Especially for police, danger and distance are often inversely correlated — the closer a subject is, the more risk they can pose. That principle underlies everything from basic scene control to the halo/buffer zone laws that keep bystanders back from first responders at work.
While firearms are obviously still lethal at long range, they are not an exception to this rule. Data from the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) program shows that among firearm deaths of officers from 2010–2019, where the distance was known, a large plurality of fatal shots (45.8%) occurred from 0–5 feet away. Percentages dropped significantly from 6–10 feet (20.9%) and further from 11–20 (14.4%) and 21–50 (9.3%) feet.
Overall, among cases with reported distances, about two-thirds (66.8%) were within 10 feet, and about 81.1% were within 20. Handgun killings dominated these numbers, and fatal rifle shots were more likely to be at distance, but 46% were still from less than 20 feet.
The closer firearm threats come, the more important protection becomes, and head protection is some of the most important PPE law enforcement agencies buy. To maximize safety, departments may opt for helmets that are “rifle-rated.” Those helmets may not, however, be tested against the actual velocities produced by rifle shots at close range. Rather, they may be tested against lower-velocity rifle cartridges, reduced-load ammunition or lower-energy cartridges such as the .300 Blackout, which produces less velocity and energy than traditional rifle rounds.
“It’s a rifle cartridge, but it operates at much lower velocities and energies than most RF1 [rifle] threats,” explained Shawn Kneisel, a product specialist with Team Wendy, a leading provider of head protection for law enforcement, the military and other first responders. “Some helmets may be called ‘rifle-rated’ because they can stop that. But that’s not really a rifle round most criminals have, and it’s not even an NIJ-listed threat. So is it really rifle-rated? And if so, according to who? Certainly not the NIJ.”
Understand NIJ guidance
Understanding the National Institute of Justice’s relevant guidance around head protection helps clarify the issue. The NIJ’s legacy ballistic helmet standard, NIJ 0106.01, dates to 1981 and largely classifies helmets around handgun-type threats.
The three threat levels defined in the newer NIJ 0123.00 reflect evolving risk profiles and truer rifle velocities:
- An RF1 rating means baseline protection against common non-armor-piercing rifle threats.
- 7.62×51mm M80 ball at 2,780 fps
- 7.62×39mm MSC at 2,400 fps
- 5.56mm M193 at 3,250 fps
- RF2 adds protection against steel-penetrating 5.56mm threats older ratings didn’t sufficiently address.
- M855 “green tip” at 3,115 fps
- RF3 protects against armor-piercing capabilities, analogous to the previous NIJ Level IV.
- .30-06 M2 armor-piercing at 2,880 fps
Some helmets marketed today as rifle-rated cite testing against lower velocities — for instance, 2,100 or 2,200 fps with the 7.62x51mm M80, rather than the standard’s 2,780. That’s a big and potentially dangerous difference: A 7.62x51mm M80 round at 2,100 fps is about 24% slower than 2,780 fps and, all else equal, carries only about 57% of the energy.
“Those are the kinds of claims we want to avoid: ‘It stops this round at 300 yards,’” noted Kneisel, a former SWAT sniper. “Well, no police officer is getting shot at 300 yards. They’re more likely to get shot at the threshold.”
Seamless shell stops penetration
Team Wendy’s solution to this dilemma is its new RIFLETECH helmet, which debuted in 2025. It has been tested against live fire at muzzle velocity, offering demonstrated high-level protection as well as improved comfort and light weight.
Unique aspects of the RIFLETECH include Team Wendy Ceradyne’s patented seamless shell technology, with no through-holes to diminish structural integrity, and its Air FIT liner system, developed for comfort and added protection against traumatic brain injury.
Most important, though, is its increased resistance to penetration and high fragmentation rating. Its V50 rating is more than 4,430 fps against a 17-grain fragment-simulating projectile, meaning that in testing, that projectile has a 50% probability of penetrating the helmet at that speed. That’s roughly twice the V50 of key competitors.
“What we’ve learned through the Global War on Terror is that if a helmet isn’t penetrated, then the person survives. If a helmet is penetrated, then the likelihood of survival drops to like 25%,” said Kneisel, who served multiple Army tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. “To stop all rifle rounds, we need to stop all projectiles.”
That’s some older data but a striking difference, derived from an evaluation of 77 helmets struck by small arms bullets during those conflicts. While full penetration carried a mortality rate of nearly 75%, partial penetration yielded 100% survival with relatively minor head and neck injuries.
The RIFLETECH provides RF1-level protection under NIJ 0123.00, with demonstrated muzzle-velocity penetration resistance against 7.62x39 MSC, 7.62x51 FMJ (M80 ball NATO round), 5.56 M193 BT and 9mm FMJ RN.
The seamless shell technology that provides this was developed by Team Wendy Ceradyne, a part of the Team Wendy portfolio, using ultrahigh-molecular weight polyethylene. This is an extremely strong and light polymer fiber that’s layered to help catch, stretch and dissipate projectiles’ energy.
Eliminating through-holes removes structural weak points and ensures ballistic integrity (though the helmet can still support a full range of accessories).
“The no-through-hole technology is a pretty big deal for us,” said Sara Jonas, who leads Team Wendy’s marketing. “When you drill through the ballistic layer, it creates a weak spot around that fastener and hurts the integrity of the ballistic performance. Instead of doing that to attach rails or the shroud — and instead of using glue, which can fail — we created a kind of pocket that’s not in the ballistic layer. You can drill into it and not puncture or impact the ballistic layer, so you’re protected with the same integrity throughout the entire helmet.”
The RIFLETECH uses a reinforced polycarbonate shatter-resistant reverse dovetail rail system to maximize flexibility with attachments.
“More and more people are making accessories for the reverse dovetail pattern, so I think the biggest upgrade is that we’ve added that type of geometry,” said Kneisel. “That way, if somebody decides they want to move to the RIFLETECH from another helmet, they can just take their accessories off and put them right on the RIFLETECH.”
‘I’ll never go back’
Team Wendy offers liner and retention systems for its various headgear, along with other accessories. For the RIFLETECH key options include its Air FIT liner system, Air FIT comfort pad kit and CAM FIT ballistic retention system.
The Air FIT system represents a unique approach to comfort and TBI protection built around a proprietary impact-absorbing foam called Zorbium. That’s used in pads that absorb and disperse blunt energy to protect the head, while the Air FIT design incorporates integrated air channels, cooling fabric and separate cooling pads to improve airflow and heat dissipation. A modular pad layout lets wearers fine-tune their fit and accommodate headsets. The system meets Army Gen II blunt impact purchase requirements.
While the RIFLETECH isn’t Team Wendy’s lightest helmet, its overall weight is toward the lower end for such products: The shell ranges from 2.07–2.65 pounds, depending on size, and complete systems from 2.78–3.48 pounds.
“Inevitably my question as a former police officer was, what happens when I put all my stuff on it? Is it still going to be comfortable? Will that retention system still work?” said Kneisel. “But I’ve been running the RIFLETECH with all the bells and whistles on it for about a year, and as light as that other helmet was, I’ll never go back. Even though this one is slightly heavier, it’s still more comfortable. And by the time you put all the stuff on the other one, it’s close to the same weight anyway.”
The comfort pad kit includes modular Zorbium pads in multiple shapes that wearers can position. They are sealed with an antimicrobial, moisture‑wicking fabric. The CAM FIT retention system supports precise fit with an asymmetric strap layout that places the buckle along the jaw line to reduce pressure and a lined chin cup to prevent chafing.
All your bases are covered
To demonstrate the RIFLETECH’s resistance to various rounds, Team Wendy staff performed live-fire validation testing at a range in Ohio. Using a helmet mounted on a head form, they escalated from handgun to rifle fire at close distances across various locations, culminating in a .308 (M80 ball) round from around 40 feet to the helmet’s crown. The helmet showed backface deformation but was not penetrated.
“Backface deformation is the biggest thing people worry about, but the data is pretty clear that what happens to the back of the helmet isn’t the issue,” Kneisel said. “What matters is what happens if the round gets through — that’s definitely our focus.”
Watch the live-fire video below.
While it hasn’t been in the hands of customers for long, the RIFLETECH has received a warm early reception.
“It’s been better received than anyone ever thought,” said Jonas. “It’s not an inexpensive piece of equipment, and we really thought it would be highly specialized. But what we’re finding is, because the rifle threat environment is unfortunately so different today than it was 10 or 20 years ago, the demand for a product like this is pretty strong. And we’re seeing that all over the world.”
“If I were in a command staff position, I’d have a hard time buying another helmet that wasn’t rifle-rated,” added Kneisel. “The biggest thing with RIFLETECH is you’re eliminating that variable. With a handgun-rated helmet, you aren’t accounting for all variables. So to me it’s about making sure all your bases are covered.”
For more information, visit Team Wendy.
