SP8 Level IV/RF3 Rifle Armor Plate

The SP8 is Chase Tactical's stand-alone Level IV plate, and it is the least expensive stand-alone Level IV in this guide. Chase Tactical describes it as a NIJ 0101.06 Compliant Stand Alone Rifle Plate with protection listed as Level IV/RF3 Stand Alone Armor Piercing, and separately notes that it is Rifle Special Threats validated. Read the wording as written: Chase Tactical says compliant, which is a different claim from a plate that appears on the NIJ Compliant Product List under its own model name.

Stand-alone is the important half of the spec. Unlike an ICW plate, the SP8 does not need a soft armor backer to reach its rated protection, so it drops straight into a bare carrier. Chase Tactical does not publish a specific list of defeated rounds for this model, so treat the Level IV/RF3 designation and the RST validation as the whole of the published claim rather than inferring a threat list from the tier.

The cost of that protection is mass and bulk. At 7.2 lb per plate and 1.25 inches thick, the SP8 is roughly two pounds heavier and half an inch thicker than the lightweight ceramics in this guide. A front and rear pair puts 14.4 lb on the carrier before you add the carrier itself. Construction is a ceramic strike face over composite backing in a 1000D Cordura and textured nylon cover, single curve, in a 10x12 shooters cut that measures 9.5 by 11.5 inches.

Two practical notes. Plates are sold as individual units rather than pairs, so a two-plate setup is two purchases. Chase Tactical also lists this plate as unable to ship to Connecticut and New York, with shipments to those two states restricted to law enforcement and military buyers on a four-week timeline.