I'm not sure which forum is best suited for this question so I apologize if I'm in the wrong one, but here goes: I have a retired le friend who claims that a bullet from a .22 will penetrate a typical bulletproof vest. I asked him if he meant a .223 or some similar centerfire .22 caliber cartridge but he specified a .22 rimfire. He argued that the bullet is small enough to "sneak through" the fibers of the Kevlar material. Is he right about this? Thanks.
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.22 Rimfire vs a Bulletproof Vest
- Thread starter dgludwig
- Start date
Bill DeShivs
New member
Many years ago we played with a vest. Most handgun rounds would not penetrate it. A .22 short from a NAA mini revolver almost went through it!
Double Naught Spy
New member
I am not sure what is meant by a "typical bulletproof vest," but I will assume for argument sake that Level II is meant. If that is the case, no, it won't go through.
.22 magnum from a pistol stopped by an OLD IIa vest at 2200 fps (claimed, but probably more like 1500 from a pistol).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNspGilCItw
A .22 mag out of a rifle may go through a IIa vest, however, IIRC.
Here is .22 lr high velocity from a rifle stopped by a vest already shot multiple times....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1KGFonmZzQ
More testing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhHxyUChM0
.22 mag from a pistol...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L4VOcr9cVE
.22 magnum from a pistol stopped by an OLD IIa vest at 2200 fps (claimed, but probably more like 1500 from a pistol).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNspGilCItw
A .22 mag out of a rifle may go through a IIa vest, however, IIRC.
Here is .22 lr high velocity from a rifle stopped by a vest already shot multiple times....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1KGFonmZzQ
More testing...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhHxyUChM0
.22 mag from a pistol...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L4VOcr9cVE
mkiker2089
New member
This has to be an urban legend only. A needle size bullet maybe but a 22 isn't armor piercing at all. Ask him to get a vest and try it out at the range.
Any NIJ approved soft vest will stop a .22 lr. Period. Rifle, pistol, zip gun - it matters not.
I'd point out the original post only says rimfire, not just lr. So 22 magmum could be in the running.
mkiker2089
New member
It doesn't really matter. If any 22 round had that ability ISIS would be over here with them by now.I'd point out the original post only says rimfire, not just lr. So 22 magmum could be in the running.
Back in the early 80's, when second chances were new, the gun shop I hung out in had sample swaths of the Kevlar used in their vests. The teenage son of the shop owner wanted me to shoot him with a 2" S&W 22 kit gun while wearing the vest. Gee, I can't remember why I refused. But I suggested we shoot the sample instead. It did stop the 22, but it pulled about 2" of fabric through the sample. True, not a full vest, but we were both glad we didn't do it.
It doesn't really matter. If any 22 round had that ability ISIS would be over here with them by now.
Not really. The vest, which isn't really specified here, can range greatly in its ability. A plate carrier with hard plate inserts like the military uses is a different story, but just a soft vest could be penetrated by 22 magnum from a rifle. For that matter ISIS could easily penetrate level IIA with the 5.56 carbines they've taken from the Iraqi army.
The video below shows a 22 magnum from a pistol and its impact on level IIA vest. Given what we see in the video I imagine a 22 magnum from a rifle would penetrate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmhmtJvLZQU#t=8m45s
mkiker2089
New member
So in short I'm being told that a 22 magnum is better than a 9mm or even up to a 44 magnum with regard to a vest? Really? then why don't we hear more about police being taken down with a 22?
I've seen 22s and they aren't that small. If you could somehow put a titanium pen point on it perhaps that would go through.
Then again we start getting back to the benefits of armor piercing versus hollow point.
I've seen 22s and they aren't that small. If you could somehow put a titanium pen point on it perhaps that would go through.
Then again we start getting back to the benefits of armor piercing versus hollow point.
So in short I'm being told that a 22 magnum is better than a 9mm or even up to a 44 magnum with regard to a vest? Really? then why don't we hear more about police being taken down with a 22?
No what you're being told is that a small, light projectile fired from a rifle could pierce a vest, and 22 magnum happens to fit that description thus making the OP story's (where pistol vs. rifle isn't answered) conceivable. Why doesn't it happen more? Because many police are using more than level IIA these days, and not too many criminals are using 22 magnum rifles?
Your video is a pistol, not a rifle. See how I said rifle multiple times?
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mkiker2089
New member
Ok, so it's the type of bullet and not something special about the 22 then.
A solid bullet can go through but a bullet designed for flesh (flattens out) won't, right? That I can kind of see.
Of course if a bad guy wanted to kill a cop they'd just shoot at his head so perhaps it doesn't come up too often.
A solid bullet can go through but a bullet designed for flesh (flattens out) won't, right? That I can kind of see.
Of course if a bad guy wanted to kill a cop they'd just shoot at his head so perhaps it doesn't come up too often.
It is a combination of the velocity of the projectile and its size. There's nothing magic about 22 magnum. I imagine a 5.7x28 carbine would yield even better results against level IIA and obviously 5.56x45 even more so. I'm merely saying that there is a possibility where what the OP heard could be true, but there are a lot of ifs in that scenario. It's most likely watering hole gossip.
I'm not sure what you mean by "solid". If you mean a full metal jacket bullet versus a hollow point or soft nose lead bullet, none of those from a pistol is going to go through a standard vest in a rimfire caliber that I know of. Now a hollow point rifle round versus a vest? That's an interesting question. With the right amount of velocity I imagine it would still go through. I've never seen that testing in 22 magnum though.
Piercing a vest isn't an automatic death. After piercing the vest the projectile still has to have enough mass and velocity to hit the central nervous system or damage a major artery to cause an instant death or enough blood loss to be unrecoverable. 22 magnum isn't nearly as easy to find or used in nearly as many firearms as the common calibers today. Criminals use what is cheap and available, not to mention for them concealability is often very important making rifles less appealing. And again, if your goal is to defeat a vest use a rifle or carbine, not a pistol.
A solid bullet can go through but a bullet designed for flesh (flattens out) won't, right? That I can kind of see.
I'm not sure what you mean by "solid". If you mean a full metal jacket bullet versus a hollow point or soft nose lead bullet, none of those from a pistol is going to go through a standard vest in a rimfire caliber that I know of. Now a hollow point rifle round versus a vest? That's an interesting question. With the right amount of velocity I imagine it would still go through. I've never seen that testing in 22 magnum though.
Of course if a bad guy wanted to kill a cop they'd just shoot at his head so perhaps it doesn't come up too often.
Piercing a vest isn't an automatic death. After piercing the vest the projectile still has to have enough mass and velocity to hit the central nervous system or damage a major artery to cause an instant death or enough blood loss to be unrecoverable. 22 magnum isn't nearly as easy to find or used in nearly as many firearms as the common calibers today. Criminals use what is cheap and available, not to mention for them concealability is often very important making rifles less appealing. And again, if your goal is to defeat a vest use a rifle or carbine, not a pistol.
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Double Naught Spy
New member
.22 mag rifle failed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u42cDq0so4A
I am not sure what ISIS has to do with anything here, but .17 hmr goes through and ISIS isn't over here with them by now. Of course, ISIS would not limit themselves to rimfire, LOL.
.17 hmr through a level II vest (bad language, FYI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG8CSKl0Nb4
17 hmr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwMDdYnEvjw
The concept of "armor piercing" has nothing to do with soft body armor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u42cDq0so4A
It doesn't really matter. If any 22 round had that ability ISIS would be over here with them by now.
I am not sure what ISIS has to do with anything here, but .17 hmr goes through and ISIS isn't over here with them by now. Of course, ISIS would not limit themselves to rimfire, LOL.
.17 hmr through a level II vest (bad language, FYI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG8CSKl0Nb4
17 hmr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwMDdYnEvjw
Then again we start getting back to the benefits of armor piercing versus hollow point.
The concept of "armor piercing" has nothing to do with soft body armor.
A .22 or .17 will penetrate more layers of a soft vest than larger projectiles due to the relative size, but not go through. Vests work based on spreading energy over a larger area. A .22 or .17 has less area to spread.
Ice picks penetrate more layers for the same reason.
.22 rimfire vs a bulletproof vest hurts.
Ice picks penetrate more layers for the same reason.
.22 rimfire vs a bulletproof vest hurts.
.22 mag rifle failed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u42cDq0so4A
I am not sure what ISIS has to do with anything here, but .17 hmr goes through and ISIS isn't over here with them by now. Of course, ISIS would not limit themselves to rimfire, LOL.
.17 hmr through a level II vest (bad language, FYI)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG8CSKl0Nb4
17 hmr
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwMDdYnEvjw
The concept of "armor piercing" has nothing to do with soft body armor.
Ah heck there goes that theory. Should have searched YouTube more. If you can think of it, chances are someone has done it.
Still very little info on this story but it seems pretty busted.
Double Naught Spy
New member
Maybe a different bullet would have done better?? Maybe through a IIa vest?
That is the only rifle test I found.
That is the only rifle test I found.
No I was just figuring that since the pistol nearly made it through the rifle would. That video has more proof of anything than I do. I had thought about 17 HMR but of course that's not a 22. I remember years back me and some guys that worked for an armored car company took a retired vest out and did some similar tests. The most "amusing" was the 12 gauge slug that while stopped pulled the vest inward enough to have basically destroyed the rib cage of anything underneath.
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