A Bulletproof Cup? Inventor Launches Campaign to Fund “Nutshellz”
OutdoorHub Reporters 05.13.15
Jeremiah Raber, the founder and owner of Nutshellz, recently launched a new Kickstarter campaign to fund his latest line of bulletproof groin protectors. Of course, while the ability of the Nutshellz to stop a bullet may steal the spotlight, Raber said that he originally created the state-of-the-art cup for athletes—specifically mixed martial arts fighters, who compete in a sport where just one powerful kick could end a fight.
“Most cups can’t withstand the full force of a well-timed kick, and I have friends whose cups have even been cracked. No recovery time is enough in that situation,” Raber wrote on his website.
You can watch Raber risk his own life—and some rather important parts of his anatomy—by testing the Nutshellz against gunfire below:
Obsessed with building the strongest protective cup, Raber said that his research ventured into body armor and he began to tinker with synthetic fabrics like Kevlar. The resulting product was a handmade groin protector constructed out of layers of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and what Raber calls an “aerospace grade laminate.” It looks much different than any other athletic cup currently being sold—and sure enough, it can take a bullet. The Nutshellz has been shot with a vast array of calibers, including .22 LR, 9x19mm, .357 Magnum, and .45 ACP. The company considers some versions of the Nutshellz to be NIJ level II.
Watch it get shot by a .45 below:
While Nutshellz’s primary market remains male athletes, Raber said that during its development, he realized that the product may be useful for “defense” purposes as well. He told local reporters last year that the US Army has requested to test his product, and Raber has since released a reinforced version of the cup for military and police applications. Raber’s current Kickstarter campaign is to raise $60,000 for research and development in junior models of Nutshellz’s athletic version.
“Nutshellz has already successfully created, and is currently manufacturing and selling, an adult version of this product,” stated the Kickstarter page. “We will employ the same material sciences and manufacturing technology used in the existing products in order to bring the new youth model to the marketplace.”
You can learn more about the development of the Nutshellz below:
