Will a .357 Magnum Penetrate Kevlar NIJ III?

No — stops inside kevlar nij iii (reaches 3 mm of a 5 mm barrier)
Penetration depth
3 mm (0.1″)
Impact velocity
395 m/s (1296 fps)
Muzzle energy
796 J (587 ft-lb)
Bullet behaviour
Expanded

Fired at the muzzle, a representative .357 Magnum load (10.2 g, SP, 395 m/s) reaches roughly 3 mm (0.1 inches) into kevlar nij iii. It loses its energy before defeating a typical barrier of this material.

About Kevlar NIJ III

A soft body-armor panel is roughly 5 mm of layered Kevlar.

.357 Magnum against other materials

MaterialDepth (mm)Depth (in)
Red Brick99 mm3.9″
Concrete54 mm2.1″
Tempered Glass14 mm0.5″
Steel A362 mm0.1″
Steel AR5001 mm0.0″
Run your own numbers in the calculator →

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