HANS Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Has one of you examined one of the old Dunrite or Wisbrod or Federal Labs vests in detail? How are they actually constructed? I understand they have thin steel strips encased in cloth, but how thick are these strips, how wide, how is the actual distribution? Would someone know? Many thanks! Cheers HANS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 I used to own one that belonged to John Dillinger, possibly used in the Greencastle bank robbery . A Dunrite. Cloth had pin stripes in it to emulate a vest as in a banker's suit. It had steel plates sewed into the fabric. Came in two pieces that snapped together on the top and hooked on the sides.Don't have it anymore, so about as specific as I can get.Here's an old photo of it I took long ago. OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_brock Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 Hans, There is some more info on vests over on the other page concerning Tear Gas and law enforcement stuff. Mine's an American Armor http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16153 Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANS Posted February 16, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 Thanks guys. Unfortunately that thread doesn't shed any light on the interior construction of the things other than they used steel strips Cheers HANS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron_brock Posted February 16, 2017 Report Share Posted February 16, 2017 What do you need to know? I'll gladly supply details from my vest as much as possible. I cannot remove any steel strips from mine. Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANS Posted February 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2017 What do you need to know? I'll gladly supply details from my vest as much as possible. I cannot remove any steel strips from mine. Thanks Ron! For starters, I'd be interested in the exact weight of the components. Can you see or feel the metal inserts? If so, could you provide dimensions of the pieces, such as thickness, width and height? Cheers HANS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 Hans,Why in the living hell, would one care about this ?? OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANS Posted February 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 Hans,Why in the living hell, would one care about this ?? OCM For the same reason why one would care whether a specific Thompson was used by a specific gangster at some point, or whether the Dillinger breakout gun actually was made of wood or a real one, or whether Dillinger drove a 1934 Terraplane or the 1933 model. Curiosity. Concerning these vests specifically, there is very little information out there on these old things, and yet they were the first moderately successful body armour available until the adoption of Kevlar in the 1970s. Surely it's interesting to know how they actually protected their wearer (ie, how much they covered and at which protection level), and at what cost (ie, how heavy and uncomfortable they were to wear). Cheers HANS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) I'm in market for a gangster era vest if anyone has one they would like to sell, orknow of one for sale elsewhere?Thanks,Darryl Edited February 20, 2017 by darrylta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 20, 2017 Report Share Posted February 20, 2017 (edited) H- OK good answer, your questions are very specific I thought, dimensions, weight, thickness.. etc. Just an FYI, I fired a Thompson, a Winchester 351 and a Super 38 into contemporary police vests at the range, I think Kevlar probably. I was about 25 feet away. The Super 38 pierced the vest, not the Thompson and I can't remember if the Winchester went thru, I think so. I can ask Sheriff Hudson he was there too.My Dunrite had plates in it, I think like two on either side front and ones running up the back. Only a guess, 4"x5", maybe 3/8" thick. ??Bulky. You slipped it over your head, or snapped the front & back together from both tops. Had an elastic straps that hooked them togetherFabric is like wool probably. Darryl, I know at least that Dillinger had a Dunrite brand. Saved his butt outside East Chicago. Seems like it was common equipment for a bank robbery. The one I had was captured in Chicago at Dillinger's apartment, just after the Greencastle robbery in 33. Boy, I don't know you'd find one, hope someone here will know. Cool item to have in a collection. To both, this is one of the vests recovered in Tucson. Edited February 21, 2017 by OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 I've stumbled onto (2) vests, the average price is around $600. Is that the going price nowadays?Seems a little high to me?Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colt Chopper Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 There's one on Armslist for a $1,000. Careful though, that sight is known for scammers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Darryl-Mario's got one for sale, check his Capone webpage. I think he's got a picture on there of the Dillinger one I owned, not for sale tho-Mario isn't a scammer, I've known him for years. Good guy in my book. He's advertising 600 it appears. Looks very complete,Dillinger just happened to have a Dunrite, they had lots of BP vests, picked them up when robbing Police Departments. I think they left 4-5 at Little Bo alone. Might make him an offer if it looks good ? Maybe you've already found this anyway. ? I can't give value of these, condition of course. Mine had some intense history and paperwork, so a different deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Sandy,Colt Chopper's lead may be a good one.Attached is a photo of it. It's looks legit to me.Thanks CC,Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 21, 2017 Report Share Posted February 21, 2017 Darryl,Looks pretty much like the Dunrite I had from the raid on Dillinger's apartment on Clerendon Ave in Chicago. It was out of the Calvin Goddard Collection. It was exhibited by the National Archives at one point.This is a professional photograph of it, see better details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Speaking of gangster vests, Colt Chopper & I were discussing today the fact that Baby Face Nelson was wearing a BP Vest at the Barrington battle.CC brought the fact that Nelson was shot into the side with a big gapping hole and not much if any damage to his chest area. Looks like the vest worked in some respect.Story goes, from Helmer, the FBI got all the clothes and left over stuff from the battle as evidence. Years later the FBI was cleaning house, to much stuff and dumped the Nelson things still in evidence into a garbage container. A gal friend of Helmer's, that worked at the FBI, had the smarts to grab one of these little historical items, the vest. She & Bill had discussed this. Eventually she sold the vest on Ebay about 10-15 years ago.My understanding a lot of the bloody stuff was burned , at the time, but we have photos to prove a lot was not.SO, if you happened to get a old vest off Ebay years ago, contact Colt Chopper ..... OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Speaking of gangster vests, Colt Chopper & I were discussing today the fact that Baby Face Nelson was wearing a BP Vest at the Barrington battle.CC brought the fact that Nelson was shot into the side with a big gapping hole and not much if any damage to his chest area. Looks like the vest worked in some respect.Story goes, from Helmer, the FBI got all the clothes and left over stuff from the battle as evidence. Years later the FBI was cleaning house, to much stuff and dumped the Nelson things still in evidence into a garbage container. A gal friend of Helmer's, that worked at the FBI, had the smarts to grab one of these little historical items, the vest. She & Bill had discussed this. Eventually she sold the vest on Ebay about 10-15 years ago.My understanding a lot of the bloody stuff was burned , at the time, but we have photos to prove a lot was not.SO, if you happened to get a old vest off Ebay years ago, contact Colt Chopper ..... OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrylta Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 (edited) CC & Sandy, CC's lead worked out. The deals done and the vest is on the way.I guess I'm in the market for a mannequin and white shirt, I'll have towait until I have it to check the size of it. Most likely small, men were not asrotund as they are today:-)Thanks for help!!Darryl Edited February 22, 2017 by darrylta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCM Posted February 22, 2017 Report Share Posted February 22, 2017 Makes a nice presentation. They are wool so be careful of moths and stuff. I kept a cotton cloth cover over mine, NOT plastic.Here's another view of mine. I guess size was maybe a 38 Reg.Congratulations. Seems like Dunrite, American and Wisbrod where the real common vests of the day. Dunrite & Wisbrod were in a big lawsuit back then. OCM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan9655 Posted November 5, 2023 Report Share Posted November 5, 2023 I have a 1920s bullet proof vest that was owned by the St. Louis Police Department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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