I was discussing this with someone yesterday and we found you can get surplus Level IIA for under a hundred bucks.
Example. http://www.bodyarmorcompany.com/retail/products.php?productID=950&dept=Military/Outdoor
And that was just the first search result.
I still maintain my previous assessment, however, that someone with a .40 caliber or higher pistol could’ve put this kid on the floor.
People think that a BPV means the shooter just keeps walking. You’re still contending with hundreds of ft.lbs. of pressure displaced across a very small area. There aren’t likely many people in the world, esp. those who’ve not experienced it, who would remain standing after taking even a .380 or 9mm to the chest with a BPV.
I took a beanbag shotgun round to my upper leg at 5 ft. and couldn’t walk for a week. I can’t imagine an actual bullet to the chest with a BPV. The pain was unimaginable.