When a vest of kevlar gets shot, do you need to replace it?

Question

When a vest of kevlar gets shot, do you need to replace it or is it still good to go? Do you just patch up the bullet spot? What if you get shot there again? It's a little expensive to replace the whole vest every time you get shot, right?

Answer 1

yea you prbably shouldbecause like you said you may get shot again and that kevlar is special and I dont' think a little patching up isn't going to do.

Answer 2

Yes, they have a lifespan too

Answer 3

Yes, they do replace them, but it is a much more rare occurrence that you would think.    In fact, most of the vests that get destroyed are by ambulance personnel cutting them off of the officer when he is in an accident of some sort...  Even this is not a common occurrence, however..

Also, most vest manufactures have a policy that if you are ever shot in one, they will replace it for free....

Answer 4

Yes, it MUST be replaced. There is no way to repair the ballistic fibers. However most modern vests are composed of an external carrier with 2 (front & back) ballistic panels, so only the damaged panel need be replaced. The external carrier offers no ballistic protection so the damage to it may be repairable- it will depend on the situation. Your best bet is to contact the manufacturer and ask them.

-David

Answer 5

It needs to be replaced.  Expensive?  How much is your life worth?  I replace mine every 5 years, needed or not.

Answer 6

Once shot, the vest is useless.

Bullet proof vests can not be reused.

The work based on the kinetic energy of a bullet.

The vest is made up of millions of fine strands in many layers.

They essentially "catch" the bullet and slow it down.

Every successive shot weakens the vest more, making it less effective.

Even with a vest, the officer is still seriously injured. While the bullet may not pierce the skin, the blunt trauma from the rounds impact can cause injury.

Depts replace vests and being that not many cops get shot per dept every year, the expense is not even significant.

A dept like NYC has 30,000 cops. Only a handful get shot a year.

The dept has a 3.9 BILLION  dollar budget.

The cost of a vest is a few hundred dollars. Minuscule.

Also, much cheaper than a funeral, death benefits, pension benefits etc.

In addition, many manufacturers will offer a free replacement. Nothing better to prove their product works than an actual survivor.

Answer 7

Whenever a bulletproof vest or kevlar gets shot it is no longer serviceable (usefull) due to the fact that if a round or bullet impacts the same area it would penetrate through the vest and the round or bullet would go into you like a normal gunshot wound. It would be somewhat expensive to replace everytime you get shot because the material used for kevlar is expensive. If the gear is military issued then you should be able to trade it in for new ones.