The company was founded in the early 1970s by U.S. Marine and pizza delivery owner/driver Richard Davis.
Davis developed the idea of a bulletproof vest after shooting three armed robbers in self-defense during a delivery.
In 1998, Second Chance introduced Zylon-based body armor (bullet-resistant vests), as a lightweight alternative to kevlar.
The United States Department of Justice advised law enforcement agencies to replace the vests used by police officers.
In 2022, Ramin Bahrani directed a documentary film called 2nd Chance, based on Davis's life and company.