Hoplite Industries reached out to me and asked me if I would be willing to be a 3rd party to test their new line of NIJ Level IIIA rated helmets. I accepted, and for full disclosure, I was sent two helmets, one to test and one to keep as payment. I told him that I would test them, give him a couple of days to handle any feedback I had, then I'd release the results, either way.
Hoplite Industries had a rough start with their digital night vision, but is geniuinely attempting to fix the sourcing issues they had and build solid products for the tactical/preparedness community. I know there was drama with others, but I'm able to set that aside, as I want to truly help other guys get out there and I want to recommend quality products to my people.
Hoplite asked me if I had a 44 Magnum available for testing. He sent me the results of their test on the high cut helmets using 147 grain 9mm Gold Dot hollow points and he wanted to make sure that the mid-cut helmet met the same standard. I don't have a 44 Magnum, because I am not Inspector Harry Callahan of the SF PD, but my dear friend Allen has one and agreed to help me with the test. We fired a single round of 44 Magnum, 240 grains, from a Ruger Blackhawk revolver at a distance of 10 yards (30 feet).
As you can see, the UHMWPE fibers became severely deformed and all that energy would have been transferred to the skull and brain of whoever was wearing the helmet.
I immediately sent the photos to Hoplite, who was indeed surprised. He looked into the issue and found that the mid and full cut helemts came from a different source than the high cuts he had tested. He asked me if I would be willing to shoot the other helmet with a 9mm to see if the full cut had the same issue. To his credit, he seemed genuinely concerned to want to do this right.
So, the full cut was tested with a single round of Sellier & Bellot 115 grain FMJ. The helmet also failed, with a deformity that would have caused injury. Sure, any round to the helmet will cause some injury and deformation of the helmet, but the fibers still seperated on this helmet.
Hoplite immediately pulled the helmets from his site and offered a full refund or replacement to anyone who bought one before the testing was done, which says a lot of good for him.
He has switched materials and is ordering helmets made of Aramid now, and intends to send a new pair to me for testing, which I will do, and then issue a follow up review.
While the product didn't stand up to testing, Hoplite's character did. He didn't dodge or evade the test results, he took immediate action to correct the situation. We will see what the future holds.
In the meantime, he has re-listed the helmets as non-ballistic bump helmets for airfsoft or fragmentation, but not NIJ rated.
I cannot recommend these helmets for any protective use.