BODY ARMOR

Body Armor Levels:

Levels are an easy way to figure out what armor to get based on the possible threats you’re likely to encounter.

The go-to source is the NIJ (National Institute of Justice) and they have a nifty standard called NIJ 0101.06 for ballistic resistance.

Level IIA: Tested for common pistol calibers such as 9mm & .40 S&W, no rifle protection
Level II: Tested for slightly more powerful handgun ammo like .357 Magnum, no rifle protection
Level IIIA: Tested for even more powerful handgun ammo coming out of longer barrel handguns (more velocity), no rifle protection
Level III: Rifle protection up to 7.62 (.308) FMJ lead core
Level IV: Rifle protection up to .30 caliber steel core armor piercing ammo, like 30.06 M2 AP