NIJ Armor Levels — the Roman numerals and what replaced them
Both standards side by side: what each level is actually tested against, at what velocity, and which old level each new one replaced. Every figure read out of the standards themselves.
How to use it
- Read the mapping column first. Level II became HG1 and Level IIIA became HG2 — but Level IIA has no successor at all, which is the single most misreported part of the change.
- 0101.06 Type IIIA is tested with .357 SIG, not 9mm. Only the velocity carries over to HG2, where the round is 9mm — so "IIIA and HG2 are the same" is true of the number and not of the threat.
- RF1 is not simply the old Level III. It adds 7.62×39mm mild steel core and 5.56mm M193 to the M80 that Level III tested alone.
- Shot counts are not a property of a level: 0101.07 specifies placements for 3 or 6 per test item across RF1, RF2 and RF3, and 1 or 2 for RF3.
- Backface deformation is not a flat 44 mm either. The rule is on the sheet, with the section number, because armor marketing tends to quote the 0101.06 version of it.
Dimensions on this sheet
| Level | Test threat | Grain | Reference velocity | Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HG1 | 9mm Luger FMJ RN | 124 gr | 398 m/s (1305 ft/s) | was Level II |
| HG1 | .357 Mag JSP | 158 gr | 436 m/s (1430 ft/s) | - |
| HG2 | 9mm Luger FMJ RN | 124 gr | 448 m/s (1470 ft/s) | was Level IIIA |
| HG2 | .44 Mag JHP | 240 gr | 436 m/s (1430 ft/s) | - |
| RF1 | 7.62x51mm M80 Ball | 147 +0/-3 gr | 847 m/s (2780 ft/s) | was Level III |
| RF1 | 7.62x39mm MSC Type 56 | 123 gr | 732 m/s (2400 ft/s) | new threat |
| RF1 | 5.56mm M193 | 56 +0/-2 gr | 990 m/s (3250 ft/s) | new threat |
| RF2 | all three RF1 threats | - | as above | new level |
| RF2 | 5.56mm M855 | 61.8 +/-1.5 gr | 950 m/s (3115 ft/s) | new threat |
| RF3 | .30-06 M2 AP | 165.7 +0/-7 gr | 878 m/s (2880 ft/s) | was Level IV |
Other reference sheets
- Cartridge Size Comparison
- Zeroing Checklist
- MOA / MIL Conversion Card
- Barrier Penetration Quick Reference
Numbers for your own load. This sheet is a standard, the same for everyone. What your barrel, altitude and temperature do to a bullet is not — the calculator works that out for any load in the database.