Posted on 08/01/2019 1:32:27 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
The options for back-to-school shoppers are endless just weeks before school actually starts. OfficeMax in Dallas is giving parents another option to consider: bulletproof backpacks.
Two different bulletproof backpacks by Guard Dog were on the shelves at the Haskell location in Dallas. The Pro-Shield Smart backpack boasts a Level III-A protection. The manual shows it's been tested against a .44 Magnum and a 9mm and passed a test with no bullet penetrations through the backpack.
WFAA also put the backpack to the firing test at the Garland Public Shooting Range with John Coulton, who has been an NRA Certified Instructor for 25 years. He said he's shot at many targets, but never a backpack.
First, Coulton shot a .45 caliber firearm from 21 feet away. It pierced a hole through much of the items inside the backpack. All the files, folders, and notebooks all had holes in them. It did not, however, pierce through to the back of the pack.
Next, Coulton fired the .44 Magnum.
While it pierced through most of the internal contents, it did not pierce through the back of the backpack. It did, however, do some serious damage to the back lining.
"As you can see it put a lot of energy through the target. It bowed the back of the backpack," Coulton said.
The manufacturer said it tested the bag with a .44 Magnum caliber five times and passed it with no penetrations.
Next up, Coulton shot an AR-15 with .223 caliber rounds, and it easily pierced its way through the back. The product description makes no mention of tests against this kind of rifle.
"Unfortunately, that is the weapon a lot of these school shootings are using. [The backpack] has potential for everything else, not for the rifles," Coulton said.
Campus Safety Magazine chief Robin Hattersley worries these products take advantage of people's fears. She cannot speak to the effectiveness of the product. But she does say it's very unlikely a student will have access to their backpack at all times during the school day and it's far far more unlikely a shooting event happens at their school.
"The student a lot of times doesn't even wear their backpack. Maybe they're in class or the library," Hattersley said.
Hattersley said parents should rather spend their time focusing on Internet safety and monitoring their child's social media. She said the online threats are very real threats that happen to schoolchildren every day. Hattersley also encouraged parents to be more active in their communities by attending safety and security meetings.
"Spending $200 on a bulletproof backpack doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense," Hattersley said.
WFAA reached out to the Guard Dog manufacturer, and has not heard back.
The backpack is just another option for parents, and a pricey option at that. But it may be an option parents are willing to choose in these times.
“Next up, Coulton shot an AR-15 with .223 caliber rounds, and it easily pierced its way through the back. The product description makes no mention of tests against this kind of rifle.”
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so it’s effective?
That would make an interesting, even entertaining Samsonite Luggage commercial.
No one would dare to produce it, though.
Teachers will use children as shields.
Cheap armor for leftist shooters.
If they developed bulletproof hoodies, just think how many aspiring rappers could be saved? /s
DIY bullet resistant panel for a backpack
1 - create a template from cardboard that fits the inside of the backpack, closet to the back
2 - cut 6 layers of either fiberglass/carbon fiber/ kevlar / or other high tensile strength fabric to match the template
3 - cut 1 shape from 16 gage steel
4 - layer the fabric so that the fabric is at a 30 or 45 degree offset. Put the steel plate under the top layer of fabirc
5 - Us high strength fiberglas epoxy and push the epoxy into each layer so that the whole set of layers has expoxy in the fabric and between the layers
6 - press the template together and hold in place until the expoxy sets
7 - trim the excess, smo0th the edges, apply a layer of spray paint of a color that blends with the backpack.
8 - insert into the backpack so that the metal plate side is facing away from the child.
Using Kevlar, I have seen this stop pistols and shotgun rounds. Based on that performance, I believe it would stop the first .223 round. Now that I have my AR, I will have to test this at the range again.
After the white flight out of Dallas and all the new immigrants, of course they need bulletproof backpacks.
First of all, the gunman better give notice so the kid can grab the backpack and put it in front of his body, I GUESS.
Second, if he/she happens to get shot at while walking with it, it won’t do much good from the front or for the head.
Third, these mass shooting usually spray a lot of bullets around and even if the backpack catches one or two, the third or fourth might do you in.
Does it come with a bucket of rocks? That would be an enticing promo!
Those 223 rounds weren’t even the armor piercing type either.
You have one?
How heavy is it?
Poor kids struggle enough with an ordinary backpack loaded with books. I can’t imagine little Monica jumping on the school bus with 35 lbs of books and plating on her back.
Is the fact that you’d consider buying them a bullet proof back pack for your kid for school, going to be enough to convince some parents that they shouldn’t be sending their kids there?
Not likely but maybe a few will reconsider.
Making money off of paranoia. The modern fallout shelter. Mathematically speaking any randomly selected child (ie, “yours”) will not be involved in a school shooting. They also will not win the lottery. That’s just how it is. But getting you to understand that math is highly profitable.
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I thought the schools were leaning more toward clear backpacks, banning extraneous jackets, etc., so as to reduce the chance of kids being armed or toting bombs, etc.
Bingo.
In my day we did this....
Now they issue Kevlar backpacks.
I guess things aren't really that different, huh?
I thought schools required see through backpacks. To ascertain little Billy wasn’t toting a Glock 19 to school.
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