[Kevlar:] The Helmets O' Truth

The Box of Truth ^ | July 4 2009 | Old_Painless

[Daffynition]

Several people have asked me to shoot a new Kevlar helmet. My old buddy Ponyboy finally found a couple and sent them to me to test.

Before we start, let me explain that we are not conducting "scientifically valid" tests on these brain buckets. It is my understanding that the military requires these helmets to withstand a round of 5.56 Ball at 200 yards. I am not certain of all the parameters, but it doesn't really matter, because I will not be repeating their tests. They already do that one and the helmets passed. We'll do something different.

Helmets are mostly designed to protect against shrapnel. I don't have any hand grenades, but I do have some handguns. Today, we're going to shoot the helmets with some common handgun calibers and see if they will be stopped.

First, the set-up. We will be shooting from about 25 feet.

I've placed the helmet on a gallon of water, just to catch anything that penetrates the helmet.

We'll start small.

First a round of .22 Long Rifle.

It made an exterior hole in the helmet...

...but didn't punch through.

Next, a round of 9mm Ball from my Browning Hi Power.

[Daffynition]

Click for more:

[KoRn]

I LOVE that site!

I recommend ALL FReepers that are into firearms to check it out. You can literally spend hours looking at things like the above, and other stuff to do with shooting that you’ve always wondered about.

This site is the ‘MythBusters’ of the firearms world. Very educational!

[Daffynition]

You’re right .... I spent a lot ‘o time poking around on the site. Good stuff!

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!! That's so touching!

Then, there's this.......

[mountainlion]

Hey man, padding, all I had in Viet Nam was a sweat band to keep it on. That thing could break your neck.

[Vendome]

Thanks! That was so cool and very creative.

Put a smile on my face :-)

[arbooz]

[Daffynition]

LOL .... be careful out there. Wear protection. 8-I

[Daffynition]

[Vendome]

LOL!

[DMZFrank]

Actually, the M1 steel helmet had a fairly efficient suspension system if you adjusted it correctly, thereby making it reasonably comfortable to wear and likely to stay on your head without the chin strap. Padding would have made it a lot hotter to wear. Mine did a pretty good job of stopping some mortar frag that probably would have pierced my skull if I didn’t have it on.

[mountainlion]

I was on a bulldozer so it was a rough ride. I got a couple of RPG fragments between the flack jacket and helmet with a wound the size of a pimple, a kerry purple heart for sure. On guard duty I could set down in the back of the motor pool and doze off for about a second. My head would drop and the helmet drop would startle me with enough adrenalin to make the rest of the guard mount.

[DMZFrank]

Glad your wounds weren’t serious. Sounds like you deserved the Purple Heart more than Kerry did. Welcome home Bro.