Why edge shot performance matters in ballistic protection
Much attention is paid to the level of ballistic protection in armour – particularly against rifle rounds. What is often missed when assessing ballistic armour is the edge shot protection – whether a bullet that hits 2″ (50mm) from the edge of a rifle shield or body armour plate will be stopped. Current US ballistic standards deem any shot within this outer edge as an unfair hit.
For almost all conventional ballistic materials – steel, PE, Kevlar – the answer is No: a rifle shot 2″ from the edge will usually not be stopped. This is important – it means that the actual area of effective protection in a rifle shield or body armour plate – where a user can be confident that a shot will be stopped – is much smaller – often by 20 to 40%. This critical vulnerability means operators must rely on a significantly smaller protected area than the total shield dimensions.
Advanced materials make the difference
GC Shields employ advanced composites with patented edge shot protection using ultra high-molecular-weight polyethylene and graphene / aerogel enhanced composites to eliminate traditional weak points. The new GC RF2 rated shield, which stops the M855 / SS109, has an unrivalled ability to stop edge shots, and also has a unique and proven protection against multiple shots and stacked rounds.
The future of edge protection lies in advanced materials particularly those incorporating nanomaterials like graphene and provide more uniform protection across entire shield surfaces.