Types of Body Armor

Located Rock Island, Illinois, RMA Supply Company is comprised of a team of former of United States Marine Corps soldiers and police offers. RMA Supply Company provides high-quality body armor for field use as well as home protection and currently has a patent pending on new ceramic multi-hit body armor.

Often misperceived by the public, body armor is not bulletproof, and comes in a number of classifications. In general, specific types of armor stop specific types of bullets, making it important to know the different types, including:

Type I: Type I armor protects against .22 long rifle and lead round nose bullets. This lightweight armor is the minimum that any officer or soldier should wear, but many agencies recommend a higher level of protection.

Type II-A: Type II-A armor is worn by most police departments and is designed to stop 9mm rounds and .40 Smith and Wesson ammunition.

Type II: Type II armor is heavier than other types of armor, but protects against both Type II and Type II-A threats including 9mm, .40 S&W, and .357 magnum rounds.

Type III-A: This armor protects against high velocity 9mm rounds as well as .44 magnum bullets. In other words, it protects against most handgun threats, including those protected by Type I, Type II-A, and Type II armor.

Type III: Armor that protects against 7.62 full metal-jacketed rounds, which are used in a number of sporting rifles. Type III armor is primarily intended for tactical situations. It also offers protection from all threats listed above.

Type IV: Type IV armor is intended to resist armor piercing bullets, and often uses brittle ceramic materials. Because of this, most Type IV armor only offers single-shot protection.

Shriners Hospitals for Children Offers Numerous Donor Options

Owned and operated by former military veterans and police officers, RMA Supply Company manufactures ballistic body armor with a lightweight ceramic body plate. Produced at the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, RMA Supply’s patent-pending armor plates are 100 percent made in the United States. In addition to supporting American workers, the company contributes to numerous national charities, including Shriners Hospitals for Children.

Shriners Hospitals for Children relies heavily on gifts from the public to alleviate the financial burden on families seeking medical care for their children. There are numerous ways to offer financial support to help ensure continued delivery of life-saving care to young patients.

In addition to participating in one of several fund-raising events, like the annual Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, individuals or companies can make a general donation that can be designated or restricted to a particular project or hospital. They can join the annual giving program and choose a society level from bronze ($100-$499) to diamond ($2,500+) or donate to a hospital campaign to help with the purchase of equipment or facility renovations. Shriners Hospitals for Children also affords donors the opportunity to extend their giving through planned gifts and donations of real estate or securities.

The Benefits of Ceramic Plates in Body Armor

Located in Rock Island, Illinois, RMA Supply is a business that sells defense equipment. The company was founded by a former U.S. marine and police officer and now includes a team of manufacturing, law, and marketing professionals. Today, RMA Supply is well known for its ceramic body armor.

A common discussion about ballistic plates found in body armor pertains to the benefits of ceramic over steel. Of the two, steel carries a heavier weight. While steel has the ability to sustain more hits when fired at with low grade ammunition, the bullets often ricochet or spall, causing increased safety hazards. In addition, the blunt force trauma is higher because the material absorbs the energy of the impact at a lower rate. Corrosion is also a factor when using steel body armor, despite the use of Teflon coating.

Ceramic plates, on the other hand, are lighter and allow bullets to penetrate further into the material. Its ability to “catch” the bullet and absorb the energy reduces the possibility of further injuries. In addition, ceramic plates are made up of many tiles that have been chemically bonded together for strength. When fired at, single tiles are damaged and therefore will not compromise the plate as a whole, therefore increasing the plate’s ability to withstand multiple shots.