Gizmodo Australia » bulletproof

Woman’s Hair Weave May Have Stopped Bullet

Wilson Rothman — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Say what? A Kansas City woman with a tight weave gets shot at by her boyfriend through a car window. Later, the cops find a spent bullet in her hair. Did the hair stop it?

Apparently some weaves are tighter than others. (Apparently, some relationships are tighter than others too.) After 20-year-old Briana Bonds told her boyfriend Juan she didn’t love him anymore, the a-hole shot up the back of her mid-’90s Pontiac. The rear windshield was shattered, but she was still alive and without major injury, possibly thanks to that weave.

The ladies down at the beauty parlor are not totally convinced, though. Scientifically speaking, the weft (where the weave meets the hair) is where the fibers are interlocked most tightly. But whether or not that makes it any where close to the equivalent of a Kevlar mesh is beyond current beauty-parlor technology to ascertain.

Hair stylist Kim Walton told Kansas City NBC affiliate KSHB, “I never heard of weaves saving anybody’s life.” Still, if it turned out to be what saved Bonds, she added, “Thank God for weave.”

Bonds herself told the news channel that it was more about God than the weave: “I think God was in my passenger seat.” As of Thursday, Bonds had a headache; no word on what happened to that dick Juan. [WOAI via Geekologie]

$US12,000 Shirt Makes You Bullet-Proof, Smug Looking

Gizmodo US Edition — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Harrods of London is now selling a $US12,000 anti-ballistic polo shirt designed by Miguel Caballero. Caballero, sometimes called the “Armani of armour” caters to clients such as Prince Felipe of Spain and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The polo, made from ultra-lightweight bulletproof fabric can allegedly protect you from weaponry ranging from a 9mm pistol to an Uzi. Sure it can save you from an assassination attempt, but judging from this picture, it doesn’t save you from looking like a giant douche. [Born Rich]

Bulletproof Handkerchief: Snot-Drenched Protection For the Discerning Pimp

Sean Fallon — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:30:00 +0000

The word “gentleman” comes up a lot when talking about pocket squares, but the way I see it, only a pimp would stuff a huge handkerchief made of military-grade Kevlar into their purple suit pocket. Obviously, a square of fabric would not offer the same level of protection as a full vest, so any pimp wearing one is still taking a big risk. They can only hope that the rival pimp, john, hooker or cop that shoots them has really good aim. [Sruli Recht via Gearfuse via OhGizmo]

Bullet-Proof Bras Being Issued to German Policewomen

Sean Fallon — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:50:00 +0000

Policewomen in Germany are getting another layer of protection thanks to a new bra that has been secretly tested for the last two months. I never thought about it before but it makes sense that a woman could still sustain life-threatening injuries when shot wearing a standard bullet-proof vest. Traditional bras can have metallic or plastic parts that could tear into flesh when impacted with a bullet. This new version features thick pads for protection and a blend of cotton, polyester, spandex and polyamide with no buttons or fasteners. That’s all well and good, but my question is what about the guys? When are the bullet-proof boxes coming out? [Bild via Crunchgear]

Defender Hoodie: Look Good, Avoid Bullets

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Knife-proof, machine-washable T-shirt not enough protection for you out there on the mean streets? Bulletproof backpack insert just won’t cover enough of your nice, lead-free body? 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 US$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.” (Do the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune count?) The hoodie goes on sale sometime in the next month, so please, for your own sake, don’t go pissing off any mailman/lunch lady/ex-girlfriend in the meantime. [Product Page]

Rocket Launcher vs. Bulletproof Glass in a Battle for the Ages

Adam Frucci — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:00:00 +0000

Here’s a question that I didn’t know I was curious about until I heard it asked, at which point I became insanely interested: can a rocket launcher break through bulletproof glass? My answer came in video form, and it’s a big fat sometimes. With thinner bulletproof glass, it gets punched through like paper, as seen above. But if you’re lucky enough to have 10cm-thick bulletproof glass, you should be OK. Well, unless you’re standing too close, in which case you might get your arm ripped off like the unfortunate dummy in the video after the jump. Thanks again for satisfying curiosities I wasn’t aware I had, internet! [Japan Probe via Spulch]

With BackpackShield, I Could Take A Bullet for Giz

Gizmodo US Edition — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 03:45:13 +0000

I had the pleasure of trying on the BackpackShield bulletproof bookbag insert tonight at ShowStoppers, and it was amazing. Made from 13 layers of K-29 Kevlar, this thin, lightweight plate fits in most backpacks and can stop every bullet from a 9mm all the way to Dirty Harry’s .44 Magnum. It doesn’t just deflect them, either. As you will see in the gallery below, bullets that try to penetrate the BackpackShield end up with its “fishnet” imprint on themselves.According to the inventor, this was designed for “college students, high school students, concerned parents, and commuters.” In his mind, there’s surely someone on your shopping list who could use a little extra protection this holiday season. At only $249, it’s a small price to pay to make sure that little Bobby makes it through the mean streets of the biology wing safely. Available now in ten assorted colors, but you can also customise it with any JPEG just in case you think your ex would make for a good ~~target~~ shield. [BackpackShield]

Ballistic Bookbag, Bullet-Proof Back-Pack

Gizmodo US Edition — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:40:03 +0000

These bullet-proof backpacks are claimed to offer as much protection from a shooting as police armor, but at one tenth of the weight. They’re aimed at kids, to protect them from all the dangers that 21st-century schooling entails. One immediate problem I see is that it will only protect you if you’re shot in the back, at just the right height. Check out a video after the jump.
It’s suggested that they could be used as shields, but this will only work if you are faster than a moving bullet—there’s only one man who is, and he doesn’t need to worry about being shot. Perhaps the only way to be truly safe is for kids to climb totally into the bags. The range start from $175, and should calm even the most paranoid parents, if they can get their kids to carry the fugly things, that is. [Popgadget]