The Level IIIA is a soft armor that offers a good level of protection to wearers. According to the NIJ, Level IIIA body armor can defeat a .357 Sig FMJ Flat Nose (FN) weighing less than 8.1 grams or 125 grain. The muzzle velocity must be under 1,470 ft/per second at this weight for a Level IIIA to stop the bullet. Level IIIA will also defeat a .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) if it weighs less than 15.6 grams (240 gr) and a muzzle velocity of slower than 1,430 ft/s. So, it sure offers a great deal of protection to wearers.
However, we should say that the Level III armor is more powerful than Level IIIA armor because it is made to withstand rifle caliber rounds. A conditioned insert will always be used for testing Level III plates. Armor designed for Level III testing is designed to handle 147g FMJ 7.62mm (M80 military) bullets firing at 2,780fps and weighing 147 grains. According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), some of the most common ammunition used in AK-47s or sniper rifles, such as the 7.62mm Flat Nose (FN) rifle, can destroy the Level IIIA body armor.
An AR-15 armed with a 5.56mm round would be unable to fire a bullet through Level III armor. If the bullet weight and the muzzle velocity of the semi-jacketed hollow point (SJHP) in .44 Magnum is less than 15.6 grams (240 gr) and 1,430 feet per second, this bullet will also be defeated by level III armor. With a reduced velocity of 1,410 feet per second, an FMJFN made to withstand the weight of 125 grain can be defeated by a .357 Sig cartridge made to withstand 125 grain.
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