SHIELD IV Hard Armor Plate
- Maximum protection tier: rated for armor-piercing rifle threats
- Tested to NIJ Level IV standards: .30-06 M2 AP
- 5.2 lbs per plate
- 9.75 x 11.75 inches: fits standard 10 x 12 plate pockets
- Drops into the CARGO's height-adjustable hard plate compartment
- Sold individually
The Maximum
Ballistic Tier
Tested to NIJ Level IV standards: .30-06 M2 armor-piercing. Heavier than SHIELD III+, and built for the situations where nothing less will do.
One Plate,
Two Homes
A 9.75 x 11.75 inch plate that drops into a standard 10 x 12 plate pocket. And the CARGO was designed around it: the height-adjustable hard plate compartment takes the plate in seconds, zips shut, and gives the pack the maximum ballistic tier without sacrificing cargo space. No armor installed? The same bay works as a secondary 17-inch electronics compartment.
- 9.75 x 11.75 inches, 1 inch thick
- Rectangular cut with rounded corners
- Fits standard 10 x 12 plate pockets
- Height-adjustable compartment in the CARGO, separate from SHIELD IIIA
- Adds and removes as needed. SHIELD IIIA stays in permanently.
In the Bag
in Seconds
Open the compartment, seat the plate, set the height strap, zip it shut. One walkthrough covers all three SHIELD levels. Keep the step-by-step guides for reference.
We Publish
the Protocol
Our armor is tested to NIJ standards, and we publish exactly how each level is tested. You do not have to take our word for it. The Test It Yourself program pays you to check our work: put a plate on the line yourself, and if it fails you get a full refund. If it passes on video, $500 store credit.
1 round, armor-piercing. The NIJ Level IV standard is a single-hit rating.
The SHIELD IV protocol: a single round of .30-06 M2 AP. Level IV is a single-hit rating.
Build the
Full Stack
Hard plates work on their own, and they work best over the base layer. SHIELD IIIA covers the CARGO's entire back surface and stays in permanently. The hard plate adds and removes as the day demands.
Layer 01 · Base
SHIELD IIIA Soft Armor
The full-coverage panel that shields the CARGO's entire backside. Stays in every day. The foundation of the system.
View SHIELD IIIA
Layer 02 · Rifle-Rated
SHIELD III+ Hard Plate
The lighter hard plate: 3.5 lbs, tested against 5.56 M855 green tip, M193, and 7.62x39.
View SHIELD III+
SHIELD IV Hard Armor Plate
- Protection class
- Hard plate, tested to NIJ Level IV standards
- Tested threat
- .30-06 M2 AP (armor-piercing), single-hit rating
- Weight
- 5.2 lbs
- Dimensions
- 9.75 x 11.75 inches (25 x 30 cm), 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick
- Cut
- Rectangular, rounded corners
- Fits
- Standard 10 x 12 plate pockets, including the CARGO's height-adjustable hard plate compartment
- Sold
- Individually
Dimension drawings are in the product gallery above. Full testing protocol: Test It Yourself.
