If you're new to the armor game, you may have realized that there's quite a bit of information to take in when choosing your armor set up. Hopefully after reading this, you'll be confident in your armor purchase. To get the most of of this, I recommend giving Armor 101 a read to get the absolute basics.
To start out, there's some important information you should look out for when researching armor, and that is if it's NIJ Certified or tested. If you're looking for quality armor that's backed by legitimate lab testing, you'll want to make sure they're NIJ Certified. What that means, is the manufacture is sending their armor to an NIJ lab testing facility to show that they meet the minimum standards for the selected armor level (more on this later). On top of the initial lab testing, they do random testing to make sure the manufacture is continuing to produce plates that meet those same standards. Now, NIJ Certs take quite a bit of money, somewhere in the tune of $2,500-$19,000 on top of supplying them with 28 complete sets of armor, which is why you'll find such a dramatic difference in price between certified and tested plates. Now onto the NIJ tested plates. These plates are not actually tested by the NIJ, rather they do their testing in house, meaning the NIJ didn't give them a stamp of approval, nor do they get randomly tested. Although the NIJ tested plates generally have a smaller price tag on them, it's always a good idea to spend just a little more for peace of mind that the armor you got has been thoroughly tested in an actual lab. There's more that goes into the NIJ, and we'll touch on those later, but I feel this is important information to know. If you're interested in everything the NIJ goes into when testing armor, feel free to check out the entire NIJ guide here.
Now that we got the NIJ Certification out of the way, we can move to the various levels of armor. The NIJ tests level I, IIA, II, IIIA, level III, and level IV. I know what you're thinking, "why do I keep seeing level III+ armor if the NIJ doesn't test it?". Well, that's a great question, and the answer is rather simple. The NIJ doesn't test every type of ammo or caliber, so what you end up with is a rating of III plus the additional threat is also defeated. This means that not every level III+ is the same as the next, so look carefully! Back to the NIJ tested levels though. Below is a table taken directly from the NIJ Guide to Body Armor, which will give you a better idea on the basic levels and rounds they defeat.
ARMOR LEVEL AND THREAT COMPARISON
0101.04 |
0101.06 |
0101.04 |
0101.06 |
0101.04 |
0101.06 |
0101.06 (Conditioned) |
|
Armor Type |
Test Bullet |
Test Bullet |
Bullet Weight (grains) |
Bullet Weight (grains) |
Reference Velocity (ft/s) |
Reference Velocity (ft/s) |
Reference Velocity (ft/s) |
I |
.22 caliber LR LRN |
N/A |
30 |
N/A |
1080 |
N/A |
N/A |
.380 ACP FMJ RN |
N/A |
95 |
N/A |
1055 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
IIA |
9 mm FMJ RN |
9 mm FMJ RN |
124 |
124 |
1120 |
1225 |
1165 |
40 S&W FMJ |
40 S&W FMJ |
180 |
180 |
1055 |
1155 |
1065 |
|
II |
9mm FMJ RN |
9mm FMJ RN |
124 |
124 |
1205 |
1305 |
1245 |
.357 Mag JSP |
.357 Mag JSP |
158 |
158 |
1430 |
– |
1340 |
|
IIIA |
9 mm FMJ RN |
.357 SIG FMJ FN |
127 |
125 |
1430 |
1470 |
1410 |
.44 Mag JHP |
.44 Mag SJHP |
240 |
240 |
1430 |
1430 |
1340 |
|
III |
7.62 mm NATO FMJ (M80) |
7.62mm NATO FMJ (M80) |
148 |
147 |
2780 |
– |
2780 |
IV |
.30 Caliber M2 AP |
.30 Caliber M2 AP |
166 |
166 |
2880 |
– |
2880 |
You may be asking another question, "what's 0101.04 and 0101.06?". Great question, .06 is the newest update to NIJs testing (updated in 2006), meaning the .04 is out of date, but still relevant considering the changes weren't too significant in terms of the rounds defeated in my opinion, so we'll leave it at that.
Next, we'll go into the different cuts and contours that armor comes in. The most basic of them being full cut, meaning it's essentially a rectangle. For plate carrier applications, most people choose between SAPI (Small Arms Protection Insert) cut, or swimmer cut. There's plenty more types of armor cuts out there, but these are definitely the top two contenders. SAPI cut is the tried and true cut for modern armor, and is what most people run in their carriers because of its maximum coverage shape that still allows you to shoulder a rifle comfortably and move around with no issues. For people that want more mobility in the shoulders, they typically go for the swimmer cut which has a much more dramatic angle in the shoulders, while still offering full coverage to vital organs like the SAPI cut plates do.
Now there's the question of which contour to get - straight, single curve, and multi-curve plates. Most manufactures don't offer straight contoured armor for SAPI/swimmer cut plates because they're extremely uncomfortable, so I won't spend much time going over those. The other options, single and multi-curve, are far better options for those wanting armor for a plate carrier, as they'll fit the natural shape of your body making it less of a burden when you're wearing them. Single curve armor curves around the torso vertically of the user, allowing them to fit more flush with your body on the sides. However, multi-curve plates curve around the torso like single curve, but also curve on the top of the plate horizontally to match the shape of the users chest allowing more comfort and range of motion. There are pros and cons to each of these cuts and contours, but like everything, it all comes down to user preference and what fits your needs the best.
Armor is a constantly evolving market, and there will always be new tech that goes into plates that I'll save for another time. But for those of you who are finally considering getting into body armor, hopefully this served you well as a very basic understanding of armor, and to be more careful when picking out equipment that's meant to save your life. Of course, if you need more information, recommendations or have questions, you can always shoot us an email or DM and we'd be happy to assist in helping you with your armor purchase.