Often times, in order to rate the price of a material, you must first evaluate the value you derive from it. How much value it brings at the end of the day would serve as a determiner for whether or not it was really worth its price. So, when we ask if ballistic helmets are expensive, the real question is: Are ballistic helmets really worth it?
For this, you would have to consider the level of protection they offer as well as other functionalities that they might serve outside ballistic resistance.
- Ballistic Protection
Different ballistic helmets offer different levels of ballistic protection. These levels are tested and rated by the National Institute of Justice (also known as the NIJ). The NIJ performs a series of tests on ballistic helmets using different rounds of bullets. This is done in order to identify the kind of bullets and weapon the helmet is capable of stopping.
Depending on the kind of helmet you purchase, some ballistic helmets with Levels III and IV ratings are known to be able to stop almost any kind of handgun attacks including common rifle rounds. Ballistic helmets with Levels I through to IIIA are only able to stop handgun rounds. However, the Level IIIA ballistic helmets are also able to stop .44 magnum rounds.
When purchasing a ballistic helmet, it is important that you consider what it is going to be used for before making your choice. Consider the kind of threats that you would be exposed to before getting a helmet. Or else, you might run at a risk of getting a ballistic helmet that cannot serve the purpose of its purchase.
- Non-ballistic Protection
If you’re more likely to be exposed to impact weapons, head strike hazards, or thrown projectiles, ballistic helmets can also come in handy. Ballistic helmets also protect the head from deadly impacts from non-ballistic objects such as grenade fragments, bullet ricochet, and so on.
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