Would you reuse it?

[Alpo]

You have a bulletproof vest. Someone shoots you. One shot. The vest stops the bullet.

 

Would you continue to use the vest, under the theory that while there might be an inch-and-a-half square of damaged kevlar, the chance of getting shot in the same place is very slight?

 

Or would you replace the vest because it has stopped a bullet once so it cannot be trusted again?

[Pat Riot]

With my luck? I would buy a new one. I would donate the old one to the police armory for testing. 

[Smiling Wolf]

Bullet proof vests are usually made with some sort of Kevlar composite,it's not so much that it will go through the same hole, when the first bullet strikes the vest,it pulls and distorts the material making it loose the ability to stop the next round.

 

  S.W.

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

You would buy a vest. Would you buy a used vest, a used vest with bullet damage?

[Utah Bob #35998]

No. All police departments replace shot vests. 
 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

Pat, methinks you need Ironman's suit or something made by Stark Industries...  

[Alpo]

 

You would buy a vest. Would you buy a used vest, a used vest with bullet damage?

I would not buy a used tire with a patched nail hole in it, but if I ran over a nail and had the hole patched, I would not throw the tire away.

[Alpo]

 

when the first bullet strikes the vest,it pulls and distorts the material making it loose the ability to stop the next round.

 

  S.W.

That's why I said a damaged area about 1.5" square, instead of a 3/8 inch hole.

 

[Alpo]

 

No. All police departments replace shot vests. 
 

I realize Police department's replace shot vests, but I was speaking of the non cop.

 

Them things cost two three hundred dollars. It's one thing to toss it when the taxpayers are replacing it. Something else when is coming out of your own pocket.

[Smiling Wolf]

At the speed the bullet strikes,it doesn't just distort a 1.5" area. How did you come to that measurement anyway?

[Smiling Wolf]

If your life is worth less than $200 or $300 dollars,go ahead and use it. By the way, a good level III or IIIA vest runs $450 to $600

[Alpo]

How much does it distort?

 

People get shot more than once. If they get double tapped, or triple tapped center mass, does the second or third bullet go through the now distorted and unprotective Kevlar?

[LawMan Mark, SASS #57095L]

Do you really want to take a chance that the next bullet won't hit the damaged area of the vest?  A vest should be replaced after being shot.

 

[Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022]

Duct tape!  That will take care of all the issues.

 

[Major E A Sterner #12916]

If it's a Second Chance vest Rich Davis used to replace them for free. Just found out they are no longer in business.

 

[Fence Cutter]

I'd keep wearing the vest, but find a different bar to hang out in......

[Utah Bob #35998]

The chance you’re going to get shot in the first place is infinitesimal. A second time? Fuggadaboudit. *

Throw the vest away. You’ll never need it again. You’ll be much more comfortable too. 

 

 

And the though of a non-LE citizen routinely wearing a vest kinda makes me giggle. After about an hour you think, “Oh my God. This is horribly uncomfortable! Arrrgggg”.  
 

 

*Unless you’re a drug dealer

[Tequila Shooter]

Your question doesn't say what kind of vest.  If it's just ballistic kevlar I'd replace it, but if it has replaceable plates....well that's another story.  Since you originally said "bullet proof" don't fool yourself no vest is bullet proof, just bullet resistant.  The right bullet at the right range will go through any vest.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

 

No. All police departments replace shot vests. 
 

Yup

OLG 

[Doc X]

Back in the day Rich Davis of Second Chance Body Armor gave every officer that had to "use" one of his vests a new one free. Since he invented concealable body armor, if he wouldn't reuse it that says it all for me.

 

[Jabez Cowboy,SASS # 50129]

Hang it on the wall ,,,, And buy a New ONE ....

 

Jabez Cowboy

[Cypress Sun]

I watched a show on tv about body armor and they replace the vests after several years in humid climates due to the degradation of the material used in the vests. I would have to think that after one gets damaged that it should be replaced. If I wore one, I would have it replaced. After all, you got lucky once...why take chances and push the issue.

 

Side Note; I did electrical work at a place called Barnett International. The manufacture cross bows there and ship to dealers/retailers in the US and World. The local police department (Tarpon Springs PD) brought one of their newest vest there for testing. Barnett brought out there newest, most powerful crossbow and shot the vest. The vest was set up on a life size torso dummy. The crossbow bolt went through the front of the vest and was sticking 1/2 way out the back side. I couldn't believe it but I had watched the whole demonstration. I don't think I would trust one against a crossbow. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

 

Your question doesn't say what kind of vest.  If it's just ballistic kevlar I'd replace it, but if it has replaceable plates....well that's another story.  Since you originally said "bullet proof" don't fool yourself no vest is bullet proof, just bullet resistant.  The right bullet at the right range will go through any vest.

And an ice pick will go through most of them easily.....but your odds against either one happening again great. On the other hand.................!

[Patagonia Pete]

No problem!! These guys just kept swapping the same vest so everyone could try it out. 

 

 

 

Don't worry Mildred ... it won't hurt a bit!! 

[Utah Bob #35998]

 

Back in the day Rich Davis of Second Chance Body Armor gave every officer that had to "use" one of his vests a new one free. Since he invented concealable body armor, if he wouldn't reuse it that says it all for me.

 

And he used to demonstrate by shooting himself. That’s why my first vest was a Second Chance.

[Trigger Mike]

I am often amazed that officers wearing a vest are hit by a bullet that missed the vest entirely 

[Cat Brules]

Those people (above) who all used the same vest?  I wonder who went last?

 

 

[Ozark Huckleberry]

Your comments indicate it's a civilian wearing the vest, instead of law enforcement, so I suppose it depends on why the person was wearing the vest to begin with.

 

An overcautious citizen who just happened to be in WalMart at the wrong time is one thing. A repo man who works the bad neighborhoods is something else.

[Utah Bob #35998]

 

I am often amazed that officers wearing a vest are hit by a bullet that missed the vest entirely 

You can't cover everything with a vest or you wouldn't able to move, so there ae areas like the lower abdomen, shoulders, neck, etc that are unpritected.

 

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Many decades ago, a salesman brought in his vests to demo them to our Police Dept. 

As the Purchasing Agent, I attended the demo to observe.

The vest used stopped a .45 ACP, but the Staff Superintendent observed that what we ran into more frequently was a BHP with sten ammo.

Pat then proceeded to fire a couple of rounds into the vest and they penetrated through to the back.

It was a number of years before we finally bought and issued better resistant vests to all the officers.

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

I'd replace, but the old vest could be repurposed to protect by placing it in the back of the car seat,  or . . . use your imagination as to where you might get shot.

[Sixgun Sheridan]

Not only should you replace a vest that has been shot, but it also needs to be replaced after about 10 years regardless. The fibers do degrade over time, especially when exposed to constant flexing and absorption of sweat. Some may consider it being overly cautious, but think about what it's protecting.

[Black Angus McPherson]

 

And he used to demonstrate by shooting himself. That’s why my first vest was a Second Chance.

If I recall correctly, he would also stuff a couple phone books under the vest to ease up the blunt force trauma.  I still get a kick out of the reporters that would allow themselves to get shot while holding a vest in front of them.   Then drop the vest and start screaming and cussing like a sailor because they had no idea how much it was still going to hurt.  I remember one guy saying "Now this is just a .22" before the shot and a long "bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep" on the tv.

 

Damn!  That still makes me laugh.

 

For the OP.  Yes, I would replace the vest.

 

Angus

[Utah Bob #35998]

 

[Muleshoe Bill SASS #67022]

In a Huey, we just used to sit on our vests..