"this is not intended to start a gun control debate"

Well we can have a quick one. Don't you think defense is a legitimate use for handguns?

On a side note, a friend of mine has an old kevlar vest and he has had people shoot him with a .22 while he is wearing it. I haven't tried it but he says you can barely feel it. He also draped it over a door and shot it with a 9mm - it stopped the bullet but it broke through the door.