eBay seller says Flak Jacket Stops Knives & 9mm. Should I say something?

[Professor K]

The vest tested in box of truth used nylon instead of kevlar, and is an old 1960s flak vest from Vietnam.

http://savvysurvivor.com/body_armor_ballistic_tests.htm

Here's a test of the german one, with pictures. It's basically level IIa, so the guy isnt really lying. Only thing it didnt stop was 9mm, however, the vests vary, as they're used.

"Appears to be size large. The vest is lighter than A PASGT and quite flexible. Unknown level of protection. The front is solid as this is a side opening vest. I am told that performance is near that of NIJ level IIA. A reader reports that the main panels stopped 9mm ball at close range in his tests. Performance against other IIA threats is unknown and can vary according to age and condition. The camo pattern is the best color blend to commercially available "Realtree" camo found at chain stores. "

The guy didnt garuantee them to stop bullets, he just said that others that have bought them have had them stop bullets. He cant garuantee them, as they're surplus. Hell, bulletproofme doesnt even garuantee their old police surplus vests, and since it's foreign standards, he cant garuantee it either.

That said, if he is making those claims, some pictures of the bullets being stopped by it would be nice, but his claims arent very far off. Still, CTD is cheaper than him.

Maybe contact him and ask for pictures.

The .38 story does seem pretty possible, as .38spl isnt super high velocity.

 

[silverlance]

Well, here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/GERMAN-KEVLAR-BODY-ARMOR-BULLET-PROOF-VEST-IIA-LG-MED_W0QQitemZ110104035073QQcategoryZ102537QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm not going to do anything further about it. Like HSO said, I should stay out of it. The likelihood of any real "specialists" from "Haliburton, KBR, the Military, and DOD" using this 1980s flak jacket as body armor is quite unlikely, anyway.

I did look over the auction again and I think it would make Gecko45 proud.

However trauma plate(s) and or ballistic ceramic (SAPI) plate(s) can be added to the vest by easily sewing or velcroing pockets inside the carrier.

especially if you rewrite it this way

However trauma plate(s) and or ballistic ceramic (SAPI) plate(s) can be duct-taped to the vest by easily stapling or crazy-gluing pockets inside the carrier.

 

[Limeyfellow]

Thats one of ebays problem. Its really full of people telling porkys. The worse is the fake WW2 like the one guy who would buy cheap marine corp emblems and glue them to helmets and sell it as USMC helmet from Wake Island at $100 each on a $20 helmet and plenty of others and everything sold just happens to be Delta, SAS, Navy Seals special equipment.

 

[cheygriz]

There are some things you simply DO NOT BUY USED and body armot is pne of them.

There's nothing wrong with a level ll vest. A level llA probably won't stop 9MM ball. A level ll will. But never forget that the level ONE vest on your body is going to stop more bullets than the heavy, hot, uncomfortable level lll in your closet.

 

[raghorn]

We had some local frequent fliers try out the "flak jacket vs. 9mm" theory a couple years back.

End result: one dead, one in prison for killing his best friend.

Story recap.

eBay likely has no liability here, but seller may.

 

[Mark Whiteman]

Its on Epay. It'd be like trying to prosecute a car salesman for fibbing.