During the nam era were the zippers metal or plastic I am talking more about teh zipper teeth.

They were metal and I am pretty sure (not positive) that they were silver.

Most of the older vest were blacken brass. The newer ones were metal. The newer types broke a lot faster than the brass ones.

They were metal my friend!

~Chip :-)

Don't want to make an issue but the older vest had brass zippers. I was issued one and sat on the thing for over a year in Vietnam. Phantom Major is right about most everyone over there did not zip them up. The metal zippers would rust and break anyways. About the only time most were worn was at a base camp or major firebase. The Brass made everone wear them there. On convoys or flying in choppers most sat on them. They never worked anyways. They were sand filled plastic bags. If you got a tear in the outter fabric and the vest got wet (which was 99% of the time) the inner material (sand) would settle to the bottom of the vest. Phantom is also right they were heavy and very hot to wear.

Brass..... the CF still has many in stock and I have, unfortunately, toiled wearing the blasted thing.

Cheers!

I always thought they were steel plates inside interesting to find they were only sand. Anyone know how well they stopped bullets thru experience or someone you knew?

I believe Plates are slipped into certain spots. the Raised Square areas. Of Course I Dont have that much knowledge on the vest.

The standard Vietnam issue vest had no plates in them. They would not stop any bullet. I know of many Brothers that were shot thru the vest. The thing was useless in my opinion. they would stop some small shrapnel from a distance. The one one thing I guess they were good for was to help loose weight. The last vest I was issued in the early 1990's was as different as night and day. I wished that we had these types back in Nam. The tnakers and the air crew vest had bullistic armor plates in them. WEe called them chicken plates. WE wished that if we had been issued this type.

Hi again,

I know the older "flack vests" (AKA, Body Armor) we have in circulation are based on the US Vietnam era ones. The vests are pretty much the exact same with one exception being they are not filled with sand. The ones we use (I'm sure they are US surplus) have some kind of layered material which weighs a ton and often settles to the bottom of the pocket in which it resides, making an already uncomfortable situation worse. They where big, bulky, down right heavy and an absolute necessity on every live fire missile shot we ever did. I was once told that they where not to stop a bullet.... just to keep your torso together in the event you did get hit! The best use we had for them was as a seat cushion....

Cheers!

the british army had similar ones these were made of nylon and had velcro fasteners
you could open them up and remove the kelvar out of them and had plastic plates in the shoulder with thick strips to keep the butt of the rife in place the newer ones have ceramic
plates inthem and are made of a diffeent material and yes they are hot and heavy also especially as you always lend up with one that is 2 sizes too small and its like wearing a corset!