Will a 9mm Luger Penetrate Kevlar NIJ III?

No — stops inside kevlar nij iii (reaches 2 mm of a 5 mm barrier)
Penetration depth
2 mm (0.1″)
Impact velocity
360 m/s (1181 fps)
Muzzle energy
518 J (382 ft-lb)
Bullet behaviour
Intact

Fired at the muzzle, a representative 9mm Luger load (8 g, FMJ, 360 m/s) reaches roughly 2 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.

9mm Luger against other materials

MaterialDepth (mm)Depth (in)
Red Brick70 mm2.7″
Concrete38 mm1.5″
Tempered Glass16 mm0.6″
Steel A363 mm0.1″
Steel AR5001 mm0.0″
Run your own numbers in the calculator →

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