Ballistic Protection standards reference

[swaghauler]

The primary armor for soldiers in the Twilight2000 era would have been the PASGT Armor with surplus Vietnam-era US Army M69 Flak Vests (3.5kg AV 1/2?) and the occasional M1955 USMC Vest (4.5kg AV 1/2?) as well.

PASGT Armor: This vest was introduced in 1985. It is NIJ Level 3A protection covering the chest (80%, 16 or less on 1D20) and the Abdomen (60%, 12 or less on 1D20) weighing 4kg for a medium size. It soldiered on into the 21st Century.

The only other "hard" armor that might be available in the Twilight2000 timeline would be surplus versions of the US Army's "Chicken Plate" Ballistic Armor for Helicopter Crews.

Aircrew Personal Body Armor: Made in 1968, it was the predecessor of the Army's Ranger Body Armor plates. Made primarily from 80% Aluminum Oxide and Ceramic, the plates came in two configurations. A single plate version for pilots (who had armored seats, such as they were) and a two plate versions for gunners/crew chiefs. Coverage was 70% of chest and weight was 6.8kg for 1 plate version and 13.6 kg for 2 plate version. They were supposedly proof against .30 caliber (Level 3 rifle?).

Police Vests:
Most police use concealable vests ranging in NIJ Level from 2A to 3A during the 90's. The Level 2A/2 vest would have been the most common vests for police. Level 3A concealable vests were rare but did exist (there are the remnants of an RBR Level 3a bought in 1997 sitting on my workbench right now...the victim of ballistic testing by your's truly). By the 90's, Level 1 material was limited to making "Ballistic Clothing" such as umbrellas and suit coats.
There were generally THREE coverage levels for concealable vests which are still available today;

Full Coverage Vest: This vest covers 80% of the chest and 60% of the abdomen for "Over-Vests" (worn outside of a shirt) and 80% of the chest and 40% of the abdomen for concealable vests (worn under a shirt).

Contour Coverage Vest: This vest is generally a concealable type that allows more flexibility/agility than full coverage vests without reducing protection too much. Contour vests cover 70% of the chest and 20% (or less) of the abdomen.

MiniWrap Coverage: This vest is always a concealable type and is usually worn by those concerned with hiding the fact that they are wearing armor. As a result, MiniWrap covers just 50% of the wear's chest. There is no abdominal coverage.

Trauma Plate Pockets: These special pockets are sewn on the outside of soft body armor and allow the placement of an additional soft panel or hard trauma plate to protect the chest (in the heart area). Some body armors may also have a trauma plate pocket over the spine as well. MiniWrap body armors generally don't have trauma plate pockets.
There are two sizes of trauma pocket, small and large.
Small pockets allow 20% coverage of the chest with the added panel/plate.
Large pockets allow 40% coverage of the chest with the added panel/plate.

[swaghauler]

Armor in Twilight2000 is compared to armor plate to determine Armor Value. Standard Armor Plate has a Brinell Hardness Rating of 500. It is stated in the Rules that 5mm of armor plate equals 1 Armor Value. Here is the Brinell Hardness Rating of other materials that you may need to determine the Armor Rating of;

Soft Wood (Pine): BH 1.6
Hard Wood (Oak to Mahogany): BH 2.6 to BH 7
Lead (Pure): BH 5
Lead (Alloyed): BH 22
Aluminum (Pure): BH 15
Aluminum (AW6060): BH 75
Mild Steel: BH 120
Stainless Steel Annealed (18-8/304): BH 200
AR500 Plate Steel/Armored Plate: BH 500
Hardened Tool Steel (Treated, Annealed): BH 600 to BH 900
Titanium: BH 700 to BH 2900
Titanium (6a1-7nb used in Aircraft/Bike Frames): BH 1600
Titanium (Enhanced/Armored): BH 2900
Synthetic Diamond: BH 4600

I hope these help you decide what protection a given material should provide.

[swaghauler]

As many of you already know, Speed Defeats Armor. Below is a sample chart to determine a weapon's Penetration based on the Velocity of the round it fires. This is a more realistic measure than Energy (like what is used in FFS) but I need to see some more "in game testing" (I use a slightly different system). I would appreciate any input from the forum on how this table affects the weapons in a more conventional game.

Velocity (ft/sec):
4001+ ft/sec ..................... Pen 1/2
3001 ft/sec to 4000 ft/sec .... Pen 1
2001 ft/sec to 3000 ft/sec .... Pen 2
1001 ft/sec to 2000 ft/sec .... Pen 3
1000 ft/sec or less .............. Pen 4

I use both the Shooter's Bible and Gun Digest to determine the velocity of various rounds but they are available online. I actually adjust the Penetration above by determining the velocity for each Range Band and then note the Penetration for that Range Band based on the Velocity. I also do this for Damage (I currently use the FFS damage calculator) too. I give Handguns a Penetration as well (no NIL here).

I would appreciate any input from the Forum.

swag.

[swaghauler]

I have calculated the Armor Values for both SAPI plates and ESAPI plates based on the NIJ Standards. These Standards are also fairly compatible with the Russian GOST-R, German ShutzKlasse 2008, and the British HOSDB Standards.

NIJ Level 3 (rifle)/SAPI Plate: 2 AV
NIJ Level 4 (rifle)/ESAPI Plate: 4 AV

You can also add the concealable vests worn by Law Enforcement too.

NIJ Level 2 Soft Body Armor: 1/2 AV
NIJ Level 1 Soft Body Armor: 1/4 AV

[Milano]

If I may add my 2 cents what is the difference between a 17 HMR traveling at 1300 f/s and a 338 Lapua Mag at 1300 f/s? Sectional Density. Instead of a straight look at the velocity I made up a formula that works fairly well. It is:

(1000/{speed in M/S}) x (Sectional Density) x (1.5325)

For example:

17 HMR 20 gr @ 1300 f/s -- DAM 1 PEN 3

.338 Lapua Mag 250 gr @ 1300 f/s -- DAM 4 PEN 3

(As an apples to apples comparison: the 17 is at 250 yards to drop to 1,300 f/s. The Lapua is at 1,285 yards to slow down to 1,300 f/s!!

Anyway I made an excel spreadsheet that makes all this fairly easy to figure out. Any question about how it works please ask. Here is the download:

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Milano

If I may add my 2 cents what is the difference between a 17 HMR traveling at 1300 f/s and a 338 Lapua Mag at 1300 f/s? Sectional Density. Instead of a straight look at the velocity I made up a formula that works fairly well. It is:

(1000/{speed in M/S}) x (Sectional Density) x (1.5325)

For example:

17 HMR 20 gr @ 1300 f/s -- DAM 1 PEN 3

.338 Lapua Mag 250 gr @ 1300 f/s -- DAM 4 PEN 3

(As an apples to apples comparison: the 17 is at 250 yards to drop to 1,300 f/s. The Lapua is at 1,285 yards to slow down to 1,300 f/s!!

Anyway I made an excel spreadsheet that makes all this fairly easy to figure out. Any question about how it works please ask. Here is the download:

Nice system. It is similar to how I do my own system (which is still in development). I do change the Weapon Damage a bit, though. While I FFS's damage system, I round up or down in order to "include" or "exclude" certain calibers from certain damage classes based on my on experience. I use 1D10 damage for my rifles and double my calculated Damage when determining pistol damage... BUT I USE 1D6 TO REPRESENT PISTOL DAMAGE. In my game, a 9mmP does 2d6 and carries a PEN of 3. An AK-74 carries 2d10 DAM and has a PEN of 1 (steel core) or 2 (lead core) at Short Range.
I find that this modification to pistol damage makes them (and SMGs) more viable in the game.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

I have calculated the Armor Values for both SAPI plates and ESAPI plates based on the NIJ Standards. These Standards are also fairly compatible with the Russian GOST-R, German ShutzKlasse 2008, and the British HOSDB Standards.

NIJ Level 3 (rifle)/SAPI Plate: 2 AV
NIJ Level 4 (rifle)/ESAPI Plate: 4 AV

You can also add the concealable vests worn by Law Enforcement too.

NIJ Level 2 Soft Body Armor: 1/2 AV

After watching several of MikeB's Youtube videos where he shoots all manner of weapons at old "steel pots," I would have to conclude that the majority of "steel pots" were only around NIJ Threat Level 2 or even 2A in protection. I would suggest that the Armor Value of a steel pot be 1/2 AV while the normally 3A "K-pots" remain at 1AV.