NIJ 0101.04 in Plain Terms
The protection level of a carrier can be expressed using various standards. The following is the most common in Europe and widely recognized globally. Soft armor can provide up to IIIA-level protection; beyond that, hard plates are required.
Caliber | NIJ IIA | NIJ II | NIJ IIIA | NIJ III | NIJ IV |
.22 LR LRN | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK |
.380 ACP FMJ RN | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK |
9x19 mm FMJ RN | OK (341 m/s) | OK (367 m/s) | OK (436 m/s) | OK | OK |
.357 Mag JSP | FAIL | OK | OK | OK | OK |
.44 Mag SJHP | FAIL | FAIL | OK | OK | OK |
7.62 NATO FMJ | FAIL | FAIL | FAIL | OK | OK |
.30-06 AP | FAIL | FAIL | FAIL | FAIL | OK |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | Rounded lead bullet |
FMJ | Full Metal Jacket | Full-jacket bullet |
RN | Round Nose | Round-nose bullet |
JSP | Jacketed Soft Point | Soft-point jacketed bullet |
SJHP | Semi-Jacketed Hollow Point | Semi-jacketed hollow-point bullet |
AP | Armour-Piercing | Armor-piercing |