Flak Jacket - Ballistic Protection

Ballistic Protection

Col. Grow’s request to the Wilkinson Sword company was to develop a vest that could stop a .45 caliber round fired at close range. Although flak jackets offered some basic protection against small caliber bullets and shell fragments (which was obviously welcomed by their users), ultimately they proved to be less effective than hoped. Flak jackets are now generally considered to be inferior to body armor.

It was claimed that the M-1951 field jacket could stop a 90 grain 7.62×25mm Tokarev pistol round at the muzzle of the gun. However, even the Vietnam era revised flak jacket was not really designed to stop an AK-47 round (a 7.62×39mm) fired at close range. Nevertheless, it did a good job of stopping shell blasts, rocket fragments, snake bites, fire ant bites, prickly thorn and slower bullets fired at a moderate range.

It was not until 1970 that the U.S. National Institute of Justice, which now publishes test and performance standards for body armor, began a deliberate program to develop body armor for law enforcement personnel that would be effective against specific threats that were common causes of officer injury and death. At the time that included .38 Special and .22 long rifle bullets, in particular, and also bullets from 9 mm, .45, and .32 caliber firearms.