Kevlar Vest vs. 24 Layers of Drywall — Which Stops Bullets Better?
Which do you think is a better bullet-stopper — twenty-four (24) layers of drywall, or a $299 vest with 40 layers of Kevlar? Watch this video and you may be surprised. The makers of the BulletSafe vest fired a round from a .50-Caliber Desert Eagle pistol into the vest. The bullet did not penetrate the vest — not even close. If fact, the bullet only made it through seven of the 40 layers of Kevlar (see timeline 0:48″)
Would drywall be as effective? Surprisingly, the answer is “no”. A bullet fired from the .50-Cal Desert Eagle passed through all 24 sheets of drywall, exiting out the last sheet. Lesson learned? Don’t expect the drywall in your house to offer much protection. The makers of the video caution: “This video shows you how much damage your weapon can do….”
Bullet-Proof Vest Ratings
The BulletSafe vest tested is a Level IIIA model. Level IIIA is the thickest Kevlar laminated, flexible body armor available to the general public. Priced at $299.00, this Level IIIA vest is rated to stop most handgun rounds, buckshot, and shotgun slugs. You can get even more protection by adding a ballistic plate made from ceramic and/or metal. Fitted to a Level IIIA vest, BulletSafe’s $169.00 ballistic plates can stop some rifle rounds.
Plywood Stopping Power Test
The vest-makers also did a test with plywood. A box was constructed with 24 layers of 3/8″ plywood. The bullet from a .50-caliber Desert Eagle past through twelve layers of plywood before being halted by the thirteenth panel. So, you can say the BulletSafe vest is as effective at stopping this round as 13 layers of plywood. CLICK HERE for Plywood Stopping Test Video.
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Tags: bulletproof vest, BulletSafe, drywall, penetration test, plywood
Convinced me, I’m throwing away my drywall vest.
They may stop a .50 Action Express round, but as they mention later in their FAQ, this does not stop blunt trauma. Which from previously testing vests, can be in itself, lethal. At the least this causes significant bruising, at worst, a ruptured internal organ or a stopped heart, with broken ribs in between. They should really supply, as an option, a rear blunt trauma plate. Also, these vests often give no, or little protection against highly-pointed stabbing weapons. For this you need a different outer layer on the vest.
It’s pretty cool how effective bulletproof vests are. Who knew that Kevlar was as effective as 13 layers of plywood? I feel better knowing my friend wears one while he’s out as a policeman.