|
Rifle Plates
OVERVIEW
Front &
Back Plates
|
All
Ballistic Protection
100%
Made in the USA
|
|
Soft Body
Armor vests are excellent for fragmentation and pistol protection
but will NOT stop rifle bullets. (Even Level III-A is only tested
to stop pistol-caliber threats such as 9mm SUB-machine-gun or
.44 Magnum.)
Plates,
also described as Small Arms Protective Inserts or SAPI, are best
deployed in Rifle Plate Pockets on the outershell carrier
of Tactical Vests or, more discreetly, in our
ProMAX Concealable with Rifle Plate Pockets.
Stand-Alone Rifle Plates may also be used – as appropriate
for the threat – with a Plate Carrier
with no soft armor supporting.
|
WARNING:
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL LAWS
Level III and IV
armor (Rifle Plates) fall under the jurisdiction of the International
Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and is subject to the export control
laws of the U.S. Government. Export
or retransfer of Rifle Plates by any means to any foreign end user,
or for any other end use, whether in the U.S. or abroad, without the
written approval of the U.S.
Department of State, is prohibited.
There is often an
exemption for a U.S. person taking their personal protection with them
in their luggage, and returning the armor to the US. For the requirements,
click here.
One of the forms required may be found here.
|
Ceramic
Rifle Plates are NOT RETURNABLE
(except for warranty). Ceramic Rifle
Plates can be damaged if abused, or improperly shipped, and we
cannot accept that legal liability. Carefully
measure your Rifle Plate Pockets for inside dimensions
to see what plate size - and shape - you need. Please
know that many Eagle, BlackHawk and other plate carriers are not
designed for the more rectangular Back plates (only clipped corner
plates even on the back). You may need to order two Front plates
to fit your carrier. It
is your responsibility to verify compatibility with your equipment.
|
Why
You Want BulletProofME
to Ship Your Ceramic Plates
Any Ceramic Rifle Plate can be damaged if abused - especially if dropped
on its' corner. They are not delicate, like fine tea china, but FedEx
and UPS drivers are notorious for being rough with packages.
So, every
Ceramic Plate we ship FedEx or UPS is bubble-wrapped, and then DOUBLE-boxed
with lots of padding to survive rough handling. We overpack, so that it
would take a lot of obvious abuse to do any damage.
We
stake our reputation of over ten years on doing it right.
Don't buy a plate that just gets thrown in a box and shipped
out.
|
|
|
|
Most sizes in stock for
immediate shipment
We also have more expensive, specialized Rifle Plates not
listed - let us know if you have specific requirements.
Call
us, we are always happy to advise!
Type of
Plate
Click
a link below to jump
to the page for each specific type of Rifle Plate
|
Ballistic
Protection Level
|
Thickness
Approx.
|
Approximate
Plate Sizes Available
NOTE:
Rifle Plates sizes quoted, industry-wide, are always approximate
- see detailed specs for exact coverage
|
Weight
for a
10" by 12" or Medium Size Front Plate
|
Price
Per Plate
Made in the USA
|
|
Ceramic
Stand-Alone
|
Level
IV
Stand-Alone
(No
supporting vest needed)
|
0.7"
|
- Small
8.75 by 11.75'
- Medium
9.5 X 11.5"
- Large
10" X 13"
- XL
11" X 14"
|
10"
by 12"
5.5
- 8.3 lbs.
|
$
145 - 990
|
|
Ceramic
"In
Conjunction With a Level III-A Vest"
|
Level
IV with a Level III-A Vest Supporting
AND
Level
III with a Level III-A Vest Supporting
|
0.5"
|
- Small
8.75 by 11.75'
- Medium
9.5 X 11.5"
- Large
10" X 13"
- XL
11" X 14"
|
|
$
195 - 280
|
|
Lightweight
SAPI
In Conjunction with a Level III-A Vest
|
SAPI
Mil - Spec
with
III-A or Interceptor vest Supporting
|
0.5"
|
- Small
8.75 by 11.75'
- Medium
9.5 X 11.5"
- Large
10" X 13"
- XL
11" X 14
|
|
|
|
E-SAPI
In Conjunction with a Level III-A Vest
|
E-SAPI
Mil - Spec
Performance,
very similar to the NIJ Level IV test, but just a little bit
tougher.
with III-A
or Interceptor vest Supporting
|
0.7"
|
- Small
8.75 by 11.75'
- Medium
9.5 X 11.5"
- Large
10" X 13"
- XL
11" X 14"
|
|
|
|
Steel
Inexpensive,
but a much higher risk of bullet splatter or ricochet.
|
Level
III
Stand-Alone |
0.25"
|
-
8"
by 10"
-
10"
by 12"
-
10"
by 13"
|
10"
by 12" 8.0 lbs.
|
$
110
|
| Ultra-light
Polyethylene |
Level
III
Stops common assault rifle ammunition
- but NOT AP rounds |
NOT
rated to stop the semi-armor-piercing .223 (5.56mm) round (SS-109
/ M-855) with the steel pin core, or .30 caliber AP rounds
|
Made in the USA
|
| Stand-Alone |
Level
III Stand-Alone
|
1.15"
|
|
3.2
- 3.8 lbs.
|
$
420 - 440
each
|
| In
Conjunction with a Level III-A Vest |
Level III
with III-A vest Supporting
|
0.9"
|
- Small
8.75 by 11.75'
- Medium
9.5 X 11.5"
- Large
10" X 13"
- XL
11" X 14"
|
2.9
- 4.2 lb.
|
$
410 - 590
each
|
| Rifle
Plates Backers |
Level
III-A
To wear
"in conjunction with vest" Plates without a
vest
|
0.3"
|
E.g.,
10" by 13"
|
1.3
lbs.
|
$
120 & up
|
When
comparing weights...
...please be aware that we quote ACTUAL weights – we do
NOT play the artificial "weight loss" games you may encounter
elsewhere. Ask to have the armor you are going to buy weighed ready
to wear.
|
Rifle
Protection Levels
|
Level
III means the plate is tested to stop
6 rounds of .308 Winchester Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) = NATO 7.62
X 51 mm, and, of course it can handle lesser threats, such as AK-47
/ Kalashnikov 7.62 X 39 mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ).
Level
IV means the plate is tested to stop ONE round of .3006 Armor-Piercing
(AP) at 868 mps and lesser threats. Though just tested for
one hit of .3006 AP, will also stop multiple hits of lesser threats
such as:
-
.308 FMJ
-
AK-47
-
M-16 - M855 or SS-109, etc.
SAPI
Mil Spec - US Military SAPI (Small Arms Protective Insert)
mil-spec requires survivability of 3 hits total from:
|
Caliber
|
Bullet
|
Typical
Weapon
|
| 7.62 X
39mm |
API
Armor Piercing Incendiary
|
AK-47 |
5.56 x
45mm
.223 |
M855
aka Green Tip .223 or SS-109 |
M-16 |
7.62 ×
51mm
.308 Winchester |
FMJ
aka NATO ball |
Battle
Rifles and Machine Guns |
| 7.62 ×
54mm |
Russian
Light Penetrating Steel (R LPS) |
Dragunov
Sniper Rifle |
Note
that Level IV is a little tougher round to stop than the SAPI
mil-spec. Level IV is a .3006 Armor-Piercing round, while the
SAPI test is for the slower Russian Light Penetrating Steel
round.
Rifle Plates Testing PHOTOS
We have
many lab tests and NIJ certifications, but – just to
see with our own eyes – we put rounds closely spaced
into one Rifle Plate at ~25 yards (~23 m)...
ZERO PENETRATION!
|
Which
Rifle Plate to Get?
|
Call
us, we are always happy to consult
with you!
1. Weight vs.
Protection Level
Most folks get
Level IV protection to stop the hardened steel core.3006 AP threat
- but know that you will be carrying 14.5 to 17 lbs. of weight with
plates Front & Back! Add
side Rifle Plates, plus ammo and other gear, and the pounds add
up fast. Look at your total package weight vs. your physical condition,
and how far you need to carry it.
Generally in
war zones we typically recommend Level IV - but if you can't move
as far, or as fast as you need to, - go lighter... And
if you are not exposed to Armor Piercing threats, consider lighter
weight Level III or Level III PLUS plates:
-
-
Lightweight
SAPIs, stop lead core plus the .223 Green Tip SS-109
/ M-855 round at only 5.3 lbs, size Medium (with a Level III-A
vest supporting)
- if you can
spend $ 990 for just one plate, the ULTRA-Lightweight
Level IV Stand-Alone protection is only 5.5 lbs!
Steel
is the cheapest Level III protection - but not recommended
unless you are on a very tight budget, due to the much higher risk
of bullet splatter and ricochet. We offer our Standard
Level IV Stand-Alone plate as a very affordable Ceramic Rifle
Plate - under $ 300 for a pair Front & Back.
3. Stand-Alone vs. "In Conjunction with a Vest" Rifle
Plates
Stand-Alone
plates are slightly heavier, and thicker than the corresponding
size of the "in conjunction" plate. But the advantage is you don't
have to carry the weight or thickness of Level
III-A armor. If you need full Level IV protection even when
you are not wearing Level III-A soft armor, go Stand-Alone.
Stand-Alone plates with a Plate Carrier
offer maximum
freedom of movement and ventilation (at the expense of less of your
body being covered vs. a Level III-A vest).
“In
conjunction” plates are Level IV with a Level III-A vest supporting.
This allows the plate to be slightly thinner, and a bit lighter. The
tradeoff is that you must have Level III-A armor behind the plate
to get the full Level IV protection. If you are always going to wear
your plates with a Level III-A vest - go ahead and save the weight
with an "in conjunction" plate. You will also have the benefit of
the extra Level III-A vest coverage area.
A
bigger body needs a bigger plate - but you will carry more weight.
A "trick" is to use one size bigger on the back for more
coverage where it won't affect freedom of movement.
-
Most
males end up with a 10" by 12", or the 9.5" by
12.5" Medium SAPI size - the two sizes are usually interchangeable
but there are a few Plate Carriers that need the exact SAPI size,
e.g., Crye Precision, or BlackHawk Lo-Vis.
-
10"
by 13" / Large SAPI for taller / bigger guys.
-
Really
big guys, 11" by 14" / XL SAPI
-
Smaller
frames, 8" by 10" or Small SAPI 8.75" BY 11.75"
4. What size and shape are your Rifle
Plate Pockets?
SIZE It's
up to you to get the right size plate for your Plate Carrier. You
can put a smaller plate in a bigger pocket if you can sew a bar
tack line - but too big a plate will not work
SHAPE
You usually want shooters cut plates on the front for ergonomics,
and, ideally, rectangular Rifle Plates on the back for more coverage
to protect your shoulder blades' area. But some rear Rifle Plate Pockets
are cut to only accept shooters cut, or SAPI cut plates. (If your
Rifle Plate Pockets load from the top, this is not an issue.)
|
Bullet
Proof
ME
Body Armor