Armour in the Wild West

[Jim McDougall]

While we are familiar with the study of medieval armour, it is interesting to find that perhaps armour was not so resoundingly obsolete with the advent of firearms after all. It has always seemed interesting that the means of proofing armour was to fire bullets at it, and the dent was considered proof it was soundly made and acceptable....hence the term 'bulletproof'.
Clearly the reduction of the armour components was not entirely due to the use of firearms, but more for flexibility in movement as methods of combat changed.
As early as 1538, Negroli was commissioned to create a bulletproof vest for Francesco Maria Della Revere.

As we look into the history of the 'wild west' , we find that this term extended far down under as well, into 1880's Australia, and the outlaw gang of Ned Kelly, who are renowned for the phenomenon of wearing crudely fabricated suits of armour in a bizarre anachronistic fashion.
These incredibly heavy suits covered the torso, and were made of old plough metal weighing an incredibly uncomfortable 94 pounds. They were worn under full length covercoats and the police were astounded by the invulnerability of these men to gunfire until a helmet was seen being worn, believed only by Kelly.

This brought to mind the question of bulletproof vests in the west, were they actually worn? We know that during the Civil War, some of the Union troops did purchase steel breastplates, though as uncomfortable as they were , most were abandoned.

Certainly heavy steel was impractical for defensive wear, as painfully discovered by the Kelly gang, when their uncovered limbs were shot full of wounds, and they could not move fast enough to make a gainful escape. It is said that armour, as we know not limited to steel, is also fabricated of various kinds of cloth, even silk. It is said that silk can in fact either stop or impede the travel of bullets, especially the lower velocity black powder types.

In Joseon Dynasty Korea, during the U.S. expedition of 1871, the forces were puzzled at the fact that the Koreans seemed unaffected by gunfire, finding that they were apparantly wearing heavily folded cotton vests of as many as 30 folds. One unfortunate result for these bulletproof soldiers was that they were not impervious to the hot metal of cannon shell fragments, actually igniting some of them. One of these bulletproof vests was apparantly displayed until fairly recent times in the Smithsonian, now having returned to Korea.

I just thought these were interesting notes in the days pre-Kevlar, and am wondering if there are accounts of bulletproof protection, whether steel or fabric, having been used in the west by gunfighters or others.

[Emanuel]

Hello Jim,

I don't really have anything meaningful to add to the subject, besides a wonder at the development of body armour into modern times, but I just want to say thank you for always bringing such interesting subjects of conversation You encourage us to delve deep into the study of arms and armour and consider everything.

Thank you for that, and please keep it up my friend!

Warmest regards,
Emanuel

[BBJW]

Cole Younger of the James Younger Gang wore a heavy salt brine layered leather vest. It would stop a lot of the cap and ball revolver rounds of the day as well as buckshot at a little farther out. It would not stop heavier rifle rounds.

bbjw

[M ELEY]

Excellent subject matter indeed, Jim. I was unaware of Union forces being offered body armor. Fascinating information. I'm not surprised that it was considered (Emperor Napolean III's cuarassiers were still wearing them into the mid-19th century) and rejected (many of the Union soldiers wouldn't even carry their M1860 issued swords, deeming them useless in battle. That's why many of these swords are in such good shape). Let us not forget the Native American bone breast plates worn by chiefs that were often adorned with British gorgets from a century before. Although not common, they were worn to deflect arrows, spears and bullets from afar. I remember reading about the Egyptian Khedieve (King) and his troops known as the "Iron Men", who still wore breastplates into the late-19th century.
Betcha G. Custer would have given his hair for a good breastplate at the Big Horn.

[fearn]

Hi Jim,

I don't have any good armor anecdotes to add. Still, I keep thinking about the Ghost Dance shirts of the Lakota, that were supposed to stop bullets and did not, and of the scarves worn by the old capoeiristas, which didn't stop bullets, but did keep their opponents straight razors from slitting their throats.

F

[M ELEY]

http://books.google.com/books?id=kK2...esult&resnum=1

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by fearn

Hi Jim,

I don't have any good armor anecdotes to add. Still, I keep thinking about the Ghost Dance shirts of the Lakota, that were supposed to stop bullets and did not, and of the scarves worn by the old capoeiristas, which didn't stop bullets, but did keep their opponents straight razors from slitting their throats.

F

Good stuff Fearn!
Actually what I'm thinking of is not just armour, but bulletproofing, whether steel, silk, leather or whatever....and had forgotten the 'Ghost Dance'. The idea of apotropaics is definitely a pertinant associated perspective, thank you for adding these.

All the best,
Jim

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you so much guys!
I really appreciate the kind words, and I do tend to wander off on esoterica in arms and you guys always come up with great items of information that add to learning on them.
Emanuel, you may not have material at the moment...but if I know you, you soon will have you seem to have a way to find things and add unique perspective, thank you!
BJ, thanks for the info on the Youngers...never thought of brine soaked leather...though leather was of course well known back into the Spanish colonial days the Southwest....the Soldados de Cuero (leatherjackets) wore these to stop Apache arrows.
Mark, I hadnt heard of the Khedives 'iron men' ( a few chords of Ozzy...."Iron Man" need to look more into that.
Speaking of Napoleons cuirassiers, I recall reading about Waterloo in John Keegan's "Face of Battle" many years ago, and the description of the constant sound like hail on a tin roof, of all the bullets constantly hitting armor, helmets, swords etc.
There was probably a lot of things Custer would have wished for at the Little Big Horn!

All the best,
Jim

[BBJW]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Excellent subject matter indeed, Jim. I was unaware of Union forces being offered body armor. Fascinating information. I'm not surprised that it was considered (Emperor Napolean III's cuarassiers were still wearing them into the mid-19th century) and rejected (many of the Union soldiers wouldn't even carry their M1860 issued swords, deeming them useless in battle. That's why many of these swords are in such good shape). Let us not forget the Native American bone breast plates worn by chiefs that were often adorned with British gorgets from a century before. Although not common, they were worn to deflect arrows, spears and bullets from afar. I remember reading about the Egyptian Khedieve (King) and his troops known as the "Iron Men", who still wore breastplates into the late-19th century.
Betcha G. Custer would have given his hair for a good breastplate at the Big Horn.

A breastplate wouldn't have helped Custer much. Many of the Indians were armed with Winchesters. Not to mention heavy caliber muzzleloaders and assorted breechloaders.

bbjw

[M ELEY]

Of course, you are right. I was just joking. On an interesting side note, is is said that despite all that Custer did to the Souix, they still had great respect for the man! When his body was recovered, he had been scalped, but otherwise, intact. All of the other soldiers at the BigHorn had been horribly mutilated out of vengence (per Native American beliefs, they would look like this in the afterlife). Interesting...

[colin henshaw]

Very interesting topic. To add a few more African perspectives on "bulletproofing" :-

During the early 20th century "Maji Maji" native uprising in the then German East Africa, African diviners gave their warriors a magic concoction that would (they thought) turn the German bullets into water !

The Ashanti warriors of the 19th century wore smocks covered with many leather pouches filled with talismans, which gave both a magical protection against bullets and some possible actual protection against low velocity black powder projectiles (sometimes bits of metal or stones).

The 19th century warriors of the Sultanate of Bornu used cuirasses made of iron and iron helmets.

For what its worth...

Regards