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Ballistic glass

Mudburner

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Apr 4, 2019
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I know of a very large lot of used ballistic glass. Anybody have any ideas what to do with stuff like this?

Panels vary in size from about 27"x24" (estimated weight 100 lbs each) all the way up to 46"x67" (estimated weight 450 lbs each). These windows are very thick and EXTREMELY heavy.

There are about 100 windows on ten pallets of 1,800 lbs each. Total weight is 18,000 lbs.

The stuff is used, some is cloudy, damaged, etc.
 
I know of a very large lot of used ballistic glass. Anybody have any ideas what to do with stuff like this?

Panels vary in size from about 27"x24" (estimated weight 100 lbs each) all the way up to 46"x67" (estimated weight 450 lbs each). These windows are very thick and EXTREMELY heavy.

There are about 100 windows on ten pallets of 1,800 lbs each. Total weight is 18,000 lbs.

The stuff is used, some is cloudy, damaged, etc.
Contact the training division of your state and local Police Departments. I am pretty sure they would be very happy to have some of that for training. Specifically try to get routed to training division and SWAT/CRU coordinator if possible.

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Moving it is my problem. The larger panels are super heavy. I wanted to make a greenhouse out of some of the windows, but surprise! This stuff weighs too much for one guy to handle...

I can pick up some of the smaller windows. The larger ones, no way, this stuff looks about 2+ inches thick. It came out of a prison & was sold for surplus. I have about 9 days to figure out what to do with it.
 
I have a close relationship with the Armored International Group (AIG USA) that fabricate all manner of armored civilian and Mil/LEO tactical vehicles. Have been to the fabrication site many times and it is pretty impressive to see and feel the weight of the ballistic windshield / window panels. I know one thing, as a civilian roadside accident-trapped in an armored sedan / surburban / toyota styled SUV , first responders and fire-rescue are not going to be able to extract the trapped occupants with common window breaking & Jaws-of-Life tools. The conversation-piece Level-8 coffee table may be the best materiel re-purposed suggestion.
 
Contact the training division of your state and local Police Departments. I am pretty sure they would be very happy to have some of that for training. Specifically try to get routed to training division and SWAT/CRU coordinator if possible.

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Just picking your brain here, but how would anyone use it for training?
 
Handling is just the first issue. How to cut to shape is problem #2. A waterjet would probably be the best option.
 
Just picking your brain here, but how would anyone use it for training?
There is always a need for extra heavy glass to test and train on by agencies that try to maintain a contingency for such barriers. Example is ammunition testing and shooter training with .338LM and barrier/AP rounds. Some also have 50Cal. just for such a problem.

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Just picking your brain here, but how would anyone use it for training?

To piggyback the above. During training, you will shoot many different types of glass. You'll take notes on what happened when that type of glass was shot. Things like penetration, deflection, spawling/shrapnel, etc.

Then when its go time in real life, you have bad guy standing next to hostage X amount of feet behind Y type of glass. You look in your notes and see that Y type of glass has a high potential of seriously injuring the hostage at that distance, so you're not taking this shot at this time.

Or like mentioned above, maybe you need a larger cartridge.....or you'll use two shooters simultaneously. As one bullet will always be behind the other. You don't know which, just both engage at same time and one makes a path for the other.
 
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Here's a pic of an example of the training glass is used for. You are able to assess how accurately you can place a shot and what kind of damage is done from the glass.
1707490315838.png
 
I met an engineer at the local shooting range that designed ballistic enclosures. I ended up helping him out on several of his testing days, setting up the test samples and recording the results.
The samples were usually around 15" x 15" and varied in thickness and weight.
The testing was done at 15 FEET and the test samples were held upright with heavy rubber blocks and clamps so they wouldn't move on impact.
1 to 5 rounds were fired at each sample depending on caliber and testing protocol.
Calibers we tested were 9mm, .357 mag, .44 mag, 5.56, 7.62x39, 7.62x51 ,30-06 and .50 BMG.

We stood behind a 3/4 inch thick piece of plexiglass with a small shooting port.

Ballistic glass consists of layers of glass and plexiglass, the number of layers and thickness depends on the caliber you're trying to stop.
Basically the glass fragments the bullet and the plexiglass catches the fragments.

Here's few pictures of the samples from one day of testing.









 
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