Spartan Armor boasts some of the best armor plates money can buy. Many tests have been done on this armor to see how effective it is, and by all standards, it has passed.
In this video you will see a Level III+ AR500 ATC plate from Spartan Armor Systems ArmApply with a 3+ threat level vs some powerful antique firearms. Nothing will penetrate the armor, including the lead cannon balls, or will it?
(Iraqveteran8888/YouTube)
The first round of plugs comes from a Martini Henry, a 480 grain lead solid on 85 grains of black powder at fairly close range. He fires five shots that have very little impact on the target, named Ballistic Bob.
Next, he fires the .577 Snider. This is a Portuguese contract cavalry carbine using the same kind of bullets that would have been used in the Civil War. Two bullets, shot at the target from the same range as the Martini Henry, fire with intense force. The residual wax from the gun is present but nothing else.
The .72 Caliber Matchlock Musket is up. It fires big lead balls with 100 grains of black powder. It delivers a loud impact with plenty of smoke from the powder but is it enough to penetrate old Ballistic Bob? It was not! The cartridge delivered the balls of lead, but they basically disintegrated upon impact.
On to the 10 Gauge Rifled Slug. The slug that will be fired weighs 766 grains of lead in a cartridge that is nearly obsolete. It’s a powerhouse indeed. The slug ended up in front of the target but left a massive hole in the outer vest. Keep in mind that the armor is comprised of three separate layers and so far, while the outside layer has suffered minute damage, none of the shots have penetrated to the second layer.
(Iraqveteran8888/YouTube)
Time for the grand finale, the cannon. This is a 37 mm Parrott Rifle that can put gaping holes in anything in its path; but can it take out the Spartan Armor? Ballistic Bob is dressed in a fresh plate with a new carrier. With the fuse lit, the Youtuber steps back and the cannon fires with such a force that it rolls back from the recoil. When the smoke clears, Ballistic Bob is missing from atop his table, which is flipped back and a little tattered.
Ballistic Bob is on the ground nearby, sliced in half. There is a hole in the outer layer of the armor from the implosion. The third layer, which is the trauma pad is shredded and the metal middle plate is cracked into several pieces. A big piece of the broken armor plate was embedded in the torso of Ballistic Bob, who is headed for the trash.
