VestGuard UK Body Armour Stopping Power – HOSDB Standards

VestGuard UK uses the HOSDB (The Home Office Scientific Development Branch – UK) standards to define the stopping capabilities of the vests they manufacture and supply. As the British defined test criteria for all HOSDB classified body armour VestGuard has supplied local government, councils and hospitals for many years with approved body armour.

VestGuard would always recommend buying body armour that has been tested and approved by the HOSDB.

Choosing the correct level according to the individual operational requirement can be difficult. Below illustrates the stopping capabilities of each level of the Home Office standards.

Handgun Protection 2007	Use	Bullet	Weight	Velocity m/s	Blunt Trauma mm
HG1A	Lightweight, flexible soft armour intended for use by the unarmed officer in low risk patrolling situations. Suitable for both overt and covert use;	9mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Dynamit Nobel DM11A1B2	8.0g (124gr)	365	44
HG1A		0.357” Magnum Soft Point Flat Nose (SPFN) Remington R357M3	10.2g (158gr)	390	25
HG1	General Duty soft armour for low risk situations. Suitable for both overt and covert use;	9mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Dynamit Nobel DM11A1B2	8.0g (124gr)	365	25
HG1		0.357” Magnum Soft Point Flat Nose (SPFN) Remington R357M3	10.2g (158gr)	390	25
HG2	Special duty soft armour intended for use in firearms operations. Can be used inconjunction with RF1 and SG1 plates. Usually overt;	9mm Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) Dynamit Nobel DM11A1B2	8.0g (124gr)	430	25
HG2		0.357” Magnum Soft Point Flat Nose (SPFN) Remington R357M3	10.2g (158gr)	455	25
HG3	Heavy duty armour intended for use in firearms operations. Can be used in conjunction with RF and SG plates. overt;	Carbine 5.56x45 NATO 1 in 7” Twist Federal Tactical Bonded 5.56mm (.223) LE223T3 Law Enforcement Ammunition	4.01g (62 gr)	750	25
RF1	Offers protection against soft-core ammunition fired from rifles. Usually used inconjunction with HG2 armour;	Rifle 7.62mm Calibre 1 in 12” Twist. Royal Ordnance Defence Radway Green NATO Ball L2 A2	9.3g (144 gr)	830	25
RF2	Offers protection against steel core high power ammunition fired from rifles. Intended for use in conjunction with HG2 or HG3 armour.	Rifle 7.62mm Calibre 1 in 12” Twist. Royal Ordnance Defence Radway Green Nato Ball L40A1 7.62 X 51mm High Power (HP)	9.7g	850	25
SG1	Offers protection from full-length shotguns at close range. Usually used in conjunction with HG2 armour;	Shotgun 12 Gauge True Cylinder Winchester 1 oz. Rifled Lead Slug 12RS15 or 12RSE	28.4g (437 gr)	435	25

Knife Protection 2007	Energy Level E1 (Joules)	Max Penetration at E1 (mm)	Energy Level E2 (Joules)	Max Penetration at E2 (mm)
KR1	Maximum periods of wear in a low risk-patrolling environment. Suitable for covert or overt use;
KR1	24	7	36	20
KR2	Provides a general duty garment for extended wear and may be covert or overt;
KR2	33	7	50	20
KR3	Suitable for short periods of wear in high-risk situations. Armour to this level would normally be overt.
KR3	43	7	65	20
All of the above protection levels can be combined with ballistic protection levels to offer dual stab and ballistic protection.

Spike Protection 2007
Spike, Needle and syringe Protection
All of the above protection levels can be combined with ballistic and stab protection levels to offer stab, ballistic and needle protection.

Spike Protection 2007

Spike, Needle and syringe Protection

All of the above protection levels can be combined with ballistic and stab protection levels to offer stab, ballistic and needle protection.

VestGuard can manufacture to meet any of these required standards individually, or in combination with each other. We hold a combined HG1A KR1 solution, and HG1 KR1 SP1 combination in stock.