Sweeping Generalizations about Ceramic Armor
One of my favorite things to do - when I have time... is to review the so-called armor "experts" that abound on social media. Often, "expert" opinions are weaved together with their sales strategies.
For example, some well-known proponents of NIJ-certified only armor claim that all Chinese plates are inferior due to things like "bad glue." This is 100% false. You can take a well-manufactured Chinese plate and test out better than many top name US brands. Just like anywhere else in the world, it matters who you deal with and how you test your products.
We offer our OA+ line of Chinese built armor products. But, we are very involved in the materials specifications and testing of that armor (like we are with any source). We also clearly identify the retracted ceramic layout of those designs so that customers are aware of that characteristic. Our OA+ Level 4 single-curved plate recently stopped three .30 M2AP rounds below the NIJ 44mm maximum backface deformation limit. It also stopped a fourth AP projectile from perforating the plate. This "bad glue" seemed to have worked out well... beating the pants off many US-made, NIJ-certified ceramic armor plates. It's all about the supply chain, sources, materials quality and commitment to testing.
Our plates leverage supply sources (US, Europe, Asia) that have been verified and established for many years. We can prove that through field testing and NIJ-certified lab testing. I am not advocating that NIJ-certified plates are not achieving a desirable standard. But NIJ certification is far from being the "perfect" catch-all representation of quality and performance.
Here's one example. When NIJ-approved plates are assembled, nothing can change - including the size. So, when a customer wants a 245mm wide plate instead of 250mm... that's a no go with the NIJ. In order to maintain a posture that permits customization, NIJ-certification is not really an option. We are able to add strike face crack arresting layers and trauma backers to most of our models. This ability to customize results in a higher level of responsiveness and quality to those customers that want input into their designs.
Most of these critics will not show you the actual ballistic test reports for their armor products. Why? Because they do not want you to see that less expensive plates are beating them up on price and performance. If you can see an official report, have a look and compare for yourself. Ours are at NIJ Testing Reports.
The next time you see a social media sensationalist with a Bible of generalizations, remember that consistent PERFORMANCE is the true indicator of quality.
Ask that salesman to send us their best armor plates. We will test our armor against theirs, side by side - and post the unedited results on all of our social media outlets... period.