Sales of body armor are on the rise. Who's buying and why?

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Retailers and manufacturers of body armor are reporting increased sales that are due in part to new customers seeking added protection following the recent spate of mass shootings.To get more news about body armor, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

Representatives of four sellers of body armor (National Body Armor, Spartan Armor Systems, Armored Republic and UARM USA Corp.) who spoke to NPR said they saw some rise in sales following recent mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, N.Y. They declined to provide specific numbers, however.
These businesses believe their customers are looking for more protection in a world that has been feeling increasingly unsafe. After the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, parents especially have felt like they need to do something, David Reece, the CEO of Armored Republic, said.

"You can't control what evil people do. And you can't control what lawmakers do. But you can buy your own child a backpack with armor in it," he said.Dave Goldberg, the CEO of National Body Armor, said his company experienced a boost in sales immediately following the mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo.

"We've been increasing ever since," he said. "We went from having most products in stock, shipping same day, to now taking four to six weeks."

Customers are buying items such as covert bulletproof T-shirts and backpacks as well as standard bulletproof vests of various strengths.

This broader trend in increased body-armor sales tracks with a rise in gun sales in the past few years. In April 2021, gun sellers across the U.S. reported that first-time gun buyers were pushing a surge in sales.

Retailers have also reported boosts in sales throughout the coronavirus pandemic during summers of civil rights protests, police shootings and other shootings.Restrictions on who can buy body armor in the U.S. are few and far between. People convicted of a violent felony are banned from purchasing body armor, but regulatory enforcement of that law is lax, according to sellers.

Connecticut requires sales of body armor to be made in person, and New York just passed restrictions on what types of body armor can be sold and who can buy it. Beyond that, no states require any kind of background check or permit. Sellers say they require buyers to be at least 18.Most of the companies that spoke with NPR for this story just started within the last decade. Many buyers early on were law enforcement officers or journalists, usually working in hostile environments.

Many retailers said gun owners are the most common return customer. They purchase body armor as an accessory to go with their weapon, retailers said. But there is growing popularity among people who just want a body shield to wear in everyday life.

"Most people haven't worn body armor before, and they just want to be able to wear something and feel comfortable that if they were shot with a handgun, they're gonna be protected," Goldberg said of National Body Armor's customers.

Tactical gear and bulletproof vests have long been worn by members of far-right groups, like the Proud Boys, during protests, noted P.B. Gomez, the founder of the Latino Rifle Association. His group is not affiliated with the National Rifle Association.

"But increasingly, it's becoming popular among leftist progressive people of color — people who want to protect themselves at protests when they're in situations where they might be confronted by far-right agitators. They want to have that protection," Gomez said.