What Is Level III Armor?

Rifle plates, sometimes known as hard inserts, are a component of the NIJ degree system’s third level of protection and can be found at level III of protection. Plates with a Level III protection rating can stop rounds of the 7.62x51mm NATO (Full Metal Jacket) caliber traveling at a speed of 2,750 feet per second. It is essential to understand and respect the fact that a plate tested and certified to withstand a particular danger may not be able to stop a bullet of a lower caliber when used in conjunction with any of the NIJ armor classes. When it comes to some kinds of protection, a bullet moving at a slower speed can penetrate it, while a bullet moving at a faster speed is unable to do so. When faced with challenges such as these, choosing armor can be difficult; but selecting gear without first thoroughly comprehending its true capabilities is an even greater challenge.

In general, the 7.62x51MM NATO round that is used in testing level III armor is larger than the 5.56MM round that is fired by AR-15s and other weapons. This is because the NATO round has a larger diameter. Nevertheless, there are variants of the 5.56mm caliber that are problematic for certain types of armor materials. The M855 “Green Tip” can penetrate pure polyethylene plates, but the M193 “Green Tip” cannot penetrate steels such as AR500. However, the M855 “Green Tip” can penetrate pure polyethylene plates. Even though bullet velocity affects penetration, this is a well-known shortcoming in the system. As a direct consequence of this, certain manufacturers give their plates a rating of III+ when describing them.

Even though the NIJ does not recognize this designation, most manufacturers use the term “III+” to indicate protection against NIJ threat level III in addition to M855 and M193 threats. Be wary of the “+” designation because some sellers who can’t be relied upon as much will use it to inflate the perceived level of protection offered by a plate. This is done although a III+ plate addresses most dangers while still being relatively lightweight and inexpensive. Make sure that you question the manufacturer about the dangers that a III+ plate is rated to stop before you go ahead and make the purchase.

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