ABOUT THE REPORT

This 2008 guide was written as a reference to the Standards and Testing Program of the Office of Science and Technology of the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The NIJ is a division of the DOJ that oversees programs that establish and maintain performance standards to test and evaluate law enforcement technologies that Federal, State may use, and local forces.

SUMMARY

There are five general bulletproof levels; these are divided as follows:

• IIA (soft armor) - Stops 9mm and .40 S&W fired from short barrel handguns II (soft armor) - Stops 9mm and .357 Magnum fired from short barrel handguns IIIA (soft armor) - Stops .357 SIG and .44 Magnum from long barrel handguns III - Stops 7.62mm FMJ lead core and 5.56mm/.223 Jacketed Hollow Point (JHP) ammunition IV - Stops .30cal steel core armor piercing ammunition

LINK TO INFO GRAPH

LINK TO FULL REPORT

IMPORTANT FACTS

• Bulletproof clothing is only available up to level IIIA There is a level I in the NIJ standard. It can stop .22LR and .380 ACP rounds. It is currently considered outdated and is no longer made The US military uses its own armor standard

OTHER ARMOR STANDARDS

• EUROPE - VPAM GERMANY - TR UK - HOSDB RUSSIA - GOST MEXICO -NOM NATO - STANAG

END OF REPORT

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