Why did BulletBlocker decide to make bullet proof clothing?

We have many projects in the pipeline but this one needed to be brought forward and made into a reality. Since the 2008 elections we have been experiencing a dramatic increase in demand for bulletproof products. It seems as though many people from a variety of walks of life and ideologies are interested in protecting themselves from the hazards that exist in such a large and diverse society, as well as the increased risks any of us may face in the event of a large scale crisis. As we watched the election progress and the inauguration unfold we here at BulletBlocker became aware of a Colombian company that was supplying anti-ballistic clothing to the Secret Service. http://www.miguelcaballero.com/ is called the "Armani of Armored Clothing". At that time we felt as though we needed to develop an American made product that would meet the same need.

Now our models on our website are no where near as hot as the models on miguelcaballero.com but we also keep prices well under $1500 per garment. We also base our levels of protection on the well researched NIJ Standards for Body Armor, as opposed to the "light,medium and heavy" choices offered by the Colombian company. I think that we give the bullet proof purchasing consumer a little more credit for being informed and educated than they do. Pictures of guns that are "protected" against is misleading: Using a government and industry based standard to identify what kinds of bullets have been tested is about as definitive as you can get. Not to mention that prices are hard if not impossible to find on his site. Based on our experience in using our patented technology to integrate anti-ballistic body armor insert panels into everyday items like backpacks and notebooks to make bulletproof backpacks and bullet proof notebooks, bullet proof clipboards and stand-alone bulletproof panels for the user to place where they need it, it was just natural for us to become the first American maker of bulletproof clothes.

Just so you know, making bullet proof clothes or anything isn't easy: First of all, nothing is really "bullet proof". Enough firepower concentrated in one area too long, or shots from odd angles or hand made over-charged bullets may all defeat the integrity of any piece of body armor material. Now figure in the need for seams and closures and a degree of concealment and comfort, which both mean less material, and you can see that a lot of factors need to be considered to make a safe, effective and comfortable garment. As a result, we felt that a line of jackets would be the most versatile and realistic bullet proof clothing we could offer at the protection level we consider to be the standard for protection from just about every handgun bullet most of us would encounter, which is the NIJ Threat Level 3a standard. Threat Level 3a covers all the most accessible bullets: 9mm full metal jacket (Uzi), .44 Magnum, .45 cal., .40 cal, .38cal., .357 Magnum, .380 auto, .32 cal., .25cal., .22 short and long rifle, shotgun slugs and shot. Because of the decision to offer this "FULL" level of coverage we had to accept that we would not be offering "light" armored golf shirts and dress shirts. Our bulletproof clothing line will pretty much always need to be in the form of a piece of outerwear.

Our current offerings in bulletproof clothes that are made in the U.S.A. are a BulletBlocker Classic Jean Jacket, a BulletBlocker Traditional Barn Coat and a more dressy BulletBlocker Blazer in black or navy. All 3 bullet proof jackets are lined with NIJ Threat Level 3a body armor liners. The liners are cut in a form that is very close to that of traditional police body armor, offering added side and collar bone/shoulder protection as part of the 2 front and 1 back panels. The front is made up of 2 panels that overlap and close with hook and loop closures within the normal jacket opening. The lightweight panels add protection but there is a cost: Upon close inspection and with movement the jackets do not drape and flow like normal clothing. There is a little added thickness (approx. 1/4 inch) but not much weight. The body armor panels are semi rigid and need to be kept close to the body for the best protection.

I look at active shooter situation reports all the time and I always think about the dozens or sometimes hundreds of innocent people that truly felt threatened that day. Even if you are in the next building over or 20 floors above a shooting you think to yourself, "What if I was going to my car, was in the elevator...". When I picture myself in my office and hearing gunshots ring out somewhere I think of the peace of mind I would get knowing that I could put that bulletproof lined jacket on that has been hanging on the back of my door for years now and taking my briefcase with the liner and I could tuck in tight under my desk wrapped up and tucked under hundreds of square inches of material that can stop most bullets. I would take that moment and reflect on how little it cost to do everything I could to insure that I could come home to my family that night. Then I would have to think about the drills that they do at my son's school for active shooter scenarios and I would picture my son tucked under his desk, or in the utility closet or under the jackets thinking about what would happen if a bad person came into school shooting people. It's thoughts like this that created the bullet proof backpack. I already thought about it and rather than feel helpless my son will at least feel as though he is taking an active step to defend himself. In the process he will come to understand cover versus concealment a little bit better. But if I hadn't already, as I would hide to live another day at my office, I would vow to make sure that my children had at least the same protection I have in life.