The P2 - Polyethylene Body Armor is made of polyethylene material and provides high-grade protection that won’t fatigue you when you’re active and won’t endanger you when you’re near water. Tested independently to NIJ Level 3 standards, the P2 plate provides level 3 protection which is capable of stopping the 7.62x51 M80 Ball at 2780 FPS. It has also been tested to stop some special threats; it will defeat 5.56x45 M193 at 3150 FPS and 7.62x39 AK-47 at 2380 FPS. Due to the way this armor functions, it is incapable of stopping MSC/EP rounds such as M855.
Polyethylene stops threats by “capturing” the bullet in its material- the heat of the spinning bullet softens the polyethylene enough to melt it partially, allowing the bullet into the material, where it then is stopped by the remaining unmelted fibers within the plate. As the bullet slows down, the polyethylene then rehardens. Because of its unique way of stopping bullets, polyethylene is able to take multiple hits without shattering like ceramic plate alternatives.
The primary benefit of the P2 polyethylene armor plate, however, is its weight: Only PE hard armor can provide rifle-rated protection at under four pounds. The greater activity this allows makes polyethylene a popular choice for some military personnel.
As with our other hard armor options, the P2 armor plate is also sprayed with our FragLock™ solution to seal it from the elements.