What Bullets Go Through a Bulletproof Vest? Ammo vs NIJ Levels

Quick answer: Soft armor rated NIJ 0101.06 Level IIIA (HG2 under 0101.07) stops most handgun rounds up to .44 Magnum. Common rifle rounds like .223 Remington (5.56×45 mm) and 7.62×39 mm defeat soft armor and require Level III/RF1 hard plates. Steel-core 5.56 M855 needs RF2; .30-06 M2 armor-piercing ammunition needs Level IV/RF3. No body armor is bulletproof.

This guide maps real cartridges to NIJ Standard 0101.06 levels and the new 0101.07 threat profiles (HG1, HG2, RF1, RF2, RF3) so you can match armor to the threat you actually face.

How body armor stops a bullet

Two things kill a person hit by a bullet: the projectile cutting tissue, and the kinetic energy the bullet transfers on impact. Body armor addresses both. Soft armor (woven aramid fibers like Kevlar, or unidirectional ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene) deforms the bullet against a layered web that catches the round and redirects its energy across a wide area of the panel. Hard armor (ceramic, polyethylene, or steel plates, often paired with a soft backer) shatters the strike face on impact and breaks rifle rounds before the energy reaches the wearer.

Two terms matter when you read armor specs. Strike face is the side that takes the round; on a hard plate it is usually marked with a sticker and must face out. Backface deformation is the dent the stopped round leaves in the clay backing during NIJ testing; the standard caps deformation at 44 mm because a vest can defeat the round and still cause lethal blunt trauma if the deformation exceeds that limit.

The reason a 9mm vest will not stop a 5.56 round is energy. A 124-grain 9mm FMJ at 1,305 ft/s carries roughly 470 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. A 55-grain .223 Remington at 3,250 ft/s carries about 1,290 ft-lbs and a much smaller frontal area, so the energy concentrates on a smaller section of fiber. Soft armor cannot stop that.

NIJ levels and the cartridges that test them

NIJ Standard 0101.06 (the standard the existing Compliant Products List is built on) uses Roman-numeral levels: II, IIIA, III, IV. The newer NIJ Standard 0101.07, published November 29, 2023, replaces those with two-letter "threat profile" labels: HG1, HG2 for handgun; RF1, RF2, RF3 for rifle. The old IIA label was eliminated. As of May 2026 the National Institute of Justice has not yet published an 0101.07 Compliant Products List, so every "NIJ Listed" product on the market is still listed under 0101.06. For the deeper level breakdown, see our NIJ protection levels guide.

0101.06 Level	0101.07 Profile	Test cartridge (representative)	Reference velocity
II	HG1	9 mm FMJ RN, 124 gr	~1,305 ft/s
IIIA	HG2	.357 SIG FMJ FN, 125 gr; .44 Mag SJHP, 240 gr	~1,470 ft/s; ~1,430 ft/s
III (.06)	(see RF1)	7.62×51 mm M80 ball, 147 gr	~2,780 ft/s
(none)	RF1	7.62×51 mm M80 ball, 147 gr; .223 Rem M193, 56 gr; 7.62×39 mm mild steel core PS, 123 gr	~2,780 ft/s; ~3,250 ft/s; ~2,380 ft/s
(none)	RF2	All RF1 threats plus 5.56 M855 (SS109), 62 gr mild steel core	~3,115 ft/s
IV	RF3	.30-06 M2 AP (steel-core armor piercing), 166 gr	~2,880 ft/s

Two practical notes on this chart. First, the 0101.07 RF1 round set is broader than legacy III: a vest "tested to RF1 parameters" must defeat 7.62×39 mm mild-steel-core rounds that some legacy Level III steel plates would not stop. Second, RF2 is genuinely new. The historical gap between rifle plates that handle FMJ rifle rounds (legacy III) and plates that handle .30-06 M2 AP (legacy IV) left buyers with no clean answer for 5.56 M855, which is the round most US service rifles and many civilian ARs feed. RF2 closes that gap.

Handgun rounds: 9mm, .40, .357, .44

For everyday concealed-carry threat models (pistol calibers from a semi-auto handgun or a revolver), Level IIIA / HG2 soft armor is the working answer. A IIIA panel will defeat 9mm 124 gr FMJ at 1,305 ft/s, .40 S&W 180 gr FMJ at 1,025 ft/s, .357 SIG 125 gr FMJ at 1,470 ft/s, and .44 Magnum 240 gr SJHP at 1,430 ft/s. That covers the great majority of civilian handgun threats.

Three handgun rounds defeat IIIA soft armor and require a hard plate:

• 5.7×28 mm with the SS190 or SS192 loadings (FN Five-seveN, P90). The round fires a small, light projectile at rifle-class velocity and was originally designed to defeat soft armor.
• 7.62×25 mm Tokarev, especially the steel-core military loadings still circulating from former Warsaw Pact stocks.
• FN 5.7 hand-loaded SS196 and SS197 sporting loads are usually IIIA-stoppable; the SS190 LE-only load is not.

The legacy Level II (HG1) tier is the bare minimum for handgun threats and is mostly used in concealable undershirt-style vests where flexibility matters more than threat coverage. For a serious civilian threat model, IIIA / HG2 is the right starting point. See the concealable body armor options for that fit.

Hollow points and the "stops everything pistol" myth

Hollow-point handgun rounds are easier for armor to stop than FMJ, because the cavity expands the round on the strike face and increases drag against the panel fibers. A IIIA panel that catches FMJ will catch the same caliber in JHP without much trouble. The myth runs the other direction: that cheap "armor-piercing" handgun rounds exist for civilian sale. Engineered armor-piercing handgun ammunition (KTW with brass-jacketed steel, THV monolithic copper) is restricted under 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(17)(B) and is not on the civilian shelf. The "armor-piercing pistol" rounds people see at the gun counter are usually marketing names on standard FMJ.

Rifle rounds: .223, 7.62, .308

Once you cross from pistol velocity (typically 1,000-1,500 ft/s) into rifle velocity (2,300-3,300 ft/s), soft armor stops working. Rifle threats need hard plates, and the plate level has to match the round.

Level III / RF1 hard plates handle the most common rifle threats: 7.62×51 mm M80 ball (the standard .308 Win-equivalent military round) at 2,780 ft/s, 5.56×45 mm M193 at 3,250 ft/s, and 7.62×39 mm mild-steel-core. Most stand-alone Level III plates are ceramic-faced or pure UHMW polyethylene, weighing 4-7 lbs per 10×12 plate depending on construction. These are the working answer for the bulk of civilian rifle threat models.

Level III+ is a manufacturer label, not an NIJ designation. Plates marketed as "III+" typically claim to defeat M193 at point-blank or 7.62×39 mild steel core at 50 yards while still passing the legacy III protocol. Note: "+" ratings (e.g., IIIA+, III+) are manufacturer designations and are not part of the NIJ Standard 0101.06 or 0101.07 nomenclature. The new RF2 profile under 0101.07 is the standardized version of "more than RF1, less than RF3."

One round catches almost every Level III plate buyer off guard. The 5.56×45 mm M855 round (NATO designation SS109) has a 62-grain projectile with a mild-steel penetrator tip. It looks like an ordinary .223 from the outside, but at 3,115 ft/s the steel tip punches through most stand-alone Level III ceramic plates. To stop M855 you need an RF2 plate or a Level IV plate. M855A1, the current US Army issue round with a hardened steel-and-copper-alloy slug, is harder still and its civilian-market presence is limited.

Hunting loads in .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and 7.62×54R behave similarly. Soft-point and ballistic-tip loads at standard velocities are stopped by Level III / RF1 plates because the soft-point bullet deforms on the strike face the way M80 ball does. The plate-defeating versions of these calibers are the steel-core or tungsten-core armor-piercing loadings, which fall under Level IV / RF3.

Armor-piercing rounds and Level IV plates

Armor-piercing ammunition is built around a hard penetrator core (hardened steel or tungsten carbide) inside a copper or copper-alloy jacket. On impact the jacket strips off, and the dense, hard core continues forward with most of its energy intact. Common AP rounds you might encounter on the civilian-legal side of the line:

• .30-06 M2 AP. 166 gr, hardened steel core, ~2,880 ft/s. The reference round for NIJ Level IV / RF3 testing.
• 7.62×54R B-32. Soviet-pattern armor-piercing-incendiary, common in surplus.
• 5.56 M855A1. Current US Army round with a hardened steel and copper-alloy penetrator. Restricted civilian availability.

Level IV / RF3 plates are typically ceramic-faced (boron carbide, silicon carbide, or alumina) over a polyethylene or aramid backer. They are heavy: a 10×12 stand-alone IV plate runs 6-8 lbs depending on ceramic chemistry. Many Level IV plates are single-hit rated against M2 AP: they pass the NIJ test by stopping a single AP round, but the ceramic strike face fragments under that hit and may not stop a second round in the same area. This is one reason serious users carry side plates, and why the NIJ 0101.07 program adds explicit multi-shot protocols for the RF tiers.

If your threat model includes military rifle ammunition, hunting AP, or steel-core 5.56 from a civilian AR, build around Level IV / RF3. The Level IV body armor category covers stand-alone IV plates, ICW-rated (in-conjunction-with) plates, and the carriers that hold them.

Choosing armor for the threat you actually face

Match the armor to the cartridge that is realistically aimed at you, not the cartridge you fear most.

Edge cases: shotgun, .22 LR, and stab threats

Three ammunition categories don't fit neatly on the NIJ ladder.

Shotgun loads. NIJ does not test shotgun rounds. 12-gauge buckshot at typical home-defense velocity (~1,200 ft/s) is reliably stopped by Level IIIA soft armor, because the individual pellets behave like low-velocity round-nose handgun rounds. Slugs are different. A 1-oz Foster slug at 1,560 ft/s carries enormous momentum and will defeat IIIA, sometimes even with a hard plate behind it. Sabot slugs and breaching rounds are worse still. Treat a 12-gauge slug as a rifle-class threat.

.22 LR. Standard 40-grain .22 LR at 1,080 ft/s is stopped by Level IIA / HG1 (the lowest level) and by every higher tier. Hyper-velocity loads like CCI Stinger (1,640 ft/s) are still stopped by IIIA. A .22 LR is not the round to design armor around.

Improvised stab threats. Bulletproof Zone fields a recurring question about whether soft armor will stop knives or sharpened tools. Ballistic armor and stab-resistant armor are tested under separate NIJ standards (NIJ 0115.00 for stab/spike). A vest rated for 9mm is not necessarily rated for an icepick. See Are Kevlar vests stab-proof? for the full breakdown.

Match by use case

For a private security guard or off-duty officer concerned about handgun threats during a robbery or domestic-violence response, Level IIIA soft armor inside a concealable carrier is the working answer. Stick with NIJ-Listed panels under 0101.06: Premier Body Armor's Agile IIIA plate and Safe Life Defense's IIIA vest both appear on the published Compliant Products List. Skip the marketing-brand "covert" panels that lack NIJ Listing. If the manufacturer cannot tell you the CPL line item, the panel has not passed the standard.

For a homeowner worried about a rifle-armed home invasion, or a journalist covering civil unrest where 5.56 carbines may be present, Level III / RF1 stand-alone plates in a low-profile plate carrier are the right answer. Add side plates if you can carry the weight. Bulletproof Zone stocks both stand-alone plate carriers and the soft armor that fits inside them.

For a military, contractor, or civilian preparedness use case where steel-core 5.56 or .30-06 AP is on the table, Level IV / RF3 plates are the floor. Pair with a comfortable carrier you can wear for hours, because the comfort gap between a 4-lb III plate and an 8-lb IV plate is the difference between a vest you wear and one you leave in the truck.

Two final reminders. First, no body armor is bulletproof; the term itself is a marketing convenience. Bullet-resistant is the accurate phrase. Second, every plate has an expiration date printed on the panel: typically five years for soft armor, ten years for stand-alone hard plates. Out-of-date armor is not the place to save money.

Frequently Asked Questions

What handgun rounds will go through a bulletproof vest?

Standard pistol calibers (9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum) are stopped by NIJ 0101.06 Level IIIA / HG2 soft armor. The handgun rounds that defeat IIIA are 5.7×28 mm SS190, 7.62×25 mm Tokarev steel-core, and engineered armor-piercing pistol rounds (KTW, THV) that are not generally available to civilians. Defeating those requires a hard plate.

Can a 9mm penetrate body armor?

A standard 124 gr 9mm FMJ at 1,305 ft/s is stopped by every NIJ-Listed vest from Level II / HG1 upward. The exceptions are Level I and improvised armor, which the standard does not test for handgun threats above .22 LR. Submachine-gun 9mm at higher velocity (e.g., +P+ 9mm at 1,400 ft/s) is still stopped by IIIA but exceeds Level II's reference velocity.

Will a .223 or 5.56 round penetrate body armor?

Standard .223 Remington 55 gr FMJ at 3,250 ft/s and 5.56×45 mm M193 defeat all soft armor and require a hard plate at NIJ Level III / RF1 or higher. The 5.56 M855 round (62 gr with a mild-steel-core penetrator tip) defeats most stand-alone Level III plates and requires Level RF2 or Level IV / RF3 to stop reliably.

What is the highest level of body armor available?

Under NIJ Standard 0101.06 the top level is Level IV, tested against .30-06 M2 AP (166 gr steel-core, ~2,880 ft/s). Under the new NIJ Standard 0101.07 the top level is RF3, tested against the same M2 AP threat with multi-shot and aged-armor protocols added. As of May 2026, no products are NIJ Listed under 0101.07; every NIJ-Listed product on the market is listed under 0101.06.

Does Kevlar stop bullets?

Kevlar (DuPont's para-aramid fiber) is one of the materials soft body armor is built from; the other common one is ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (Spectra, Dyneema). A multi-layer Kevlar panel rated NIJ Level IIIA stops the handgun threats described in the IIIA test protocol. A single Kevlar layer or a Kevlar glove will not stop a bullet. Threat ratings apply to the entire panel construction, not to the fiber alone.

What ammunition can pierce Level IV body armor?

Level IV plates are tested against .30-06 M2 AP. Threats above that line, such as anti-materiel rifles (.50 BMG), tungsten-core armor piercing in calibers above .30, and dedicated armor-piercing-incendiary loadings, are outside the civilian threat model and outside the NIJ standard. In practical terms, if a round defeats a Level IV plate, the wearer is in a combat scenario, not a self-defense one.

Can body armor stop a sniper round?

"Sniper round" is not a ballistic category. If the cartridge is .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, or 7.62×54R in a soft-point or FMJ hunting load, Level III / RF1 plates stop it. If it is a steel-core or tungsten-core armor-piercing loading in those same calibers, you need Level IV / RF3. If it is .338 Lapua Magnum, .50 BMG, or a dedicated anti-materiel cartridge, NIJ-rated body armor is not designed for that threat.

Key takeaways:

• NIJ 0101.06 Level IIIA / HG2 soft armor stops the great majority of handgun threats up to .44 Magnum.
• Common rifle rounds (.223 Rem, 7.62×39 mm, 7.62×51 mm) require Level III / RF1 hard plates; soft armor will not stop them.
• 5.56 M855 with a mild-steel penetrator defeats most Level III plates and requires Level RF2 or Level IV / RF3.
• .30-06 M2 AP and equivalent armor-piercing loadings require Level IV / RF3 ceramic-faced plates.
• "Bulletproof" is marketing language; bullet-resistant is accurate. No body armor is bulletproof, and every plate has an expiration date.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or tactical advice. Body armor regulations, NIJ standards, and ammunition availability change frequently. Bulletproof Zone makes no claim that body armor will provide complete protection in any scenario; no body armor is bulletproof. Last verified against the NIJ 0101.06 and 0101.07 published standards and the NIJ Compliant Products List on May 3, 2026.

Performance characterizations referenced in this article are based on the manufacturer's NIJ test parameters and/or independent laboratory testing as cited inline. NIJ does not "certify" body armor; products that pass the Compliance Testing Program (CTP) are issued a Notice of Compliance and listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List. Models referenced as "tested to NIJ standards" have not necessarily completed the CTP. Verify CPL status at the National Institute of Justice before purchase.