Library
Manufacturer-neutral reference content for body armor procurement professionals. New briefs published automatically when regulatory monitoring agents detect a material change.
The body-armor industry rests on a thin, globally consolidated supply chain — a handful of fiber producers (DuPont Kevlar, Avient Dyneema, Honeywell Spectra), ceramic suppliers (Morgan, CoorsTek), and prepreg makers. This guide maps the upstream supply chain that determines what every OEM can actually build.
The authoritative hub for US body armor — NIJ 0101.06 vs 0101.07, civilian purchase rules, BVP grant eligibility, LE procurement paths, dealer directory, and product-level certifications. Every linked guide is sourced from primary documents.
The authoritative hub for ballistic helmets — NIJ 0106 and ACH-GEN-II standards, cut styles (ACH / MICH / FAST / high-cut), pad vs dial retention, NVG mounting (Wilcox, Ops-Core VAS), and procurement. Source-cited across every spec.
The authoritative hub for ballistic shields — NIJ 0108.01 plus the new ASTM E3347 specification and E3141 test method, handheld vs standoff shields, viewport options, maintenance, and LE procurement. Source-cited across every spec.
Correctional officers face fundamentally different threats from patrol officers. Improvised weapons — shanks, sharpened toothbrushes, fire-hardened plastic — demand a different NIJ standard entirely. Here's how to right-size armor by role.
Armed security at cleared facilities sits between commercial private security and federal LE. FSOs procuring armor for this force navigate state licensing, company policy, and classified-environment constraints. Here's the decision framework.
Level IV stops single M2AP (.30-06 armor-piercing) rounds; Level III stops multi-hit M80 ball (7.62×51mm NATO). Choice depends on expected threat, carrier weight tolerance, and replacement budget. Here is how to decide.
Off-the-shelf vests designed for male torsos leave a measurable gap in protection for female officers. Four US manufacturers specialize in true made-to-measure female fit. Here's how they compare on lead time, measurement process, and NIJ-level availability.
BVP isn't hard to win. It's hard to remember. This month-by-month playbook keeps a 50-officer agency on the same cycle as a 500-officer department.
The three paths for DoD Security Forces armor procurement — GSA Schedule 84, DoD direct contract vehicles, and state-level cooperative contracts — overlap, but each has an optimal use case. AFGSC ICBM security, Sentinel site build-out, and F-35 base SF all have different procurement footprints.
Tribal LE armor procurement runs on two parallel tracks: BIA OJS purchasing if BIA is the contractor, or 638 self-determination contracting if the tribe holds the contract. Same NIJ standards apply — but the paperwork and the grant options are different.
A 5-year warranty is not a guarantee the armor still stops rounds at year 4.5. It's the window within which the manufacturer will replace it for defects. The procurement cycle that keeps your roster reliably armored starts at year 3, not year 5.
NIJ 0101.07 is the new baseline, but 0101.06 products remain valid for purchases made while they're still on the Compliant Products List. The question is when — not whether — to start the transition. Here's the decision framework.
NASPO ValuePoint, Sourcewell, and OMNIA Partners all carry body-armor contracts — and they overlap enough that most agencies can legitimately use any of the three. The choice comes down to state-level participation, quantity threshold, and how your procurement office prefers to write POs.
The authoritative guide to body armor law in every US state. Five compliance tiers, two restrictive states (NY, DC), one face-to-face state (CT), and 42 standard jurisdictions — with statute citations and shipping gating rules.
NASPO ValuePoint body armor contracts serve 40+ states through Participating Addenda. Primary manufacturers on current MSAs: Armor Express, Point Blank, Safariland, Survival Armor, United Shield. Here's how state agencies use it and why it beats writing a custom RFP.
Five major cooperatives serve state/local/tribal LE armor procurement: NASPO ValuePoint, Sourcewell, OMNIA Partners, HGACBuy, TIPS-USA. Plus state-specific (CMAS, TX DIR, NY OGS). Here's how they compare.
NIJ threat levels define what ballistic threats body armor resists. Level IIIA stops most handgun rounds. Level III stops rifle rounds but not armor-piercing. Level IV adds AP protection. Here's how to pick the right level for the mission.
The Sentinel LGM-35A ICBM program replaces Minuteman III across F.E. Warren (WY/NE/CO), Minot (ND), and Malmstrom (MT) through the 2030s. Security Forces equipment refresh is massive and multi-year. A primer on what the program means for body armor procurement.
18 USC § 931 is the federal floor. Convicted violent felons cannot possess body armor. Post-Sessions v. Dimaya (2018), the definition of "crime of violence" narrowed to § 16(a). Here's what that means for sellers and buyers.
NIJ 0101.07 replaces 0101.06 as the body armor ballistic standard. New threat-level naming (HG1/HG2/RF1-RF3), expanded conditioning protocols, and a phased transition. Here's the purchase decision framework.
NY Executive Law § 144-a (enacted 2022 after the Buffalo supermarket shooting) restricts body armor purchase to eligible professions. Active LE, military, corrections, EMT, firefighters, and licensed armed security qualify. Residential online shipping to non-eligible civilians is prohibited.
CGS § 53-341b prohibits mail-order body armor sales to Connecticut residents. In-person transfer is required. Licensed armed security, LE, and military buyers are exempt. Here's the operational playbook for sellers.
DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance reimburses up to 50% of NIJ-certified body armor for state/local/tribal LE. Biennial cycle, strict product eligibility, and the difference between getting reimbursed and wasting your submission.