It’s a question we get all the time: can the best level 4 body armor plates stop edge hits? The answer is yes and no. Let’s break it down.

Body armor is designed to protect against ballistic threats, but not all ballistic threats are created equal. For example, a round from an AR-15 will have a completely different effect than a knife or even a hand-thrown rock. So, when we’re talking about level 4 body armor plates, we’re talking about protection against rifle rounds—specifically, high-velocity rifle rounds like those fired from an AR-15.

Now, when it comes to edge hits, there are two things to consider: the angle of impact and the type of ammunition being used. Let’s start with the angle of impact.

Angle of Impact

If a round hits the plate at a 90-degree angle, it’s going to be much more likely to penetrate the plate than if it hits at a glancing angle. That’s because the energy from the round is focused on a small area, making it easier to punch through the plate.

However, even at a glancing angle, a high-velocity round can still penetrate level 4 body armor plates—it just takes more energy to do so. Most level 4 body armor plates are only rated for protection against rounds that are fired at less than 2,800 feet per second. So, if you’re up against someone with an AR-15 firing M855 rounds (which have a velocity of around 3,100 feet per second), your level 4 body armor plates aren’t going to do you much good.

Type of Ammunition

The other factor to consider is the type of ammunition being used. As we mentioned before, not all ballistic threats are created equal. A knife, for example, is going to have a very different effect than a bullet—even if that bullet is fired at a high velocity.

The same is true for different types of bullets. A hollow point bullet, for example, is designed to expand on impact and cause as much damage as possible. So even if it hits your level 4 body armor plate at a glancing angle, it’s still more likely to penetrate the plate than a standard round would be.

At the end of the day, no level of body armor is 100% effective 100% of the time. There are too many variables involved—the angle of impact, type of ammunition being used, etc.—for that to be realistic. However, level 4 body armor plates do offer a high degree of protection against most rifle rounds—provided those rounds are being fired at less than 2,800 feet per second and don’t include hollow point bullets.

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