This review covers the Guard Dog Armor Level 3+ backpack ballistic panel, highlighting its rifle-rated protection for everyday carry. The panel, made from UHMWPE, successfully stops common handgun and rifle rounds like 5.56 M193, 7.62x39, and .308 M80 Ball. Despite some backface deformation with heavier rounds, it offers a valuable balance of protection, weight, and concealability for civilian defense.
This video from Demolition Ranch features an extreme test of Premier Body Armor's custom 9-layer plate against high-powered rifle rounds, including .50 BMG ball, API, and AP. While the plate successfully stops .50 BMG ball and AP rounds with significant deformation, a .50 cal SLAP round failed to chamber in the Serbu BFG-50A. The testing highlights the plate's impressive stopping power against threats that would easily defeat standard armor.
This review tests a Chinese-made ballistic helmet advertised as NIJ Level IIIA. While it stops various handgun calibers and even a 12 gauge slug, significant backface deformation is observed in all tests. This excessive deformation indicates a high risk of traumatic head injury, failing a critical aspect of the IIIA standard. The helmet's High Density Polyethylene construction is noted as lighter but thicker than standard options.
This video provides a detailed ballistic test of a Chinese-manufactured Universal Armor Level 4 ballistic plate, sourced from Workerkit. The test, conducted by Polenar Tactical, assesses the plate's performance against 5.56mm, 7.62x39mm, and 7.62x54R rounds. Despite significant backface deformation, particularly with the Mosin Nagant round, the plate successfully prevented penetration in all tests, leading to a recommendation as a budget-friendly option.
This expert-level review from Warrior Poet Society details the ballistic testing of the Armored Republic A3 hybrid armor plate. The plate, constructed from alloy, polyethylene, and polyurea, was subjected to 9mm FMJ, 5.56mm M193, 5.56mm M855 Green Tip, and 6.5 Creedmoor rounds. The A3 plate demonstrated impressive multi-hit capability, stopping all tested rounds with significant deformation but no pass-through, leading to its approval for the Warrior Poet Society website.
This video details a rigorous ballistic testing protocol for GBRS Group's Level III ICW Special Threat Plates. The tests involve firing 5.56mm, 9mm, and 5.56mm M855 green tip ammunition into the plates mounted on ballistic gel torsos. Expert analysis focuses on backface deformation and the potential for blunt force trauma, even without penetration, highlighting the importance of soft armor backers. The assessment concludes with a positive impression of the plates' performance relative to their weight and cost.
This video provides an in-depth look at GBRS Group's ballistic plates, focusing on Level III ICW and GT models. It highlights the evolution of plate design, weight comparisons between different threat levels (including 7.62x39 and 5.56mm Green Tip), and the importance of managing weight versus protection. The discussion also touches on armor philosophy, tactical presentation, and the benefits of multi-curve designs for better body contouring.
This ballistic test by Garand Thumb reveals that NIJ Level 3A rated ballistic masks, while stopping some projectiles, fail to adequately protect the wearer due to extreme backface deformation. Hits from a .44 Magnum caused fatal deformation, and rifle rounds completely penetrated. The conclusion is that these masks are largely ineffective and potentially dangerous, recommending helmets and proper training instead.
This expert-level analysis from Military Arms Channel details a rigorous test of RMA Armament's Level IV 1199SC ballistic plates against a PKM rifle firing 7.62x54R ammunition. The assessment focuses on penetration, backface deformation, and edge impact performance, providing valuable insights into the real-world capabilities of affordable, NIJ-certified armor.
This video critically reviews AR500 steel body armor, highlighting its affordability and durability but warning against its lack of NIJ certification and potential for spalling and backface deformation. While it stops many rounds, it's heavier and can be less effective against high-velocity threats compared to ceramic alternatives. The presenter recommends Hesco L210 special threat plates as a superior, albeit more expensive, option.
This expert-level analysis from Iraqveteran8888 details comprehensive ballistic testing of the AR500 Phoenix Level IIIA armored backpack. The video showcases the backpack's performance against various pistol calibers, including 9mm, 10mm, and .44 Magnum, demonstrating its effectiveness in stopping projectiles while analyzing backface deformation. It also highlights the limitations against higher-velocity rounds like the 7.62x25mm Tokarev, while surprisingly showing non-penetration from a specific 5.7x28mm load.
This review of AR500 Armor's UHMWPE Level III plates highlights their significant weight advantage over ceramic options, weighing only 3.3 lbs each. The plates are NIJ certified and demonstrated effectiveness against standard rifle rounds like 7.62x39mm and 5.56x45mm M193, while correctly noting their limitation against M855 and AP rounds. The multi-hit capability was also tested, showing resilience until rounds were concentrated in a small area.
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