# Are police shields bulletproof? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482 "2004-11-13T00:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/21 "2004-11-16T12:03:28Z")
no one in thier right mind would wear a simple Kevlar-vest w/ no trauma plate… While the Kevlar would “Stop” the bullet… the impact of the bullet would crush the wearer’s chest. A powerful impact would probably kill the wearer. I seem to recall a story about a guy who was testing early models of kevlar and shot himself to test it… and died as a result of the impact. So… if a Trauma plate is present… it ~should~ be able to deflect most stabbing weapons… stuff like swords and katana’s and the like… probably not so well… and someone attacked w/ such a weapon is probably gonna suffer severe cuts on thier arms, neck, etc… ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/22 "2004-11-16T15:04:26Z")
> [@jester21](#): > > no one in thier right mind would wear a simple Kevlar-vest w/ no trauma plate… > > While the Kevlar would “Stop” the bullet… the impact of the bullet would crush the wearer’s chest. A powerful impact would probably kill the wearer. > > I seem to recall a story about a guy who was testing early models of kevlar and shot himself to test it… and died as a result of the impact. > > So… if a Trauma plate is present… it ~should~ be able to deflect most stabbing weapons… stuff like swords and katana’s and the like… probably not so well… and someone attacked w/ such a weapon is probably gonna suffer severe cuts on thier arms, neck, etc… Most ballistic armor is sold w/o trauma plates, though the vests often have a pocket to add one if desired. You’re somewhat correct that getting shot while wearing soft armor doesn’t leave one unscathed, the damage isn’t as great as you describe. Typically, people saved by vests report some bruising and burns. The burns aren’t because the bullet is hot, but because the bullet’s kinetic energy is changed to heat when the vest arrests its foreward motion. Vests are rated by what threat level they will stop. Most police-issue vests are rated for handgun-level protection. This is partly because that is the threat level they usually face but also because more protection means a bulkier, heavier, less comfortable vest. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/23 "2004-11-16T16:30:34Z")
I had a freind who was shot while wearing a BPV (no trauma plate). He described it as “being hit in the chest by Catfish Hunter’s best fastball”. The breath was knocked out of him, but he was more or less uninjured- other than some nasty brusing. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/24 "2004-11-17T00:15:40Z")
Yeah. There’s not near that much energy in a “ordinary” bullet. Bullets rarely knock people down, they just fall down. Cause it hurts, I guess. 😉 I learned all this on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/25 "2004-11-17T09:53:45Z")
RE: shooting around a shield - They actually have a nationwide SWAT competition, which they were showing on ESPN a few weeks ago. I only saw about 5 minutes of it, but during those five minutes, that was part of the competition - A swat member runs up and grabs a dummy while another swat member runs up and shoots, from around his shield, other dummies representing bad guys (I think the scenario was to pull an injured cop/hostage out of harm’s way while other cop is providing covering fire). So even if it is rare that it is implemented, it is apparently trained for. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/26 "2004-11-18T00:16:32Z")
Have you ever seen those firetrucks firefighters drive in their competitions, **Donovan**? If a crew ever shows up at my house afire driving one of those, I’m leaving town. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![asc165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@asc165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asc165)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/27 "2004-11-18T00:34:23Z")
> [@](#): > > They actually have a nationwide SWAT competition, which they were showing on ESPN a few weeks ago. I only saw about 5 minutes of it, but during those five minutes, that was part of the competition - A swat member runs up and grabs a dummy while another swat member runs up and shoots, from around his shield, other dummies representing bad guys (I think the scenario was to pull an injured cop/hostage out of harm’s way while other cop is providing covering fire). So even if it is rare that it is implemented, it is apparently trained for. Thanks, **Donovan** , for some TV-based verification that **mangeorge** might appreciate 🙂 > [@](#): > > Yeah. There’s not near that much energy in a “ordinary” bullet. Bullets rarely knock people down, they just fall down. Cause it hurts, I guess. You’re 99.9% right. Bullets never (not rarely) “knock” people down in the sense that the kinetic energy contained in the bullet is sufficient to “push” the person over. The laws of physics see to that (i.e. for ever action there is an equal, and opposite, reaction). As much as Hollywood would like us to believe that a shotgun blast (etc.) can lift people from their feet and send them sailing into a nearby wall, it simply a’int so. If the kinetic energy contained in the bullet were sufficient to do that, the recoil from the weapon would necessarily be sufficient to send the shooter flying backwards as well. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/28 "2004-11-18T02:27:54Z")
> [@asc165](#): > > You’re 99.9% right. Bullets never (not rarely) “knock” people down in the sense that the kinetic energy contained in the bullet is sufficient to “push” the person over. The laws of physics see to that (i.e. for ever action there is an equal, and opposite, reaction). As much as Hollywood would like us to believe that a shotgun blast (etc.) can lift people from their feet and send them sailing into a nearby wall, it simply a’int so. If the kinetic energy contained in the bullet were sufficient to do that, the recoil from the weapon would necessarily be sufficient to send the shooter flying backwards as well. Not that I’m doubting you, but perhaps you could clarify: Going back to the creation of the .45 for use in the Phillipines, I recall the stated reason was that the .38s the officers were packing were enough to kill an ambusher - after he had already cut off the officer’s head. So, a heavier round was developed to make sure that the attacker was knocked off his feet so either a) he didn’t get back up or b) a few more rounds could be put into him. Granted, your typical Phillipino is a smaller than your typical American, but how’s the math on that work? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/29 "2004-11-18T08:44:05Z")
No- the shock & power of a .45 (either Auto or Long Colt) was enough to kill them on the spot as opposed to having them toddle off and bleed to death or something. The .38 round used then was the .38 S&W- sometimes called the .38 “short” which is very similar to the .38Colt. These were truly anemic rounds- half the power of a .38 special. I’d say the “stopping power” of a .45 is about 4X of that old .38. ---
**Author:** ![asc165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@asc165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asc165)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482/30 "2004-11-18T22:14:46Z")
What he said. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-police-shields-bulletproof/274482.md?page=1)