9mm vs IIIA armor

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Valorius
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9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by Valorius » 13 Aug 2012, 14:04

In this set of tests against a circa 1993 Safariland 25 layer IIIA vest i tested the following rounds from the following guns:

Winchester 124gr SXT from a Glock 26
Federal 124gr HST from a Glock 26
Speer Gold Dot LE only 115gr+P+ JHP from a Glock 17 and a 6.5" barrel longslide glock
Doubletap 80gr+P Barnes solid copper HP from a 16" carbine
Doubletap 147gr+P TMJFN trail defense load from a Glock 17
Buffalo Bore 115gr+P+ Montana Gold Match Hollowpoint (MHP) from a Glock 17 (discontinued)

Here are the results:

Doubletap 147gr+P TMJFN:



Buffalo Bore 115gr+P+ Montana Gold MHP (discontinued):



Clean penetration

Backface deformation of vest after 2nd test shot of Buffalo Bore 115gr+P+:



This would definitely result in a failure of the NIJ max allowable 44mm backface deformation.

Win SXT with Elite S4M side by side control test:



Sadly i did not get the Doubletap 80gr+P from a carbine test on camera, but i can report that the round penetrated all 25 layers of kevlar, but then stuck in the padded ballistic backing material in the vest, without any protrusion. So IMO that one was stopped, though just barely.

Valorius
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Re: 9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by Valorius » 19 Aug 2012, 11:55

Surprised there is no comment wrt the Buffalo Bore 115gr+P+ MGMHP round.

ShockedNKansas
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Re: 9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by ShockedNKansas » 19 Aug 2012, 17:01

Valorius wrote:Surprised there is no comment wrt the Buffalo Bore 115gr+P+ MGMHP round.
I think your vest wouldn't certify IIIa anymore. I have never heard of a 9mm round penetrating IIIa unless it was one of those experimental sabot rounds.

Valorius
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Re: 9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by Valorius » 20 Aug 2012, 12:18

The same vest stopped a 350gr 500 magnum and a 12 gauge .50 caliber sabot slug on the same day it was shot with the 9mm+P+ Buffalo Bore round.

I did these tests so that you WOULD hear about a specific 9mm round that will penetrate a IIIA.

The round that defeated the vest has a hardcast lead core and a non expanding truncated cone hollowpoint design. It's loaded to an advertised 1425fps and 525fpe. With the right projectile shape that velocity range is enough to defeat a IIIA.

As this test proved yet again.

ShockedNKansas
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Re: 9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by ShockedNKansas » 20 Aug 2012, 13:06

Bah humbug! :D

I must see Buffman fire that same round at his panels, then I will be convinced. Do you have a couple rounds left you could send him?

Valorius
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Re: 9mm vs IIIA armor

Post by Valorius » 20 Aug 2012, 13:59

No, I sold my remaining rounds to my brother about 10 seconds after he realized they went through the vest. He is a 9mm guy.

And you can't get more unless you stumble across some, as they're discontinued. You could certainly make your own though, the bullet is still available. It is the Montana Gold 115gr Brass jacketed match hollowpoint.

The videos of all the rounds that vest stopped are all posted on these forums in various places. It stopped almost everything thrown at it. Only 28gr 5.7mm OTM rounds from a threaded Five SeveN and this 9mm round penetrated it out of all the rounds i tested.

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