idea to put a vest in your car. Depending on how bad the crime is where you live, you might even want to consider mounting it on the back of your seat. Mounts like the vehicle seat back plate carrier hanger from Grey Man Tactical work perfectly for this.

Active Shooter Situations. As previously mentioned, active shooters are becoming more common in the United States. You don’t want to compromise on your safety, and a Level IV vest is an incredible asset whether you’re escaping from a shooting or if you’re going in to help others.

Natural Disasters. In the aftermath of a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake, there may be an increased risk of looting and violence. Carrying a bulletproof vest in your car can help protect you in case of an attack during these chaotic situations.

Traditional plate carriers, unlike soft vests, are usually equipped with MOLLE webbing. This means that aside from serving as armor, vehicle plate carriers can also serve as light “bug out survival vests.”

Aside from ammo, your vest can also carry an individual first aid kit, a fire starter, and probably a small pouch where you can keep an esbit stove and a life straw. This kit should serve as something that can keep you alive if you happen to run out of gas in the middle of Notown, USA and you need to get help, but you shouldn’t have so much gear that you’ll be over-encumbered.

It's important to note that carrying a bulletproof vest is not a guarantee of safety and should be done in conjunction with other safety measures such as avoiding dangerous situations, being aware of your surroundings, and calling law enforcement if you feel threatened.