Word on the street is the "Drug Seizure Program " money is back on . Stand by for more details. With new Grant Money next month and Budget Quotes , don`t delay on getting a Quote in now.

Sebastian Fl. Police Department deploys (8) First Responder #2 ballistic shields for their patrol level Sargent's. At 19x32 with (3a) stopping power these shields offer a little more coverage from pistol and shotgun rounds to officers on patrol.

Ballistic Values are the proper interpretation of all testing standards, materials , and equipment used to defend against incoming rounds. The truth is most materials used by this industry are pretty standard , Arimad, Polyethylene, Glass, Lexand, Ceramics, Hardened Steel, and Fiberglass. With the number of layers and thickness playing the primary roll in managing the threat . All of these materials have their strengths and weaknesses. For instance the fabrics ( Arimad and Polyethylene ) are light weight and are easily formed into useful shapes at low cost, the drawbacks are the relatively short lifespan and the initial cost of the fabric. The fabrics do the best job stopping (Ball) ammo both rifle and pistol by weight , but fall short when it comes to the steel core rounds. It`s just the opposite with the U.L.Rated ( Architectural ) type materials like glass and steel. While these materials have no real expiration date they still require some degree on maintenance to keep them in good and serviceable condition and the weights range from heavy to extremely heavy. That`s why you regularly see a combination of these materials used to achieve the the desired effect.

The two primary institutions tasked with setting standards for testing these materials are the N.I.J ( National Institute of Justice) and the U.L (Underwriters Laboratory) . With the NIJ Testing consisting mainly of fabric and ceramic composites held or worn by officers , and the U.L testing architectural building material . Where the whole thing seems to go off the rails for most is when they confuse the testing standards from one with the other. For instance, a NIJ Level 3 Standard designates a composite capable of stopping rifle rounds and a U.L Level 3 Standard designates a material capable of stopping a pistol round. Big Difference. Another big one is NIJ Level 3a (Pistol) compared to NIJ Level 3 (Rifle) " the 3a will not stop a rifle bullet" at all . In fact it takes almost (4) 3a`s to do the job.

The following is a simple explanation of the standards. Hope this helps. Do your research and know what your fielding and why.

NIJ Level 3a (Pistol) : Stops .44 Mag to 1450 fps. ( 9mm, .45, .40, .357, .and most Shotgun Rounds )

NIJ Level 3 (Rifle) : Stops .308 (Ball) ammo to 2800 fps.  ( 5.56, .223, 7.62x39 )

NIJ Level 3+ ( Rifle) : Stops 7.62x39 (Mild Steel Core)

NIJ Level 3++ (Rifle) : Stops 5.56 (M855) Steel Core " Green Tips".

NIJ Level 4 (Rifle) : Stops 30.06 (AP) Rounds

U.L Level 5 Glass (Rifle) : Stops .308 (Ball) ammo

U.L Level 3 Polycarbonite (Pistol): Stops .44 Mag and below

I get asked a lot , will NIJ Level 3 ( UL Level 5 ) Ballistic Glass stop the Green tip M855 (5.56) round. My answer is Yes , but let me explain how I arrived at that answer. In the field I`ve never seen this round penetrate this level of glass glad poly carbonate. With that said , I`ve seen the M855 bounce off Mil. Spec. 46-A- 100 (.250) hardened steel plate shot from a 1in9 16" barrel , only to see it penetrated with XM 193 (ball) ammo shot from a 1in7 20" barrel . When we chanced the M-16 (AR15) rifle to the modern shorter version of the M-4 rifle we lost a lot of what Eugene Stoner had in mind for this round. When I first started working will ballistic composites I developed a Phenolic Kevlar / Polyethylene hybrid that stopped the green tips cold " in the field " , but when I sent it out for independent testing all 3 shots of a 3 on 3 special threats test when through the test sample the witness plate and as far as I know they are still headed south. I could not understand what the disconnect was because the key hole effect on the face of the samples was apparent . I was later schooled by a friend " Who has forgotten more about ballistic fiber than I will ever know" . He explained that all samples tested at the lab were shot a zero obliquity from a bench mounted rifle at max speeds . It`s the worst case scenario , not something you would ever see in the field. He went on to explain my success in the field was a result of a plus or minus 5 to 10 degree variation of the strike face from zero and level. This difference is what makes sloping armor so much more effective. For my money , the chances of taking a level, zero, on center view port shot in the field are about the same as winning the lottery. "But I think we will independently test it later this season just to be sure".

V.B.C releases it`s latest offering in the "Active Shooter Line-up" . The B.E.S.T (Ballistic Standard Threat Shield). The shields 16x28 foot print mirror`s the yield of the "First Responder" and the "Active Shooter" shields in a effort to hold down cost , but offer more options in regard to shape and function. It`s a great shield and it will be offered in both NIJ Level 3a and 3.