Helmets: Airsoft and Real Life

[GR]

Hello there, fellow forum users!

I just wanted to start a discussion on the topic that has been bugging me for the past week, and with no answers found on the net, I decided to see what other people thought...

I came across a few pictures of military personnel from different countries wearing, what seemed to be (at least to me), bicycle helmets... :shock: I.E. down bellow...







After a bit of research, I found out those were Pro-Tec military helmets.

To be truthful, this really dumbfounded me. Up to this point in my life, I always thought that the idea of a military helmet in general, is to protect the wearers head from different projectiles on the battlefield, as well as from other dangers to the head. Now... I'm not sure what to think anymore. :?

The helmets on the picture sure look tactical, and most likely are very comfortable (probably are also very nice shock absorbers as well). On the battlefield, however, I have a feeling those "vents" (for a lack of a better word) wouldn't do too good to protect the wearer from shrapnel or bullets (comparing to a basic M88, IMO).

Maybe I'm too old fashioned... but I sincerely do not get this and hence I would love to hear any ideas or discussions on this (as I didn't find much through Google).

P.S. If this thread is a repost/not in a proper place/simply weird, have no problem to have this deleted.

[Blackthorne]

Getting knocked out in a "high speed" military operation is way more likely than getting shot in the head.

In certain instances its effective to ditch the heavy kevlar for something that will protect you but let you move faster.

Hi speed guys started using climbing and skating helmets, then the industry moved in with tactical versions to meet their needs. "Bump" helmets were born, and it took only a few seconds for rails to appear on them for hanging shit on

[pugs144]

BT beat me to it but it depends on the mission profile. Recent helmet technologies can provide ballistic protection for less weight, but yes there are times when all you need is protection from bumps.

[GR]

Makes sense. But then it would mean that these type of helmets would be more for special or task force groups, rather than standard issue, if I am correct?
Wouldn't be too smart to wear such type of gear on guard duty, or in a large aerial attack if you ask me.

[ThunderCactus]

I'm sure they did a large study on the percentage of potentially lethal blows to the helmet vs lethal wounds to any other part of the body.
When you really think about it, the helmet covers a very small part of your body, and very little of the front profile of the head. It's mostly for shrapnel, debris, and shock absorption.
Military helmets for a very long time didn't even protect against direct fire.

[Dynamo]

7.62 will go through both sides of an issue ballistic helmet. high-speed low-drag all the way.
kevlar is only effective when allowed to flex and stretch to "catch" a bullet, which doesn't work so well in a ridged helmet.
i have seen many videos from Iraq/Syria of western soldiers being killed while gunning in a hummer, with the majority of shots going through the kevlar helmet.

[GR]

True, however, that's why the primary job of a helmet is mostly to deflect, and not stop the projectile in most cases, but now I see where this idea of light and "ergonomic" helmets comes from.

[ThunderCactus]

Somebody had an issue helmet with a titanium plate in it that could allegedly stop a 7.62x39....I wanna say it was british

[Kimbo]

Most of the high speed guys that wear them, use them in a CQB environment where an AK round would go right through a helmet anyways. They are worn in those cases to protect the head against bumps and whups-ses.

[Ricochet]

Light-weight, comfortable, ergonomic, and fast. It isn't just helmets going this route. Many modern plate carriers now only protect a smaller central area, covering the vital organs, and have even dropped the side armor completely.

[Danke]

Seeing as folks have been wearing bump helmets since before airsoft was invented I'd have to say this isn't a shocking new discovery.

[grantmac]

Bump helmets were in use at least since the late 80/early 90s. Well documented that the SF guys ran hockey helmets during the Mogadishu incident. Main threat of head injury is fast-roping/vehicle operations. Both situations where a large kevlar is more likely to result in injury than protection.

-Grant

[ThunderCactus]

Yeah the US army only copies me when I change camo.
I got UCP, they got UCP. I got multicam, they got multicam.
Now that I have multicam tropic, you're gonna start seeing SF dudes wearing it.

[Off_kilter]

Originally Posted by ThunderCactus

Somebody had an issue helmet with a titanium plate in it that could allegedly stop a 7.62x39....I wanna say it was british

The swiss in I believe it was the early 80s developed the tig titanium helmet. It was adopted by many counterterrorism teams including units in the KGB...the Russians then reverse engineered them and created the altyn. 9mm literally bounces off it.

[Kungpow]

I saw some Russian body armor that was composed of titanium plates...small ones.