Body Armor

[Bluntforcetraum]

I seen a topic in LEO section only that arose some question so I started a new thread. Someone posted
"Zylon vest being penetrated by a 9mm when it was only a few months old."
How often do you have to replace vests? or is that one just defective?

[SCREWED]

Some people wear the same one 10 years, some wear the same 5 years. In the end do whatever the manufacurer suggests.

[zap]

fwiw ...

Zylon is the material that started all of the crap about the vests. Second Chance is taking most of the heat, because they exposed the problem with zylon and subsequently were replacing their vests that contained zylon with new vests at no charge.

My understanding is that the company that manufactured zylon misrepresented its ability to remain up to par over a period of time. So, the vest made by Second Chance were not faulty....the materials used in them were...but Second Chance is taking the fall for it.

[Bluntforcetraum]

Thanks alot I just found that interesting. If they did go that quick it would be a hell of an expense for the pd

[DoTheNumbers]

My understanding is that 2nd Chance is taking the heat, because they are the only company that has had vest fail. No vest made with Zylon by another company has had any problem. It seems to me that the problem is problem is 2nd chance, not the Zylon itself. In fact, I am gambling my life on it. I have a Zylon Safariland matrix on order.

[ARcop]

My understanding is that 2nd Chance is taking the heat, because they are the only company that has had vest fail. No vest made with Zylon by another company has had any problem. It seems to me that the problem is problem is 2nd chance, not the Zylon itself. In fact, I am gambling my life on it. I have a Zylon Safariland matrix on order.

I suggest you read this link. Second Chance is the largest makers of vests so it goes without saying that they want to protect their company and eat the costs over losing future sales. Other vest makers HAVE had problems because of the Zylon. Second Chance is the only one, due to its market share, that will take the heat though.
http://www.usarmor.com/zylonnews.htm

[zap]

I suggest you read this link. Second Chance is the largest makers of vests so it goes without saying that they want to protect their company and eat the costs over losing future sales. Other vest makers HAVE had problems because of the Zylon. Second Chance is the only one, due to its market share, that will take the heat though.
http://www.usarmor.com/zylonnews.htm

Great post. I had not been aware that the Second Chance failure was the result of an on duty shooting. I had thought it was due to their internal testing that the failures arose.

...here is a paragraph from that article posted by ARcop...

[I]What we do know is that Toyobo, the people who make Zylon, have made public substantial research data that clearly shows a rapid decline in the strength of Zylon in a relatively short amount of time when exposed to conditions that are replicated almost daily in police work. We believed that this information alone was sufficient enough reason to not use Zylon in body armor; all of the rest of the Zylon failure information now coming to light only underscores the validity of the original Toyobo information that all of the manufacturers were given beginning back in July of 2001, and the value of caution.