Bulletproof vest question

Question
Hi, I'm writing a short story which has a gunfight. My two characters are taking cover behind two cars which are facing each other at a distance of 5-7 meters. Both characters are hiding behind the front (engine), but the bad guy is wearing a bullet-resistant vest. As an added complication, the bad guy is a corrupt CIA officer, so I guess his will be a hard vest. I know that depending on the weapon and the bullet-type, a weapon can have varying levels of penetration. I need to show that the rifle bullets fail to pass through a car engine, yet can penetrate bullet-resistant armor. But I have the feeling that the CIA guy's body armor might just stop my good guy's rifle rounds. Am I right? I need to know as I wish to be realistic. Thanks in advance.

Answer
Hello Helen,

Thanks for your question.  Since I am assuming that your characters will be using standard military type ordinance (AR15, M4 Carbine, AK47 or a Sniper rifle) the answer is as you guessed.  None of these bullets will effectively penetrate an engine block.  Most will penetrate the car's sheet metal body, but not the engine.

Regarding the body armor question, if the body armor is of the soft type, it will not protect against a rifle caliber.  It would have to be hard plate armor to protect the wearer from harm.  None of the typical military calibers (5.56mm NATO, 7.62x 39mm, 7.62 x 51mm NATO) would do it.  However, should your hero be an excellent shot, there is a location that is not protected by most body armor that is just below the chin area.  A crack shot might be able to aim carefully and place a shot just above the vest which would have a devastating effect on the bad guy...

Just a thought...

Hope this helps you out...

Doug