Bulletproof Vest Plates AR500 Steel Plates

Spartan Armor AR500 Steel Plates

AR500 steel plates are ballistic plates/inserts used in plate carriers. Body armor plates are used to protect the wearer against serious injuries from high-impact direct hits and abrasions from small arms fire, incoming shrapnel and knife threats. AR500 is the same steel alloy used in body armor plates sold to SWAT teams and law enforcement. It is also used in building armored vehicles.

Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 bulletproof vest plates hold a 500 Brinell Hardness rating, a scale used to rate the hardness of steel and various other materials. The higher a ballistic plate’s Brinell rating, the harder the steel that’s in the body armor. Higher Brinell ratings also means that it can stop faster velocity and heavier caliber rounds without penetrating the plate or going beyond the maximum acceptable indentation or backforce deformation. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has set a backforce deformation maximum of 44 millimeters.

Benefits of AR500 Steel Plates

AR500 bulletproof vest plates are made of high carbon tempered steel, which is abrasion resistant and strong enough to prevent or minimize injuries to the wearer. Steel is a great alternative to ceramic composite plates due to being less expensive. That being said, steel ballistic armor plates are slightly heavier (individually weighing eight to ten pounds each), they are thinner and the comfort level is about the same as wearing ceramic ballistic plates.

Still, there are several benefits steel plates have over ceramic body armor plates. They’re less bulky, which makes it easier for the wearer to move about more freely in a tactical situation, making them ideal for law enforcement agencies. Steel ballistic plates are sturdier and longer lasting than ceramics, which will sometimes crack if dropped, possibly creating weak areas in the plates. In most cases, these cracks are very difficult to detect which can compromise the integrity of the plates. 

How Much Impact Will Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Body Armor Level III Withstand?

The NIJ, which is the only nationally accepted standard for body armor used by law enforcement, armed forces, and first responders, rates body armor by the types of ammunition its plates will hold up against. Spartan™ Omega™ ¼” AR500 bullet proof plates have been given a Level III protection rating by the NIJ. This means it will withstand all caliber handgun rounds up to .44 Magnum, and multiple rifle rounds up to 7.62 x 51 caliber NATO FMJ ammunition fired from a distance of 50 feet.

For dependable body armor with uncompromising quality at an affordable price, the Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 ballistic body armor plates are an excellent choice for protecting yourself in tactical situations. 

Shooters cut vs. Swimmers cut

We offer our Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 steel plates in two distinctive cuts for increased protective area coverage and enhanced mobility.

Our standard shooters cut covers a larger area, reducing the chances of being hit in vital organs. The slight shoulder cut helps the shooter’s range of motion, though not as much as our swimmers cut.

Our swimmers cut offers less coverage with greater lightweight mobility. These plates provide a much larger cut at the shoulders, decreasing the protection area, but also decreasing the total weight by 2lbs. The lightweight design is great for tactical situations where increased maneuverability outweighs protection from gunfire.

Get mission ready

Bulletproof vest plates can’t do much good without a vest. That’s why we offer a complete line of premium plate carriers like our new tactical Leonidas Plate Carrier and Shellback Tactical Banshee Elite 2.0 Plate Carrier. These plate carriers, along with most options we carry, will hold your Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Body Armor Plates or any of our other premium body armor plates.

With any of our body armor systems, we highly recommended wearing trauma pads behind your body armor plates. Trauma pads do not hold any ballistic properties, but will help in comfort and safety by lessening bullet impact on the wearer should a bullet strike your ballistic armor.

Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Level 3 Plates

Spartan Armor Systems™ is the leading body armor systems manufacturer and tactical equipment supplier for law enforcement, military personnel, first responders and civilians. We create only the highest quality steel and ceramic bulletproof vest plates and body armor, including Spartan™ Omega™ AR500 Body Armor Level III. And every inch of are proudly made in the United States using only the finest materials.