What levels of ballistic body armor (NIJ IIA, IIIA, III, IV) stop rifle rounds like the .30-06?

1. What the old NIJ labels meant: handgun vs rifle protection

Under NIJ 0101.06 the familiar scale IIA → II → IIIA covered handgun threats only (with IIIA protecting larger handgun calibers), while Level III and Level IV were rifle-rated: Level III is tested to stop 7.62×51mm NATO (ball) rifle rounds, and Level IV was the only level tested to defeat a .30‑caliber armor‑piercing (M2 AP) rifle round — commonly described as a .30‑06 AP test in industry explanations ^{[1] [2] [5]}.

2. Which level stops a .30‑06 (M2 AP) round: the short answer

The sources agree: the NIJ Level IV plate under the 0101.06 framework is the rating tied to stopping a .30‑06 M2 armor‑piercing round; vendor and NIJ‑explanation pages repeatedly identify Level IV as tested against that AP threat ^{[2] [1] [5]}.

3. Why the new standard changes the labels (and adds nuance)

NIJ has shifted from numbered levels to HG (Handgun) and RF (Rifle) categories in 0101.07/0123.00 to reflect a broader and more specific set of rifle threats. What used to be “Level IV” maps to the top RF tier (RF3) and remains the test point for the .30‑06 M2 AP round in the updated nomenclature; NIJ also explicitly added other rifle projectiles (5.56 M193, 5.56 M855, 7.62×39 MSC) to reflect evolving threats ^{[3] [4] [6]}.

4. Practical meaning for users: soft armor vs hard plates

Soft vest ratings (IIA–IIIA) do not stop rifle rounds; only hard plates or hard armor systems rated III or IV (or RF levels in the new system) are intended for rifle threats. Level III plates are intended for certain rifle ball rounds (e.g., 7.62×51mm M80), while Level IV (RF3) plates are designed and tested against the heavier AP steel‑core .30‑06 M2 round ^{[1] [5] [7]}.

5. Limits, caveats and real‑world uncertainties

NIJ certification covers specific test rounds, velocities and shot placements; that means a plate certified to stop the single .30‑06 M2 AP test round is proven only to defeat that defined threat under test conditions — real‑world cartridges, barrel lengths, ranges, or alternative AP constructions (mild‑steel core, different speeds) may behave differently ^{[3] [4]}. Some reporting explicitly warns that an older Type IV plate tested against .30‑06 AP might not have been graded to stop newer MSC rounds (7.62×39 MSC) added in updated testing ^[3].

6. What manufacturers and sellers say — and why to be cautious

Retail and manufacturer pages routinely state Level IV (or RF3) stops .30‑06 M2 AP; they also market broader capability (multiple hits, other calibers). Those claims reflect how a product performs beyond the NIJ minimum, but buyers should verify the actual NIJ compliance list, model numbers, and the specific threats named on a product certificate rather than rely on marketing summaries ^{[2] [5] [8]}.

7. How to use this information when choosing armor

Select armor based on the specific threat you expect: soft armor (IIA–IIIA/HG1–HG2) for handgun protection, rigid plates rated III/RF1 for many common rifle ball rounds, and IV/RF3 plates when you require documented resistance to a .30‑06 M2 AP test round. Confirm the exact NIJ standard cited (0101.06 vs 0101.07/0123.00) and the manufacturer’s test certificate for the model you’re buying ^{[1] [3] [4]}.

Limitations: available sources do not mention field incident‑level performance comparisons (e.g., statistical survivability data) across plate types; they also do not provide full technical test tables in these excerpts.