During the 1920s and early 1930s, the United States experienced a sharp increase in violent crime. Criminal gangs operated across major cities and often engaged in shootouts with law enforcement. To survive these encounters, gunmen began wearing early versions of body armor. These vests were less expensive than professional military gear. They were constructed from thick layers of cotton padding and heavy cloth. This design allowed the vests to absorb the impact of several common handgun rounds.
The cotton vests protected criminals from .22 Long Rifle and .25 ACP bullets. They also stopped .32 and .38 Special rounds traveling at speeds up to 300 meters per second. Law enforcement agencies like the FBI had to adapt to this new protection. They began using more powerful ammunition to overcome the padded vests. This included the newer .38 Super and later the .357 Magnum cartridge. This technological race created a high demand for better body armor for police officers.
The Washington D.C. Demonstration of 1923
In 1923, W.H. Murphy of the Protective Garment Corporation sought to prove that his company had solved the problem of police protection. He organized a live demonstration at the Washington city police headquarters. Murphy was both an inventor and a salesman. He knew that the only way to convince a police force to buy his product was to show that it worked in a real-world scenario. He invited several officials to watch him serve as a human target.
The demonstration involved a Maryland deputy sheriff and officers from the Frederick County Police Department. Murphy stood less than ten feet away from a loaded gun. The weapon used in the test was a S&W Model 10 Revolver. Murphy wore his patented “bulletproof vest” and waited for the officer to pull the trigger. The officer fired two consecutive .38 caliber slugs directly into Murphy’s chest. Eye witnesses at the scene stated that Murphy did not move or flinch during either shot.
After the bullets hit the vest, Murphy remained unharmed. He reached down and picked up one of the flattened .38 bullets. He gave the metal slug to the police officer as a souvenir of the event. This specific vest weighed 11 pounds and was designed to fit close to the body. It was significantly more comfortable than the heavy steel plates used in older designs. The police officers noted that the vest allowed for a full range of motion while providing high levels of safety.
Leo Krause and the 4,000 Bullets
Another prominent figure in the body armor industry was a salesman named Leo Krause. Krause did not just sell vests; he traveled the world to demonstrate them personally. He believed that the best way to market his product was through “death-defying” public displays. Over the course of a 27-year career, Krause estimated that he was shot more than 4,000 times during these demonstrations. He viewed each shot as a necessary step to secure more sales for his company.
Krause had a specific philosophy regarding his dangerous job. He stated that he would rather be the person being shot at than the person pulling the trigger. He argued that the shooter faced more pressure because they had to hit the armor perfectly to avoid a tragic accident. Krause used the resulting photographs of these tests to create advertisements. These images showed him standing calmly while bullets flattened against his chest. He understood that these arresting visuals were the key to convincing departments to invest in his technology.
The bravery of these salesmen was a calculated business move. They needed to remove any doubt that the vests could fail. In May 1924, a news image in Popular Mechanics showed Krause’s vest resisting the fire of three pistols at once. He allowed three different policemen to shoot at him at close range simultaneously. The .38 and .45 caliber bullets failed to penetrate the fabric. Instead, the lead missiles flattened against the protector and fell to the ground without causing any injury to Krause.
Testing with Diverse Targets
The demonstrations eventually expanded to include other participants. After the inventors proved the vests were safe, they encouraged others to put them on. This included young women who volunteered to serve as targets for the police. These displays were intended to show that the vests were light enough and safe enough for anyone to wear. The goal was to demonstrate that the impact of a bullet would not cause internal injuries even if the vest stopped the round.
These tests were often performed in front of large crowds and members of the press. The photographers captured the moment of impact to show the dust and the force of the bullet hitting the fabric. The participants often stood against walls or in open fields to provide a clear view for the spectators. The success of these tests led to the widespread adoption of the Protective Garment Corporation’s products. Police departments across the East Coast began ordering the 11-pound vests for their officers.
The technical design of these vests relied on multiple layers of high-strength fabric. The layers worked together to catch the bullet and spread its energy over a larger area. This prevented the bullet from focusing its force on a single point and breaking through. The salesmen emphasized that their vests protected the wearer from the “blunt force trauma” that often accompanied a non-penetrating hit. The fact that Murphy and Krause could stand still after being hit proved that the energy was being managed correctly by the garment.
The 1920s remained the most active period for these public ballistics tests. The lack of modern laboratory equipment meant that human demonstrations were the standard for quality control. Inventors like Murphy and Krause risked their lives weekly to ensure their customers felt safe on the streets. They turned the act of being shot into a professional routine. Their work provided the foundation for the personal protection equipment used by modern law enforcement agencies today.
The S&W Model 10 Revolver remained the primary tool for these tests throughout the decade. It was the most common service weapon for police, making it the perfect choice for proving the vest’s utility. Every successful test resulted in a flattened souvenir for the shooter and a new contract for the salesman. The images of these men standing in the line of fire became some of the most iconic photographs of the early 20th-century security industry.
