Dragon Skin Passes Again: NIJ-Certified Lab Test Validates 6-Year Warranty.

by Roger Charles

August 30, 2007

United
States Test Laboratory in Wichita, Kansas, last week (August 20) tested
nine separate, serialized Dragon Skin SOV-2000 (Level III) ballistic
body armor panels that varied in age from 5 years-9 & 1/2 months to
6 years-8 months. The purpose of this test was to validate Pinnacle
Armor’s six-year warranty for Dragon Skin products.

All
Dragon Skin items met the NIJ-specified criteria for Level III
ballistic protection, and did so by significant margins. Test results
confirmed Pinnacle Armor’s six-year warranty for full ballistic
protection over the period of the warranty.

Editor’s
Note: United States Test Laboratory is one of only two NIJ-certified
labs for testing "Ballistic Resistant Personal Body Armor."

The nine Dragon Skin ballistic body armor panels were:…

one 6×8 inch panel, two front and rear panels with upper respiratory and side extension coverage, and six 10×12 inch panels.

All
panels were subjected to "V50 ballistic limit test" protocols as
defined in MIL-STD-662F, meaning there was zero degree obliquity, and
the no-penetration impact velocity had to be within the range of 2780
to 2810 feet per second (fps).

(In
order to achieve these velocities, the test facility had to go up two
cartridge sizes to a 300 magnum cartridge case to hold the extra powder
needed to achieve these higher velocities.)

The test projectiles were 7.62x51mm Full Metal Jacket (.308 caliber), weighing 148 grains.

V50 velocities for the nine Dragon Skin panels ranged from 3087 fps to 3256 fps, meaning the panels exceeded NIJ’s maximum specified impact velocity for Level III certification (2810 fps) by a range of 9.86% to 15.87%.

For all nine Dragon Skin panels, the average V50 impact velocity was 3166.44 fps, meaning the panels exceeded NIJ’s maximum specified impact velocity for Level III certification (2810 fps) by an average of 12.67%.

Now
the ball is back in NIJ’s court for reconsideration of their hasty, and
blatantly biased de-certification notice of August 3. See: More Washington Corruption: Another Attempt And A New Player — The Department Of Justice — Joins Efforts To Kill Dragon Skin.

Click here to read the original version of this article at Soldiers For The Truth (SFTT).