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Bullet Proof ME Body Armor

Bulletproof Vests, Plates, Helmets & Armor to
Put the Odds in YOUR favor

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Ballistic Protection Levels

Body Armor WORKS...

Read firsthand accounts of those who have survived a shooting at the IACP / DuPont Kevlar Survivors Club...

"...as of January 1, 2001, a total of 2,500 "saves" have been attributed to the use of body armor.

58% of these saves were connected with felonious assaults and 42% with accidents, such as car crashes.

40% of the felonious assaults involved firearms, 12% represented cutting or slashing assaults, and 6% involved other types of assaults."

...Guide to Police Body Armor, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)

Certification of Body Armor

The National Institute of Justice has a rating system for body armor.  As you add layers of a ballistic fiber, such as Aramid fiber, you add protection.

Vests are tested not just for stopping penetration, but also for blunt trauma protection – the blow suffered by the body from the bullet's impact on the vest. Blunt trauma is measured by the dent suffered by a soft clay backstop to the vest – a maximum of 1.7" (44 mm) is allowed.

NOTE: The standard NIJ test rounds are listed below – tested vests stop many other comparable rounds, and lesser threats.

NIJ 0101.05 Standard

Level
Tested for:
Comment

II-A

 

9 mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) at ~1,090 fps
(332 mps)



.40 S&W
Full Metal Jacket at 1,025 fps
(312 mps)

Minimum Recommended...

...for the vast majority of threats encountered on the street, though you would sustain more blunt trauma injury than Level II or III-A. The thinnest and best for concealability and comfort.

Level II-A has fallen out of favor, so generally a special order item now.

II

 

9 mm FMJ, at ~1,175 fps
(~358 mps)



.357 JSP at ~ 1,400 fps
(~427 mps).

A great balance...

...between blunt trauma protection, versus cost, and thickness / comfort / concealability. Handles the blunt trauma of higher velocity +P rounds better.

What we recommend most often for concealable wear.

III-A

 

9 mm FMJ at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps)



.44 Magnum Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps).
The highest blunt trauma protection rating in soft body armor. The best for very high-risk situations to cover more of the uncommon or unusual threats.

Minimizes blunt trauma injury to allow more effective return fire.

 

It is important to know that Level II-A, II and III-A all stop the overwhelming majority of pistol projectiles you are ever likely to encounter (plus 12 gauge, OO buckshot), and also to know that NO armor is ever 100% ‘bulletproof’ under ALL conceivable circumstances.

However, these ratings often have a safety margin for penetration because blunt trauma is usually the limiting factor in certification. For example, Level II body armor would likely stop the III-A test standard, (9 mm submachine gun at 1400 fps) from actually PENETRATING through the Level II vest. But, the Level II vest would fail on blunt trauma impact (the NIJ deems any dent greater than ~1.7" (~44 mm.) on the soft clay test surface, a FAIL).

So, the advantage in increasing protection Levels from II-A, to II, to III-A, is NOT so much protection from PENETRATION of pistol fire, but a significant reduction in the blunt trauma received.

To see with your own eyes
just how effective soft body armor is
...

11-Year-Old Vest - Front
11-Year-Old Vest Shoot-out  30k

Ballistic Testing Photos
Ballistic Testing PHOTOS
  80k


How Does Body Armor Work?

Aramid fiber such as Kevlar® or Twaron®, are the most popular ballistic fibers with about 5 times the tensile strength of steel by weight.

“When a handgun bullet strikes body armor, it is caught in a “web” of very strong fibers. These fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet, causing the bullet to deform or “mushroom".  Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest, until such time as the bullet has been stopped.”

Guide to Police Body Armor, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC)


NIJ 0101.03 Standard

Level
Tested for:

I

Level I NOT RECOMMENDED

Early generation ballistic fibers, though bulkier, only stop fragmentation and very low velocity pistol ammunition.

.38 Special at 850 fps (feet per second)
(259 mps - meters per second



.22 at 1,050 fps
(320 mps)

II-A

 

9 mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) at ~1,090 fps
(332 mps)



.357 Magnum JSP (Jacketed Soft Point) at ~1,250 fps
(~381 mps).

II

 

9 mm FMJ, at ~1,175 fps
(~358 mps)



.357 JSP at ~ 1,395 fps
(~425 mps).

III-A

 

9 mm FMJ at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps)
(e.g., sub-machine-gun velocity)



.44 Magnum Lead Semi-Wadcutter at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps).

Detailed Data on Rounds Stopped...


NIJ Standard 0101.03  Vs.  0101.05

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) modified the 0101.03 ballistic standard for the testing of Body Armor. In general, the 0101.05 standard is almost identical, but just slightly tougher - plus an assurance that no Zylon is used in the vest.

"Is armor that complies with NIJ Standard-0101.04 "better" than armor that complies with NIJ Standard-0101.03?

NO. It has only been tested to a different version of the standard."

...Guide to Police Body Armor, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC.org)

"NIJ Standard-0101.04 is not intended to restrict or otherwise influence the procurement and use of NIJ Standard-0101.03 compliant body armors...

... this revision for new model compliance testing does not invalidate or render unsuitable any body armor models previously determined to be compliant using NIJ Standard-0101.03 requirements."

- NLECTC.org

So, on either standard, you can rest assured you are getting a high-quality vest. There are MUCH more important factors to consider – such as how well the vest covers your body, and how comfortable it is.

The 9 mm FMJ test rounds are exactly the same, it is the secondary test round has been slightly changed - noted in bold below

NIJ 0101.03 Vs. 0101.05 Comparison

Level
Tested for:
Difference from the 03 to the 04 / 05 Standard

II-A

 

9 mm FMJ (Full Metal Jacket) at ~1,090 fps
(332 mps)



.40 S&W
Full Metal Jacket at 1,025 fps
(312 mps)

Threat round changed from
.357 Magnum at 1,250 fps to
.40 S&W at 1,025 fps

II

 

9 mm FMJ, at ~1,175 fps
(~358 mps)



.357 JSP at ~ 1,400 fps
(~427 mps).

.357 Magnum round increased in velocity from 1,395 to 1400 fps

Increase in velocity of 5 fps or 0.4%

III-A

 

9 mm FMJ at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps)



.44 Magnum Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point at ~1,400 fps
(~427 mps).
.44 Magnum changed from Lead Semi-Wadcutter to Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point

Rifle Bullet HARD Body Armor
- Rifle Plate Protection Levels

Level
Tested for
Comment

 

III

.308 Winchester Full Metal Jacket =
7.62 X 51 mm NATO

6 rounds at ~ 2,750 fps
( ~838 mps).

~1/4" Ballistic Steel (6 mm)

~1/2" Ceramic (13 mm)

~1" Polyethylene (25 mm)

IV

.3006 Armor-Piercing
.30 M2 AP

One round at ~ 2,850 fps
(~869 mps)

The highest rating for Body Armor.

~ 3/4" Ceramic (18 mm)

~1/2" Ballistic Steel (12 mm) for vehicle armor (too heavy for Body Armor)


To see with your own eyes
just how effective Hard Body Armor is
...

Rifle Plates Testing Photo Gallery
Rifle Plate Testing PHOTOS
  30k

Knife / Stab Protection

Vests provide excellent protection against most SLASHING attacks - but are not as effective against THRUSTING attacks with daggers or ice picks.

Pointed and streamlined objects such as an ice picks, arrowheads, and knives, etc. can penetrate if THRUST with enough force. Because of the “pointedness” they can get in-between the Aramid fiber weave to penetrate. We do offer some of our models with a special aramid weave to provide stab-resistant AND ballistic protection.

Obviously having any ballistic vest on is better than nothing between you and a knife attack – but it is not as "bullet-proof" as the pistol protection offered:

“It should be noted that concealable ballistic-resistant body armor is potentially vulnerable to knife attack; hence, all officers should exercise due caution when confronted with these situations.

However, numerous incidents have been documented in which body armor lessened injury.”

 ...Guide to Police Body Armor, NLECTC

NO Armor is 100% Bullet-PROOF

A 'bulletproof' vest or other armor will protect you from the vast majority of pistol ballistic threats you are ever likely to face. But there is always a tradeoff between more protection and more wearability (and the constraint to stay within your budget). Please know that:

  • rifle rounds
  • unusual high velocity pistol ammunition
  • pistol ammo fired from a rifle barrel
  • armor piercing ammunition
  • sharp-edged or pointed instruments (e.g., knives, icepicks, etc.), and/or
  • other unusual ammunition or situations...

CAN defeat body armor.

Also, at some angles projectiles can slide, or deflect off the edges of Armor, or ricochet. Furthermore, projectiles that are successfully stopped by armor will always produce some level of injury, resulting in severe bruising, broken bones, and possibly serious internal injury or even death. Soft body armor defeats most pistol and shotgun projectiles, but NO vest on earth makes you invulnerable to all threats. To state the obvious, getting shot ALWAYS carries some risk.

Be aware that your head is much more susceptible to blunt trauma than your body. ANY impact of a bullet on a helmet WILL CAUSE INJURY AND CAN CAUSE DEATH. You put the odds more in your favor with head protection, but, just as with ANY armor, no guarantee of invulnerability can be made.

By buying Armor you assume ALL risks of use or misuse, and agree not to hold us liable in any way. In addition, YOU are responsible to ensure that your ballistic panels are positioned inner side IN, and outer side OUT if applicable (check the inside vest panel label).

By Purchasing You Agree to Our
Legal Terms of Sale

 

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ArmorUP L.P. dba BulletProofME Body Armor, 6705 Highway 290 West, Suite 502, Austin, Texas 78735

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1)   Personal service on the phone. We care that you end up happy.
2)   Professional Level of Products and Service 20 years of experience you can trust

3)   Proper Fitting is what makes the biggest difference in the real world.  We are experts at sizing Body Armor.

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"some of the finest Body Armor that is available today"
Chief Counsel, US Congress (Ret.)

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