Updating personal protective equipment has always been the key for combatants and the decisive factor to ensure the completion of tasks. In the past, when blades and arrows became threats, steel, Chain Armor and leather armor played a role.
but with the progress of science and technology, people developed tactical vests and bulletproof plates in addition to firearms and artillery.
But not all bulletproof vests are the same. The threat level of bulletproof vest is set by NIJ (National Institute of Justice). There are currently five levels in use – levels IIA, II, IIIA, III and IV – and each level can prevent bullets of different calibres.
Today, safety body armor will help you understand all NIJ levels so that you can assess which level is most likely to defeat a range of threats you face and let you know what bulletproof vests are best for you.
What is the NIJ protection level
The chart gives details of defense and other variables (initial velocity, etc.) for different weapon levels II to IIIA.
Next, we will provide more explanations and background.
We will show all levels of bulletproof vests in detail, so that you can deepen your understanding of bulletproof vests.
Remember, each level can protect itself from its own threat range and the threat range of previous levels. Therefore, class IIIA armor can resist the same threat as class II and below armor.
NIJ LEVEL I BODY ARMOR
Original NIJ level – now out of use
Level I protection grade was formulated in the 1970s. It is something of the last century and is now outdated.
If you have a level I Body Armor, you can directly throw it away as garbage. It can’t protect any modern weapons. Of course, if the Armor is very new, you can stay as a souvenir, which will be very valuable.
NIJ LEVEL IIA BODY ARMOR
This is the current minimum level of protection
Class IIa armor is the lightest and most flexible armor available, but it is basically outdated. Usually soft armor, it is easy to hide under clothes.
Class IIa prevents:
9mm FMJ (all metal sheath), 1165 feet per second (FT / s)
1065 ft / s Southwest (Smith and Wesson) fmj.40
NIJ LEVEL II BODY ARMOR
This level of bulletproof clothing is called “pistol armor” and can defeat up to 357 universal bullets
Level II body armor is still relatively light and flexible. It is easy to separate under the clothing, but it can defeat ammunition with a greater range than class IIa a. They also provide more blunt protection than IIA.
Level II protection against all pistol bullets, including. 357 magnum sheath soft spots (JSP)
NIJ LEVEL IIIA BODY ARMOR
IIIA level vest has good comprehensiveness and provides concealed and lightweight protection.
Class IIIA is the most common level of protection you see when browsing bulletproof stores.
This armor is widely used in bulletproof vests to bulletproof backpacks. It is slightly heavier than class IIa or class II, but most of it can be hidden.
Class IIIA 9 mm rounds traveling at speeds of up to 1400 ft./s.
.44 magnum rounds bullet.
LEVEL IIIA+
Some suppliers can provide IIIA + grade bulletproof vests to prevent shotgun bullets, 9mm civil defense bullets and FN 5.7.
Although this vest has not been officially certified by NIJ, it is becoming a popular niche application choice.
NIJ LEVEL III BODY ARMOR
This body armor can be called “Anti Rifle Armor”
Level 3 bulletproof vests are the first choice of defense against rifle bullets. This kind of armor usually consists of hard plates rather than soft plates, so it cannot be hidden.
However, hard armor is also heavier than soft armor, but with the increase of weight, the protection ability is also enhanced.
The LEVEL III body armor is designed to handle: six bullets fired from 7.62×51 NATO bullets with a range of 2780 ft / s.
LEVEL III+ BODY ARMOR
Like IIA +, III + is not the official rating of NIJ. However, some manufacturers use it to indicate that this armor has the same protection capability as class III, but can deal with additional threats. At the same time, the price is not as expensive as class IV, so it is also liked by many people.
This type of body armor can protect such as M855 “green tip” ammunition or m193.
III + is becoming a popular option for those facing additional threats.
NIJ LEVEL IV BODY ARMOR
Top protection bulletproof vest
At present, the NIJ level IV bulletproof vest on the market is the highest basic level. It consists of hard board, which is opposite to the board of class IIIa and below. Level 4 armor achieves this by stopping one bullet instead of six bullets in Level 3, so it is not always better than level 3 armor.
Level 4 Body Armor is designed to handle:
The 7.62mm armor piercing rifle (APR) bullet hit once at a speed of 2880 ft / s.
Do you have level 5 bulletproof vests now?
Not at the time of writing this article, but in the future?
With the development of science and technology, I believe there will be level 5 Bulletproof vest.
SPECIAL LEVEL ARMOR Is It Reliable?
If a reliable supplier is found, it is absolutely reliable, just like our safety body armor. Our bulletproof vests produced by ourselves and with various levels of certification are absolutely reliable.
Special types of bulletproof clothing can exceed the standard protection level. For example, level IIIA + falls into this category.
Special types of armor usually have very specific protection levels, including caliber and bullet movement speed, so we need to know what products we need and what level we need.
What is the grade of Stab / Stab Vest?
First of all, we should understand that the main threat that the anti Stab Vest is designed to face is not bullets. The design of anti stab and anti Stab Vest is to resist knife or strong stab wounds, not ballistic threats.
NIJ’s rating of stab / Stab Vest is based on its ability to resist a certain amount of Joule energy after blade or stab. Generally speaking, the main atmosphere is three levels.
Level 1 – 24 joules
Level 2 – 33 joules
3-43 Joule class
So there are three levels of stab proof vests
What should I know about the NIJ standard?
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) currently tests five different levels of protection, each designed to resist a specific ballistic level.
Different levels are designed to meet specific needs or situations.
With this knowledge, we hope you can browse the bulletproof clothing series more confidently.
Remember, the highest possible rating is not necessarily your best choice. Consider the cost, weight or comfort of the gear.
Any questions about the level of protection? Contact us and our experts will help!
