Test reports and ballistic data

Every ArmorIQ plate has been shot by people who do not work for us. This page lists where, with what, how many times, and what was measured.

What was tested, and what it measured

What backface deformation is, and why it is the number that matters

A plate can stop a round and still hospitalize the person wearing it. When a bullet hits, the plate deforms inward, and that dent travels into the chest. Backface deformation, sometimes written BFD or backface signature, is how far it travels, measured in the clay backing behind the plate.

The NIJ standard allows up to 44 mm. That is the threshold the whole industry is measured against, and almost nobody publishes where they landed inside it.

On the reports above, the HG2 Special measured 11.2 mm at worst and the 3++ measured 2 mm at worst. Against a 44 mm allowance.

This is the question to put to any manufacturer you are evaluating, including us: not whether the plate passed, but how many millimeters of deformation it recorded, on which round, on which shot. A plate that passes at 42 mm and a plate that passes at 2 mm carry the same rating and are not the same plate.

The laboratories

Energetic Test Labs LLC, Phoenix, Arizona. Accredited by NIST NVLAP under the Law Enforcement and Corrections Equipment program, Lab Code 600369-0, to ISO/IEC 17025:2017. The accreditation can be checked in the NVLAP directory.

Beretta Test Center, Gardone Val Trompia, Italy. An independent ballistic laboratory, testing to the client's protocol and issuing its own work sheet with per shot results.

MyWall Ltd, Israel, established 2007. Ballistic testing and engineering, certified by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

An accredited laboratory is not the same thing as a certified product, and we will not blur the two. ArmorIQ plates are independently tested at the laboratories above. They are not listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List.

How to read any ballistic report, including ours

Four things make a report useful. If any of them is missing, the document is a certificate rather than evidence.

1. The sample. What was shot, with its dimensions and weight. Write them down.
2. The ammunition and velocity. Named round, measured velocity, not just a threat level.
3. The shot count and placement. One shot and six shots are different products.
4. The result per shot. Penetration yes or no, and the deformation measured for each.

Then ask the question most buyers miss. Ballistic testing is run on one plate size, usually the smallest, because of what a single certification test run costs. The formula is then carried across the larger cuts and the side plates. That is how the entire industry works, ours included, and the honest way to handle it is to say so: compare plates on areal density, weight per square foot of coverage, which carries across sizes, and ask what size was tested.

Seeing the reports

The reports are shared with departments, units and contractors as part of an evaluation, with the specification you are working to, so we can point you at the parts that apply to your ammunition and conditions.

Request the test documentation

Related: choosing between the two plates and department and unit evaluation. Products: HG2 Special and 3++.

Frequently asked questions

Are ArmorIQ plates NIJ certified?

No. They are independently tested at NVLAP accredited and internationally recognized laboratories, against named rounds, under documented conditions. They are not listed on the NIJ Compliant Products List and we do not claim NIJ certification, approval or equivalence.

What backface deformation do ArmorIQ plates record?

On the reports we hold, the HG2 Special measured 7.9 to 11.2 mm against 7.62x39 mm MSC, and the 3++ measured 0 to 2 mm across six rifle rounds. The NIJ standard allows up to 44 mm.

How many shots has a single ArmorIQ plate taken in testing?

Six on one 3++ plate, three of 7.62x51 mm NATO FMJ and three of 5.56x45 mm SS109, with no penetration on any of them. Report 488/2026, Beretta Test Center.

Was the tested plate the same size as the plate I would buy?

Not necessarily, and this is true across the industry. Testing is run on one size because of the cost per run, and the construction is carried across the other sizes. Ask us which sample a report covers and compare on areal density rather than total weight.

Which laboratory tested the plates?

Energetic Test Labs in Phoenix, Arizona for the HG2 Special, and the Beretta Test Center in Italy for the 3++. MyWall in Israel has also tested ArmorIQ armor.

Can I have a copy of the report?

Yes, as part of an evaluation. Send us the rounds and conditions your specification requires.