Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ GT: Real-World Threat Testing

Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ GT Overview

• 💡 The Premier Body Armor Fortis Level III+ GT plate is presented as a "Goldilocks zone" option, positioned between Level III and Level IV.
• 🎯 It offers significant weight savings compared to Level IV plates while aiming to stop most threats that a Level IV would, up to .30-06.
• ⚖️ This plate carries an RF2 designation, a newer NIJ rating, designed for law enforcement seeking lightweight, everyday duty plates.
• 🌊 A unique feature is that these plates are buoyant, designed to float, which could be advantageous in water-related scenarios.
• 🛡️ The armor is multi-hit rated and constructed with woven layers to maintain strength while remaining lightweight.

Close-Range Threat Testing (25 ft)

• 💥 The first test involved a Mark 18 with a 10.3-inch barrel firing M855 62-grain steel core ammunition, which the plate stopped with minimal back face deformation.
• 🎯 Next, a PSA AK with 7.62x39 M67 ball ammunition was fired, also successfully stopped with very slight back face deformation.
• ⚡ The most significant close-range test used a 16-inch SCAR heavy with M80 ball ammunition. While the plate held together, it showed a considerable amount of back face deformation, though not enough to compromise survivability.

Extended Distance and Higher Threat Testing

• 🎯 A theoretical test involved a .30-06 hunting rifle with a black tip round at 100 yards. This threat, not designed for this plate, penetrated the armor, as expected.
• 🚀 Similarly, an 18-inch SPR with M855A1 ammunition at 100 yards was tested. After one shot went through a compromised area, a second shot in a clean section did not penetrate, showing impressive performance against a potent threat at extended range.
• ✅ The testing concluded that while the plate is not designed for Level IV threats or extended distances, it performed admirably against common street threats and even some higher-level rounds at range, with minimal back face deformation in many cases.