What is a Ballistic Shirt?

With tensions rising in societies and protests becoming more frequent in many regions around the world, you might be wondering how you can improve your personal safety in everyday life, whether you work for law enforcement or private security. Even if you’re just a considered citizen, you may be wondering how you can bolster your personal safety without drawing attention to yourself.

Ballistic shirts are a discrete garment that can protect you from certain handgun rounds and blunt trauma attacks just about anywhere, whether you’re maintaining peace at a protest or just grabbing some bits from the shop. Unlike ballistic vests, ballistic shirts are barely noticeable. They’re also much lighter and comfier in most cases.

With all that in mind, you may be asking ‘what is a ballistic shirt?’, ‘do they work?’ and ‘are they legal?’ In this guide, we’ll answer all those questions and more. And if you still have queries at the end, you can contact the survival experts at The Survival Island.

Types of ballistic shirt

Ballistic shirts are designed to provide the wearer with protection against handgun runs without being noticeable. While shirts don’t provide as much protection as certain vests against powerful handgun and rifle rounds, they can be worn in conjunction with vests to bolster your personal safety in high-risk situations.

Most ballistic shirts offer ballistic protection via body armour inserts on the front and back. Our ballistic combat shirt, for example, features front and back inserts for armour plates with an NIJ rating up to Level IIIA. These plates can be removed when you want to wash the shirt or wear it as everyday attire.

Do ballistic shirts work?

Can a virtually invisible shield incorporated into a t-shirt really protect you from gunfire? Ballistic shirts feature armour inserts that protect your vital organs, including your lungs and heart. However, it’s worth noting that ballistic shirts usually offer little side protection. Nevertheless, the armoured areas of our ballistic shirts can provide excellent protection against a range of threats.

Most certified ballistic shirts have an NIJ rating, which describes the types of ammo a garment protects against. Typically, ballistic shirts have an NIJ rating of IIIA, which means they have been rigorously tested under extreme conditions and found to offer reliable protection against .44 Magnum, .22 9mm and .357 Magnum rounds. This includes direct shots from calibre rounds, fragmentation and ballistic shockwave.

We should note that due to weight, comfort, mobility and other practicality considerations, ballistic shirts generally don’t offer protection against rifle rounds. If you need garments for high-risk situations, call the team of The Survival Island.

What are ballistic shirts made of?

Ballistic shirts can be made from a range of materials designed to optimise your comfort while maximising your personal safety. For example, our Ballistic Combat Shirt is made from elastic nylon with front and back armoured plates made from a super tough and durable UHMWPE material, which protects your vitals from ballistic and many blunt-force trauma threats. You can also find ballistic shirts made with Kevlar, but these tend to be heavier.

Are ballistic shirts legal?

Whether ballistic shirts are legal largely depends on where you live, your occupation and your criminal history.

For example, there are currently no restrictions on the purchase or use of body armour in the UK, though government bodies such as police departments must ensure their ballistic shirts meet the minimum quality and safety requirements of the Home Office Body Armor Standard 2017.

In the US, only minors under 18 years of age and former convicts with violent felonies are restricted from wearing armour at the federal level. However, certain states and jurisdictions have implemented supplementary laws. For example, Buying or wearing body armour in NY without permission is a misdemeanour.

In Australia, ballistic vests are classified as Category E firearms. While anybody can apply for a permit to buy and wear a ballistic vest, only certain professionals, such as police officers, can obtain these permits in practice.

Canada places virtually no restrictions on the sale, purchase or use of ballistic vests at the federal level provided you hold a valid Possession and Acquisition License (PAL) or Restricted PAL (RPAL) under Canada’s Firearms Act. However, rules can vary at the provincial level. Alberta’s body armour laws are the strictest, requiring all residents who don’t work in an exempted profession to obtain permits to buy and wear ballistic face masks and all other forms of body armour. Exempted professions include law enforcement personnel.

Find Ballistic Shirts at The Survival Island

If you want to bolster your personal safety without drawing too much attention, our ballistic shirts are perfect for you. At The Survival Island, we’re a team of wilderness and survival experts that sources the most advanced items of body armour from the most esteemed manufacturers throughout the world. If you have any questions about specifications or practical uses, don’t hesitate to contact us.