Hard Head Veterans ATE® GEN2 vs OPS-CORE FAST® SF

Published Testing Data

HHV ATE® GEN2

Backface Deformation:

Crown BFD 15.0mm, Side BFD 13.3mm, Front BFD 14.8mm, Back BFD 8.5mm @ 1400 + 50, -0 ft/s with 9mm.

Resistance to Penetration:

NIJ IIIA ((NIJ Level IIIA (according to NIJ STD 0106.01 / 0108.01) (9mm, 357, and .44 magnum)

Fragmentation Performance:

17 - Grain FSP- Minimum V50 (ft/s) @ 2250 ft/s

Blunt Impact Protection:

AR/PD 10-02 (AVG 83G) over 14 drops.

Compression Testing:

Less than .013 dimensional change. AR/PD 10-02 standard is no more than .020.

Environmental Resistance:

Fully tested

Source: (NIJ Testing Tab)

https://www.hardheadveterans.com/products/ballistic-helmet

OPS-CORE FAST® SF

Backface Deformation:

Crown BFD 23.4mm, Side BFD 27.1mm, Front BFD 29mm, Back BFD 19.1mm @ 1,195 (+50/-0) fps with 9mm.

Resistance to Penetration:

*Not Listed* Using their own Specification called Ops-Core Perfor-mance Specification FAST SF PS-1228, but does not list any RTP data.

Fragmentation Performance:

17 - Grain FSP- Minimum V50 (ft/s) @ 2297 ft/s

Blunt Impact Protection:

*Data not shown* but listed to meet AR/PD 10-02.

Compression Testing:

*Data not shown* but listed to meet AR/PD 10-02.

Environmental Resistance:

Fully tested

Source: (NIJ Testing Tab)

https://shop.gentexcorp.com/content/Ops-Core-FAST-SF-Super-High-Cut-English.pdf

General Characteristics

HHV ATE® GEN2

Weight

Shell- 2.2 lbs - 2.6 lbs
Shell w/Suspension & Pads- L 2.8-3.2 lbs

Size Range

20 1/4” - 25” (S, M, L, XL)

Rail System

M-LOK rail mounting

Suspension System

4-Point X-Pad Magnetic chin-strap system

Padding System

Multi-Layer pad system

Shroud

A3S 3-hole shroud

Construction:

Next Gen Aramid Fibers

Warranty:

10 Years

OPS-CORE FAST® SF

Weight

Shell- 1.39lbs - 1.72 lbs
Shell w/Suspension- L 2.4 lbs
*Do not know if that includes pads as well*

Size Range

20 ⅞” - 25 ⅛” (M, L, XL, XXL)

Rail System

ARC rail mounting

Suspension System

Worm, Dial, or H-Nape system

Padding System

EPP Pads or Lux Liner

Shroud

Modular Bungee Shroud (MBS) 3-hole shroud

Construction:

Hybrid; Carbon, Unidirectional Polyethylene and woven Aramid

Warranty:

5 Years

Basic Overview

HHV ATE® GEN2

The ATE GEN2 ballistic helmet offers a higher degree of protection across the normal testing standards of resistance to penetration, backface deformation, V50 and others than the OPS-CORE. This does come at the cost of approximately .4 extra pounds though.

OPS-CORE FAST® SF

The FAST® SF is an extremely lightweight ballistic helmet that sacrifices some protection in order to keep the helmet as light as possible. It offers additional suspension systems over the HHV ATE. It is also slightly higher cut over the ears.

Which is Best?

You will have to decide which helmet is better for your specific needs. Questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

  • Would I prefer additional protection or a lighter weight option?
  • How will I be using this helmet? Will it be on my head 24/7, or will it be used for a few hours at a time when needed?
  • What am I willing to spend on a helmet?
  • What kind of warranty am I looking for?