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Is body armor legal?

It depends.  For most people in most states yes, its probably legal.  However some states have different regulations and internationally it gets even trickier.  By attempting to buy from us you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of our site.  See our body armor legality page by clicking here for specific information and state laws. 

Can you explain your NIJ certification? What is your body armor rated for?

Since 2018 Steel Ops has used 5mm (~3/16") AR-600 Steel Plate for all body armor.  That plate is certified under NIJ 0108.01 for Level 3 to stop six rounds of 7.62x51 (.308) at 2750fps. This certification and testing takes place at the steel mill prior to being cut into individual plates.   As of January 4th, 2021 Steel Ops is listed on the National Institute of Justice's Compliant Products List (CPL) for the "XP Model" under NIJ 0101.06 Level 3.  This means all full-size body armor panels manufactured after this date will carry both an NIJ 0108.01and 0101.06 Level 3 Certification.  While the XP Model is the only one listed on the CPL, all full-size plates including the XP, Pro, and Armis are covered under these certifications, and thus they all bear the "NIJ Approved Model" watermark. This inclusion was approved by the NIJ during the application process because all plates share the exact same construction, thickness, and bend pattern. The only difference is the outside profile.  They are officially sold as the "XP Model-Armis Cut" or "XP Model-Pro Cut" or "XP Model-XP Cut".   To our knowledge we are the only company to ever offer a dual certified steel body armor plate.  Oregon Ballistic Labs has also performed special threat testing of M855 (62gr Steel Core) and M193 (55gr Lead Core) in excess of 3150fps.  All plates passed with good stops which is why they carry the (+) rating for special threats in addition to the level 3 certification.  That (+)  is an industry term, not an official NIJ rating.  Since not all Level 3 plates can stop those threats the armor industry uses a (+) to clarify which ones can.  The NIJ plans to correct this issue with RF1, RF2, and RF3 ratings under the upcoming 0101.07 standard, which has not been officially adopted. Be cautious of any company claiming to be rated for "RF2" or "0101.07". That is not possible until the standards have been officially adopted and it is shady to suggest otherwise, kinda like using "tested to" or "compliant with" in place of "NIJ Certified".  We'll certify our armor with the new standards when they are officially adopted and we have a plate we're confident will pass RF2. 

What carrier do you recommend for your plates?

The reason we offer and sell the Javlin Concepts B-JAC carrier is that it accommodates all three of our full size armor plates, the XP, Pro, and Armis very well and is one of the lightest and most durable carriers we've tested.  When shopping for carriers its important to understand that the "sizing" many manufacturers list is not related to clothing size, but rather the ESAPI plate size. A Medium sized carrier is not a medium in fit, its a medium in plate size meaning it will accept a medium ESAPI plate which is 9.5"x12.5".  The catch is that different types of armor have different thicknesses, so while our XP plate is a 10"x12" plate it will fit fine in most medium plate carriers because of its thin profile.  The Armis Plate which is 8.75"x11.5" works well in carriers designed for small ESAPI plates which are spec'd at 8.75"x11.75".  Many users find that all three of our plates are functional in any Small/Medium carrier, and the Armis sometimes simply requires a strip of grip tape or skateboard tape on the front to eliminate shift inside the carrier.  The Javlin B-JAC is great because it eliminates the need for grip tape due to its elastic top loading design allowing the user to cinch the plate into place.  It also facilitates switching between Armis, Pro, and XP with little-to-no adjustment of the carrier.  Customers have reported successful use with all our plates in other carriers including the Ferro Concepts Slickster, LBX Armatus, Crye JPC, and the Armis Minimalist designed by Beez Combat Systems specifically for the Armis Plate.  Most Condor Outdoor or 5.11 Carriers work fine with the XP or Pro.

Will your plates fit in a {insert random carrier}?

If the carrier is designed for Small ESAPI Plates, the Armis will likely work best. If its designed for Small/Medium ESAPI Plates the Armis, XP or Pro will all likely work.  If its designed for Medium ESAPI Plates the XP and Pro will probably fit best.  Your best bet is to get the exact dimensions of the plate bag from the manufacturer and then contact us. 

When will {insert product} be back in stock?

Inventory updates should be posted on the product page.  If not feel free to send us an email thru our contact form. 

What exactly is the "Use it, Don't Lose It" replacement policy? 

For any registered owner of our armor:  If at anytime your armor plate is struck with a projectile fired from a handgun, rifle, or shotgun while in the line of duty or during a lawful, reported, and verifiable act of self defense, we will replace the plate free of charge.  A police report or official government statement must accompany your request detailing the entirety of the incident.  You must also provide at least one photo of yourself in possession of the plate. The user must have registered their plate within 30 days of purchase thru our online registration form.  Used plates must be returned to Steel Ops at the owners expense prior to replacement and will be returned to the owner after inspection.  All replacements are subject to the approval of Steel Ops Ltd. and requests may take up to six weeks to process. 

How do you guys cut your steel? 

We use a process called water-submerged plasma. We submerge the armor sheet under about 1" of water and then use a CNC plasma to cut the shape. This submersion eliminates heat affected zones that soften the metal and provides the most cost effective and efficient method for cutting armor plate.  Laser and Waterjet are great, however they are substantially more expensive and provide precision far beyond what is necessary for body armor and targets.  Additionally by using the water submerged cutting our heat affected zone is comparable if not better than those processes. Watch a short video demonstrating our cutting process here. 

Why does your fragmentation coating appear to work better, what's different about it? 

Our Enhanced Ballistic Coating (or E.B.C for short) has been fine tuned to deliver the best performance on the market.  Its applied using a similar process to other coatings on the market, but there are a few key differences.  On a chemical level it is different than products like PAXCON, Line-X, Rhino Lining, or "bed Liner".  It provides more elasticity and faster return to form.  We've also found it to be substantially less sensitive to temperature than other coatings.  In our testing, products like PAXCON and Rhino Linings are far too rigid and frequently break on the surface causing the "blow out" or crater-looking impact mark where debris and gas have exited the plate.  We have tested hundreds of coatings and our E.B.C. is the choice due to its performance.  This coating has been used specifically as a ballistic coating in many other applications as well including vehicle and building armoring solutions.  On top of using a different coating, we also prep each armor plate using a specific proprietary method that is unique to other plates on the market.  This process makes the coating adhere to the steel very well in certain areas and not so well in others. This allows the armor to trap fragmentation without cracking or blowing out the front.  It also slows the fragments down as they move across the front of the panel keeping the edges of the coating intact.  Another important difference is that we do not, and will not, sell "base coated" or non-coated body armor plates.  All body armor plates come with a full ballistic coating similar to other company's "build up coat", which they generally charge extra for.  It comes standard on every plate we sell. 

What's up with the hole in the coating on the back of my armor plate?

All armor plates manufactured after January 1st, 2018 have a "core test sample point" on the back of the plate.  This sample point will look like a small 1/16" hole in the coating on the backside of the plate located within a square on the label.  You may be able to see raw steel inside. This is not a flaw and this hole is intentional.  This sample point is part of our quality assurance program to ensure that our coating and steel are correct on every plate before it is placed on the shelf.  This sample point does not in any way impact the durability, stopping power, fragmentation control, or overall effectiveness of the plate.  

If all of your targets use the same 3/8" AR-550 Steel, why are some only handgun rated?

Most rifle rated targets use a bolt-up method, whereas handgun targets are welded to decrease cost and complexity. This welding procedure, while done in a water pan to minimize heat, does slightly affect the hardness of the steel, thus making them susceptible to penetration with high speed rifle rounds.  Don't use rifles on handgun targets unless you want to destroy your target. 

I saw {insert youtube guy} shooting your targets at like 10 yards with a rifle, is that safe and are your targets rated for that?

Don't do that, and if you do its not our fault.  Many experienced shooters have enough time shooting steel that they can do it "safely" at close range.  Honestly, there is no way to do it safely, just less dangerously.  We don't recommend it and our minimum distance for rifle rounds is 100 yards on any steel target.  That being said, a lot of people do it including our own staff and our targets have been tested well within our suggested distances.  We set our warranty at 100 yards for 5.56/.223, 7.62x39, and 7.62x51.  Here's a video of us voiding our own warranty on a target. 

Do I need to wear trauma pads with my armor plates?

In our opinion this is entirely personal preference.  We do not recommend trauma pads based on the fact that in certified ballistic tests our plates have far below the allowable back face deformation compared to other types of armor.  The NIJ allows up to 44mm (1.75") of back face deformation to pass level 3.  During testing at Oregon Ballistic Labs our plates had a max of 25mm, a minimum of 4mm, and an average of 15mm (.59").  That means we averaged about 1/3rd of the allowable backface deformation, thus we do not recommend trauma pads.  We certainly disagree with the internet rumor that steel armor requires trauma pads, because if that's true then we'd argue all armor requires trauma pads.  We will not however condemn their use.  If you're ok with the added weight and cost they certainly can't hurt.  We recommend trying it without first and see what you think.  Check out our ballistic clay test video where we compare back face deformation on steel, ceramic, and composite by clicking here.   

I see something is out-of-stock, can I back order or prepay for it?

No. We do not accept back orders. We made a business ethics decision many years ago that we would not be a company that takes your money and pinky promises to ship your order in 4-12 weeks, then actually ships it in about 14-16 weeks, which is something many companies in the industry do.  When items are in stock they ship right away.  When they run out we'll make more as fast as we can.  If you see something you want that's in-stock we encourage you to buy because sometimes things go quick, and the market can change in a day depending on political, social, and economic events.  See the inventory updates on the home page of our webstore here.  

What's different about the P.D. Plates, can I use them in my carrier?

There is no difference in protection value or materials.  These plates are shaped specifically for use in certain soft armor vests that are typically issued to police officers.  These will NOT work in standard carriers and we do not recommend that you use them in that configuration.  Buying a PD Plate in a pinch because other plates are out of stock is a waste of your time and money.  These are specifically shaped plates for specific vests. 

Do you sell different levels of body armor?

No. All of our armor is the exact same protection value: Level 3(+)  - We will release armor that is certified to the new  RF1 and RF2 ratings when the NIJ decides to actually publish them. 

Can I get a 11x14 or custom sized plate? Can I order a target shaped like an Elk?

Yes, we can literally cut any shape or size of plate you want.  We do this quite often actually and most batches of armor or targets have custom orders in them.  See the custom armor and security section of our web store by clicking here.  Custom armor plates or targets can take 4-6 weeks to produce and ship. 

Why does shipping on your targets seem so expensive?

When you compare our prices with other targets and compare the actual square footage of the shooting surface you'll realize we beat most competitors substantially, and that the shipping is actually pretty reasonable considering the weight.  We choose not to "hide" our shipping fee's in the cost of the product and then sell it as "Free Shipping".  What you pay in shipping is what we pay, often a touch less than we pay especially for those on the East Coast.  Keep in mind that our heaviest silhouette, the T3RX T3 is 68lbs when you include the post.  You're paying about $1/lb for shipping which is actually less than body armor where you're paying close to $2/lb.  Our T5 Target is also a great place to start if the price of a full size target is a little out of reach.  

I'm fat, do I need a bigger armor plate? 

First of all, you're not fat, you're well padded and in that regard you have a tactical advantage.  Secondly don't just assume you need a bigger plate because you have a few extra pounds.  Armor is designed to protect critical organs or "off-switches" and generally most people of the same height have the same size organs.  The body also naturally crowds organs towards the center of your body conserve heat.  While your actual body might be bigger, your organs and their location is likely very similar to someone who might be lighter and of the same height.  You don't necessarily need a bigger plate unless you simply want to protect "non-critical" areas of your body.  If you're 6'2" or less and 250lbs or less a 10x12 plate is likely sufficient for proper coverage.  If you're 5'10 or less and 180lbs or less the 8.75"x11.5" Armis is probably a great fit.  Its personal preference, make a good decision. 

Will your armor/target stop {insert random caliber}? 

The short answer is yes, any of our steel can stop any round in existence at the right distance.  That's not as impressive as it sounds because a piece of plywood can stop a 50 BMG at a given distance or given velocity.  We as an industry need to be more specific when discussing or providing information. There's more to ballistics than caliber.  Distance is one of the most important factors when determining protection or stopping power.  Velocity changes quickly over distance.  Temperature, barrel length, caliber, slope/gravity, angle of incidence, projectile composition, elevation, barometric pressure, humidity, distance, muzzle velocity, and the resting momentum of the impacted object all play a factor into penetration.  That being said, our targets have stopped a Bi-Metal 50 BMG round at 97 yards and you can watch that video here.  As far as body armor goes, we need to know caliber, bullet weight, muzzle velocity, and distance in order to provide a reasonably accurate penetration determination.  Muzzle velocity is not important, its the velocity of the projectile at the point of impact on the plate that's critical.  Check out this video if you're curious what one of our armor plates can handle.    

Which plates should I use for front and back, does the Armis or Tri-Curve work in the back? 

All of our full sized plates including the Armis, XP, and Pro have been (and currently are being) used as both front and back plates by many customers.  Its all about your own body build and your desired weight and protection area.  There is no right or wrong answer here.  Some people believe you should use the same plate front and back for symmetry and so that plates can be swapped out.  Some people like a slightly bigger/heavier plate in the back to offset mags and kit on the front of the carrier.  Every possible configuration of our three full sized plates has been purchased and used by customers.  Generally speaking the most common set ups are Armis Front/Armis Back, Armis Front/XP Back, Pro Front/XP Back, and Pro Front/Pro Back. Again, its personal preference, make a good decision. 

I heard steel armor causes injury from fragmentation, what about yours? 

Bullets ricochet off any hard surface.  In fact, the popular Steel Core M855 round has been known to skip off windshields.  Concrete, Glass, Ceramic, Steel, and even Water can cause a bullet to ricochet.  What's important is that there is a system in place to mitigate that fragmentation if you're using the material as body armor.  Our Enhanced Ballistic Coating is exactly that and we invite you to watch the numerous videos showing our coating performing far better than other systems on the market, even at angles of 45 and 60 degrees.  We've put over 4000gr of ammo on a single plate without fragmentation and a video of that can be found here.  We also invite you consider whether a ceramic plate, with no system in place, will mitigate fragmentation at all particularly at angles.  Also realize that any type of armor will likely create fragmentation with edge shots (hits right near the edge of the plate).  Follow us on social media for tons of great videos. 

Do you guys offer military, law enforcement, EMT, Fire Department, Private Security, Instructor, NRA, AARP, Sams Club etc discounts? 

We'd sure love to offer discounts for every person on the planet but we can't do that and stay in business. There is a list of applicable discounts we offer on our web store home page and the requirements or credentials required for those discounts.  Please send in your stuff and get your coupon code BEFORE making a purchase, we can't go back and apply discounts after a purchase has been made. Credit Card Processors charge a fee for every transaction, so we get dinged on the purchase, the refund, and the secondary purchase.  

Can I just buy directly from your facility to avoid shipping fees or get a better price than what your dealers offer? 

The contract we have with our dealers stipulates that we cannot sell directly from our facility except under one of four conditions.  #1: You are Active Law Enforcement, Active Military, or buying on behalf of your agency or department.  #2: You are placing an order for a custom item, service, or product not listed on our web store.  #3 You are placing an order online thru our web store and paying to have the item shipped.  #4: You are a licensed dealer.  Understand that the stores will not carry our products if we allow everyone to come to our facility and buy direct for the same or lower price.  The best way to avoid shipping fees and pay the lowest price possible is to visit a licensed dealer, oh and you get to support local businesses.  You will always pay more ordering thru our web store than you will at a dealer if you calculate in the shipping fees.  Any dealer can place an order for any item, including out-of-stock items, and not only do they get priority over incoming inventory but they usually take delivery of in-stock items within 1-3 business days.  

What does it take to set up a dealer account?  I have an FFL and a lot friends. 

Again guys, please don't contact us trying to set up a dealer account simply to get a discount for your own stuff.  We're very glad you have an FFL but that means very little when it comes to selling merchandise and operating a retail business.  Current dealer requirements stipulate that you must own and operate a brick and mortar storefront location open to the public at least 5 days a week.  As of 2021 we are no longer offering online-only retailer accounts or drop-ship arrangements.  If you have questions about setting up a dealer account please don't hesitate to contact us and we will get you the info. 

What's up with these two piece NAS3 Casings on your S.O.Ammunition? 

The Shell Shock Tech NAS3 casings are simply lighter, stronger, and most importantly more available than brass. We chose these casings based on performance, price, and the fact that they can be reloaded up to 30 times. The base of the casing is a Nickle Plated Aircraft Aluminum precision machined to fit and crimp into the Nickle Alloy Stainless Cylinder.  The crimp is insanely strong and withheld loads where we were basically trying to ruin the gun or casing.  You will need to purchase S3 Reloading Dies in order to reuse these casings but the dies are relatively inexpensive and they're compatible will all presses.  

I read an internet forum that said {insert uneducated myth about armor} and I was wondering if you could validate what I read by agreeing with inaccurate information? 

If you are seeking experience based knowledge about armor (or anything gun related for that matter) on some random internet forum, social media site, or chat room and expecting to receive reliable and accurate information you have already set the bar very low for yourself.  We encourage you to ask yourself whether a person who likely has experience with only one or two specific brands of armor out of the hundreds on the market is really capable of offering the most accurate or comprehensive advice.  Citing "what I read on a forum" and "what I saw on youtube once" is not experience, and if they haven't actually tested the armor themselves their opinion should probably be taken lightly.  We have pumped tens of thousands of dollars into testing competitors products.  We've shot hundreds of types of armor, in many cases side by side with our own, against dozens of different calibers.  We'll be the first ones to mention that ours do not come out on top in every single test.  Different types of armor are designed for different things.  For that very reason you'll hear us mention in many of our videos that we believe you should try to own as many types of armor as your budget will allow.  Its no different than owning different types of firearms for different tasks like self-defense, hunting, competitive shooting, etc.   When price, weight, protection value, modern day threats, back face deformation, durability, and the probable circumstances surrounding the use of body armor are all taken into consideration, our armor is ideal which is why thousands of professionals choose our armor every day.  Not all steel armor is created equal.  While some companies may use misleading or tailored marketing strategies combined with sub-par materials and construction, we do not.  We simply put our products to the test and post the results.  We are praised throughout the industry for our transparency, ethics, and product performance.