Shield is a type of protective equipment that has been in use for the longest time, and it still has a great place in today's world of firearms. We often see police using riot shields to deal with emergencies through news and some movies and TV shows. These police shields should not be simple. I don't know what material they are made of and if they can withstand bullet shots. In fact, there are bulletproof shields in the special forces that are specifically used for CQB urban street battles.

Bullets can penetrate ordinary police riot shields because the main purpose of police riot shields is for riot control rather than explosion prevention. Their true purpose is only to resist attacks and prevent riots, not to prevent explosions. Similar to this type of Alec board, bullets can easily penetrate. But there is one type of police shield that is excluded. This is the assault shield used by the People's Armed Police Special Operations Force. Assault shield is a completely different design concept from riot shield, using various bulletproof materials to manufacture, such as Kevlar fiber composite material. The most famous of these is probably the assault shield VANT-VM commonly used by the Russian special forces FSB. This is a steel shield wrapped in bulletproof material, which is often used by the Russian FSB for indoor assault operations.

The large shields of the Russian military, which can block military rifle bullets, are basically beyond the reach of one hand. Heavy shields are usually pushed on wheels and are not suitable for outdoor environments. If it is only a half body shield, it is not feasible to hold the shield with one hand and the gun with the other hand. The battlefield environment is complex and the threat is all-round. Unlike police raids in urban environments or indoors, most situations are limited to facing only one direction ahead.

The main function of police riot shields in combat is not to prevent bullets, but to prevent knives, stray bullets, and shrapnel. Pistols and rifles can be easily pierced by close range shooting, and truly bulletproof shields are made of special materials such as bulletproof glass or special steel, which are heavy. Of course, there are indeed bulletproof shields that can be used with one hand, but that is only suitable when facing enemies with low firepower. If approaching a terrorist stronghold during counter-terrorism, front row personnel can use shields as cover to approach the target.

At present, China's bulletproof shields have world-class performance, even blocking AK47 without any problem. At present, China adopts the international level 6 protection shield, which can withstand the firing of 7.62 × 39mm intermediate power bullets of Type 56 rifle within 10 meters. The initial velocity of the 5.8 × 42mm high-pressure projectile used in China's 95-1 series is 930~960m/s, which has much higher power than the AK series. It can penetrate level 6 protection at a distance of 5-10 meters, so don't wonder why such protective equipment is not widely used in China. As is well known, soldiers need fast and flexible movements on the battlefield to carry out effective attacks and ensure life safety. Using a shield will significantly reduce speed, and holding a shield means that heavy weapons cannot be used to attack, while also hindering the observation and attack of enemies by teammates behind. So generally, shields are only used as cover in counter-terrorism and are not suitable for field operations.

However, now the lining of bulletproof shields is made of flexible bulletproof fabric, which improves the bulletproof effect while further reducing weight. Of course, the shields used by the police generally have poorer protection than those used by special forces, as they face low-intensity confrontations. This is mainly due to the different forms of counter-terrorism in China compared to foreign countries. Domestically, guns are prohibited, and generally criminals and police officers can be easily subdued. Police in some Western countries are equipped with heavy bulletproof shields, and holding shields is also a physical activity. Because their counter-terrorism mission is heavy and dangerous.