The Facts about Bulletproof Vest Type IIIA Rating

Trying to find the right bullet proof vest can be a difficult task. With so many companies and such a variety of different types of body armor available each made from different materials, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the process. Vests can be made from Kevlar, Spectra Shield, Dyneema with ratings of Type I/IIA/II/IIIA and armor plates with III and IV level. The first and most essential criterion that you should use in order to decide which vest is right for you is to consider your needs and your situation. There are 6 rating that are currently used by the National institute of Justice (NIJ) to classify the protection that body armor offers. Here we are going to examine the protection rating for Type 3A rated vests.

NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Vests

For any bodyarmor applications having a rating of Type IIIA, the National Institute of Justice mandates that vests be able to prevent penetration from the following bullets:

• .22LR – A long rifle lead round nose bullet with a caliber of .22 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1050 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 40 gr.
• .380ACP – A full metal jacket round nose bullet with a caliber of .380 impacting at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 95 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose 9mm bullets, which impacts the vest at a minimum velocity of 1090 feet per second and a nominal mass of 124gr.
• .40 – Full metal jacket .40 S&W bullets that impact at a minimum velocity of 1025 feet per second and a nominal mass of 180 gr.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets that impact at a velocity of 1,175 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .357 – Magnum jacketed soft bullets with a caliber of .357 that impact at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and have a nominal mass of 158 grams.
• 9mm – Full metal jacketed round nose bullets with a caliber of 9mm, impacting at a velocity 1,400 feet per second, with a nominal mass of 124 grams.
• .44 – Magnum jacketed hollow point bullets with a caliber of .44, impacting at a velocity of 1,400 feet per second and a nominal mass of 240 grams.

The highest rated vests that are available to consumers are Type IIIA/3A. They may be worn every day and provide full protection. When you have decided what the correct bullet proof vests are for you, you should decide which manufacturer you would like to buy from. You must make sure that the vest fits you correctly so that it may provide its fully intended level of protection and prevent injury.