Ballistics
What Do the Different Levels of the National
Institute of Justice Protection Mean?
Level IIIA
NIJ Level IIIA body armor is manufactured to protect against all common handgun caliber rounds including .44 MAG SJHP rounds and .9mm rounds at 1400 ft./s. It can also be used to defeat .22, .45 ACP, and .357 magnum.
Level III
NIJ Level III body armor is manufactured to withstand and stop at minimum, six spaced direct hits of 7.62x51mm NATO FMJ M80 rounds at a velocity of approximately 2780 ft./s. Level III plates also defeat all rounds protected against from the previous level.
Level III+
Level III+ is not an official NIJ rating, however it’s often used by ballistics manufacturers to indicate protection against special threats such as “Green Tip” 5.56 NATO (M855) rounds. This is not limited to only M855 rounds and are often indicated which threats they will protect against in conjunction with Level III standards.
Level IV
NIJ Level IV is currently the highest level of ballistic protection offered. While Level III and below are tested to multiple hits, Level IV must withstand a singular 7.62MM armor piercing round at an approximate velocity of 2880 ft./s.
What are HG and RF ratings and how are they different?
HG stands for handgun and RF stands for rifle. Simple, right? Why the change in nomenclature? Often, the “Level” system can be hard to distinguish which threats are protected against and with this new naming system they hope to make that easier. It’s currently uncertain when the new standards will be established, however many companies are preparing for that change over to the new standard.
Currently the NIJ utilizes the 0101.06 standard, which can be found here:
https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/ballistic-resistance-body-armor-nij-standard-010106
https://nij.ojp.gov/library/publications/ballistic-resistance-body-armor-nij-standard-010106
However, the NIJ has recognized new improved ballistic threats and is beginning to address the issue of testing female body armor more effectively. You can read more about the new standards here:
https://nij.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh171/files/media/document/nij-standard-0101-07-ballistic-resistant-body-armor-draft-for-comment.pdf
https://nij.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh171/files/media/document/nij-standard-0101-07-ballistic-resistant-body-armor-draft-for-comment.pdf