Issue link: http://lawandordermag.epubxp.com/i/238697
UP-CLOSE DSM Dyneema Ballistic Materials POINT BLANK ALPHA ELITE BODY ARMOR DEMO DYNEEMA BALLISTIC MATERIAL TAKES MULTIPLE HITS. BY JIM WEISS & MICKEY DAVIS WWW.POINTBLANKARMOR.COM Point Blank Enterprises (PBE) introduced their stateof-the-art Alpha EliteTM Series Ballistic System at IACP 2013. A few weeks later, they demonstrated the new soft body armor at a shoot during the 31st Annual SWAT Round-Up International in Orlando, Fla. The demo was held at the Orange County Sheriff's Office's training range during the Round-Up competition. It began from behind a table containing various frearms, factory-loaded ammunition, and a chronograph to measure bullet velocity. If spectators wanted, they could submit a weapon and ammunition to be tested. The frst shot at the BPE's Alpha Elite ballistic vestwearing mannequin was fred from a Thompson Contender with a 16-inch barrel. The ammunition was 9 mm 124-grain, the same round as the NIJ uses for certifcation. The chronograph measured the bullet's speed at 1337 feet per second. The vest was then handed to the spectators to inspect. The blunt trauma to the panel appeared to be very small and was certainly compliant to NIJ standards for backface deformation. By the end of the demonstration, 91 rounds had been fred at the vest, including special threat rounds. The distance for these shots varied from 15 feet away to "point blank" range. The bullets used were of varying sizes, and fred from a variety of different guns with different muzzle velocities. This is compared to the National Institute of Justice when it does evaluations of ballistic protection of one round at a time, or about six rounds total. According to Point Blank, the Alpha Elite Series body armor was created when the company's engineers began searching for a ballistic material that would meet the rigorous demands of U.S. Special Operations forces deployed in the world's most dangerous regions. They wanted something better in regard to weight, fexibility, and thickness—a ballistic vest that would give protection and comfort, and reduce trauma. 54 LAW and ORDER I January 2014 The Alpha Elite Series armor is shown being tested at the SWAT Round-up. Dyneema Force Multiplier Technology used in the Point Blank Alpha Elite Series armor limits the backface deformation (blunt trauma).