What Level Vest will Stop a 1600fps 10mm?

[ICEN]

I always hear people say that you should not wear a kevlar vest that won't stop your own handgun/caliber.

I am curious of what level vest you would need in order to stop the hottest 10mm loads. I tried googling the vest levels and what they would stop up to.

From what I seen it looked like only Level IIIa and up stood a chance.
Everything under level IIIa looked like it woudln't stop even a semi hot 10mm load that is around 1450fps ect.

I am confused though about the level IIIa vest and if its able to stop the hottest 10mm loads that reach 1600fps.

From what I am reading it says that a Level IIIa vest can stop
(125 gr) .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose bullets at a velocity of 1470 fps and (240 gr) .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point bullets at a velocity of 1430fps

But is this the HOTTEST load a level IIIa Vest can handle?
Because Underwood makes 10mm that goes 1600fps which is about 200 more fps than both the .357 sig and .44 magnum which are both said to be stopped if they are about 1400ish fps in that range.

I am curious about this for a few reasons.
- Just because I like to understand things
- Also because why would cops wear level IIA or II if a hot 10mm will just go right through it?

Or do cops simply not all wear LEVEL IIIa because they think nobody carries hot 10mm's? I would assume that the hottest 10mm load will come close to making it through a level IIIa vest or at least hurt very bad?

I am pretty much assuming it will go through any vest under IIIa

[bigandy1966]

I'll bet you dimes to donuts you get hit COM with a 10 mm with the best vest possible you will still experience extensive life threatening internal blunt force trauma. This has been a public safety announcement, we now return you to the thread in progress.

[6-b-kwik]

I carry a glock 20 and a 29 Underwood 135 grain very hot never wondered on vest though

[gummy jones]

best plan is to try to not get shot
if all else fails, i am a bigger fan of plates than kevlar
in my head they distribute the kinetic energy more evenly
as long as the bullet doesn't ricochet into your neck

[Arrdy]

I am curious about this for a few reasons.
- Just because I like to understand things
- Also because why would cops wear level IIA or II if a hot 10mm will just go right through it?

Or do cops simply not all wear LEVEL IIIa because they think nobody carries hot 10mm's? I would assume that the hottest 10mm load will come close to making it through a level IIIa vest or at least hurt very bad?

Probably has a lot to do with weight, bulk, how hot IIIA is to wear and the 'average anticipated' threat. Getting in and out of the cars at the local doughnut shops would be a lot harder too.

Here's a few pictures (with pop ups) of IIIA armor being hit by some different rounds. My favorite 'dent' is from the 12 ga slug.

[gummy jones]

there is a 5.7x28 thread somewhere on here where valorius posted some 3a getting shot with a sw 500 and not penetrating

[ICEN]

thats a nice article but I am looking for CONFRIMATION

if that hot ass 10mm will go through...

It says it will stop 1450ish fps but what about 1600fps it does NOT say anything about thigns that fast

[gummy jones]

[Remington788]

thats a nice article but I am looking for CONFRIMATION

if that hot ass 10mm will go through...

It says it will stop 1450ish fps but what about 1600fps it does NOT say anything about thigns that fast

Maybe you could ask the local PD if you could borrow one of their vests for a test.

[twency]

there is a 5.7x28 thread somewhere on here where valorius posted some 3a getting shot with a sw 500 and not penetrating

Is that one of the ones where the vest was swinging freely instead of being backed by a human-analog clay/gel/whatever? If so it probably wasn't a particularly good simulation of real-world performance.