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NIJ resetting the standard
The National Institution of Justice is the governing body that set standards for ballistic, stab, and strike resistance technology. This year the organization has come together, to alter a few requirements and procedures associated the NIJ approval process. Apart of the process is manufacturer and user input on the new regulations. The full list of additions will be released later this year, but it has announced a few concrete changes. In these changes the NIJ’s overall goal is to progress safety standards followed by body armor manufacturers to increase the protection level, and to increase longevity of the vest. Each major change made, was made to accommodate and protect the consumers of body armor.
Changes…..So Far
The official release of the NIJ 0101.07 drafted standards, are planned to be available for public comment on JustNet.org later this year. To date, there is a plan to make several changes to the requirements for NIJ verification. The first is to establish a proper testing procedure for body armor that is manufactured specifically for women. This will establish a proper testing protocol made by a staff of engineers and female officer input. This is to increase precision of the protection levels created by NIJ by implementing specific testing for the female body. In addition, they will also be announcing the addition of two new types of ammunition. These include 7.62 x39 mild steel core and 5.56mm ammo. With the addition of these, the divide between levels in 0101.06, will close and NIJ can get a better baseline of protection for all users. Another addition is the change in the velocity, all body armor new and used, will be required to undergo firing at the same velocity. The organization has also stated that they will rename everything in their ranking system. Instead of using roman numerals, the naming system will be informative and direct. The new names of the ballistic protection levels will be comprehensible to majority consumers. It will also give a clear understanding of the type of protection provided. New terms will also decrease any misunderstandings between all involved operating bodies, like government facilities, testing centers, and manufacturing.
Effects on Everyone
The effects of these changes will benefit all consumers of body armor in the long run. The addition of the new ammunition, will help the NIJ more precisely rank the protection level provided by each vest undergoing testing. This proper ranking could help anyone who utilizes body armor understand the reality of the protection provided by their armor. Furthermore, the NIJ has decided to retire NIJ Level IIA. One positive thing for manufacturers of body armor is they have a chance to gain verification under new standards. Currently, the NIJ has listed 5 facilities manufactures can send their current product to be tested at the updated standards. The ultimate end result from these changes are to provide a safer and more reliable testing method. Proper testing can improve longevity of the vest for all consumers. It can also make it easier to purchase the right level of protection. Increasing these two elements can provide a generally safer product. The buying and selling of Body Armor regulations are still effective in each perspective state, and federal levels.
Salute
Since it is the duty of the NIJ to regulate standards for law enforcement on a national level, you can depend on their ratings of armor to be accurately labeled. Body armor is a great protection tool that could be the difference of life or death for some users. Understanding and taking advantage of regulatory information provided by the NIJ can help anyone better understand the type of protection they will need. The NIJ has made it their mission to establish superb standards to guarantee that proper protection can be regulated.
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Summary: The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has begun a revaluation of standards and classification of body armor. Although the complete of standards are stated to come out later this year via JustNet, the regulatory body has released some of the concrete changes that will be made.
Keywords: change, NIJ, standards, body armor
Advanced ceramics took the materials industry by storm in the early 90’s as the wave into the future. They are often lightweight, strong, and impervious to rust or other common forms of degradation. Ceramic plates are currently used by the United States military because of their marginally higher level of protection compared to more traditional materials. Yet despite their often high-tech reputation, when it comes to applications in ballistic armors, they have a few pronounced drawbacks.
Fragility
While ceramic ballistic plates can have tensile strengths and hardness levels surpassing hardened steel, they do so at a price. In order to achieve their extreme hardness ratings, ceramic plates become very brittle as a result. In this way, their hardness actually becomes their greatest weakness. In their initial condition, ceramic ballistic plates offer one cohesive strike surface to catch incoming rounds, as the round impacts, the hardness of the ceramic deforms the soft lead, typically aerodynamic bullet into a much flatter mush of semi-molten lead. This now un-fluid dynamic projectile will have a much harder time penetrating through the inner layers of the vest now, so the vest can function and stop the round. As a result of the impact however, the ceramic often cracks under the great force delivered by the projectile. For each subsequent hit, the ceramic plate has less and less strength to counter the force of the bullet and stop it from penetrating. Ceramic plates have a finite number of rounds they can stop effectively, and typically they must be replaced after each hit.
Price
Ceramic plates are extremely hard to manufacture and often times fail quality control during the production process. Due to the exotic materials required and the failure intensive manufacturing processes, the cost of ballistic ceramic plates is the highest in the current bulletproof vest market. Per plate, ceramic plates cost at least 200% more than their steel alternatives. To put our military’s current ballistic plates in perspective in regards to cost, a NIJ Level III+ steel plate typically costs around $150, a single Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert plate used in the US Army’s IOTV (Improved Outer Tactical Vest) can cost up to $600. To put that into perspective, a steel vest with two full AR-500 plates and carrier can be found for only $300.
Practicality
The combination of their fragility and high cost makes ceramic plates impractical for civilian purposes. While advanced ceramic plates are rated half a step higher on the NIJ rating scale, the negatives associated with using ceramic as a bulletproofing material become more pronounced on the consumer level. While the US military has a vast supply network to replace damaged vests on the field, the civilian does not have this option. Should there be a WROL situation, there is no supply line to get you a new vest should you take a hit, and you would have to work with what you have. The second issue also becomes more pronounced when individually financed. Unlike the military that has the law of large numbers working on their side, an individual that takes a round to a ceramic vest must pay to replace that vest. If working in dangerous environments, the odds of being hit with a second round increases drastically. Your likelihood of getting shot increases the more times you have already been shot.
In terms of consumer-level practicality, the durability and cost of traditional steel plates wins compared to the still new ceramics. While this may change in the future, for right now, the simple AR-500 steel plate makes the most sense for bulletproof protection for the everyday civilian.
While many people mark up the cost of vests made with AR500 steel, thebestbodyarmor.com offers these vests for only $299 right now so that you can afford the protection you need. You can even get $25 off your vest by using promo code “bestvest” at checkout. Unlike a vest that uses ceramic, these vests will protect you against multiple hits and provide the maximum protection for the wearer.
Prepping has unique and particular characteristics that make choosing tactical gear a little bit more complicated. For the typical “operator”, price is of secondary importance to performance. Take for instance the wild success of Sig Sauer and HK pistols in the U.S. The same goes for plate carriers and ballistic plates. Ceramics offer the highest performance, but are also fragile and expensive, typically 3-10 times more than an equivalent AR500 steel or Kevlar plate. Yet, for the prepper, that money could be better spent on other things and infrastructure that would be of more utility. Every dollar of a particular prepping budget needs to be appropriately and efficiently allocated to maximize utility and ensure a breadth of needs covered.
Longevity
The second consideration is time. Prepping is all about having affairs settled and stored away for when they may be needed. Many people do not consider that Kevlar bulletproof vests have a very short shelf life of only a few years before the fibers start to decay, even when unworn. Exposed to UV radiation and heat, they can become ineffective in only a few months. Adding in their inherent inability to stop even lightweight rifle calibers like 5.56×45 (the cartridge utilized by the most popular rifle in the US, the AR-15) it becomes clear that a Kevlar vest is not an effective nor long lasting solution to personal ballistic protection in a prepping situation.
Why not Ceramic then?
Ceramic plates suffer from an equally disastrous fault in their nature. Keeping in mind the already exorbitantly high price of ceramic plates, they also have a tendency to crack and fracture when tossed around. While this may seem silly, a simple task of throwing your carrier into the bed of a truck can compromise the integrity of a ceramic plate. The worst part of this is, there is typically no visible signs that this has occurred. Ballistic ceramic plates are typically constructed of a few different layers sandwiched together. As it has been shown in real world testing, the inner layers can crack, while the outer ones remain visibly fine. This results in a constant state of uncertainty and given that they are so expensive to replace, most choose not to as frequently as they should.
Multi-Hit Capability
Both ceramic and kevlar plates suffer from yet another common disadvantage, though this one is a bit more drastic. Both kevlar and steel plates need to be replaced after every hit. While a Level IV ceramic plate may stop a tiny 5.56 round equally as well as an AR500 steel plate, each hit significantly compromises the integrity and ballistic ability of the ceramic plate. In comparison, AR500 steel can take tons of hits, even in the same area depending on the loading. At intermediate ranges, even rifle rounds can be stopped near indefinitely. AR500 steel is the most common and effective target steel, and is used throughout the world in shooting ranges for both pistol and intermediate range rifle. AR500 steel is chosen because it lasts the longest of any material subjected to the kind of continuous ballistic trauma a gun range has to offer. As an added bonus, AR500 steel does not deteriorate in the sun and is relatively rust resistant, so it can be kept out in the range without having to be brought in constantly. This kind of reliability and ruggedness is what makes AR500 perfect for use in prepping bulletproof vests. It can be stored basically indefinitely and can take punishment for years without needing to be replaced, the kind of attributes that make it invaluable in a prepping scenario where it may be impossible to buy another vest later down the road.
Thebestbodyarmor.com offers only the best solid state bulletproof vests made of AR500 steel in order to provide the best, longest lasting protection available at a cheaper cost. You can receive $25 off your vest at checkout by using promo code “bestvest.”