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A new type of ammunition known as the Aguila IQ has been identified as being able to penetrate bullet-resistant vests. The ammunition is manufactured in Mexico under the Aguila brand name by the munitions manufacturer TECNOS of Cuernavaca, Mexico, and is being imported into the United States by Centurion Ordinance Inc. of Helotes, Texas, for sale to the general public. The Michigan State Police Ordinance Unit has tested the ammunition and found that it does, in fact, penetrate police issued vests. The ammunition is available by dealers throughout the United States and can even be ordered over the internet. It is available in .45 ACP IQ, .40 S&W IQ, and 9mm Luger .
The following information was taken directly from the Aguila Ammunition website.
This new line of ammunition is loaded with the first intelligent bullet, made of an alloy (no lead) with a low specific weight. This feature allows light bullets like these to have a size similar to those projectiles made from lead. We call them intelligent bullets because they recognize the hardness of the target at the moment the projectile hits it, and in nanoseconds the projectile configures accordingly. Thus, if the target is very hard, the IQ bullet will have superior penetration while maintaining its weight and size. If the target is ballistic gelatin, it will not over penetrate, transferring all the energy into the soft target, and breaking apart into three or four sharp fragments, each creating in-dependent wound channels.
Two additional features that make this high performance ammunition unique is that they can be fired in any firearm made for the corresponding caliber, without any modification to the firearm, and recoil is not greater than when shooting regular ammunition. The IQ line of ammunition was specially developed with personal defense and law enforcement applications in mind and it is also suitable for hunting.