Brass Fetcher Ballistic Testing

Armor Penetration

         Although hot and occasionally uncomfortable to wear (due to sweat accumulation and chafing), a vest can safely stop all of the bullets that it is rated to stop and significantly reduce the lethality of bullets that are more penetrative than the garment is intended to stop.

         The most commonly recognized standard for the protective capacity of an armored garment is that of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).  These standards range from NIJ threat level I (similar to the first generation fragmentation vests) up to NIJ threat level IV (capable of stopping an armor-piercing .30-06 bullet).  The majority of soft body armor made today is NIJ threat level II-A, II, and III-IA, which are capable of stopping most handgun rounds.  NIJ III and IV are typically hard armor plates and provide protection from rifle fire to a limited area of the upper body.

         Given the easy availability and high degree of effectiveness of armor protection, it is not unreasonable to suspect that an adversary in an armed self-defense situation may be employing such technology.  It may be prudent to prepare for such an eventuality.  As a good rule of thumb - centerfire rifles will penetrate all soft body armor, most shotguns and pistols (with the exception of dedicated armor piercing bullets) will not penetrate most body armor.  Rifles with armor piercing bullets may penetrate hard armor plates, but it should be noted that those plates are oftentimes designed to defeat all or most of the AP rifle bullets that are currently fielded.  Headshots work regardless of vest worn or bullet used. 

 

Know before you go...

Body Armor: Cooler than a Coffin