Vietnam body armor! NAM!!!

Published on October 23, 2025
Duration: 0:54

Edwin Sarkissian, an experienced firearms content creator, tests the ballistic resistance of Vietnam-era body armor against a sawed-off shotgun, a full-auto Glock 17, and an AK-47. The tests reveal the armor offers minimal protection against modern firearms, especially rifle rounds. This experimental approach highlights the evolution of personal protective equipment and firearm capabilities.

Quick Summary

Vietnam-era body armor proved largely ineffective against modern firearms. While it stopped birdshot from a sawed-off shotgun, 9mm rounds from a full-auto Glock 17 penetrated easily, and 7.62x39mm rounds from an AK-47 completely destroyed the vest. This highlights the significant advancements in ballistic threats and armor technology since the Vietnam era.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction to Vietnam Body Armor
  2. 00:10Sawed-off Shotgun Test
  3. 00:26Glock 17 Full-Auto Test
  4. 00:43AK-47 Test

Frequently Asked Questions

How effective is Vietnam-era body armor against modern firearms?

Vietnam-era body armor offers very limited protection against modern firearms. Tests show it can be penetrated easily by 9mm rounds from a Glock 17 and completely shredded by 7.62x39mm rifle rounds from an AK-47, highlighting significant advancements in ballistic threats and armor technology.

What firearms were used to test the Vietnam body armor?

The Vietnam-era body armor was tested using a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun firing birdshot, a full-auto modified Glock 17 firing 9mm rounds, and an AK-47 rifle firing 7.62x39mm rounds. These tests aimed to assess the armor's resistance to different types of ballistic threats.

Did the Vietnam body armor stop any of the tested firearms?

The Vietnam-era body armor showed some resistance only to birdshot fired from a sawed-off shotgun, with the pellets getting caught in the outer layers. However, it was completely ineffective against 9mm rounds from a full-auto Glock 17 and 7.62x39mm rounds from an AK-47, both of which penetrated easily.

What is the significance of testing vintage body armor with modern weapons?

Testing vintage body armor with modern weapons demonstrates the evolution of ballistic threats and personal protective equipment. It highlights how armor technology has advanced to counter increasingly powerful firearms, showing the limitations of older designs against contemporary weaponry.

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