First there is no such thing as "bullet proof." It is bullet resistant, nothing in life is "proof." The Kevlar, aka soft body armor is there to keep the bullet from penetrating the wearers body. It is designed to disperse the energy of the round. The chance of a broken rib or other bodily injury is still present. The plate you are talking about is NOT in all vests. The vests have a place you can put the plate but it is optional. The steel plate (K-30), which is 5"x8",with the mosiac ceramic plate (K47) and Kevlar has the capability of stopping some rifle rounds as advertised by "Second Chance." The K30 is what we have issued where I work. Check the Second Chance website. That company has saved many lives (over 850 last I heard). They stand behind their products. I can't speak for them directly but I would recommend them to someone starting in law enforcement looking for a vest. Hopefully this new technology will be integrated with Second Chance to provide a better vest.
Actually from a Law Enforcement officer's perspective, this is very interesting news. If this discovery is further developed and is found to be cost effective, you may very well see body armor begin to use this artificial silk, depending upon the results of tests performed on samples(i.e. how well it actually absorbs the impact of a projectile). Other benefits from silk over todays Kevlar vests include lighter weight, increased mobility, and better side protection.
While you are correct about products such as Spectra and Dyneema being more readily available, it remains to be seen how quickly this silk can be mass manufactured.
As for Law Enforcement USE, Spectra is worthless. There is currently quite a stir being caused by spectra. It turns out that Second Chance(a body armor manufacturer) used it even though it wasn't rated by the manufacturer of Spectra for such uses). The Problem? The vests have failed several times, after relatively short periods from the time of their purchase(read: within 5-6 months.) The material doesn't hold up well if it gets over a certain temperature, and naturally, the human body, especially one which is physically active, emits more than enough heat to cause the spectra to fail.
As for Dyneema, you are correct, Dyneema is specified for use in not only handgun ammunition body armor, but also a tougher rifle style. However, it is very expensive and not readily available.
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First there is no such thing as "bullet proof." It is bullet resistant, nothing in life is "proof." The Kevlar, aka soft body armor is there to keep the bullet from penetrating the wearers body. It is designed to disperse the energy of the round. The chance of a broken rib or other bodily injury is still present. The plate you are talking about is NOT in all vests. The vests have a place you can put the plate but it is optional. The steel plate (K-30), which is 5"x8",with the mosiac ceramic plate (K47) and Kevlar has the capability of stopping some rifle rounds as advertised by "Second Chance." The K30 is what we have issued where I work. Check the Second Chance website. That company has saved many lives (over 850 last I heard). They stand behind their products. I can't speak for them directly but I would recommend them to someone starting in law enforcement looking for a vest. Hopefully this new technology will be integrated with Second Chance to provide a better vest.
Actually from a Law Enforcement officer's perspective, this is very interesting news. If this discovery is further developed and is found to be cost effective, you may very well see body armor begin to use this artificial silk, depending upon the results of tests performed on samples(i.e. how well it actually absorbs the impact of a projectile). Other benefits from silk over todays Kevlar vests include lighter weight, increased mobility, and better side protection.
While you are correct about products such as Spectra and Dyneema being more readily available, it remains to be seen how quickly this silk can be mass manufactured.
As for Law Enforcement USE, Spectra is worthless. There is currently quite a stir being caused by spectra. It turns out that Second Chance(a body armor manufacturer) used it even though it wasn't rated by the manufacturer of Spectra for such uses). The Problem? The vests have failed several times, after relatively short periods from the time of their purchase(read: within 5-6 months.) The material doesn't hold up well if it gets over a certain temperature, and naturally, the human body, especially one which is physically active, emits more than enough heat to cause the spectra to fail.
As for Dyneema, you are correct, Dyneema is specified for use in not only handgun ammunition body armor, but also a tougher rifle style. However, it is very expensive and not readily available.