Can Level IIIA armor stop .357 mag fired from a carbine?

A

Andrew Wiggin

New member
Level IIIA soft armor is rated for 158 gr .357 mag at about 1,400* fps but a 16" carbine pushes that bullet about 400 fps faster. On the one hand, it is moving seriously fast, about 1,800 fps. On the other hand, It is a pistol bullet with a low sectional density compared to rifle bullets and a flat nose with exposed lead. Care to make a prediction?

The load in question is American Eagle 158 gr JSP. The rifle is a Rossi M92 carbine.



Link to video of test



*Technically, Level IIIA is rated for a 240 gr .44 mag at about 1,400 fps and for everything that Level II and below is rated for and Level II is rated for 158 gr .357 at about 1,400 fps.
 
My prediction would be no. Those threat ratings for the most part are pretty spot on, and 400fps over the threat rating is nothing to sneeze at.

If you plan to do more armor testing, shoot the guys over at AR500 armor an email and see if they will hook you up with a Level III or III+ steel plate, they do it for a lot of youtube channels regardless of how many subscribers they have.
 
I'll say it depends on the bullet. 125gr JHP, probably not. 158gr FMJ or 180gr hardcast loaded to the hilt, yeah, it just might. Even if it doesn't I think we are talking cracked or broken ribs. Spire point FMJs will punch it I'm sure, possibly even out of a revolver.
 
Speed defeats soft armor, but weight is a primary component of deep penetration. Test both extremes and see what you get.
 
Stopping a bullet's penetration isn't all armor is required to do to achieve a certain rating. IIRC, there are allowable tolerances for backface deformation that can't be exceeded.




On edit: Ok watched the video and good explanations. Well done.
 
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Just finally watched the video. Great test! No real surprises but certainly an eye opener. My favorite .357 load from Buffalo Bore boasts of a 125gr HP @ 1700fps from a 6" barrel. I'd like to know how that fares against IIIA in both penetration and back plate deformation.
 
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you'll be updated when I post new tests, even if I don't make a thread here. I'll keep an eye out for some hot, light .357 mag. Did you watch the 10mm Lehigh XP armor test I did?
 
No, quite the opposite in fact. I was just nodding off the other night. I like the 10mm a lot, and wish it were better supported by manufacturers. Only Glock and Tanfoglio seem to take it seriously. There are likely some 1911s too, but too few departments, and fewer private companies, that allow single action guns. I do think a nice 1911 long slide 10mm would be great for whitetails. I'm currently saving up for a 10mm Glock to update my duty/go to weapon (currently a 6" GP-100)
 
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