Point Blank Body Armor | Body Armor 101

HOW DOES SOFT BODY ARMOR WORK

Protection Against Ballistic Threats

When a bullet or projectile strikes body armor, it is caught in a “web” of high performance fibers that are layered and stitched to exceed certain bullet resistant specifications. The engaged fibers absorb and disperse the impact energy that is transmitted to the vest from the bullet, causing the bullet to deform or “mushroom”. Additional energy is absorbed by each successive layer of material in the vest, until such time as the bullet has been stopped. Because the fibers work together in both the individual layer and with other layers of material in the vest, a large area of the garment becomes involved in preventing the bullet from penetrating, as well as dissipating the forces which can cause non-penetrating injuries to internal organs.

Protection Against Blunt Trauma

Since soft body armor deforms backward upon impact, it also deforms backward into the wearer of the vest. The damage to tissue caused by this transfer of kinetic energy is called blunt trauma. Minimizing blunt trauma helps save lives, since it not only reduces internal injury, but also prevents temporary incapacitation during the initial hit, allowing the wearer to respond immediately in a high-threat situation. In testing against a soft clay backstop, a 1.7” (44 mm) deformation is the maximum indication of blunt trauma allowed by The National Institute of Justice (NIJ). As illustrated in Figure 1-2, Point Blank holds itself to an internal standard that is more stringent than NIJ requirements.

Protection Against Stab Threats

Body armor that is ballistic resistant does not necessarily make it stab or puncture resistant (and vice versa). Sharp edged and hand made instruments with pointed tips such as spikes, awls or shanks generally do not need to tear the fabric to penetrate – it merely moves the fibers aside. Point Blank utilizes a combination of super fine, ultra-dense materials, which prevent pointed objects from spreading or moving the individual yarns to stop penetration/puncture.

HOW DOES HARD BODY ARMOR WORK

Hard body armor typically incorporates an ultra-hard, ballistic ceramic top layer combined with a laminated blend of unidirectionally-oriented fiber bundles which work together to stop bullets and fragments. Depending on the level of threat (i.e. 9mm 124gr or 7.62mm NATO 148 gr.), hard armor works by disrupting the aerodynamic shape of the bullet and dissipating the energy through the shattering of the ceramic top layer. The blunted or shattered bullet and the ceramic fragments (secondary projectile) are caught in the laminated blend of high performance fibers, thereby inhibiting penetration.

NIJ 0101.04 STANDARD FOR BULLET-RESISTANCE
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In the United States, body armor levels are certified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The levels are I, IIA, II, IIIA, III, and IV. Based on extensive laboratory tests, researchers classify any new body armor design into one of seven levels: Level I body armor offers the lowest level of protection, and Level IV offers the highest. The body armor classes are often described by what sort of weaponry they guard against. The lowest level body armor can only be relied on to protect against bullets with relatively low energy, which tend to have less force on impact. Some higher level body armor can protect against higher energy bullets (i.e. 44 magnum and 357 magnum). Categories I through IIIA are soft and concealable. Type III and Type IV use hard or semi-rigid plates to defeat high energy rifle rounds. Point Blank offers various balistic systems from levels IIA - IV. (see Figure 1.3).

NIJ 0115.00 STANDARD FOR STAB RESISTANCE

The NIJ rates body armor on resistance to hand-delivered stab threats – the NIJ 0115.00 Standard. Maximum penetration of 0.28” / 7mm is allowed as serious injury is extremely unlikely with such a shallow wound. Also, an “Over-test” is applied, to push the breaking point of the armor, where 0.79” / 20mm of penetration is allowed. Ice-pick or improvised “Spike” weapons testing is regularly conducted by Point Blank through its independent laboratories. Point Blank offers several vest models that are stab-resistant in NIJ Spike Levels 1, 2, or 3 with the option for ballistic protection.