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▼ NIJ ARMOR EDUCATION

Understanding real-world ballistic protection standards — sourced from NIJ 0101.07 (NCJ 307346) and NIJ 0123.00 (NCJ 307347)

Protection Level Quick Reference

New Name	Old Name	In-Game Name	Type	Key Test Rounds
HG1	NIJ Level II	NIJ Level II	soft	Soft armor rated for 9mm FMJ 124gr @ 398 m/s and .357 Mag JSP 158gr @ 436 m/s
HG2	NIJ Level IIIA	NIJ Level IIIA	soft	Soft armor rated for 9mm FMJ 124gr @ 448 m/s and .44 Mag JHP 240gr @ 436 m/s
RF1	NIJ Level IIIA+	NIJ Level IIIA+	hard	Hard armor rated for 7.62x51mm M80 Ball, 7.62x39mm MSC Type 56, 5.56mm M193
HG1	NIJ Level IIA	NIJ Level IIA	soft	Soft armor. Entry-level handgun protection. 9mm FMJ 124gr at 373 m/s (1225 fps) and .40 S&W FMJ at 352 m/s (1155 fps).
HG1	NIJ Level II	NIJ Level II	soft	Soft armor. Standard handgun protection. 9mm FMJ 124gr at 398 m/s (1306 fps) and .357 Mag JSP 158gr at 436 m/s (1430 fps).
HG2	NIJ Level IIIA	NIJ Level IIIA	soft	Soft armor. Stops high-velocity handgun rounds including .44 Mag. 9mm FMJ 124gr at 448 m/s (1470 fps).
RF1	NIJ Level IIIA+	NIJ Level IIIA+	hard	Enhanced soft armor. Stops high-velocity handgun threats above IIIA.
RF1	NIJ Level III	NIJ Level III	hard	Hard rifle plate. Stops 7.62x51 M80 at 847 m/s, 5.56 M193 at 990 m/s and 7.62x39 MSC at 732 m/s. Does NOT stop M855.
RF2	NIJ Level III+	NIJ Level III+	hard	Hard rifle plate. Not an official NIJ designation. Exceeds RF1. Does not meet RF3.
RF3	NIJ Level III++	NIJ Level III++	hard	Not an official NIJ designation. Equivalent to NIJ Level IV. GZW uses this term for the highest in-game plate rating.
RF3	NIJ Level IV	NIJ Level IV	hard	Hard rifle plate. Highest official NIJ rating. Stops .30-06 M2 AP at 878 m/s (2880 fps).

Old vs New NIJ Standard

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New Name	Old Name	Threat Family	Notes
HG1	NIJ Level IIA / Level II	Handgun	Entry-level soft armor. Lower velocity handgun rounds.
HG2	NIJ Level IIIA	Handgun	Highest soft armor rating. Stops .44 Mag.
RF1	NIJ Level III	Rifle	Entry-level hard plate. Does NOT stop M855.
RF2	No equivalent	Rifle	NEW LEVEL. Created because M855 defeats RF1.
RF3	NIJ Level IV	Rifle	Highest NIJ rating. Stops .30-06 M2 AP.

Protection Level Deep Dives

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How Ballistics Work in GZW

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Reading the Ballistics Tool

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Loadout Planning

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Game vs Real NIJ Standard

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Item	In GZW	Real World	Note
5.56 M855	Pen 2 vs RF1	Defeats RF1 entirely	M855 defeating Level III is exactly why RF2 was created.
7.62x51 M61 AP	Pen 3 vs RF2	Requires RF3 to stop	AP rifle rounds require Level IV in real testing.
NIJ III++	In-game designation	Not an official rating	Marketing term. Equivalent to NIJ Level IV (RF3).
NIJ III+	In-game designation	Not an official rating	Marketing term. No standardized test exists for this designation.

Official NIJ Sources: NIJ Standard 0101.07 (NCJ 307346) · NIJ Standard 0123.00 (NCJ 307347) · Published October 2023, U.S. DOJ National Institute of Justice · nij.ojp.gov

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