Level 4 body armor is the highest level of protection available in soft body armor. It is capable of stopping some of the most powerful rounds, including .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO M80, and 5.56 NATO M193. But it can’t stop everything. Let’s take a look at what Level 4 ARMOR plate can and cannot stop.
- What It Can Stop
Level 4 armor plate can stop most rifle rounds—including those used by law enforcement agencies, as well as military-grade rounds like the .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO M80, and 5.56 NATO M193. It is also capable of stopping some more powerful rounds such as the .30-06 Springfield and .300 Winchester Magnum (7mm). In addition to these rifle rounds, a Level 4 armor plate is designed to stop handgun rounds up to a .44 Magnum round nose soft point (FN).
- What It Can’t Stop
Level 4 armor plate cannot stop certain high-powered rifle cartridges such as the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum or the .338 Lapua Magnum. These are extremely powerful rounds that require higher-grade protection than the Level 4 armor plate offers. Additionally, it cannot protect from hollow point ammunition, which expands on impact and causes significantly more damage than standard bullets do. Finally, it should be noted that the Level 4 armor plate does not provide complete protection from all types of small arms fire; it will not protect against 7.62 x 39mm FMJ or other similar rounds with a steel core or other hard materials embedded in them.
Overall, Level 4 body armor is one of the highest levels of protection available in soft body armor today and is capable of stopping many types of rifle ammunition up to large calibers like .308 Winchester, 7.62 NATO M80, and 5.56 NATO M193—as well as select handgun ammunition up to a .44 Magnum round nose soft point (FN). However, there are certain high-powered rifle cartridges and hollow points that this type of body armor cannot protect against—so it’s important for military personnel and law enforcement officers to know what their specific needs are before investing in any level of ballistic protection gear or equipment for their operations use cases.
For more articles, please click here.