In one of his characteristic bonkers yet highly informative videos, Demolition Ranch tackles the question most never thought to ask: “Can you turn Level III body armory into Level IV using your own ceramic tiles?” Its a clever premise that can only be proven through time-tested redneck engineering.

Turns our the answer (at least using this particular brand of glass counter splash) is a likely no, with one potential stop of a .308 AP round (not even the .30-06 AP that the standard is rated to). Given this, I would not push my luck. Considering Level IV plates are a scant $100 more, if you want that level of protection, buy the right level from the factory.