How to Write a Specification for Concealable Body Armor

What goes into a specification for concealable body armor

Who buys concealable body armor

In open tenders of 2024-2026, concealable vests were bought by the customs service, the Investigative Committee and the border infrastructure agency, and under the 223-FZ procurement law by the security departments of large enterprises. The batches vary from a single vest to two hundred sets.

The second and larger group of buyers is departmental and corporate security and private security companies. Since September 1, 2026, domestically made protective vests have been a licensing requirement for private security companies; see the article Body Armor for Security Guards: What Russia's New Law Requires. These buyers more often skip tenders and request commercial offers instead, and their specifications are shorter.

Protection class: separately for the soft structure and the plates

Under GOST 34286-2017 the class is assigned to a protective structure, not to the vest as a whole. A concealable vest may have two structures: the soft pack and the removable plates. The specification states a class for each: for example, soft structure Br1 and S2, plates Br2 or Br3.

The anti-fragment class S2 is tested with a steel ball, and GOST does not set the V50 velocity threshold: it is set by the product documentation. So the customer writes the value in, otherwise any pack labelled S2 will fit the specification. If knife protection is needed, the specification names class S. Our vests stop a knife in every class: see the article Does Body Armor Stop a Knife and Which Class You Need.

The handgun classes differ by the test cartridge: Br1 - 9×18 from an APS, Br2 - 9×21 from an SR-1, Br3 - 9×19 with a heat-treated core from a Yarygin pistol. What each one stops is covered in the article Br1 or Br2: What Each Protection Class Protects Against.

Coverage area, weight and sizes

A class without an area guarantees nothing: a vest with two small panels would also qualify as «Br2». The soft coverage area is stated in dm² for each size; with federal customers it runs from 30 to 37 dm², and the hard area is not less than 15 dm².

Weight depends on size too: a size 60 vest is heavier than a size 48. Ask the supplier for the weight by size and set a limit for each.

The size range is set by chest girth and height, not by the letters S-XL: every manufacturer has its own letters. Which measurements to take from staff is covered in the article How to Choose a Body Armor Size and Check the Fit.

Operating conditions, marking, kit and warranties

These points are copied from GOST 34286-2017, and a reputable supplier has no trouble meeting them:

• Resistance is retained from minus 40 to plus 40 °C and after immersion in water (clause 5.2).
• Marking per clause 5.5: manufacturer, product designation, class of the protective structure, size, batch and serial number, production date.
• Packaging: each vest in a bag sealed by the factory quality control, together with the operating documentation (section 6).
• Warranties per section 8: storage at least 5 years, service at least 1 year, service life per the manufacturer's documentation, and the vest keeps its protective properties for the whole service life. Customers add their own minimum service life, for example 4 years.
• Product passport with the class, size, serial number, batch, production date, operating rules, warranty periods and service life. Without a passport, GOST does not allow quality claims.
• Year of manufacture - not earlier than the year of purchase, so as not to receive a batch that sat in storage.

What happens after the contract: sample and acceptance

Delivery starts not with the batch but with a sample. In contracts of federal customers the supplier hands over a sample within the first working days after signing, together with the technical documentation; the customer signs a sample conformity report, and the batch is accepted against it. Acceptance includes an examination, and sometimes the customer separately orders laboratory tests of the vests already delivered.

For a purchase outside of tenders the procedure is simpler, but the sample is worth approving the same way: one or two vests are tried on by the people who will wear them, standing, sitting and behind the wheel.

Origin: the national regime and the registry

Since 2025, procurement under the 44-FZ and 223-FZ laws has run under the national regime, Government Decree No. 1875. Body armor falls under OKPD2 code 14.12.30.180 in the «clothing» group, for which a ban on goods of foreign origin is in place. Russian origin is confirmed by the number of the entry in the registry of Russian industrial products, which the Ministry of Industry and Trade keeps in the GISP system; the requirements for inclusion are set by Government Decree No. 719. The customer states the ban in the notice, the bidder states the entry number in the bid, and the number is written into the contract as a separate clause.

Specifications say «certified to GOST 34286-2017» and require a numbered certificate and a test report from an accredited laboratory with the delivery. For private security, the law on private security companies requires domestically made vests whether the purchase goes through a tender or directly.

How the customer justifies the price

The initial price is calculated from commercial offers and past contracts: the customer sends requests to suppliers, collects three or four prices and usually takes the lowest. A manufacturer whose specifications, documents and prices are public is more likely to receive such a request, and its model ends up in the price calculation and in the «or equivalent» description.

Common mistakes in specifications

• A class without an area or a structure. «Protection class Br2» with no area and no indication whether it refers to the soft pack or the plate.
• Non-existent classes. There is no «Br2+» in GOST 34286-2017: a class is assigned by a test, and a plus adds nothing.
• One weight for all sizes. Sizes weigh differently.
• No knife class. If blade protection is needed, say so in the specification: class S. Our vests stop a knife in every class.
• S2 without V50. GOST does not set the fragment velocity threshold; without it the requirement is empty.
• A brand without «or equivalent». Narrows competition and invites a complaint.
• No test report required. The certificate shows the class; the report shows what was fired and what came of it. Acceptance is checked against the report.
• Letter sizes. S-XL differs between manufacturers; chest girth and height are needed.

Requirements template

The concealable body armor vest is intended for [purpose]. Manufactured in accordance with GOST 34286-2017. Protective structure: soft, protection class [Br1/Br2] and S2 (V50 not less than [] m/s)[; plates of class ]. Soft coverage area by size: not less than [//] dm². Weight by size: not more than [//] kg. Nominal sizes by chest girth: [-] cm, height [-] cm. Protective properties are retained from minus 40 to plus 40 °C and after immersion in water. Marking per clause 5.5 of GOST 34286-2017. Kit: vest, bag, product passport with the class, size, serial number, batch, production date, warranty periods and service life. Warranty storage period at least 5 years, service period at least [] years, service life at least [] years. Year of manufacture not earlier than [__]. The supplier provides the certificate of conformity and the test report with results for each shot.

What IRON TACTICA offers organizations

We make concealable vests in our own workshop in Saint Petersburg. Each vest comes with two ballistic packs, a copy of the certificate of conformity, the ballistic test report and a carrying bag. Certificate РОСС RU.32623.ОС10.04969 is valid until March 10, 2027 and lists classes S, S1, S2, Br1 and Br2 under GOST 34286-2017. The scan is in the Documents section, and we send copies before the order.

Two models most often fit organizational specifications: DARK ARMOR M-3 with packs around the torso and side protection, in class Br1 or Br2, from $400, and COYOTE with classes S2 and Br1, 1.4 kg, from $367. For larger staff there is the M-3 Big Size. These are retail prices as of October 13, 2026; terms for batches are discussed separately. Any model is made to measure for staff, men and women, at no extra charge, including a batch cut to a list of sizes. Payment on the site (Ozon Pay) is in roubles; to pay in another currency or another way, leave a request right at checkout («Pay in another currency or another way?»).

Call our toll-free line 8 800 101-76-37 or leave a request in the section for dealers and wholesale buyers: tell us how many vests you need, for which posts and by what date. We will answer on specifications, documents and delivery times.

Frequently asked questions

What must a body armor passport contain? The model, the class of the protective structure, the size, the serial and batch numbers, the production date, the rules of use and storage, the warranty periods and the service life. Under GOST 34286-2017, quality claims are accepted only with the passport.

What service life should the specification require? GOST sets no universal figure; the manufacturer sets it. Customers write their own minimum, for example at least 4 years, and require the protective properties to be retained for the whole period.

Can a specific model be named in the specification? Yes, with the clause «or equivalent» and a list of the parameters by which an equivalent is judged: classes, area, weight, sizes. Without the clause the purchase can be challenged.

Is a test report needed if there is a certificate? Yes. The certificate confirms the class; the report shows what was fired and how, and it is what the sample and the batch are checked against at acceptance.

Can a private security company buy vests directly from the manufacturer? Yes, tenders are not mandatory for a private organization. What matters is that the vests are domestically made and come with documents for the protection class.