Ah gotcha yeah I normally saw 9mm stop around 10-12 layers (stiched at edges to secure) and 14-17 for 357 mag(or Sig) at least until you start throwing copper solids into the mix. Derp to me on 308 but I would imagine 5.56 would be a similarly stupid number of layers for kevlar. And yes always fun playing with oddball targets.

I didn’t use .308. I mentioned above that we used .357 Mag and 5.56. 😉

To clarify, it was soft (Aramid/Kevalr) armor and not steel/ceramic, so it wasn’t rated for high powered rifle, but if memory serves we stacked about 5 layers deep at a firing distance of about 25 yds, and everything went through. Mebbe we expected too much or I was misinformed when told it was Level III when it might have been lower.

But it was a fun time in the desert.

I just realized the moderated comment might have been the one you posted on July 26, 2024 at 6:34 pm. I don’t see the issue with it.

Haz,
It might be the exact same WordPress system that TTAG had. I noticed the moderation of some of the same words. Also, you might not be able to post more than one link at a time.

I haven’t tested the system because I can’t edit or delete my comments. I might test it anyway on an old article. I don’t want to muck up the comment section. If your comment appears, I’ll check it against the forbidden words and phrases list.

Sometimes the redneck results are very relevant. If both 357 and 308 sailed through I am guessing soft pistol armor which if it is a small surface area can have less than stellar effects even on pistol rounds. FMJ rifle rounds will barely notice until around 50+ layers but kevlar is not well suited for rifle rounds like UHMWPE (dyneema in hard plate format) can be. If it was a well stitched and secured panel it should deform the 357 but if it was loose sheets of kevlar……yeah honestly don’t know always made a secure panel or resin treated it into a thin plate for my backyard testing back when I could buy the stuff legally.

It was a few years ago, so I don’t recall if I was given that detail (III or IIIA), TBH.

But even so, I expected *some* sort of penetration resistance or deformation of the bullets, considering we stacked multiple layers of the material…not simply a single one. The bullets passed through all of them and were still in almost perfect condition when recovered from the soft backstop. I’m aware that my casual “in the desert with buddies” exercise didn’t qualify as meeting any sort of formal testing standards, but gollygeewillikers I expected some sort of performance.

3 or 3a? And assuming it being more than a few years ago was it a hard plate or flexible panel (of which I can only think of two that would be lv 3 (rifle) rated as opposed to 3a (pistol 44mag and 357 Sig or mag depending on which standard)

Links that I noticed so far but substantially less. What was the condensed version?

Geez.

Several years ago, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of obtaining the cut leftovers of the (Aramid) material used in the production of these vests, due to my friendship with a manager within a mfg company in the industry. Sections weren’t large enough to complete full items, but large enough to use for my own ballistic testing out in the desert with some buddies.

Long story short…they did *not* perform as rated. A Level III is supposed to stop 7.62×51 (.308 Win), but our 5.56 rounds all went through the samples like butter. Most of the .357 Mags went through as well.

“Certified” does not guarantee squat.