GheTTo GEAR™

Years ago I remember the controversy over Teflon bullets, the so called "cop killer" bullets. Even though there is not a single instance of a police officer being injured or killed by a Teflon coated bullet (the bullet is treated so that there is less friction thus barrel wear), there is still a strong residual reaction in the law enforcement community over such ammo.

There may be another mini-tsunami created over this following item:Coming Very Soon !
Bladerunner have now created " The Defender Hoodie " which
is BULLET PROOF throughout the main body area.
This Hoodie is rugged and
tough just like a normal Hoodie but this one has a removable Inner Shell
that gives you Ballistic Security at Level NIJ STD 0101.04

The Bullet Proof Hoodie, MSRP about $600.

Maybe you need a hoodie with 2mm of Type IIA bulletproofing, enough to stop a 9mm full-metal-jacket round at a velocity of 1,090 feet-per-second. The bad news, besides the $600 price tag, is that the protection is only in the body, not the hood itself. Bladerunner Ltd., UK-based retailer of the Defender Hoodie, says the pullover also protects you from unspecified "lesser ballistic threats."

Actually it is a "bullet resistant" hoodie. The "lesser ballistic threats" are Type I threats which are:

.22 caliber Long Rifle Lead Round Nose (LR LRN) bullets, with nominal masses of 2.6 g (40 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 320 m/s (1050 ft/s) or less, and 380 ACP Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 6.2 g (95 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less.

The designation NIJ STD 0101.04 referred to in the ad is an equipment standard.

This document, NIJ Standard−0101.04, "Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armor," is an equipment standard developed by the Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). It is produced as part of the Law Enforcement and Corrections Standards and Testing Program of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

This standard is a technical document that specifies the performance requirements that equipment should meet to satisfy the needs of criminal justice agencies for high quality service.

The following are the particulars for meeting Type IIA requirements:

2.2 Type IIA (9 mm; 40 S&W)
This armor protects against 9 mm Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets, with nominal masses of 8.0 g (124 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 332 m/s (1090 ft/s) or less, and 40 S&W caliber Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets, with nominal masses of 11.7 g (180 gr) impacting at a minimum velocity of 312 m/s (1025 ft/s) or less. It also provides protection against the threats mentioned in section 2.1.

Do you remember the unbelievable LAPD cop shoot out on February 28,1997? Two suspects armed with full automatic rifles and full body armor robbed a bank in North Hollywood. The body armor protected these thugs while they fired over 1,000 rounds at police while trying to escape.

The Type IIA protection provided by the Defender Hoodie will stop many police service rounds in use today. That is Not A Good Thing™ for cops who find themselves on the shooty end of some idiot's Smith & Wesson.

On the other hand, it will stop most of the gangbanger rounds. And that is a Good Thing™ for parents who live in troubled neighborhoods. If I were in that position, I would seriously consider buying one of these for each of my kids. Screw the XBox.

But this is advertised in England.

And firearms and their naughty bits were all but outlawed in England. Surely no outlaws have guns in England...

So how in the world can Bladerunner sell something like the Defender Hoodie? Where is the market? Certainly not in a peaceful, no filthy handguns allowed, the police are all you need to be safe, and no asshole you can't carry a knife either, perfectly weaponless, make sure you have your umbrella handy it is April you know, British society?