Bulletproof vest

A bullet-resistant vest (body armour or body armor (U.S.)) - is an article of protective clothing that works as a form of armour to minimize injury from projectiles fired from handguns, shotguns and rifles . They are commonly worn by police forces, the military, and private security and civilians where legal. However, they have sometimes been misused by criminals.

Legality

United States Law 18USC931 provides that:

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(a) In General.—Except as provided in subsection (b),

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it shall be unlawful for a person to purchase, own, or possess body armor, if that person has been convicted of a felony that is—(1) a crime of violence (as defined in section 16); or (2) an offense under State law that would constitute a crime of violence under paragraph (1) if it occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

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Many states have criminalized the use of body armor by convicted felons. In February of 1999, the late Russell Jones a.k.a. "Ol' Dirty Bastard" was arrested in California for possession of body armor by a convicted felon.

Related Topics:
Ol' Dirty Bastard - California

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Curiously enough, bulletproof vests remain legal in many countries where firearms are heavily restricted, such as the UK. One exception is Australia, where body armor has been prohibited for some time, despite the low level of violent crime in that country and no instances of criminal use. This ban may have its origins in the late 19th century, when the iconic Australian outlaw and folk hero Ned Kelly used home-made armor with mixed results. While the steel armor worn by Kelly defeated the soft lead, low velocity bullets fired by police Martini-Henry rifles, it greatly restricted his movement.

Related Topics:
UK - Australia - Ned Kelly - Martini-Henry

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