Ballistic armor Technical Specs
Advanced by modern science, soft body armor is lighter, stronger and more effective than ever before. Our ballistic packages are comprised of the advanced fiber sold under the commercial name Dyneema®.
Testing shows Dyneema® fiber is up to 15 times stronger than equivalent fiber diameter in steel. It is inherently resistant to moisture and most corrosive chemicals. Strategically suspended within a common civilian jacket, our typical Level IIIA ballistic panels cover front, back and partial side torso regions. Lightweight and flexible, these armor panels only add approximately 5 pounds in total jacket weight.
How Soft ballistic armor technology works
Personal ballistic armor comes in two different types; hard and soft. The soft armors are designed to protect against most handgun and small arms ammunition, whereas hard armors are designed to stop high caliber and armor piercing rifle rounds.
Since the vast majority of threats encountered on the street and urban areas involve handguns, the obvious choice from a weight, flexibility, comfort and cost level is soft body armor (i.e. vests and ballistic panels). Bullet resistant vests are designed to ‘trap’ and slow bullets down as they attempt to pass through the vest.
Look for the official NIJ seal on every ballistic armor panel we sell. The NIJ mark may be used by manufacturers only on specific models that have both demonstrated full compliance with NIJ Standards and continued participation in Follow-up Inspection and Testing (FIT) surveillance program.
BODY ARMOR TESTING AND CERTIFICATION
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice. This federal agency conducts independent ballistic testing on protection technologies and obtaining NIJ certification on body armor is widely considered the 'gold standard' for bullet resistant products. Almost all government, military and law enforcement agencies require all ballistic armor obtain this NIJ certification to remain eligible for contract purchase.
All of the Level IIIA soft armor products and related technology designs we offer have been evaluated and certified by the NIJ as meeting (or exceeding) their most up-to-date testing mythologies. Our ballistic products are proudly included on the NIJ Compliant Products List.
The most recent testing standards for level IIIA body armor is classified as NIJ Standard-0101.06 or commonly referred to as being ".06" certified.
Key Highlights of the N I J Standard - 0101.06
Perforation Testing
Verifies whether a projectile passes through the armor
BackFace Signature
Refers to any indentation made into a clay backing material behind the armor. The depth of the indentation is used to simulate any potential blunt trauma injury sustained by the wearer. Successfully tested panels show indentations of no more than 44 mm (1.73 inches) deep.
Immersion Test
New panels are fully immersed vertically in a water bath at 70°F for 30 minutes; this is to check the integrity of the panel covers and ensure the interior ballistic material is not exposed to moisture
Environmental Conditioning (Tumbling) Test
Panels are first stored at a temperature of 77° F with a relative humidity of 20% to 50% for at least 24 hours; The panels are then tumbled at 149°F at 80% relative humidity for 10 days prior to testing.
Each test panel is shot not only from a direct 'straight on' hit, but also shot at 30° and 45° angles to better simulate real world threats
Shot Angle
Shot to edge spacing within 2 inches of the edge, 4th 5th and 6th shots to be within a maximum of 3.94 inch circle
Shot Spacing
Number of Samples Required
Requires 28 complete test samples, including front and back panel.