I shot my grandpa's Vietnam war body armor

Published on February 23, 2021
Duration: 13:02

This video demonstrates the ballistic resistance of a Vietnam War-era body armor (likely a Level 3A soft armor vest) against various threats. The armor successfully stopped birdshot and a 12-gauge slug but was penetrated by knives, a 9mm submachine gun, a full-auto Glock 17, a custom .22 machine gun, and an AK-47. The testing highlights the limitations of older soft armor against modern threats, especially rifle rounds.

Quick Summary

Vietnam War-era body armor, estimated as Level 3A soft armor, was tested against various firearms. It successfully stopped 12-gauge birdshot and a slug (though with significant blunt trauma) but was penetrated by knives, a .22 machine gun, a 9mm submachine gun, a full-auto Glock 17, and an AK-47, highlighting its limitations against modern threats.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Intro: Vietnam War Body Armor Test Setup
  2. 01:0412-Gauge Shotgun Test
  3. 03:31.22 Machine Gun Test
  4. 05:39Knife Penetration Test
  5. 06:229mm Submachine Gun Test
  6. 07:49Full-Auto Glock 17 Test
  7. 09:1212-Gauge Slug Pipe Pistol Test
  8. 11:19AK-47 Final Test

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of protection does Vietnam War-era body armor offer?

Vietnam War-era body armor, often a flak jacket, typically offers protection against fragmentation and lower-velocity handgun rounds. This video shows it stopping 12-gauge birdshot and a slug, but failing against rifle rounds and most handgun rounds.

Can a Glock 17 penetrate Vietnam War body armor?

Yes, a full-auto Glock 17 firing 9mm rounds completely penetrated the Vietnam War-era body armor tested in this video, indicating it is not rated for such threats.

Does Vietnam War body armor stop rifle rounds like an AK-47?

No, the testing clearly shows that Vietnam War-era body armor offers no protection against rifle rounds such as the 7.62x39mm fired from an AK-47, which easily penetrated the vest.

Is Vietnam War body armor stab-resistant?

Based on the test using Ravencrest Tactical knives, the Vietnam War-era body armor is not stab-resistant. The knives easily penetrated the vest's layers.

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