How to Choose the Right Body Armor Size
October 27, 2024
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard 0101.06 is a set of guidelines developed by the U.S. government to determine the minimum performance requirements and test methods for ballistic-resistant body armor. These standards were developed to provide reliable protection against various threats.
The NIJ is an agency within the Department of Justice responsible for developing and implementing research, development, and evaluation programs related to criminal justice. The NIJ established the standard to ensure that law enforcement and other public safety officials have access to body armor that is capable of providing adequate protection against firearms and other ballistic threats.
The NIJ Standard 0101.06 was released in July 2008 and has since become the most widely accepted standard for body armor in the United States. The standard includes several different levels of protection, with each level corresponding to a specific type of ammunition and ballistic threat.
Level IIA
This level of protection is designed to stop 9mm and .40 S&W ammunition fired from short-barreled handguns. This level of armor is typically used by undercover law enforcement officers.
Level II
This level of protection is designed to stop 9mm and .357 Magnum ammunition fired from handguns. This level of armor is commonly used by patrol officers.
Level IIIA
This level of protection is designed to stop .357 SIG and .44 Magnum ammunition fired from handguns, as well as 9mm submachine gun ammunition. This level of armor is typically worn by tactical officers and special response teams.
Level III
This level of protection is designed to stop 7.62x51mm full metal jacketed bullets fired from rifles. This level of armor is typically used by SWAT teams and other specialized units.
Level IV
This level of protection is designed to stop armor-piercing .30-06 Springfield M2AP bullets fired from rifles. This level of armor is typically used by tactical response teams facing heavily armed adversaries.
Testing
To meet the NIJ Standard 0101.06, body armor must undergo rigorous testing to ensure that it meets the minimum performance requirements for each level of protection. This testing includes shooting the armor with various types of ammunition at different velocities and distances to determine the armor’s ability to stop the bullets.
The number of body armor samples that a manufacturer needs to be tested has increased from prior NIJ standards. Under the NIJ Standard 0101.06, each NIJ level now requires a larger sample size of 28 plates (as opposed to the 6 required in previous standards) to be tested to ensure consistent and reliable manufacturing.
A major development in standard testing for the 0101.06 certification is the environmental (or plate conditioning) exposure. The NIJ Standard 0101.04 only required plates to be sprayed with water for 6 minutes to pass the environmental tests; however, the NIJ Standard 0101.06 is much more involved.
To start, each plate must be fully immersed in 70ºF water for 30 minutes. They then need to be tumbled 72,000 times over 10 days at 189ºF with 80% humidity. Level III and IV plates will also spend a day in thermal cycling where they are exposed to fluctuating temperatures between 5ºF and 194ºF and with 0% to 50% humidity. The last step before testing begins on the plates is a mechanical durability test. Plate samples are dropped at specific heights onto hard surfaces in order to ensure the resilience of the plates.
Each plate sample must be shot 48 times and in 6 specific locations to ensure the efficacy of the body armor. Instead of 3” from the edge of the armor, the NIJ Standard 0101.06 now requires 3 shots to be taken 2” from the edge of each plate. Lethal damage could have been done at 2” in prior standards as material was moved out of the way on impact; however, material movement in the NIJ Standard 0101.06 is not accepted.
The 4th, 5th, and 6th shots for each plate must impact within a 3.94” diameter circle. This ensures that the armor can withstand being shot multiple times within a small area.
In addition to the location of shots on the armor, each body armor sample is shot at 30º and 45º angles. Testing at different angles guarantees that the plates can withstand impact at more than just head-on shots.
In addition to the performance requirements, the NIJ Standard 0101.06 also includes requirements for labeling, sizing, and maintenance of body armor. The standard specifies that all body armor must be labeled with the manufacturer’s name, model number, and the level of protection provided. It also requires that body armor be properly fitted to the wearer and regularly inspected and maintained to ensure that it continues to provide the required level of protection.
Summary
The NIJ Standard 0101.06 is a set of guidelines developed by the U.S. government to ensure that law enforcement and other public safety officials have access to body armor that is capable of providing adequate protection against firearms and other ballistic threats. The standard includes several levels of protection, each corresponding to a specific type of ammunition and ballistic threat, and requires rigorous testing to ensure that the armor meets the minimum performance requirements for each level of protection. Adherence to this standard ensures that those who wear body armor are adequately protected while performing their duties.
