AR500 Armor A1 Level III Body Armor

Due to the nature of this product, All Sales are Final. Warranty/MFG Defects excluded.

AR500 Armor's curved A1 body armor is a rugged, steel alloy blend plate that provides level 3 protection capable of defeating 5.56x45 M855A1 (AP) round at velocities of up to 3,100 FPS, 7.62x51 M61 (AP) round at velocities up to 2,800 FPS, and all lesser threats with multi-hit capability. It features a durable FragLock™ coating, which gives both fragmentation protection and seals the plate to ensure its 20-year shelf life.

The A1 body armor is able to stop Level III  threats such as 7.62x39/7.62x51/5.56 M193s, 5.56 M855 penetrators, and .223/.308 WIN rounds. And unlike ceramic or polyethylene, this custom steel alloy blend is able to take several hits from these rounds without fail. This multi-hit special threat resistance is the distinguishing quality of the A1 plate.

The plate is curved, shooters cut, and features either our FragLock™ Base Coat or Build-Up Coat.

The FragLock™ coating provides a maintenance-free shelf life of twenty years, which makes this steel plate last much longer than polyethylene or ceramic alternatives. Our Build-Up coat prevents fragmentation injury, while our Base Coat seals the plates up from sweat.

Product Specifications:

• Material: Ballistic steel and alloy blend of 650 hardness on the Brinell scale, with FragLock™ Coating
• Protection: 5.56x45 M193, 5.56x45 M855/SS109 at 3,100 FPS ( /- 30 FPS), 7.62x51 M80 Ball (i.e. .308) at 3,000 FPS ( /- 30FPS), and DEA Certified
• Capability: Edge-to-edge multi-hit protection
• Form: Curved
• Dimensions & Compatibility:
  • 10" x 12"
    • Base Coat (8 lbs., 0.31" thick)
    • Build-Up Coat (9.5 lbs., 0.56" thick)
    • Plate Carriers: Testudo, Valkyrie & Invictus
  • 11" x 14"
    • Base Coat (10 lbs., 0.31" thick)
    • Build-Up Coat (11.5 lbs., 0.56" thick)
    • Plate Carriers: Testudo
• Shelf life: 20 years
• Manufactured: United States

A SERIES: ALLOY BODY ARMOR

The A series consists of our classic rifle-rated steel alloy plates. The company come a long way since their first piece of AR500 Armor in 2012 and they now utilize custom metal alloy blends to achieve better characteristics than the commonly available steel used in targets and other armor plates. 

A series plates offer full edge-to-edge protection, perform great against steel core "penetrator" rounds like the M855, and have the least backface deformation of any category. They also boast a 20-year shelf life.

When it comes to multi-hit protection, there's nothing close to monolithic alloy armor. While other materials can often handle several hits if they're evenly spaced across the plate, you do not want to get hit in the same spot twice. Alloy plates don't have that concern. They can take dozens of rounds in a close group and maintain their integrity. That's why they often make sense for close-quarters scenarios.

While the alloy armor A series offers many benefits, it is heavier and bulkier than the other rifle-rated choices. That said, the affordability of steel may allow you to move up a bit in price for a lightweight model with the same level of protection. 

One of the criticisms of steel armor is fragmentation. However, this is not a concern if you are using plates with a proper anti-fragmentation coating such as AR500 Armor's Fraglock Build-Up coating.