Editing Bulletproof vest (section)

==Performance standards==
{{main|List of body armor performance standards}}
Due to the various types of projectile, it is often inaccurate to refer to a particular product as "[[Bulletproofing|bulletproof]]" because this implies that it will protect against any and all threats. Instead, the term '''bullet resistant''' is generally preferred. Vest specifications will typically include both penetration resistance requirements and limits on the amount of impact force that is delivered to the body. Even without penetration, heavy bullets can deal enough force to cause [[blunt trauma|blunt force trauma]] under the impact point. On the other hand, some bullets can penetrate the vest, but deal low damage to its wearer due to the loss of speed or small/reduced mass/form. Armour piercing ammunition tends to have poor terminal ballistics due to it being specifically not intended to fragment or expand.

Body armor standards are regional. Around the world ammunition varies and as a result the armor testing must reflect the threats found locally. Law enforcement statistics show that many shootings where officers are injured or killed involve the officer's own weapon.<ref>Terry D. Edwards, (1995) "Felonious killings of state police and highway patrol officers: a descriptive and comparative evaluation", American Journal of Police, Vol. 14 Iss: 2, pp. 89–105</ref> As a result, each law enforcement agency or para-military organization will have their own standard for armor performance if only to ensure that their armor protects them from their own weapons.

While many standards exist, a few standards are widely used as models. The US [[National Institute of Justice]] ballistic and stab documents are examples of broadly accepted standards. In addition to the NIJ, the UK [[Home Office Scientific Development Branch]] (HOSDB – formerly the Police Scientific Development Branch (PSDB)) and VPAM (German acronym for the Association of Laboratories for Bullet Resistant Materials And Constructions),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vpam.eu|title=VPAM home site}}</ref> originally from Germany, are other widely accepted standards. In the Russian area, the GOST standard is dominant.