International Armored Group's Armored Vehicle Buyer’s Guide

International Armored Group

Category: Armoured Vehicles | 17/08/2010 - 03:42:04

Armored Vehicle Buyer’s Guide

Whenever a person commits a large amount of finances into something, whether it is a house or a car, great efforts are taken to ensure the investment is wise and prudent. Similarly, the same quality of care should be taken with the purchase of an armored vehicle. Since there are many different manufacturers and distributors of armored vehicles, with virtually every company self proclaiming to be “industry leader” and boasting about “highest build quality”, International Armored Group has set out a very simple, unbiased buyer’s guide to help consumers make a well-educated, well-informed decision. Buyers should use the checklist below to objectively compare between different armored car manufacturers and determine which one will provide the safest and most well built armored vehicle.

Yes	No
[ ]	[ ]	Are only certified armoring materials used? “Certified materials” means the material (usually ballistic steel and ballistic glass) have been tested and certified by a government agency and guarantee protection against the rated threat level. However, this does not mean the armored vehicle is tested and certified. Please see the next question below.
[ ]	[ ]	Does the company produce independently tested and certified armored vehicles? Only companies that have had at least one of their armored vehicles independently certified against live fire testing (including bullets and explosives) under the new VPAM BRV 2009 standards issued by a government agency should be trusted for their armoring design. This is the latest standard in armored vehicles testing and by far the most thorough and accurate. Certificates are issued by Beschussamt Mellrichstadt in Germany, the world’s leading agency in conducting these tests.
[ ]	[ ]	Were proper suspension and brake upgrades installed in the armored vehicle? Trustworthy armored car companies will have armored vehicles available for test drives upon request at all times. Test driving the vehicle will demonstrate first hand whether the armored vehicle has properly upgraded suspension and brakes to cope with the extra weight of the armor.
[ ]	[ ]	Are full door overlaps provided with bullet catchers? Door overlap is ballistic steel that surrounds the opening of any door gap to protect against shots fired against these vulnerable areas. Half overlap means only the top half of the door aperture is protected, which is inferior to full overlap. Full overlap means 360 degree protection of the door apertures which is also ideal for blast protection as only the 360° overlap helps keep the door in place after the explosion. Bullet catcher is the bent ballistic steel along the overlaps which “catches” the bullets as they try to penetrate the area where the door ends and the vehicle body begins.
[ ]	[ ]	Are the fenders and area behind headlights armored? Complete vehicle ballistic protection is absolutely necessary to ensure the safety of the passengers. The fenders and area behind the headlights are key areas that need to be armored in any vehicle.
[ ]	[ ]	Are the door hinges heavy duty? Replacing the door hinges with heavy duty ones is required in order for the weight of the armored doors to be fully supported and to keep the armored doors from misaligning. Misalignment of the doors can lead to gaps where shots can penetrate and injure or even kill passengers.
[ ]	[ ]	Are references available upon request? A very effective way of gauging a company’s competency is by their past experiences. A good reference list will include large, well reputable companies.

The factors in this checklist are the biggest determinants of whether an armored vehicle has been manufactured to the highest quality possible. Armored vehicles should only be purchased from armored car companies that meet all seven criteria. Companies that cannot meet all seven factors are producing armored vehicles that are inferior in quality and safety.